The Boat People
The Story Of
My Escape From Vietnam
By OKC Outdoor Network Member
Thang Tat Nguyen |
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| The story took place 02/01/1981 –
8/30/1981, it is only about six month period, in that six month, I
go from Happy, to Hell, to Happy and New Culture. Everything is
happen so fast and I don’t even know how to deal with it. I write the
journey, so one day I can remember during my old age and I able to let
my friends read it and understand, when I live under communist rule, I
am ready to risk my life for freedom, I did not remember in detail of
my journey, there is a lot of stuff I think I am black out in my mind,
maybe one day I will remember. I had been in the U.S. for 25 years
now, I love this country and I make a lot of new friends, we party
together and enjoy every moment of life. |
| During the week, February 01, 1981, I
only thirteen at the time. I live in Saigon, South Vietnam, the
communist rename to Ho Chi Minh City. Saigon is a great place to live
during wartime, when the American were here, my family live in harmony
with other neighbor and go day-to-day life. During that age, all I
care is going to school, play football (soccer) and chasing girls, I
live a care free life because I was a kid; I have a great child hood
and a lot of fun. I hang out after school, play football and getting
in trouble, in my neighborhood we have a lot of kids about the same
age. We play many game together, also many girls in my neighborhood
hang out together, boys with boys and girls with girls, I remember
especially a girl, she just like a tomboy, she wear a lot of boys
cloth and she look just like a boy, so she get to hang out with us and
become one of the guys, we play all kind of games and pick on kids in
the different neighborhood, in Vietnam, not every kids have a bicycle,
we walk every where, there is not a fat kids in my neighborhood, that
is the good old day, enjoy life before I have to be an adult and
responsibilities. |
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| One day, I move up the big school, the
school is about 2 miles from my house, it is so great become a
sophomore and making new friends in a big school. One day during
recess, I did not pay much attention to any thing else, I was out side
playing long jump with a group on new friends and this guy come up to
me and apologize for the comment that he made to me, first I did not
understand and think this guy is nut and crazy, but then I recognize
him, I told him to forget about it and I don’t even remember, why I
even hate him in the first place, so we become friend and hang out
with each other, let me explain, Tuan live about ½ miles from my
house, everyday I have to walk by his neighborhood on my way to school
and back home, and one day, I was on my way home from school and there
is this kid (tuan), I don’t even know, say some thing I did not like
and really piss me off in a bad way. I chase him and he gets away
from me and if I catch him, I would beat him up. That how the hate
begin. |
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| In Vietnam, we all have to wear
uniform for school, boy have to wear a white shirt and dark blue short
or pant, girl have wear white blouse and short dark blue skirt and all
student have to wear a red scarf, a reminder that you live under the
communist rule. |
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| Me and Tuan saw a couple of girls in
our class and both of them are a very cute and very beautiful, one of
the girl is a brunette (Nga) and the other one got a short light brown
hair (Thuy), under the sun light they look like angel, they are both
very attractive, they got a great personality, me and Tuan decide, I
will go for the brunette, Nga is about 5 ft, she got a long black
hair, black eyes and cute smile. Every times I look at her and I
would melt and he would go for Thuy, that happen one week before my
great escape from Vietnam) |
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| We sit right next to each other in
class, Nga and Thuy sit across from us, we keep telling our self that
will be the girls that we would fall in love with in the near future,
in the early day in class, we kind shy of talking to the two girls,
eventually, we have the guts to talk to them and find out that they
got their eyes on us too, they think me and Tuan is both crazy because
when we playing football, we playing hard and get hurt many time, back
in Vietnam, football is big, If I am that good, maybe one day I will
play in World Cup. |
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| I am so chicken to ask them out, so
Tuan have to ask them out and you know what, they except our
invitation to go out after school one day, we all set after school
date for Wednesday, 02/25/1981 that is the best day of our life, two
beautiful girls go out with us, we are so happy, we get out of school
about 3 p.m. each days, and we don’t have to be home about 5p.m. that
would give us couple hours to do some wild thing together, that day
come, it is Wednesday, we could sit still until 3, across from the
school, there is a café, that serve all kind of drink and excellent
desert. |
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| We all sit there and order some drink
and some desert, I did not talk much, Tuan do all talking and I just
sit across and look at the beautiful girls, the girls did not talk
much either, but that is a start of a great friendship with the girls
and who know maybe a beautiful girlfriend, I don’t remember, what’s we
all talk about, but I guess, that must be a great feeling because, at
the end we end up with a second date with them. That is the first
time, I able to sit-down and talk to a beautiful girl and you know
what, Nga really like me and I really like her, during that time, all
I think about her and the future that we would have together, that
kind of funny coming from a thirteen years old. Nga so sweet and
kind, she got a very beautiful smile. That is the best day in the
world for me, I get to spend time with a beautiful girl. The girls
did not live that far away from my house, I think both girls live
about two miles away, me and Tuan were very happy. We all say goodbye
and set for another date on next Thursday, 03/05/1981 on the way home
we were very happy and we discuss, how cute, both of girls look in
their school uniform. I was signing and so happy, I was flowing on
air and it seems to be forever and forever and it never end. I went
home and that night, I did not say much to my mom about the Nga. |
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| In the next few days, I talk to Nga
during class and recess, we talking about everything, some times we
talk about the good old day, when the U.S. was here and how happy is
the people, Saigon is a city that never sleep, you can always find
activities during all day and night, we have to be careful talk about
the old days, if other student hear us and reported us to the school,
we get detention and expelled from school, that is living under the
communist rule. Some of my friend, making fun of me, that I have a
girlfriend, that is funny, I keep it a secret and tell everyone I just
enjoy her company and still hate girls, and boys will be boys, when I
spend time with her, the world did not seem matter any more and school
is a place to meet other kids and not place of learning, Nga do well
and get all A+ in all her class and compare to me, I never do care
much for home work, I just don’t do them, I like to play sport, hang
out with friend and for first time Nga come first, and other stuff
come second, she told me about her family and her father help her with
home work and other stuff. My father got send to prison in the north
since 1975, after the South Vietnam lose the war to the North Vietnam,
all the south soldier had to report to reeducation camp. My father
was a south Vietnam soldier and he fight for the freedom of the south
and the communist send him to reeducation camp so he can be a
communist, me and my mom visit him in camp and bring him supplies,
while my mom is talking to dad, always, there is a communist soldier
sit right beside and listen to the conversation and make sure, that
they did not say any thing bad about Vietnam government. |
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| I like talking to Nga, she can make my
problem go away and I just focus on her and listen to what’s she said,
that is the first, most of the time I don’t listen to girls, I don’t
even listen to my sister, but I have to listen to mom, Nga all way
want me to share my feeling with her, for a guy that is a very hard,
she mean well and she just like to help me with problem, when I am
that age, I think the whole world on my shoulder. Since, I live on my
allowance, I have no choice to work for my allowance, my mom, just
like any other mom, she make me do house work, and I remember, I have
help her to sales lottery ticket to make a living, and some time I
have stand in a long line at the government distribution center to buy
alcohol and resale’s at the higher prices, (note: in Vietnam, there
is no age limit on alcohol, any one can buy alcohol), I use my
allowance to buy candy and soft drink for Nga during recess, she
always appreciate for the thing that she had. I walk part of way home
with Nga everyday, I feel very peaceful when I am with her. For a
short time I get to know her, she is my best friend. |
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| She is some one you can count in the
time of need, which is very hard to find in a person. When we walk
home together, we pass along some really nice building, and she said
that she would like to live there one day, and have a lot of animals,
Nga love animals, she had a great imagination and great ideal that she
would accomplish, I told her that I believe her and I would like to
help her to accomplish those goals. |
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| And today, I still think of her from
time to time, I still think if I never leave Vietnam, I would be
married to her and have a nice house and few kids, I would be with her
until the day I die. I wonder if I miss my chance to be happy for the
rest of my life? That the question I have to deal with the rest of my
life. |
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| Next week has arrived and I got a
second date with Nga on Thursday, 03/05/1981 after school, I told that
I am looking forward to it and so is she, on Tuesday night, 03/03/1981
after dinner, my mom talk to me about me not going to school on
Wednesday, 03/04/1981 morning and instead, I have to visit my cousin
and stay with him on that day, I did not know of what’s going, but I
have a hunt, that is the day I will escape out of countries. During
that night, I think about Nga, I just meet her and I have to leave
country, if she did not see me in school, and she wonder if I am sick
and if I am sick, she would want to feel better for our date on
Thursday, if she did not see me next week or the week after that, she
think I have abandon her and move away without telling her any thing.
I fell bad that I never got a chance to say good bye to her and
explain why I left the country, but I hope she understand and one day
forgive me. To this day, if I tell her about my plan to escape out of
the country, would she understand? And would she want to come with me? |
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During this time, Tuan and Thuy and getting
along just fine, they see each other in class and off school, they are
perfect for each other, Tuan said that he is very happy that we make
the right move ask the girls out, because a lot of guys got their eyes
on Nga and Thuy, during class some times we look over the girls and
smile, they smile back and wonder, why are we looking at them, we want
scream out loud that they look beautiful and lovely and never change.
To this day, I wonder if Tuan and Thuy are still together and married?
In Vietnam, back in those day, if you find a girls and you comparable
with her, there is a good chance, you will ended up married her and
grown old together. |
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| When I live under the communist rule,
it is suck, I cannot say or do anything without some one is watching
me, there is no free speech, religion or human right. The reason I
have to go, because, I am in age range that if the country need
soldier, I will be draft and go fight and die, I grown up with two
friend right next door, later I found out by my mom, that they got
draft and fighting in Cambodia and one of the brother is dead. Some
time I don’t get alone with them, but they are my friends, we use to
play game with each other and play football, they both are good kids
and they both deserve better life instead of dying in stupid war. |
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| On Wednesday morning, my mom took me
to my cousin house and I will stay there until dark and I have to do
what’s my cousin said, he only do it for the money, my mom agree to
pay his family if he get me safely into the U.S. My mom give me some
money and tell me to use it to buy sandwich along the boat trip, my
mom worried that I did not make it, because a lot of people had die in
the sea tried to escape the communist rule, my odd of make it is about
5% if I am lucky. My mom give me a better chance in life instead of
becoming a soldier and die for nothing. |
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| My cousin got a small dog; I play with
the dog all day long and feeding the dog with ham and chicken for
lunch. Then the night had come, me and my cousin took a taxi to the
port of Saigon (ho chi mind port), there only one main highway to the
dock, along the way, I pass my neighborhood for the last time, and I
saw a bunch of my friend playing football, I wish I can play with them
and forgot the long trip ahead, I keep thinking about Nga and she will
not see me at school, and we have a date schedule for Thursday. At
that time, I want to cry and said let me out and I can go back home.
On the way to the small boat, me and cousin, he is an jackass, but my
mom said that I have to do of what he say, so I do, before we go to
the boat, we stop a café and drink some coffee and pretend, we just
have some fun so we don’t get notice, the Vietnam communist had spies
everywhere, the spies go around and tried to arrest people say bad
thing about the government or boat people. |
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| I think about 10 pm, we went to the
boat and give the boat driver code that identified us, otherwise we
will be stuck on land, during that time, the communist is hunting
people tried to escape out of the country, we have to be very careful,
after few brief word, we come aboard to begin our journey to freedom,
we travel by boat for about 7 day in the main river that lead into the
ocean, our boat only have total of 3 people including the driver, we
have to get there by certain day, otherwise we will miss the big boat,
we only travel at night, day time we stay in small river to avoid the
police patrol boat, and once in a while hook up with other boat to buy
supplies. |
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| It is mar 11, 1981, we arriving at our
destination, that night we got a good new that the big boat will come
at certain time and place, all the small boat will come out and unload
the people to the big boat, it never happened, the big boat did
arrived at the meeting place, but the patrol boat see it and chase it,
good news the big boat able to get away, that night all the small boat
unload the people on the river bank and every one is sleeping on land
tonight, and waiting for another day, this is the first time, I see
about 40 people in the same place since I left Saigon, I meet this
cute girl and start talking to her, she said that she got relative in
the U.S. and so do I, we talk for about 20 minutes and everyone go
sleep, next day had come, when I get up, most other small boat had
gone already, each boat stay in different location to avoid detection,
I get back on my boat and we hook up with market boat, that is the
boat selling grocery on the water, during the wait I see the most
beautiful river in the world, there is tree that grown green, yellow,
red, purple and it slowly erasing the mark of war, at this time, it is
about few day since I left Saigon, I wonder about Nga and how she
feeling. I presume that she feeling sad since, she did not know,
what’s has happened to me. |
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| Two day later, 03/13/1981 we got the
world that the big boat will come tonight, I am so excited and cannot
sit still, just like that day, I have a first date with Nga, I spend
the last few hours on land right next to our boat, the sun slowly go
down and it is so beautiful down here, you see animals, birds and
fishes, it is so cool, I live in big city all my life and I don’t
experience much with nature, Nga would love this place, I remember,
she told me that she had a cat and she love it so much, she love all
kind of animals, she is so simple and sweet. |
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| I am thinking, if this work I will
have a new life in America and a new beginning, a better life and
making new friend in school, but in the back of my mind, there is a
good chance, I will die. The sun finally goes down and I get ready,
the boat driver gives me some instruction, that when we get near the
big boat, it is my job to push other people away and claim up to the
boat, everyone is for themselves, I thanks him and give him the last
of my communist money, I will not needed on the big ocean. |
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 The
boat come and we all tried again and this time is success, but there
is a price pay to success, the patrol boat saw us and that time the
big boat had took off and leave behind a bunch of people in small
boat, the patrol boat chase after the big boat, the patrol boat fire
at us and kill several people, that what’s I hear from other people, I
don’t know how many, but we were lucky, by morning we are in the
international water and we are free for now, the only other thing that
scare us is the pirate, the pirate come out of Thailand and try to
capture the boat, robe you, kill you and rape you, a lot of people
loss their life for freedom, I don’t know how many people lost their
life, estimate about 1 million boat people. Our big boat is not that
big, it only about 30 ft long and about 10 ft across, it is crowded
with 138 people, including old, young and baby and all coming from
different back ground, everyone want a better life and willing to die
for freedom. Everyone is everywhere you can not even move on the
boat, most of the time, I have to sit still unless I have to go to
bathroom, there is 3 level on the boat, you have the bottom level,
that never see much day light much, there is a 2 level, I am lucky to
be in that, I able to get fresh air and some sun, most of time, you
don’t want the sun, because it can get you hot and there is a limited
amount of water on the boat, everyone got 1 glass of water a day, and
the top level is where the owner of the boat and it family and for any
family willing to pay the premium prices to sit on top, the top level
got plenty of water and good food. |
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| My cousin during this time, did not do
much for me, he make sure that no one tried to steal my water and my
food and that is, I guess, some security better than nothing, he want
to live so he can collect his money. Since my cousin know the boat
owner, I able to walk around the boat, so I tried to find the cute
girls, that I talk on land, I never able to find her, I think, her
family did not make it to the boat and I hope that the patrol boat did
not get them, if they catch you, they will treat you like a traitor
and put you in prison. I have seen it, my neighborhood is right next
to police station, many time when I play, I see a bunch of truck full
with people on it, and when it stop, the people would tried to give
their address and ask me to pass it on, so their family know that they
still alive. When you in the sea, you hope that a friendly ship (the
ship that from a countries that is free) will pick you up and took you
to a refugee camp either in Thailand, Hong Kong (at that time, Hong
Kong still belong to United of Kingdom), or the Philippines, during
that time UN send out a lot of ship tried to rescue boat people, I
think today, those boat still operated in different region around the
world today, you don’t want to see any boat with East Germany or
Russian flag, if you do, they will took you back to Vietnam and stand
trial as a traitor. I hope that I able to see West Germany Red Cross
Boat, that boat is big and just like a cruise ship, it job is to
rescuer boat people, it will tried to get there before East Germany &
Russian ship to rescuer the refugee. |
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 After
a two day, our boat engine gone out and no one able to fix it and we
are dead in the water, during that time life is hard on the boat, we
have to use sea water to cook the rice, we are saving the fresh water
for drinking, each people got very little to eat, all that time, I
wish I was at home and drink a cold glass of water, that all I can
think off at that time, I did not care about any thing else, the
people on the boat fight over water, if any thing did not happen soon,
the tension on the boat so thick, you can cut it with a knife. |
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| I hate the boat and the ocean, day
after day, I only see a lot of water, I don’t see any land, just water
and more water and that water I cannot drink. I am in pain and I am
not sick, |
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| I just tired of this trip and everyone
on the boat, I have to deal with a bunch of selfish people and some
people are very nice, you always had bad and good. |
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Several day had pass by, finally on
the six day at the sea, we all saw two fighter aircraft flight over
and the aircraft see us on the water, they turn around and take a
closer look, we able to identified it is U.S. aircraft, we are so
happy, we will be rescuer, the nightfall had come and during the night
the aircraft constantly keep an eyes on us and make sure nothing
happen, on the seven days by the sunrise on 03/20/1981, later in the
morning, we saw two navy helicopter arriving, they send the doctor on
board make sure, we all ok, and then I think, the two helicopter use
their pushing power and push the boat to the aircraft carrier, the
aircraft park several miles away, they do that so the waves would not
sink the small boat, as the boat slowly flow under the carrier, the
navy personnel throw the rope and pull us in right next to the stair
so we
can get up to the ship, It is amazing, how big is the carrier, that is
first time I see it very close, I never see anything that is so big
and so powerful. After we get up on the ship, they give us new cloth
and feed us, it is so wonderful to be rescuer by U.S. At that time,
all of us know that we are safe, we got rescuer by United State of
America. After, we get on the aircraft carrier, the doctor recheck us
and make sure, we did not have any illness, and I get to take a
shower, I don’t even remember when the last time I took a shower,
then they feed us, I eat like crazy and drinking soda pop, that is a
great feeling, I never see so many happy people, the Navy took care
of us in a great way. |
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I was on the
USS Ranger
CV-61 for five days,
I stop counting the days, I don’t care because, I know I am safe and
free, the Navy personnel enjoy meeting new people,
 They
so helpful and they know, we just went to hell and back, they tried to
make us very comfortable, finally I can become a kid for a while
without worried about anything and I just enjoy my self, me and other
kid is running around, they keep us in a big room and make sure that
we did not get lose on the ship, it is a big ship, later I found out
that we are going to
Subic Bay in Manila in the Philippines, when we
were on the ship, the Navy tell us to write letter to our love one and
they will send it for us with out any postage, I write to my grand
parent in Edmond, Oklahoma State. I did not know that the ship is
moving at all, the ship is so big and I feel no movement of the ship.
On 03/25/1981, we have arriving
Manila Bay Port, Philippine back then the U.S. have a contract with the
Philippine for a naval base station. |
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 The
Navy allowed us to go to the flight deck and see the base, it
beautiful in the base, I took a bread of freedom, I know I am free and
I will never live in a communist rule no more. Next day, the buses
come and took us to the heart of Manila City, the buses took us to
refugee processing center, and there I able to write more letter and
let our family know that we are alive. Within one week, I was on the
ship to the Palawan Island, that island is the biggest in the
Philippine country and it had a refugee camp at the end of a civilian
and military airport, after few day on the ship, I finally arrive at
the island, that was a wonderful feeling, I hate to travel on ship,
because I just went to hell and back. At the Puerto Princesa Refugee
Camp, there is a many people from different country were there, mainly
Vietnam, Cambodia, Lao, Thailand, and other few is from China, as
soon, as I arrive, after I check in and process more paper work, the
UN refugee administrator, assign me to school to learn English,
because, I will go to the U.S. soon, since my grand parent will
sponsor me. They assign me to live in house with a bunch of other
refugee, they all Vietnamese, they all guys, so it is easy to get
along. |
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| The people of my boat, some of them
will be going to Australia, French, U.S., West Germany and Canada to
start a new life. Life at the camp is very easy, each day, the camp
give you food for the day, and other supplies. All you do is play and
study, some of the camp resident set up grocery store inside the camp,
and trading rice for cigarette and other stuff. |
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| After, I settle down and went to
school to learn English, I learn the basic English like (This is the
table, this is the chair, how are you doing?) After a while it gets
boring and I start skipping class. I went to look for friend at my
age and I found one, he had been at the island for a while, so he know
about the place, that is a great friendship just begun, his name is
Dat. Since we live on the island, we have the beach, we went to beach
and chase girls around, it is back to normal for me at least, I only
learn for a few day and skip all my class, me and Dat went to the
beach almost everyday, life in the camp is very normal for me at
least, eat and go play and that it. We went to the forest and find the
fruit tree, like coconut or banana, and steal it from the local, that
is great, we get into all kind of trouble. |
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| The people that I share the house,
they all waiting for their name to be call, so they can go to the
U.S. Some of them did not have any sponsor, so they have to wait a
long time. Each day, the camp announces your name to go to country of
that you have sponsor. One day, I got a letter from my grandfather and
he had begun to process the paper work to get me to the U.S. fast, a
friend of our families is a missionary (Ron Cotton) and he and his
wife was in the Philippine at the time and he came to see me and send
letter to my grandpa about my life in the camp, back in Vietnam, Ron
is a preacher at church of Christ and we went there for Sunday
service. He is the one that help my family migrated few day before we
lost South Vietnam on 04/30/1975. |
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| One day they call my name and setup
for an interview with American immigration services, they have
translator, they ask a bunch of question like do I got a sponsor, age,
birthplace etc. They said, I will get out here soon, because I am a
minor at the time, After the interview is over, they said would few
months before they get back to me. I did not care about it, I just
enjoy myself before, I have to get back to the real world, the more
times at the island, the more times, I can forget about hell. I know
as soon as get to U.S. I will start school and study, now you know,
how I feel. Some times, I only want go through hell once in my
lifetime. |
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| After about six month, one day they
call my name for departure to America, I am so happy, I am ready for
the U.S. The UN administrator square me in and take the oath and will
defense the U.S. from all enemy, after few more week, they call my
name again and I inform me that I will flight to Manila and then to
the U.S. During the last week on the Palawan Island, I found out that
my father being release from communist reeducation camp and should
arriving back home by September 1981, my father is free, but he still
have to live under the communist rule. I prepare to say good-bye to
my friend of six month, so far Dat family still waiting for their name
to be call; I am going to miss him, a great friend. The friends that
I live in the house, they throw party for me and you know it is great,
I feel bad for all of them, they have been here for many years and I
just get here, already I am leaving, I am so lucky and some times I
don’t even know it. I sit on the wall that the end of the camp and
watch the beautiful sunset, go down for the last time at the island.
I sit there and reflex my life for the last six month, since I leave
Vietnam, I have accomplish, some thing that most people don’t even do
in their life time, risk my life for freedom. Freedom is never free;
some one will pay with their life. I am get ready for my new life in
a few days, after 6 long years, I finally see my uncle, aunt and my
grandparent since they left south Vietnam in 1975. |
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| I am thinking about Nga, I wish she
were here with me and we both can start a new life together; slowly
filling each blank pages and we will finish the book together. I
wonder, after six month, she did not see me at school, is she still
thinking about me like I think of her from time to time. Does she
hate me for abandoning her? When she so happy to be with me. Back in
school, each day I spend time with Nga, I all way tried to make her
forget about her problem, just like she help me to forget mine, we are
great together, the only thing I regret that I did not get her home
address. If I got her address, thing would turn out to be different.
Everything is happening so fast, I don’t even know, how to handled
it. |
|
| I finally on my way to U.S. from
the Philippine to the Hawaii island and stop there for about 3 hour
and then to LAX airport and stay 1 night in the hotel and next day to
Oklahoma City, during on the fight I get to watch superman movie, that
is very interesting, even I don’t understand any English, when the
flight attendance server us dinner, I got a package of mayonnaise and
since I could not read English yet, I think it was some kind of cream
for the coffee, so I put a package of mayonnaise in the coffee, since
that was a first time I taste some thing like that and you know what,
the coffee and mayonnaise is not bad. But overall the airlines foods
suck. Two day later, since I depart the Philippine I arrive in will
roger airport in Oklahoma City; when I arrive in OKC, I was sleeping
because of the time different, the airplane next stop is Tulsa, and I
almost got a free ride to Tulsa. After a while, my grandparent did
not see me come out and the flight attendance wake me up and escort me
to my family, I meet my grandparent and my aunt and my uncle. All the
way home from the airport, I said to myself, the U.S. is so different
and it is great challenge for me. This is the beginning of a new life
in a new country and in a new culture and I will do the best of it. |
|
|
I ask myself a lot of question, since
I have been in the U.S. for 25 years now.
If I have a time machine,
would I go back and change thing or let it alone? |
|
| I will change one major thing, I would
have ask Nga to come with me and if she don’t, I would ask for her
address and keep in touch with her, after I become American Citizen, I
able to sponsor her to come to the U.S. or come back home and married
her. In life, some time you only allow one mistake for a lifetime,
this is it. I will be happier now if I am with her. |
|
| The other thing, I would not change
anything at all, I have meet a lot of new friends and in life, there
is always ups and downs, some times I feel down, but I learn a lot of
new things and some times I feel good, I learn even more new things.
I learn family and friends are very important to my health. With
friendship, I learn, if I treat my friends like a family, in return,
they will treat me like a family. I have to earn their friendship,
friendship is not about if you rich or poor, it is the respect that
comes with it. |
|
But some times, I made that one
mistake and I want to go back to times to change that one mistake, but
do not change anything else.
But if I don’t learn from it, I will be
doomed. |
|
| It took me about 20 years to learn
Life is Short, so enjoy it and every moment, you never know, when time
is up. Only the last 5 years, I am truly very happy, After I had
been lay off from my job with WellCor America, I said to myself there
got to be a better life out there some where. |
|
| I do a search from the
web and I have found the
OKC Outdoor Network and
OKC Ski Club.
During my first year with both groups, I have met a lot of people and
got invited to parties and gatherings and at those gatherings I have meet
even more friends. The Kevin Marshall famous July 4 party, Stephanie
Field Thanksgiving and Ornament party, JoAnne Infantino San Ria party,
Melida Parson famous summer vacation to Guadalupe River and South
Padre Island, Monday Night Football at the Varsity and countless
invitations to birthday parties and other parties. |
|
I have known people from
both groups for about 5 years now
and it is the best thing that has ever happened to me. |
|
I have meet a lot of people in both
groups
with different
backgrounds and they are the nicest people. |
|
One day, I will write
another book about the people I have meet. |
|
| Thang Tat Nguyen |
|
Saigon, Vietnam // Edmond, Oklahoma City,
Oklahoma State of America |
|
