As I sat listening to a retired Colonel of the Republic of Vietnam Armed Forces (RVNAF or South Vietnamese Army), I tried to imagine each of his recollections of the Vietnam War as if I were actually there. The Colonel was still as proud as ever to be a part of the South Vietnamese fight against communism. He spoke with such passion and strength about how he rescued several American troops and how he stood up for the people of his country until the day he left. The Colonel spoke of the struggles he and his family have been forced to deal with since they fled Vietnam and arrived here in the United States. It has been almost eighteen years since his family was driven out of their home country, and the Colonel still remembers all of the details which led up to the flee and all of the people who helped his family get back on their feet again in a whole new country. As I heard these incredible stories of the past, I realized how much this man had been through, and why I am proud to be his son. These are the true accounts of Colonel Thuan Phong and his family. It was during the mid-1960's when the U.S. Armed Forces were still trying to defeat the North Vietnamese Army (N.V.A.) and the other communist guerrilla fighters (the Viet Cong), with no success. As more and more American troops were sent to the battle fronts in Vietnam, Vietnamese citizens became more angered. Not realizing that there were several homes and families in these areas they called "jungles", the American soldiers tore through the areas and made new army forts and bases. The U.S. troops simply saw these areas as a place where enemy snipers could hide and attack from. This upset the Vietnamese people, because it destroyed several thousands of lush acreage, which was what some families depended on for their income. A place where this ousting of citizens became prevalent, was in an area near "Marble Mountain" in 1965, where the people were thrown out into the sand dunes near by. The Colonel recalls how he once owned a plot of land in this "jungle", and how the American troops slashed, burned, and used the chemical, "Agent Orange" on this area until there was nothing left. The total harvest which could have been worth over twenty thousand American dollars (in 1965), was now dirt and debris. None of these farmlands were ever paid for or reimbursed by the American government. It was in one of these "jungle" areas in which the future of the Colonel rested. In March 1970, a communist regional battalion of Dien Ban, a Quang Nam province, attacked and surrounded the U.S. Marine company of Hill 55, in the southwest area of Danang, and were close to defeating them. The outside American forces tried to rescue the trapped Marine soldiers for eight days, but did not succeed. The Americans could no longer attempt resupplying or medical aid in the area, due to the heavy enemy ground fire and continuing American casualties. Finally, the South Vietnamese Colonel was called for help. He decided to go in and save the falling troop with his own plan. He decided that the only way that the 176 Marines could be saved, was to attack the communists from the back and undermine their army from there. The Colonel ordered his troops to dive downstream in the river on the north side of the area, and surprise the enemy. The Colonel's plan was successful, and the guerrillas were defeated in a four hour fight. When the North Vietnamese Army's intelligence agency discovered that the South Vietnamese Colonel was behind the communist defeat, they sent sappers (one who plants bombs or mines) to assassinate him and his family. On May 19, 1970, one of the sappers had followed the Colonel's wife and daughters to the marketplace in the southwest area of Monkey Mountain, Danang in Vietnam. This sapper planted an explosive in the vehicle when the jeep driver and the family left it unattended. Luckily, the communist plan back-fired and the bomb exploded after the family was safely away from the jeep. The Colonel was notified that the communists were looking to assassinate him and his family for conspiring against them and protecting the American aggressors. The only way the Colonel could prevent him and his family from being harmed was to leave the country of Vietnam and flee to a safer place. The Colonel was forced to give his "retired" status from the army and take his family and the little they could carry in their hands, onto the C-141 United States cargo plane on April 24, 1975. The Colonel's family left all of their belongings, their friends, and their home in Vietnam, to travel to a foreign and strange new land. Their new home was in the United States of America. After arriving in Guam, the family was then moved to San Diego, California, on May 6, 1975, to await information on their new home in America. The family was then moved to Pinedale, Wyoming (60 miles south of Yellowstone National Park), where they worked and lived at a place named Rookie's Lodge. In order to earn their room and board, the family had to do work around the lodge. The retired Colonel worked as a janitor, his two oldest sons worked as gas station attendants, and his spouse was the kitchen cook. After six weeks of endless laboring, the family still owed about two hundred dollars to the owner of the lodge. On top of the money situation, there were no near by schools that his children could attend. The Colonel thought to himself, "If the entire family works this hard and still owes two hundred dollars at the end of every month. How will we be able to live? My children can't even go to school and learn." It was then that he decided to go to the Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Services in New York City for help. He told the people that he wanted his family moved to a place where they could find a better opportunity for work. He also wanted good schools that the children could attend. The New York based center then assisted the family in their move to Fresno, California. In Fresno, a small home was provided in an area near North Park, and Belmont Avenues. The Bethel Lutheran Church, and the Hope Lutheran Church, also assisted the family by giving them clothing and household supplies. The church was very helpful in supporting the family during a time of need. However, the congregation would always insist on inviting the family to church on Sundays. This became somewhat difficult, seeing as how the family was not of the Christian faith, but was Buddhist. The Colonel then thanked the churches for their help, and kindly made his point clear that his family did not want to become Christian. Therein started another battle for the Truong family to survive in this new country. The Colonel found a job as a janitor at the Presbyterian Lutheran Church, while his sons worked at a car wash, and his other children attended school. The Fresno County Welfare system tried to assist the family, but they refused to accept it, fearing that they would grow dependent on public help. Instead the family worked hard, and the retired Colonel had saved up enough money to buy a bigger house for his family in a northern part of Fresno. It was just months before purchasing the new home that a new Truong family member had arrived into the world. I was born on November 18,1975, making me the only United States citizen in the family. It was also at this home years later, where the former military officer got to see three of his eight children get married and form other families. The Colonel can still remember some of the conflicts he came across between the values in his homeland in Vietnam and the values here in the United States. When the Colonel and his family arrived in the United States, they experienced "culture shock". The Colonel noticed a large difference between the two countries in regards to "respect" and who we are supposed to give it to. In Vietnam, the most respect is given to the country, because that is where one lives, and grows up. The next most respected figure is the teacher. The teacher is given respect and honor because he teaches the youth about life, culture, and other scholastic topics. Then the father is the third figure given respect. The father is admired, because he serves as a role model for his children and supports the family. The Colonel feels that in the United States, the most respect is given to the "power of the dollar" and that whoever has the most money is the "best". He does not think that there are any ladders or rankings to follow in regards to respecting people in America. He gives the example of the television shows "Welcome Back Carter" from the early 1980's and the 1990's "Married With Children". He realizes that these shows are mainly for entertainment, but he believes that shows like these, set bad examples as to who one should show respect and how one should act towards people who deserve respect (i.e.- parents, teachers, elders, etc.). The Colonel thinks that these are the kind of factors that deteriorate the morale of society in the United States. The former Colonel also feels that education plays a huge role in society, and that many Americans overlook it. He has always stressed to his children how important going to school is. He strongly points out that simply having good morality, does not make one a "good" person. He says that one must possess both morale and a good education in order to be "good". He gives the example of a simple algebraic equation: "good morale, plus a good education equals a good person". He has always been happy to assist his children in getting funds for college, and supporting higher learning. When asked about President Clinton's lifting of the Vietnamese Trade Embargo, the Colonel said, "It was a big mistake on the behalf of the Clinton Administration." He explained that if the embargo would have lasted for a couple of more years, the communism in Vietnam would have collapsed. The Colonel thinks that the only reason why President Clinton wants to lift the embargo, is so that he can find a way to control the Vietnamese oil fields, and use that supply for countries such as Japan, South Korea, and Taiwan. This way, the whole supply of oil from the Middle East can be used solely by the United States, and some of the European countries. The Colonel also asks, "How can the Vietnamese people buy expensive American products when each person's average income is only about $300.00 (U.S. money)? These people can barely survive with the little they have. How are they going to buy these new goods?" The Colonel adds to his opinion that lifting the Trade Embargo in Vietnam, is like giving a person near death the chance to live again. The colonel points out in the end, that he is not here in America, as an immigrant of economical need, but rather he is here due to "political asylum". This means that he has fled to the United States in order to avoid the communists in his home country. "One cannot navigate a sailboat on the ground. We have to navigate it in the river. We must follow the river's path." He explains that one must accept the way of life by assimilating certain characteristics and accustoming one's self to a new way of life, yet keep our own traditions and cultures. "This is how we as Vietnamese, enrich the American culture". The Colonel adds that he is happy that our family was able to stay together, and overcome the hardships of our situation with minimal outside assistance. He is very grateful to have the chance to live with his family in a strange, yet safe new land. According to him, anything he had done for the U.S. Forces during the Vietnam war was a mission he had to do, regardless who the "rescuee" was, and their color of skin.