This is the unedited story of my father's escape from Communist Vietnam after the Vietnam War. Somehow, I have found this on one of his websites after he had passed away which had been deleted long ago. Due to the historical nature, I feel that it is important to share his story with the world so that people can read about the experience of what it was like to escape to Freedom!
Boat people
During the late '70 and '80 Vietnamese who fled Vietnam by boat after the communist victory in 1975, travelling to Australia,Hongkong,Japan and several other parts of south east Asia. Many died on the long voyages or were killed,raped by Thailand pirates.
Boat people who were the term has since been applied to other groups who try to flee from a country using small craft
Nov 7-1978 4am someone comein knock the door and scream whole family wake up,the jeep waiting for,after we all out the house, has one officer ready to locked the door.the jeep take we went to Mr Banh Vinh Thanh house who were leader, about 12 a.m. 3 GMC military truck comein take everybody to Tà Niên, Rach So²i, Rach Giá.
1 P.M. Nov 7-1978 the officer call everybody name went to 23m long fishing wooding boat. This week weather is very bed but we still need to arrived, if not the officer change mind we will lost all the gold we paid and may be go to jail too ??? we stay 1 night at Hòn Ròng and other night at Hòn Cái, next day total 8 boat go together, frist boat is police boat and last boat is police boat too, next day after police boat told everybody bye, 8 boat start running full speed, only few hours later my boat is alone with ocean, becaused some boat go north to Hong Kong or Japan, Taiwan. My boat plan to go Australia.
The perfect weather didn't last long enough, on the third day, dark clouds were hovering over our heads and strong winds started to blow heavily and heavily against our tiny wooden boat. The calm ocean became increasingly violent with heavy waves rocking our boat, heavy rain started to pour down , the gloomy weather had brought terror to every soul on that small wooden boat, people started to vomit heavily,I vomited too but not as bad as other. Every time the heavy waves rocking our boat I heard"ki ki kit kit" and I see little big water leaking inside the boat but I still ....
Next day when I woke up the weather is clear,anything is ok. Occasionally, we saw ships passed by and we signaled for help. However, that was all did passing by without the mercy of looking back. Afternoon we saw one more ships passed by, we do the same thing signaled for help, this time we do only few minute, becaused we saw the skull flag, Thai pirates saw we boat too many people they scare and we scare too, but we ready to fight, they passing by without looking back....
After 3 day one Malaysia navy boat comein stop my boat they don't let we closed to land, they order we need go far away get out Malaysia, so we need runing other side, few more hours later, we reached the other beach, we jumped off the boat and began swim in, I couldn't stand up and fell down on the sand, I was exhausted, but I was safe now, we used hammer broked the wooden boat and breaked down the engine so Malaysian can't tell we go any where.
2 hours later policeman come in do security checking, 2 more hours later The Red Cross come in give we hot meal by rice with sadin fish, that day is Nov 17-1978, we sleep in a old broken military building
Nov 25-1978 the military truck took us moving in Bengarak camp, Kuantan. We started went up the hill cut down some straight tree builded us own house, each family was build a small barrack to live, we got water from a small well to take shower and cooking
Jan 9-1979 do security paper work, my boat name KG0338, everybody tried to learn a second language where they're going to live, most studied English
Jan 29-1979 the USA Delegation comein just interviewed some people who applied to get into the USA, and for some people who live in this camp too long , not for my boat becaused my boat just come in few week ago.
Feb 25-1979 the Canada Delegation come in.
Mar 12-1979 one more time we moving to Salatin camp, this camp biger and lot more refugee here, we stayed there for few more months, before settling in the USA.
Apr 30-1979 The USA Delegation come in doing interviewed and accept me and my wife,becaused my brother was VN NAVY went to USA 1975 and I am South VN sodier.
May 31-1979 pledge.
July 27-1979 I and my wife has names on the list to leave camp to go to USA, but we need moving to Kula Lumpur frist, do some more security paper and sign up paper do a loan for air plane ticket from Malaysia to USA.
Aug 5-1979 fly to USA , Sanfrancisco by DC10 one time liked that over 400 VN refugee, we were surrounded by white and black people who was speaking a different language that was a strange to me, but we are safe and real safe now, untill now, I still feel guilly every time I think back, even though it has been over 20 years in the USA.
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