About Duy Nhat Dao
Nhat was born in 1958 in Thai Duong Ha Thuong Giap Village, near Hue, Vietnam. As a child during the war, he remembers hearing bombs and gunfire in the distance, though he was too young to fully understand what was happening. His older brother served in the military during the war, coming and going periods of fighting. After finishing elementary school, Nhat left school to help his father work at sea, as his family could not afford further education. When the war ended and the South was Liberated, Nhat was later drafted into military service by the postwar government and completed three years of mandatory duty. In his village, some young men went into hiding or even maimed themselves to avoid conscription. After the war, poverty remained, and families–including members of Nhat’s–fled the country by boat in search of better opportunities. Two of his siblings resettled abroad, while Nhat remained in Vietnam. He immigrated to the United States in 2023, sponsored by his daughter. Looking back, he reflects on the hardships of war, the economic struggle that followed, and the changes in his community over the decades. Despite everything, he describes himself simply: an honest man who worked hard, took care of his family, and values peace.
