The Interpreter's Escape
Profilers: Kylie Phan, Daniel Aung, James Garvey, Mia Hofmann, Nicole Nishimori
Interpreting for the U.S.
Tell us about yourself and your perspective (e.g. were you a citizen who experienced the bombings? Where were you at the time of the war? How old were you at the time?)
My name is Ricky Phan and I lived in a beautiful beach city Nha Trang. I was about 20 when the Vietnam War was going on intensively. US air force and navy aircrafts started to bomb North Vietnam in March 1965 in order to stop them from sending supplies to the Viet Cong (VC). We later learned that there were more than one thousand civilians killed during the bombing. Actually the bomb didn’t stop them from sending supplies to the south. They successfully transported troops and supplies to VC from what we call the Ho Chi Minh Trail which was a network of roads and passes which connected North Vietnam to South Vietnam and Cambodia and Laos. I didn’t agree with the bombing because they couldn’t stop the war while thousands of civilians were killed.
Earlier you told us that you worked for the US Special Forces as an interpreter. What led you to become an interpreter for the U.S. Special Forces?
I was in high school in Saigon, the capital of South Vietnam when the war broke out not long ago. The US troops Special Forces chose my hometown as the headquarters in 1965 because Nha Trang is located in the middle of Southern Vietnam. It took a short way to send supplies to small fighting units in the south. When I returned to my hometown in the summer break, one of my friends working in the Special Forces offered me a job with high pay. I finally took it because they were short of interpreters during the war.
What did your day-to-day life look like working with the Americans? (Where were you stationed, what did your work make you do?)
The US Fifth Special Forces were stationed in Nha Trang, the big city where I was born. My main job was to translate from English to Vietnamese and Vietnamese to English. Most of the time I stayed in the office because a lot of information was needed to translate from there. Sometimes I went to the ammunition storage area to supply some ammunition to different cities in South Vietnam. The American soldiers and officers were very kind to me and very kind to the people also when they worked for them.
Were there any moments where you felt conflicted about your role, specifically which side of the war you chose to support? If so, how did you navigate them?
No, I was not conflicted. All my friends I had, including me, were supporting the South. We were all aware that if the North won the war, we would lose our freedom to live with the communist rule government where we had no freedom of speech, no freedom of religion, and no freedom of doing what we want.
Looking back, do you think you would have made the same decision to become an interpreter? Why or why not?
If history repeats, I would do the same thing to become an interpreter to help US troops to fight against the North communist force in Vietnam. At the beginning of the Vietnam War, there was a shortage of interpreters. American troops definitely needed interpreters to translate English to Vietnamese and Vietnamese to English for better communication to fight the war. I think interpreters played an important role in the war because US troops could not fight alone without understanding what the Vietnamese people wanted.
Life As a Refugee
Can you share your experiences escaping from war? And how did you feel when you finally reached America safely?
WIth the communist party captured city by city from north to south during March and April in 1975, all citizens realized that the enemy from the North would soon occupy the South. People started to escape and left the country. I was among millions trying to find ways to get out of Vietnam no matter what price it was. My family of 4 people did try several times to escape by small boat, crossing the Pacific Ocean to a free country. We all failed several times but luckily we didn’t get caught by the communist government. If we got caught that time, they would send us to a reeducation camp to do labor hard work for years. After the fall of Saigon, 4 years later in the summer of 1979, we finally successfully got out of Vietnam and safely arrived in Hong Kong by small boat by the “Pay and Leave” program which meant that we had to pay a certain amount of gold to leave the country. After staying in Hong Kong for 6 months, we finally flew to America in the February of 1980. When we first stepped on American soil, we were able to start breathing in the air of freedom. We could feel that we are safe to live here with hope leading a comfortable life without any fear.
You mentioned the Pay and Leave program. Can you tell me a little more about your experience with it?
The communist government took all my property before allowing me to leave by boat. They searched my house trying to get my gold but they couldn’t because I hid it. The communist government didn’t care about my safety or if I die at sea as long as I pay the money, they let me leave with my family.
Have you gone back to Vietnam ever since you escaped?
I left Vietnam in 1979 and I came back to visit 36 years later. It was 2015. The first thing, I went to visit my old house where they tore the house down. It looked terrible. And I also visited all 8 cities from north to south. It is to my surprise a lot of modern houses are built. A lot of good Vietnamese food for us to enjoy. I wish there was no war when I lived there and can enjoy my country. Unfortunately, the war went on and it looked terrible during the time.
What were the biggest challenges in rebuilding life after the war ended? (Describe the challenges of starting a new life in America)
After the war ended in 1975, we still lived in Vietnam under the communist control regime for 4 years. There were no private businesses allowed. We survived with the money we saved before the war. When we arrived in America in 1980, the biggest challenge was how to earn money for a living to raise my 3 kids. Seeing all kinds of businesses needing money to build or invest, we came to America empty-handed because our money and property were confiscated by Vietnamese communist authorities before we left. We did try to look for jobs when we first arrived but we couldn’t get it. During these jobless years, we were very fortunate to get aid through the AFDC, abbreviation for Aid to Families with Dependent Children program. I was going to school to learn more skills in order to get a job while receiving the aid. Later I got the job in the insurance company.
Reflections
Do you think Vietnam has healed from the war? Why or why not?
After the war ended half a century ago, I think the Vietnamese people, especially the young ones, are happy today because they think they won the war. They have been peacefully building a new nation without fearing bombing or fighting. On the American side, some people, especially the survivor families, still feel the pain of those who died during the war.
Have you watched any Vietnam War movies made by Hollywood? What are your thoughts on the way the war is represented in the media today? (ex: Rambo, did movies accurately represent the war?)
I have watched the Rambo series. I think Rambo is a good movie that represents the Vietnam War through the character John Rambo, a war veteran and a hero who never gave up hope to fight. The movie also explores the poor treatment of American prisoners that we can see during the war.
Were there any particular events that stand out as especially traumatic or life-changing?
As we know, war is hell. One of my relatives, one of my classmates, and one of my coworkers were killed during the war. Thousands and thousands of soldiers and civilians also died in the war. People lived in fear, especially those families whose young kids were fighting in the front line and never knew if they would come back home.
As an American citizen and as someone who helped work for the Americans during the war, how do you think the Vietnam War should be remembered by Americans?
Americans primarily remember the war through the iconic Vietnam veteran memorial in Washington DC which serves as a powerful symbol of the sacrifices made by soldiers during the conflict. Allowing people to reflect on the names of those who died and honoring their service. The war is also remembered through a strong anti-war protest at home. 3 million Americans were involved. 58,000 US soldiers died in the Vietnam War. Twenty years of long involvement in Vietnam ended with a defeat. Twenty years later, we said sending troops to fight in the Vietnam war was a mistake. In the beginning of the war, there was a lot of support. But overall, it was a bad war for the Americans because so many lives were lost for nothing.