Living Through the Collapse: Tuong Huynh's Story of the Vietnam War
Profilers: Giulia Cafe Aoude, Shawn Hu, Danny Huang, Jade Huynh
Personal Background & Life Leading Up to the War
Tell me about yourself, what is your name, the year you were born, and where were you born?
My name is Tuong Huynh. I was born in a small province of Vietnam, the city name is Rạch Sỏi, and I was born in the Chinese calendar, on the lunar year, January the 15th, 1964.
How old were you during the war, and what was your understanding of the war at the time?
I was 11 years old. The Communists invaded the Vietnam Republic in 1975, on April 30th on the Western calendar. I was 11 years old, and I saw a lot of casualties and tragedies. Both sides of soldiers, a lot of them were killed. And really, you can say that’s really casualty and bloody. And I witnessed a lot of kids my age shouldn’t be witnesses, but I saw a lot of those.
How do you remember the early developments of the war, and your initial contact with it?
The early of the war, I don’t know, at that time, I don’t know when it started, but the war’s ending was April 30th. And right 3 o’clock in the morning, I don’t remember the time, midnight or something, my parents dragged me down to the bunker. After they heard the bomb and the war equipment make so much noise, and that’s why my parents pulled me down to the bunker to try to get shelter.
Can you tell us a little bit more about your day to day life and what was it like during the war and how was it different before?
It was right after they declared the war was over. The time when they started, I was so little, I don’t know when it was. But I know they declared the war over on April 30th, 1975. And after the war was over and the Communists took over Vietnam and a lot of people were suffering. The Communists confiscated a lot of people’s riches and jailed people, and then they tried to manipulate the Republican’s soldiers and tell them to come out and surrender. They just filled out some kind of paper, and then they will be released back to their family. But that is the suppression of the Communists toward the Republican soldiers, but they took them away from their family, and put them in jail. Some of them make it, some of them die in prison. That’s what Communists, after they take over Vietnam, how they manipulated people and the people there, they’re really restricting everything. Even the supply on a daily basis, especially essentials needs, but they’re really limited. And also you, you just stay put where you are. They don’t allow you to travel to different cities. And the law is very restrictive. They only allow you to go when they allow you. But you just cannot travel from one city to the next. Even your family, if they live in a different city. When you want to apply for permission to go, it takes a long time for you to get permission.
Life During the War
What were common emotions that the people around you were feeling during the time of the war?
The emotion of the people, they were really depressing because, you know, they totally changed peoples lives completely, like 360 degrees. We lived so peacefully before the war. After the war, we were controlled by the Communist party. We lost our freedom, no democracy, no freedom at all right after the war, Communists took over.
Were there any experiences during the war that were significantly impactful to you?
A significant impact to me, I said earlier, no child my age (11 years old) should have to witness all the war, the casualties and bloody feel, many bodies dead right on the road around my town; people lay there and no power, no electricity. At about three or four in the morning when the war is over, and then people said when they declare the war is over, people they try to get out see what’s going on with the town and sometimes when you can kick the dead bodies and then you see guns and dead bodies around the city, you know that it is horrible. That’s like implanted in my mind. Every time I talk about it, I think about it. I witnessed people, they tried to cover their teammates, and the grenade they pull out, and one of the soldiers, a Republican, jumped over to try to cover their teammate. But you know, the flesh scatters everywhere; that’s not a thing a child my age might want to witness. But you know, it is what it is, life goes on. That’s not going to make me depressed, but it taught me to be tougher and tougher and tougher. And I value my life very, very important. Every single day I’m alive.
Did you or anyone you know have direct involvement with the war?
My neighbor actually, all my generation, third generation, none of our family joined any sides of the Communists or Republicans. But you know, some of my neighbors, they were just city cops.
How did you escape Vietnam and how was that experience? How did you feel when escaping and what obstacles did you run into when escaping?
The day is March 29 at 12 o’clock in 1984, right after the port on the boat harbour, we get there and then our boat, they have the main engine inside and a spare engine outside. After one night and two days, the main engine broke down. We barely crossed the border between, you know, the international border on the ocean. And our boat used the spare engine, it did not push the boat as fast as the main engine. Of course, the spare is not as fast as the main one. And the third day, three nights and two days, the pirates encountered us and stripped us to nothing. At the time, my parents gave me two, a little marble ball gold. They melt like a marble ball. And in my head, my grandma gave me only $10. Try to hide it, I put it in my hat, the hat that I wear, and I wear the jean jacket and jean pants. The two gold marble balls, I don’t know the value in Malaysia at the time, I can sell like $98 a gram with Malaysian currency. And when the Thailand pirate encountered us, they took everything, even my $10 and my brother’s address. I tried to memorize it, I also wrote the address on the hat. And they took the $10, they took my jacket off and they stripped my pants and I just have the boxers left. And that luckily, because any kind of jewelry you wear, doesn’t matter where you hide it, the pirates will find it and will beat the hell out of you. And at the time, that’s how my parents know, they gave me the gold and then they melted it. When the pirates came close, when we acknowledged the pirates encountered us, I was going to swallow the two pieces of gold in my tummy.
What was the situation like when you escaped Vietnam? Where did you end up escaping to?
My journey from Vietnam to Malaysia. That was the first time we encountered pirates, Thailand pirates. The next day, we had another encounter again. At the time, the second time the pirates encounter us, we have nothing left because the first one, they always strip us of everything. I only have boxers left, and I have nothing left, no shirt, no pants, just boxers. They kept us there for about six or seven hours and they tried to search in the boat to see anything left over and then nothing else. Then they felt sorry for us or something, and then they gave us some supplies, which was only water, and then our boat set sail after they released us. The boat is 66 people, I think 30 or 40 feet long with a boat with 66 people, elders, infants, women, men, teenagers, all kinds of people, a total of 66 people in a boat. And after that we sailed a boat from Vietnam to escape to Malaysia and it takes about a week to get to Malaysia. I end up at the island of Malaysia, they call it Pulau Bidong.
How did you reach America after ending up in Malaysia? What was the timeline?
I got to Malaysia, you have to fill out all the applications with the affidavit, and then your brother, your whole entire family, you have to memorize all the birthdays and your parent’s names or your brothers and sisters. I don’t speak for the whole country, but I speak for my own individual family because I never have any of my birthdays at all, none of us had any birthdays at all. So, when I fill out an application, as long as I get to the refugee island, which is Pulau Bidong, you stay there. If you have a relative out in any country in the world, I had my older brother already here in America, then that’s why they would accept me to transfer to a different camp. They called it Singabasee by the capital of Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur. And I stayed there for a little while, and then I got an interview, and they deferred my application because I didn’t know when my birthday was. And then an American delegate said “if you prove to me if you have a date of birth that matches your brother, then you can send a letter to request a re-interview”. And that was really depressing. Most of the cases are my problem, I already saw them over there in transit. I can legally stay about three or four or five years before you can reapply to see the delegation again. And that was really depressing and I had no money. And my brother sent me in a month $50, some months he sent $100. In eight months total he sent me only $240 from America. He said he sent more, but I wouldn’t be surprised if some of them just got lost. So at that time, I got my application deferred. I asked for information, talking about news in the camp. I applied for that job and I got accepted. I would be the announcer in the refugee camp, such as if anybody got an interview of any kind of delegation, like French, Germany, England, America, Canada, and you read them to announce the name and the boat number and the a MB number, an OBM number, which tells them to go meet the delegation to get an interview. And I got that job, which was a lot of help for me because sometimes I can get some free noodles, ramen noodles to eat instead of suffering. If you have not gotten any kind of job over there or if you don’t have any relatives, then you will suffer. But of course, the delegation gathered money together and provided you breakfast, lunch, and dinner, but breakfast is only coffee. And for lunch, you’re lucky if they only give you a chunk of turkey, or chicken, they change the menu every day and every meal. Sometimes the chicken is only this big, but sometimes the thing is just a little more like salt water, that’s what it is. Sometimes they give you fried fish, but they just rinse it, that’s just worse than prison food. So hey, it is what it is, you get to live by that, you have to. You do or die. But luckily, like I said, I got accepted to be an announcer in the office. Sometimes they give me noodles so that I can survive through it.
How did you reach America and how was it in America?
I didn’t escape from Malaysia to America. On that day, they called a “forgiveness application”, because at that moment, my brother sent the application and affidavit, but the year and the date of birth were wrong. So the delegation informed me that if I’m under 18, I can go directly from Malaysia to America. If you’re over 18, they have to train you. They’re going to send you to the Philippines to learn the culture and language. And then after however long, they send you to America. I think the program was around six months for you to go over there to learn about American culture and English, the language, and then they bring you to America. And I didn’t “escape”, I was legalized and I got accepted. On that day they called it a “forgiveness application”. They gave me the NB number on that day during lunchtime. I was sitting there and then in the announcement office they called my name up to get a blood check and everything. And when you get a blood check by the ICM, that means you got accepted, I was so reborn. You don’t know how happy I was at that moment. Otherwise, I would have to stay there for at least four to five years. Ultimately, I feel really fortunate and really, really lucky to get accepted. And the day, I don’t know what day I didn’t pay attention when I was in the camp before I came to America, but I know the day I came to America, it was November when I arrived in America in SeaTac Airport in Seattle, Washington. On November 29, 1984 at 10:30 in the morning, I arrived at SeaTac Airport.
How was your life when you arrived to America and what were some things that you did?
After I arrived in America, my brother, of course he’s going to take me to apply for welfare and fill out the application and find a school for me to go to. But when I come to America, my age is different. So I was still eligible to go to high school. The first school I went to, I had two different schools. In the morning I go to a regular school called Intellect High School, that was the name of the school. Then after lunch, I ride a bus to another school, which is called ESL, English Second Language. From after lunch until school is out, that school is called Sammamish. And after I attended there and finished high school there, I moved to Louisiana. During the time I went to school, I had to work two jobs. During the summertime, I was the janitor, and in Seattle, they have a work training program for students. They’re making money over the summer to buy clothes and exams. The first job I got, I got paid as a janitor to work at the school $3.25 an hour. Then I would ride my bicycle from six o’clock, arrive at the place I work at seven, and work until three o’clock in the afternoon. Then I would ride my bike back to the second job, work at the Skipper restaurant, similar to Long John Silver, from four o’clock until 11 o’clock at night. I worked throughout the summer. The second job I worked, I got paid $3.50 an hour. So I worked like that throughout the summer to save up my money. And I saved and bought stuff I sent home for my parents, for my brother, for my sister. And I bought stuff for my mom and my dad. At the time, they really, really needed supply from here because the supplies back there, the essentials for the family, were not enough, they were controlled by the Communist party. So the majority of people just like us come to the US with the main thing, we always work hard, save money, and try to support the family back home.
Post-War Life
Looking back, how do you feel that the war changed you personally?
Looking back during the war back then, I was still young, but the older I get, I look and it’s changed my life and I appreciate my life more. I don’t take things for granted and I’m respecting my own life every single day. Really thankful for what I have here and I don’t have to go through the path I witnessed when I was little during the war in Vietnam. Ultimately, America is my second home, and I love it here, and peaceful, freedom, no one watches you behind your back, you have freedom to speak, and have more democracy. You respect the law. Every country is the same, but compare with Vietnam, and you can see that there’s a lot of sorrow for the people there, not as fortunate as I was in America right now. That changed my life totally, but only changing my life here, but the culture did not change me at all.
How do you think the Vietnam War is remembered today and does it line up with your own memories?
Now, luckily, compared to back during the war, not many years later. I don’t remember when Bill Clinton opened trade in Vietnam, I think in 1994, I believe or a few more years later than that. I don’t know exactly what year it was, but now comparing Vietnam and back then when I was there during the war, I can say 60, 70, 80% changed. People have a little bit more comfortable daily lives. Their life is better than when I was there. But the only thing is the politics, because the Communists are really, really afraid you’re going to turn them over. So don’t ever talk about politics, say anything against the Communists, because they have a party. They can convict you for any kind of crime you did not commit. If you talk about politics, if you try to turn over the party, don’t ever do that to the Communist. Just go over there, just become three monkeys: Hear nothing, say nothing, see nothing. Just be yourself. Don’t get involved with nothing.
Have you visited Vietnam since the war and how was that experience?
Yeah, I visited back home over 10 times because when my parents were still alive, I went home more. And then after both my parents became deceased, half of my life is gone because you lost your parents. I still feel like an orphan. But family nowadays is not the same when your parents are still alive. But with brothers and sisters, when you have parents, they are more organized. But when you lose your parents and brothers and sisters, they smear off. I think that’s how society is nowadays. You do things for yourself, you take care of your own. Although it’s not going to make me really depressed or anything, because I know suffering when I first came to America, but I cannot see my own family, my siblings, going through what I have been through. I’m not saying I’m rich by any means, but I have good savings, so I help my family all the time. That’s part of our culture, that’s how we were raised. But now the way I sit back, everybody is old right now, they have their own kids, so now I’m not going to take that job anymore, I let the kids be responsible for their parents. That’s not my job anymore. I’ve been there and helped them. That’s done all through the years, so now I am done.
What are your hopes for how future generations remember and learn from the Vietnam War after going through your experience?
Well I talked to a lot of teenagers in this country, which is America, and said hey, you have a better life and better future than 75% of the population of the world. And you were born here and you were raised here, and so many people from other countries, parents struggling, selling land, loan money, trying to send their kid to come to America to have a better future. You get more opportunities and you don’t have more problems than a foreign student. You have to walk through a tunnel, and you will see a brighter light at the other end of the tunnel. Why not try to build up your future and that would be good for the rest of your life. It doesn’t matter what field you pick, you will never be older than 30 years old and you already get a degree in your hands. You can use that for the rest of your life. You want to go to work with a Lamborghini, or Mercedes, or BMW, or any other kind of luxury car?
Are there lessons or insights from your time in Vietnam that you feel are important for future generations to understand?
The lesson teenagers should know is to pursue opportunities for a better future. Compared to teenagers around the world, teenagers in America are more fortunate than, particularly in Vietnam, but around the world also.
What do you feel like you carried with you since the war, and what do you feel like you lost during / after this experience?
The majority of my thinking is I’m very, very, very fortunate to come to America. But the thing I lost the most is I stayed so far away from my family, and the care they used to give to me. When my parents were alive, they nursed us well, that’s the only thing I lost. But other than that, I’m good where I’m at, which is in America.
How is your life in America now and what do you hope for the future generations of Vietnamese Americans?
When I look back to when I was a teenager compared to the teenagers here in America, I didn’t have the kinds of opportunities because of my dreams. My dream was to become an astronomer, and coming from a foreign country and struggling, I didn’t have the opportunity to go to school with the dream that I wished for. But my advice for teenagers now is don’t let opportunity go away, you have to catch it and the view of your future will be better for your own self. So here is a better future, they have a lot more opportunities and doors open for teenagers. So that’s pretty much what I want them to understand, don’t let opportunities get away from you.
How is your life in America now?
My life in America, I am now pretty much semi-retired. In the past, I was married and I have a beautiful daughter and I have my own business business at the nail salon. And now my lovely daughter attends school at USC in California. So after I’ve been doing that for so many years, I shut down my business, and now I’m semi-retired.