Vietnam 50 years later: Pauleen shares his family

The fall of Saigon 50 years ago marked the end of the Vietnam War, and for Pauleen Le de Wcco, he marked the beginning of his family’s immigration history to the United States, one that resonates with so many Minnesotan families. He shares his story below.

While decades have passed since the end of war, pain and courage at that time are still very fresh for my parents.

For my mother, her family’s trip to the US.

My mother’s 10 brothers and sisters, along with grandmother and grandfather, flew to Wake Island, which was used as a US processing center during the end of the war.

Each person was only allowed a personal bag and their birth certificates. Nor were there farewells from the loved ones who left behind, which included my mother, who was trapped in a small town with my great -grandmother.

My mom would stay for another six years before she arrived in the United States; forced to work in the work fields the communists established for the youth of the country; observing how his beloved country changed and wondering if the government would discover who she was; And if they punished her since my grandfather worked for US forces during the war as a translator and driver.

Interactive map: my mother’s family trip

As for the rest of my mother’s family, three months would spend in Fort Chaffe in Arkansas waiting for a sponsor. They had offers, but none was willing to enjoy a dozen people at the same time, and did not want to separate, for what they expected.

Then, the first Baptist Church in Owego, New York, agreed to welcome at 12 in August 1975. It was great news for the small city. My grandfather and the family even made the local newspaper.

Meanwhile, my father fought with the Americans during the war in the Navy of South Vietnam. He was in his Marina ship at the time of the fall and his captain gave orders to navigate to the ocean for security.

After they realized that South Vietnam had fallen to the communists, they knew they could not return, even for a brief moment, to say goodbye to family and friends. They just had to run for it.

They sailed to Subic Bay, a base of the US Navy in the Philippines, where they would change to an American ship and sail towards Guam. They were not the only ones, since the covers of the local newspapers captured the constant influx of refugees who reached the small island in the days and years after the fall.

My dad would stay in Guam for 25 days. From there, it would fly to the Fort Indiandown gap of Pennsylvania. A couple of weeks later, news came from a sponsor in Connecticut.

Interactive map: My dad’s trip

My dad was alone in a new land, not familiar with culture, language and just money in his name. He had to leave his parents and six brothers and sisters behind Vietnam.

For four years, his family did not know if he was dead or was alive. That is the time it took in my dad to increase courage to contact his family by mail. He was too afraid that his letters could be intercepted by the communist government and his family would pay the price of his escape.

Approximately two months after his first letter, my grandfather died because of a stroke. My dad could not get home to say goodbye to the funeral. It would be another decade before Vietnam would open again for international trips.

This story is part of Pauleen’s documentary “Vietnam 50 years later: Reflection on a war that changed Minnesota“

Join WCCO on Wednesday, May 7 at 5 pm for a special projection in Concordia College in St. Paul, organized by the Hmong Studies Center:

• Good Education Center (BEC)
• 1282 Concordia Avenue, St. Paul, Mn 55104
• Attendees are encouraged to park on lot A, Carroll Street or Syndendate Street

Look at the complete documentary next, or on our YouTube channel.

In:
• Immigration
• Refugee