Administrator’s Note:

 

A friend of mine sent me the article “In Full Circle: Viet Nam and Iraq” below written by Captain Bill Nguyen.  Captain Nguyen is a second generation Vietnamese American currently serving in Iraq.  After perusing his fine essay, I found great solace that the younger generation of Vietnamese in the U.S. did not let us down.  The majority of them have made their elders proud.

 

Like other nations on earth, Viet Nam has many great old sayings.  There is one which says: “Ăn quả nhớ kẻ trồng cây”.  A straight translation of this adage into English is as follows:

 

“When eating the fruit, remember the person who planted it”. 

 

The author of this essay, Captain Nguyen, explains and carries out this proverb impeccably. He does not only remember the person who planted the tree but he shows his gratitude, and more importantly, he wishes to repay the heavy debt when he said:

 

“I wanted to serve a country that had adopted my family when we had nothing to offer.  I wanted to contribute to a country that has given me new opportunities to pursue liberty and my life’s goals.  I am extremely grateful for America’s open arms.  There is a feeling of indebtedness to the American public for their social and public programs that had helped my family get on our feet and start a new life.  I can’t help but remember about the Vietnam War and how over 57,000 Americans fought and died to defend South Vietnam.  I can’t deny the sacrifices of the American people.  I joined because I wanted to give back to a country that gave us freedom and a new place to call home.”.      

 

Captain Nguyen, we are proud of you. Keep up the good work.

 

In Full Circle:  Vietnam and Iraq

by Capt Bill Nguyen

 

The American public often debates the similarities between the Vietnam War and the US military presence in Iraq.  Americans wonder whether Iraq is another Vietnam.  Only history will answer that daunting question. However, for me, Vietnam and Iraq are indistinguishable.  I can make this bold statement because I am a Vietnamese American that happens to serve in Iraq in support of OIF and whose childhood bears the tragedies of the Vietnam War and its aftermath.

 

My story can’t be told without mentioning a dark moment in US History.  My story originated in a country that most Americans have forgotten. Just like the current foreign policy in Iraq, 31 years ago America was conducting the same tasks of promoting democracy, stabilizing a volatile country, and protecting its national interest.  Instead of combating Islamic fascism, America was countering communism.  Likewise, instead of containing Syrian and Iranian influence in Iraq, America was preventing the encroachment of Soviet and China’s influences in Vietnam.

 

When American forces abandoned their South Vietnamese ally in 1973 and left the South Vietnamese to fend for themselves until the end of April , 1975, when Hanoi had free rein to invade South Vietnam, panic and chaos immediately followed. The fall of Saigon marks an emotional and painful event for both my family and millions of Vietnamese living in exile abroad. When Saigon fell, millions of Vietnamese saw an end to hope, an end to a country, and a tragic end of a struggle to life, liberty, and self determination.  The American withdrawal and the Communist invasion of South Vietnam resulted in one of the largest refugee migration in modern history.  From 1975-1978, over 120,000 Vietnamese refugees settled in Camp Pendleton, CA, Fort Chaffee, AK and Fort Indiantown Gap, PA.  During the entire humanitarian relief program, the United States admitted over 200,000 Vietnamese, Australia and Canada admitted 137,000 each, France accepted 96,000 and Germany and UK allowed 19,000 Vietnamese refugees between the two countries.

 

Under the moonlit night in the spring of 1984, when I was barely three, my dad took me from my mother’s arms and put me on a small fishing boat.  I was joined by my older sister, Vanessa.  On the boat, I also saw my uncles, cousins, and other relatives.  I remembered looking for my mother and my younger sister, Sen.  My search was fruitless because unbeknown to me at the time, my parents agreed that my mother should stay behind to take care of my younger sister since the trip is too treacherous to risk losing an entire family.  We set sail to the east in an attempt to flee the tyranny of communism just like thousands of other Vietnamese boat people before us.   A humanitarian ship picked us up in the South China Sea and settled us in one of the many refugees camps established by the United Nations following the end of the Vietnam War.  My immediate family were granted political asylum by the United States and finally settled in Oakland, California.  My other relatives found new homes in Australia and other European Countries who were sympathetic toward our plight.

 

In America, I grew up without a mother and I was constantly reminded about the Vietnam War.  My dad and his friends would often discuss the war and the homeland that they lost.  Growing up in America I would often see neglected Vietnam War veterans meandering in the streets of San Francisco and Oakland.  In the Vietnamese communities throughout the Bay Area, I would see the old South Vietnamese flag that continues to serve as a rally point for millions of Vietnamese living in exiles.

 

Growing up and studying history in school, I researched as much as I could about the Vietnam War.  I came to the conclusion that the noble intentions of America’s involvement in Southeast Asia were true.  America was promoting and protecting democracy in South Vietnam, a country under constant pressure from Chinese and Russian communists influence.  I was also overwhelmed by the fact that so many American service members served, fight, and died to defend a homeland that my dad always reminisces about.  I was also flattered by the social and public assistance programs that my family were receiving.  I was grateful for everything America did but simultaneously I was also laden with guilt.

 

In 1997, I decided not to attend college after graduating from high school.  Instead my mind was set to serve in the military.  I wanted to repay America for her sacrifices with my service and commitment to defend America in future conflicts.

I enlisted in the Army and served 2 years in the Army as an E-4 Specialist.  In 1999, I was given the opportunity to attend the United States Military Academy at West Point.  I jumped on that offer because I knew that my contribution to America would be greater serving in a capacity as an officer than as a junior enlisted.  I wanted to make decisions and help guide national security policies.

 

Prior to attending West Point, I made a visit to Vietnam Memorial in Washington, D.C. and the National Cemetery in Arlington, VA.  I paid my respect to the thousands of service members who gave the ultimate sacrifice to defend my country.  I also had a chance to visit my mother and Sen for the first time in 15 yrs.  The social injustice and the lack of civil liberties in Vietnam infuriated me.  I went to West Point with a burning desire to make a difference.

 

In 2001, I watched United Airline’s flight 175 crashed into the South Tower in New York City.  With the collapsed of the Word Trade Center came uncertainties in my future.  I graduated from West Point in 2003 with a degree in Systems Engineering.  Vice President Cheney spoke at my graduation and warned us about the uncertainty of war and how the war on terror would be completely different from any other war.  Like many of

my classmates, I was touched by his speech and very proud of my accomplishment.  Prior to reporting to my first duty station, I revisited the Vietnam Memorial and Arlington National Cemetery hoping to find guidance.

 

After the Officer Basic Course in El Paso, I arrived at my permanent duty station at Fort Hood, Texas.  My future looked unclear because Fort Hood is the home of two Army Divisions, the 4th Infantry Division (4ID) who just got back from Iraq and the 1st Calvary Division who was currently in Iraq at the time.  My choice of either Division was 50/50. Therefore, I contacted the Battalion Commander of 4-5 ADA and expressed my desire to serve my country and offered my commitment.   Immediately, I was rushed off to the Middle East promoting democracy while the U.S. was desperately trying to stabilize and reconstruct Iraq. 

 

I deployed to Iraq in the summer of 2004.  I met my Platoon while they were guarding the main entry control point leading into Baghdad International Airport (BIAP) and the various Forward Operating Bases in the vicinity.  My Platoon worked a 24 plus hour shift continuously every day.  We worked from 11am to 12pm the next day during the hot summer days searching thousands and thousands of vehicles entering BIAP.

 

After spending the summer defending Baghdad International Airport, my Platoon was tasked with patrolling and securing “Airport Road.”  Airport Road is the main highway that connects the International Zone (Green Zone) to Baghdad International Airport.  According to the US State Department and various U.S. news source, “Airport Road” was the most dangerous road in Iraq.  Roadside bombs, small arms fire, and suicide car bombers were a common picture along Airport Road.  I lost my Platoon Sergeant during the first few weeks of patrolling.  A suicide car bomber detonated his vehicles and killed two soldiers in my battery and wounded three of my men.  Patrolling and securing Airport Road was definitely dangerous and nerve racking. In total my Battalion lost several more men and sent home dozen more injured soldiers.  Everyone in my platoon saw direct actions on that road.

 

I returned back from Iraq in March 2005 a changed man.  My half brother, David, who enlisted in the Army while I was in Iraq, welcomed me at Fort Hood.  David was serving in 4ID and was slotted to deploy to Iraq later toward the end of 2005.  My family was worried about David’s safety and complained about the emotional roller coaster of sending off a child after another to Iraq.  I promised my parents I would take care of my brother.  David deployed to Iraq in December of 2005.  I later joined David in Iraq in January 2006 with the disapproval of my parents.

 

David is currently in Camp Prosperity in the middle of Baghdad and I am stationed in Camp Taji just north of Baghdad.  David is a tanker and routinely conducts escort missions and guards the towers.  As for me, I am currently the Executive Officer for Brigade’s headquarters company.  Being the executive officer allows me plenty of time to reassess my decision.  Without a doubt, I have no regret in the path I’ve chosen for my life.

 

I wanted to serve a country that had adopted my family when we had nothing to offer.  I wanted to contribute to a country that has given me new opportunities to pursue liberty and my life’s goals.  I am extremely grateful for America’s open arms.  There is a feeling of indebtedness to the American public for their social and public programs that had helped my family get on our feet and start a new life.  I can’t help but remember about the Vietnam War and how over 57,000 Americans fought and died to defend South Vietnam.  I can’t deny the sacrifices of the American people.  I joined because I wanted to give back to a country that gave us freedom and a new place to call home.  I am currently in Iraq desperately trying to promote democracy and stabilized a ravaged country the way my brothers-in-arms did 31 years ago in Southeast Asia.  I don’t want to see Iraq fail the way democracy was failed in Vietnam.  I don’t want the Iraqi people to go through the same emotional pain of losing a country and losing their newly discovered freedom the way my family and I did.

 

America is the greatest country in the world not because of our military or economic might, instead we are the greatest country because of our democratic tenets.  I feel that America is the beacon for democracy.

 

If history will judge and determine whether America’s decision to invade Iraq is just, hopefully, history will also be able to remind us of the consequences of Vietnam and help guide America’s future foreign policies.  History will remind us of President Lincoln when he said that “the probability that we may fail in struggle ought not to deter us from the support of a cause we believe is just.”  If our cause is just then we should not falter to political and social pressure like we did in Vietnam.  If our cause is just we should stay the course until the mission is complete and our current mission is to stabilize and democratize Iraq.  Iraq will not be another Vietnam because I feel that our cause is morally and ethically just.

 

CPT Bill Nguyen

4th Infantry Division

Camp Taji., Iraq