Judge it!
By Agence France-Presse, Updated: 11/8/2009Former refugee returns to Vietnam as US commander
More than 30 years after he was picked up by a US warship as he fled Vietnam, Le Ba Hung has returned to his homeland as commander of a destroyer in a sign of warming ties between the former foes.
More than 30 years after he was picked up by a US warship as he fled Vietnam, Le Ba Hung has returned to his homeland as commander of a destroyer in a sign of warming ties between the former foes.
On April 30, 1975, five-year-old Hung escaped on a trawler with his parents, three siblings and scores of other Vietnamese.
With the fall of Saigon that day, the war had ended with the communists poised to take control of a unified Vietnam.
Hung, now commander of the USS Lassen, still has memories of those last hours in his native country.
"We left with around 200 passengers. By the time we were picked up by the US Navy warship, the number had doubled to about 400 people," he recalled.
Before they were spotted by the navy, the trawler had been at sea for two days and had picked up other refugees who left on smaller boats.
Hung left behind four other brothers and sisters in their home city of Hue, close to Danang, where his destroyer made an official port call in a goodwill visit at the weekend.
It would be several years before they would be reunited in the United States.
His mother and some of his brothers and sisters have visited Vietnam but Hung said he had been too busy with his studies and work to have an opportunity to return until now.
Hung, who graduated from the US Naval Academy in 1992, said he decided on a career at sea following in the footsteps of his father, who was a commander in the US-backed South Vietnamese navy, which fought against the communist North.
His father has never returned to his homeland. "It would be a very long trip for him," said Hung, 39.
Hundreds of thousands fled Vietnam at the end of the war in 1975 as boat people, often risking their lives to escape. Some left with no intention of ever returning.
Relations between Vietnam and the majority of its diaspora have been marked by decades of mutual distrust and bitterness which has only recently started to fade.
Increasing numbers of overseas Vietnamese, known as "Viet Kieu," now return to their homeland on business or to set up ventures.
Conscious of the reservoir of talent and capital among the Viet Kieu -- who sent home about eight billion dollars in 2008, according to Hanoi estimates -- the communist government is actively courting them.
While it still accuses those who campaign for democracy of being "hostile forces," Hanoi is granting more and more rights to other overseas Vietnamese, including property ownership, visa exemptions and dual nationality.
This increasing recognition of the Viet Kieu has gone hand-in-hand with the warming of relations with the United States.
Washington lifted its economic embargo in 1994, a year before the normalisation of relations with its old foe.
Since then, the United States has become the number one market for Vietnamese exports. And, as the Vietnamese worry about Beijing's territorial ambitions in the South China Sea, US naval ships are more regular visitors to the communist country.
"The US and Vietnam have a growing friendship, and this visit is a tangible symbol of that," the commander said Saturday.
During their few days' stopover in the region he hopes to visit relations who remained in Hue.
http://news.malaysia.msn.com/regional/article...
Comments
|
|
||||
|
vietnam 2pzzzzz poor 2 have this type of TOY!
|
||||
|
http://news.malaysia.msn.com/regional/article...
Official programmes are also planned for his crew and those of the flagship USS Blue Ridge, which took part in the evacuation of Saigon in 1975. Despite the media enthusiasm, a diplomatic false note disturbed the start of their visit on Saturday. Angry at not seeing their national flag flying from the mast of the American flagship, some Vietnamese officials started to boycott the reception ceremony. Things did not return to order until the red flag with a yellow star was hoisted. Despite the hiccup, Hung said he hoped to see military cooperation between the former enemies. "I hope there will be some military-to-military engagement and exercise in the future," the commander said. "That would help the regional stability in this part of the world and that would better develop our mutual understanding of each other's capabilities and how to operate with one another." He said returning to Vietnam was something he had thought about over the years. "It is deeply moving for me to be standing here, representing my country -- the United States of America -- but also acutely aware that Vietnam -- its culture, its people, and its traditions -- has played such an important role in my life," he said. The commander said he would like to return as an ordinary citizen. "I don't know when that would be but I certainly would like to make a trip here." |
||||
|
Despite the media enthusiasm, a diplomatic false note disturbed the start of their visit on Saturday.
Angry at not seeing their national flag flying from the mast of the American flagship, some Vietnamese officials started to boycott the reception ceremony. Things did not return to order until the red flag with a yellow star was hoisted. |
||||
|
By Agence France-Presse, Updated: 11/8/2009Former refugee returns to Vietnam as US commander
More than 30 years after he was picked up by a US warship as he fled Vietnam, Le Ba Hung has returned to his homeland as commander of a destroyer in a sign of warming ties between the former foes. More than 30 years after he was picked up by a US warship as he fled Vietnam, Le Ba Hung has returned to his homeland as commander of a destroyer in a sign of warming ties between the former foes. On April 30, 1975, five-year-old Hung escaped on a trawler with his parents, three siblings and scores of other Vietnamese. With the fall of Saigon that day, the war had ended with the communists poised to take control of a unified Vietnam. Hung, now commander of the USS Lassen, still has memories of those last hours in his native country. "We left with around 200 passengers. By the time we were picked up by the US Navy warship, the number had doubled to about 400 people," he recalled. Before they were spotted by the navy, the trawler had been at sea for two days and had picked up other refugees who left on smaller boats. Hung left behind four other brothers and sisters in their home city of Hue, close to Danang, where his destroyer made an official port call in a goodwill visit at the weekend. It would be several years before they would be reunited in the United States. His mother and some of his brothers and sisters have visited Vietnam but Hung said he had been too busy with his studies and work to have an opportunity to return until now. Hung, who graduated from the US Naval Academy in 1992, said he decided on a career at sea following in the footsteps of his father, who was a commander in the US-backed South Vietnamese navy, which fought against the communist North. His father has never returned to his homeland. "It would be a very long trip for him," said Hung, 39. Hundreds of thousands fled Vietnam at the end of the war in 1975 as boat people, often risking their lives to escape. Some left with no intention of ever returning. Relations between Vietnam and the majority of its diaspora have been marked by decades of mutual distrust and bitterness which has only recently started to fade. Increasing numbers of overseas Vietnamese, known as "Viet Kieu," now return to their homeland on business or to set up ventures. Conscious of the reservoir of talent and capital among the Viet Kieu -- who sent home about eight billion dollars in 2008, according to Hanoi estimates -- the communist government is actively courting them. While it still accuses those who campaign for democracy of being "hostile forces," Hanoi is granting more and more rights to other overseas Vietnamese, including property ownership, visa exemptions and dual nationality. This increasing recognition of the Viet Kieu has gone hand-in-hand with the warming of relations with the United States. Washington lifted its economic embargo in 1994, a year before the normalisation of relations with its old foe. Since then, the United States has become the number one market for Vietnamese exports. And, as the Vietnamese worry about Beijing's territorial ambitions in the South China Sea, US naval ships are more regular visitors to the communist country. "The US and Vietnam have a growing friendship, and this visit is a tangible symbol of that," the commander said Saturday. During their few days' stopover in the region he hopes to visit relations who remained in Hue. Official programmes are also planned for his crew and those of the flagship USS Blue Ridge, which took part in the evacuation of Saigon in 1975. |
||||
|
vc 2pzzzzz poor 2have toy
so hang cheap arse flag on usa destroyer whahahahahah whahahahahah vcBAC KI ITS NOT ABOUT DA COMMIE FLAG read the head line!!!!VC |
||||
|
By Agence France-Presse, Updated: 11/8/2009
. Former refugee returns to Vietnam as US commander |
||||
|
This one single ship is an Aegis destroyer equipped with Tomahawk missiles that can sink the entire rust bucket nouc mam navy of the Viet Cong!!! LOL
VC have a typical stupid ass 3rd world navy with sh*tty ass Russian equipment. LOL |
||||
whahahahahahahahahhahahahaha vc commie flag gits free ride on usa destroyer commander by EX refugee ex son of VNCH whahahahhaha |
||||
|
fgdgdg
|
||||
|
not allied yet VC commie basturd
whahahahahahahahahaha just because a VCcommie flag got a free ride on usa destroyer whahahahahahahahah |
||||
vc cryin because VC cheap arse rag did not git free ride to shore no free ride no dock! whahahahah thats was funny |
||||
FOR THOSE PITY, BITTER OLDBAGS of vnch! 1/ You must have bad experience by Vietnam Land and a miserable life in USA. People can tell by your present attitude. 2/ A job is a job, nothing is big deal. If putting the ship visit is an issue under your point of view, here is a simple aspect: Immagine the VietKieu commander of that ship acted like this to his superior: "I do not want to go back the land I and my family ran off. You can command OTHER SHIP to go to VN. THIS IS MY SHIP, and my ship goes where I order it to go!" Aahahahahha! Then that IS AN ISSUE! Get it, oldbags??? 3/ In term of Sovereignty and independence of a nation, ANY SHIP wants to be docked in Foreign territory MUST HAVE THEIR PERMISSION. Get it, oldbag??? You sounded like your are freely doing what you want! ILLITERATES! Didn't you know of or hear ANYTHING about Jan, 27, 1973 Paris Accord??? 4/ Only the retarded oldsags compare the USA nation versus Vietnam! Aahahahahahahha! The END of a NONSENSE STORY! |
||||
no not funny funny is ex refugee came back as a usa naval commander with TOY. while da ho thang toi came back as da best toilet cleaner 4da french and who knows what da french made best out of da ho but 4sure da ho hated da french MUCHO |
||||
|
whahahahahahahhaha
|
||||
|
dgdhh
|
||||
|
SpongeBob, no body will understand what you are trying to say if you are rambling on and on. You should try to organize your thouhts a little harder.
My 2 cents
|
||||
|
funny is
ex refugee son of ex vnch boatpeople came back 2commie of vietnam as a usa naval commander with TOY. while da ho thang toi came back 2pzzzz poor vietnam as da best toilet cleaner 4da french and who knows what da french made best out of da ho but 4sure da ho hated da french MUCHO |
||||
|
commie of vietnam is so pzzzzz poor so da vc git the cheap arse vn commie flag on board usa destroyer 4 a free short ride to shore
whahahahahhhahahahha |
||||
|
whahahahhahaha vc dont even have
enough fuel to reach Philippines so pzzzz poor |
||||
|
||||
Please note by clicking on "Post Comment" you acknowledge that you have read the Terms of Service and the comment you are posting is in compliance with such terms. Be polite. Inappropriate posts may be removed by the moderator. Send us your feedback.
Other Recent Vietnam Discussions
Search the Vietnam Forum:
Search the Vietnam Forum:
| Topic | Updated | Last By | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|
| bon phan dong, vo van hoa (Nov '07) | 27 min | trang si bo de | 816 |
| Du ma the refugee goc viet of Westminster, CA | 37 min | trang si bo de | 6 |
| tim ban | 41 min | vyVIP | 1 |
 Poll:
Ban la:
(Jan '08)
|
49 min | vyVIP | 253 |
| dit me thang ho chi minh uong mau lon cho ghe (Feb '09) | 50 min | cam di | 560 |
| hot tamil girl asian girls indian girls kissing... | 1 hr | Thasmina kv | 29 |
|
Poll:
What does the RED FLAG mean to you ?
|
1 hr | Power 007 | 4 |
Daily Horoscope for December 26
Sagittarius
Mercury turning retrograde in your house of finances carries a rather unseasonal message, because it's telling you to pay attention to your finances over the next few weeks. If you already know that you've overspent this month, you won't need to be told that a few economies are just around the corner. Get the facts straight and pay attention to the small print. You may also have to make some adjustments to an intimate relationship so it can move into another phase.
|
Reach local customers. Engage a specific demographic. Maximize business-to-business opportunities. Topix can deliver your message.
|
Copyright ©2009 Topix LLC
