Stationed in Huế

Minh Le [00:00:00] My name is Minh Le and I left Vietnam in 1975 when the fall of Saigon and I leave at Vũng Tàu, where we leave at Vũng Tàu by boat. And it's about two days in the sea. And then finally, you know, so we meet the American Navy. So they rescue us and brought us to Philippine. I mean, Subic Bay. And we stay in Subic Bay for, a couple days. Then fly to, I think the Edwin Air Base, you know in Philippine. And from there you know we stay, well ,few days, couple of days, three days, some. Then they flew us to at Fort Chaffee camp that's where, you know, we came. 

Interviewer [00:00:59] At what age do you leave Vietnam, though? 

Minh Le [00:01:02] 24 years old. 

Interviewer [00:01:03] 24. And you left by yourself or with family? 

Minh Le [00:01:07] Not by myself, but, you know, with my friends too, you know, a lot of friend family too. They rent a boat. You know, in Vũng Tàu. So we already, you know, go down to the boat and be in the sea for a couple days. 

Interviewer [00:01:25] And you were in the military? 

Minh Le [00:01:26] Yeah. Về tin báo (in) the intelligence services. Yeah. 

Interviewer [00:01:33] And when you decided to leave at the age of 24, how do you feel leaving your family behind? 

Minh Le [00:01:41] Well, very sad, you know, because I station, you know, in the middle of Vietnam, called Huế. You know Huế, right? 

Interviewer [00:01:51] Yes. I was from there. 

Minh Le [00:01:53] I was stationed there and when Huế fall into the Communist like in, I think that I remember it, January 23rd. To 26th. And, I go to escape from there but first we think about, walk from Huế to Danang. So it take about a week to get there. But then, you know we have a bad luck. Yeah. These Communist, you know, is already there on the halfway, and we couldn't escape it. So we had to recede. Got a small boat, and from the boat from there go to Danang. You know, Danang city. Is a I think about one day. My family already there. The whole family is in, in just came there about couple days of mine. A couple of days and three days. And I think I came to Danang back in I think on 27, January 27th. So. And by a couple, three days later then the communists took over Danang. So I head to the sea again. I think that's the only way you could escape it, because, you know, everywhere is blocked, we cannot go anywhere. Could go by car or anything. So the only thing we can go think about that, you know, I head to the boat again. This time, you know, we did. It's a lot of people on the beach, you know, run for and back because they don't know where to go. And, you know, and then, a lot of Vietnam and South Vietnamese army, I mean head in there and they don't know what to go. And then finally, you know, we saw a Vietnamese Navy boat, I think the 812 Vietnamese and navy, and I think they park about 3 or 5 miles away from us out there, they still waiting something, I don't know. So, we don't know what to do with it. And finally, you know, we, some of my friends suggested that we make a life boat like, you know, we take a. We learn how to survive, you know, I mean, you know, take the canned meat. Put a lot of that, you know, rub it in the vertical puncture, they take like a raincoats, put it together. And so we would, you know, in our chat and paddle out, you know, through the sea and paddle and we did. And we. We swim about a mile. And while we swimming, they keep, can bomb us in the sea. If we get hit, we die, that's it. Yeah, some of my friend and me lucky because, you know, we float on the top of the sea, you know, not swimming under the water. So. When the cannon, you know, is bomb back underwater you know they don't affect us at all. And think about few hours before, you know, we'd reach out to these, the Vietnamese Navy sent down a small boat, and they rescue us and bring to that big ship. And from there, you know, we travel to Cam Ranh Bay. You know Cam Ranh Bay. Yeah. And I stop from there and go pick out one of my uncle live there. So I go visit them. But then, you know, like a just, I think March 31st. Then all the communists staying, come and occupy the city. And this time, you know, what we do. And we head to the camp, you know, the Cam Ranh Bay again, and they still, you know, pick up like a I think. We meet a Korean ship and taken to pick up, you know, all the Vietnamese jewelry. And then we from there, you know, we just, get into the boat. And they brought us through Vũng Tàu. Oh, yeah. Take to Vũng Tàu and I get out there and go to Saigon because, you know, I had to, go to my, what call– Vietnamese call it cơ quan tình báo the organization about the intelligence services. And so I had to reason with them there, and finally, you know, the. I don't know. I have some days, and I say, okay, I think everybody should try to leave. And I say what going on? And they try to say about, you know, maybe, you know, is not good to stay here. And. I'm like on a bus and go to back to the Vũng Tàu again and Vũng Tàu we reach on the 29. April 29th. I meet up my friend and they already ran out, ready to go out at sea. And so that I journey with them, I go with them to the sea. 

Interviewer [00:08:01] So during that entire time, you never let anyone in your family know of your escape? 

Minh Le [00:08:08] They don't know anything where I am. They think about I am already die and they call, you know, like in. I didn't get in touch with my family until I think 20 years, 20 years later. Because I don't know where they are now. 

Interviewer [00:08:31] Do you have any brothers and sisters? 

Minh Le [00:08:34] No, I have big family in those in my families have 11 children. I'm the oldest one. But then when my dad and my mom, you know, move somewhere, I don't know where I try to use a mail, you know, so I think they couldn't receive it. And. So about 20 years later, so I can. I think it's to. I sent a letter to one priest, you know, where my parents live there before they moving. And then, somehow he got in touch with my family, you know. And, keep the letters, and they wrote it back to us, and then. So in about 20 years later. 

Interviewer [00:09:21] I want to get back to that later. So when you went to the Philippines, how long you stay there for? 

Minh Le [00:09:29] I think about five days, four, five days. 

Interviewer [00:09:31] Five days, and then. 

Minh Le [00:09:34] Because we get there on the second or third. And then, I think for a couple of days in Philippines, and then they flew us to Fort Chaffee camp because I remember I been in Fort Chaffee camp back in May 5th, 1975. 

Interviewer [00:09:55] And how long you stayed in that camp?

Minh Le [00:09:57] I think about from May to September. Before I can get a sponsor. Yeah. 

Interviewer [00:10:04] And how was life over there? 

Minh Le [00:10:07] In Fort Chaffee camp? Well. When I came just about a few hundred people, not many. 

Interviewer [00:10:18] Were they military people or just all sorts? 

Minh Le [00:10:20] They are just the Vietnamese people, you know, some of they not. They escape, you know, by airplane or something. You know, the American government, you know, brought them there first. So when we came, you know, we did. I think about four or five hundered people there. Very few. But then when I left like in September, its a lot. 

Interviewer [00:10:52] So right when you leave a lot of people were brought there.  

Minh Le [00:10:54] They already brought a lot of people there. You know, think about four or fifty thousand people over there. 

Interviewer [00:11:02] Wow. 

Minh Le [00:11:03] There a lot of them. Because every barrack is occupied and everything is full and but, they have. And the people live and because they have a sponsor and get out of camp. And we had to wait. 

Interviewer [00:11:21] Who was your sponsor? 

Minh Le [00:11:23] I had the one Doctor, Carl. He already passed away. I know his name, Doctor Alan Post and he and the family, you know, and the sponsors. 

Interviewer [00:11:36] To what state did you go to? 

Minh Le [00:11:38] Oklahoma State, but in a small city. You know, it did just one red light. One red light, one market. Honestly, not anything. I think called then Stigler. It's southeast Oklahoma. 

Interviewer [00:11:54] And this is around October, November of 1975? 

Minh Le [00:11:58] Of September. 

Interviewer [00:11:59] September. 

Minh Le [00:11:59] At the end of September 1975. And. Yeah. Very nice. They help us, you know, the beginning, you know, so everything's good. And. 

Interviewer [00:12:10] When you say us, it was you and someone else or, who they sponsor.

Minh Le [00:12:18] lt was my friend with he two brothers. Yeah. Because you know, we all the single you know. They say okay. They say, you know, well, you all need to find a family, you know? Someone have a children. And have a wife and children. So we can put it together, its own group. And then finally, you know, I will look around. We look, go to as far as we can and look around and try to find someone we know and maybe came to the United States too. Finally, I meet one of my friend. You know, he's my classmate back in seven grade. Yeah. And he already have a children. Two children, one two years old, one just born about three months. Yeah. 

Interviewer [00:13:19] So when you first came here, do you know any of the English language? 

Minh Le [00:13:27] Well, I in Vietnam, you know, I'm the, my major, you know, is in the Việt văn (Literature) C. The letter C. We had to learn French and English through the same, you know, like if you learn French, you know, from Vietnam they taught till seventh grade. But you able to in seven grade to ninth grade you take French. Then from ten grade to twevle grade you had to take English. That required for us. So as you already know. But you know the. Learning English. Everything. But you know you not communication with anybody. You learn how to do the homework and that's it. So when I came here, you know, I had to listen to radio and have someone talk to. You know, because the communication is really special. You come in here, different languages, different custom. And you had, you know, like as you just start at the beginning again. Learn everything. 

Interviewer [00:14:51] Coming to America at the age of 24, it's rather pretty late for you to go to school. And what was your state of mind and any preparation that you have going forward? 

Minh Le [00:15:05] First I think about, you know, learn English first. And, what we did is, you know, we try to, you know, listen to radio or TV, you know, to make a context through the pronunciation and all that stuff. It's very hard because, you know, the accent too much, you know, because we speak Vietnamese, you know, it's different than. And in Vietnam, when we learn English, you know, it's not the English people teaching us but, you know, the Vietnamese teach and well, somewhat accent. And, it took me like few months. So when I get out of Chaffee camp September and to December, I try to learn as much language as I can. All the English to learn what I did. You know, take a dictionary, that learn vocabulary is only to try to memorize this, and most that I can. And what I did to make a successful, you know, to learn quick English. How it is right now, you know, about 100 vocabulary. You know, put in the basket at my bed. You know, and if had more put in there every night before I go to bed and pick up one and learn it. Learn and divide. Memorize it and pick another one. Learn about 20 words a day like that. And I had to make it easy, you know, to remember like that. And then when I like, I think December, I went through the church. I went through the churchs and then I see. That Benedictine priests, you know, come out and they say, you know, the Saint Gregory scholars, you know, in Shawnee, they have a Catholic two year school there. They offer a scholarship. And just say, you know, you can apply for if you pass and then they can accept you. I say, okay, I try. And, so I spent the first two years in college in there. And, you know, I got the associate degrees and get out, try to find a job. You know, working. And finally I met my wife and we married. Then I went back to school again. Just about a couple semester we got the technical degree in machine drafting design. And so when my older one, Jennifer here, she is about I think three years old. So I thought you know my God, you know, I need to finish my last two years. So I went back to school again. Take a long time. So '85 I went back to school to try to finish my last two years. And '88 when I graduated from, it called the Central State University, in Edmond here. I got a degree in computer science. To work real hard. 

Interviewer [00:18:39] Yeah, and I must admire cause my father came here at a late age as well. Came here when he was 36. And likewise with the same persistence and perseverance that you have. He went to school and also got his degree at a late age. So I really admire and can relate to your story. How does it feel when you first got a job here in America? 

Minh Le [00:19:06] Well, first and I didn't like it. We'd pay like $2.10 an hour. And, we work on the foundry, they call foundry, not factory. They make the canned meat. Yeah. They don't have earplug or anything at, you know, all the canned meat keep running through the conveyor, and then the sound terrible. I worked a couple days and I told my sponsor I couldn't make it because, you know, it hurts. When your ear keeps ringing at night when you sleep. You couldn't sleep. And finally, you know, they say, okay, if you don't like it was fine trying to find another job for you. Yes. So, finally, he found one electric company. They'd hire people, but not anywhere I, my sponsors stay, you know. I had to go to Blackwell, you know, on these north of Oklahoma City. On highway 35 I. Yeah. So they what they do they run the electric wire and electric power from the city to the farm. That's what they do. And so I go for them about a couple of months before, you know, I went back to school.  

Interviewer [00:20:36] While you were in school, were you also working as well? 

Minh Le [00:20:41] Well, we worked like a busboy, dishwasher. Do something to have money, you know, to go to school. 

Interviewer [00:20:48] Was there a Vietnamese community where you lived? 

Minh Le [00:20:51] No. Because, you know, we had about 72 Vietnamese student. The group of students there, but no Vietnamese people around except Oklahoma City here. So it's about 30 miles away. 

Interviewer [00:21:11] Can you describe to me that feeling when you finally got your degree as such a later age?

Minh Le [00:21:17] Well, it's very happy actually, you know. I feel like America had opportunities for everybody. Yeah. If you be patient and you got successful and you know everything and. I'm very happy because, what I think about. Go back to school because I already got an associate degree. And I got a good job. I think about if I want to help my kids, you know, grow up and be successful, you know, finish school and everything I had to make example for them. That's why I tried to go back to school and again, you know, take me three years to finish. The last two years I working and go to school. And then so I'd give to my kid, you know, American people, you know, have a more physical, strong and can work and labor, you know, if they can work until 65. But, Vietnamese people, you know, like me, you know, so it's not physical enough to work, you know, carry this, carry that, and do all the hard work. So I thought, damn, you know, if you meant to do the same thing, I mean, you know, finish school, do something. It doesn't matter what degrees you are. One just finished four years school for me and five job. That's it. I had three girls. I got, my older one is Jennifer. She now the vice president of the Indian Clinic. And my second one is the pharmacist too, and she works for American health insurance. And my third one and my youngest one is the ER doctor. So I'm really proud of them because, you know, I told them you need to follow my footstep, you know, work hard and be successful. 

Interviewer [00:23:30] And how much of involvement do you have with the Vietnamese community here? 

Minh Le [00:23:40] Mostly at my church. I volunteer, you know, teaching the children Vietnamese language for 16 years. Teaching the Bible and the Vietnamese language, you know, for 16 years before I retired. I retired 2016. 

Interviewer [00:24:02] Have you ever talked to your three daughters about your journey coming to America? 

Minh Le [00:24:08] Yeah, I tell them, you know, I tell them about everything, you know, I get through, you know, to get to America. It very hard. I mean, do or die, you know, every day. And, because, you know, like to tell them the story. I escape, you know, from communist people like in Huế. And we run on the beach, you know, with all the Vietnamese army. And then they would shoot us. And, you know, if you get hit, you die. You don't know. And I'd run, run, you know, in the sand. It very hard to run. Right. And, on the beach when I run until my energy run out. I don't know what happen, I pass out. I run there, and they should keep continue to pursuit the other. I don't know. By the midnight, when I feel better, I wake up. So everything. You know, I certainly don't see anybody at all. 

Interviewer [00:25:13] And when you share these stories with them, at what age do you start telling them? 

Minh Le [00:25:19] Oh, it's about 8, 9 years old, you know. And yeah, the people, they speak Vietnamese very good. And because, you know, they learn Vietnamese. I teach them every day like, because I know when they were young. We just put out a star, you know, in the basket. Say if today you don't speak English, I give you one star. We just try to make them, you know, just speak Vietnamese only, you know, when they a young age. Then more time when they go to school and they are not very quick, you know, they just learn. They spend more hours at the school and, you know, they speak English only and well at home we strictly is tell them, you know, to speak Vietnamese okay. And they, they do what they've been. 

Interviewer [00:26:18] Since you told them of your story at such a young age have they ever questioned you what happened with grandma and grandpa? 

Minh Le [00:26:29] That's what the problem with them, you know, they at the school, they have a grandparent. They. And you remember that, right? Yeah. And they keep asking about. Well, why don't we have a grandparent? I keep telling them, you know, and they still alive and live in Vietnam. And, unfortunately, you know, they couldn't come here. So, they knew about the- 

Interviewer [00:27:00] Well, when you mentioned earlier took you 20 years to find out, how did that came about. To find out that finally where they at? 

Minh Le [00:27:11] Yeah, the. Yeah, I know they sail to, you know, from middle of Vietnam. Yeah. They moved to, they go to the South to the city called Xuân Lộc.  Yeah. So they sail to there and I think in 70. When I came home, they tell me, you know, they be there 78. They still go back to Quảng Trị. You know where I was born and they still there until 78. Because every time they tried to move south, they don't let them go. So my dad had to let you know everybody, 2 or 3 at a time, jump into the train. You know, move south. And until the whole family moved to the south. So, he came to Xuân Lộc and stayed there. 

Interviewer [00:28:15] And so it sounds like you're, with your entire family, you're the only one who made it to America. 

Minh Le [00:28:21] Yeah, that true. 

Interviewer [00:28:22] So, how old are your brothers and sisters now in Vietnam?

Minh Le [00:28:28] I'm 72 now, and so my sister is 70 and all grow up and become a grandma, grandpa, so they yeah. 

Interviewer [00:28:43] But how were you able to contact and find out that your family were moving to the South when you were here?

Minh Le [00:28:49] That's when I say, you know, I received the, send a letter, you know, to a priest. And he contacted, you know, my families, and they received my address and they wrote it back to me. So I know where they are. I've been back about three times. 25 years, after 25 years. I think 2000, I come back and visit, you know, my parents and they very happy to see me because my dad say they didn't see us, see me. I mean, they didn't see me, you know, back in 75. So then he thought, you know, I in the re-education camp or even die, but nobody know I die at all, you know, nobody say anything. So he went to every re-education camp tried to find me, you know, from north to south , couldnt find me. Finally, you know, they very happy, you know, when they received a letter. 2000 when I first, come there, back there. Is still a lot not allowed, but still more open than before. And, because I remember my wife went back there in 1994. She said very strictly move from one city to another city. You had to have a permit to stay and you had to report to the like police or something. But 2000, it more open it. I want back there about couple weeks and then oh wait a couple of weeks because you know the working. Yeah. Normally because in my job is that my sales and nobody take over, so when I left then they had to weigh everything, you know, like all the Prozac or anything. Either way, I come back so I just can leave two weeks and that's the most. And that's it. Get not more. 

Interviewer [00:30:49] Are your daughters very involved with the Vietnamese community here? 

Minh Le [00:30:53] Yeah. My daughter is. She I think in the Vietnamese group here. And, she's working with them and she involved a lot. Yeah. All my three children when they were young, they involved in the Vietnamese groups, you know, in the church and everything. 

Interviewer [00:31:19] What do you think about how you sharing your story here today is going to help viewers listening to your story. 

Minh Le [00:31:28] It can help, you know, a lot of the people, you know, like. The American, you know, opportunity, you know, opportunity to, complete everything you want to. And if you put your mind everything will be okay. And easy, you know, to have children go through a school in here and be successful. And then it easy, you know, to find a job too. You know, it doesn't matter what job, but, you know, if you make enough living, you can find it. You work one job not enough. You can work two jobs, though. That's what we did. You know, when we have marries and, so we work hard together and, you know, raise children and that's it. That thing that he. And you came here, and you be patient, learn everything you can and try to adapt to, you know, the American living and then they'll be okay. 

Interviewer [00:32:45] So most of the people who I have been interviewing pretty much came here at a young age, and I'm talking less than 15 years old. But hearing your story coming here, number one, alone without a family, number two being at least 24 years old. What gives you the energy, the faith, for you to say I will continue to thrive? 

Minh Le [00:33:13] Well, I think the, it being on me, you know, it on me, you know, we are way, we're older and very patient. Everything. You know, we learned that we apply to the life in here and. That's what, you know, I'm more successful in my life in here than. 

Interviewer [00:33:48] Because you mentioned earlier how you, are involved at the church right now. 

Minh Le [00:33:53] Yeah. 

Interviewer [00:33:55] And I'm very happy to see how how you taught your three daughters to be so successful. But there are other Vietnamese families who is facing a hardship or struggles, especially their children. To say, what can I do to make myself better? Can you share some of your secret, your recipes, and how you-

Minh Le [00:34:18] Do what we did to our children. We learn with them. Study with them and play with them. And treat them, you know that like my friend, not my daughter. And we, every time we need, you know, we can like if they had project, everything. I can stay with them, you know, until they finish this. And then, like a. In the summer. Usually the kids have a summertime. What we did in our family. A lot of people were asking me about that, and I tell them what we did. Summertime, like my children in first grade, we bought the second grade books. This time, you know, ahead of the second grade, and do the same thing with this third, fourth, fifth, sixth, you know, everything. Until they get to middle school. And that we know, I find out when the kids go to school next year. They already knew everything. You know. So. It make it easy for them to make good grades. And when they make good grade, they keep thinking about, oh, I'm do a good job, and I'm glad I do again. And. Yeah, that's what the way we teach them, you know. And in. For the rest, for the English, but for the Vietnamese language, we try to teach them when they was young. At least, you know, one hour at night stay with them, you know, just make them. You read the books, make them read again and make them write. Because I remember, you know, when they write down something, they remember a lot better than, you know, they read. And so one hour a night. So that way, you know, they can learn Vietnamese language easier than, you know, for them to learn everyday and try to make them speak English and make speak Vietnamese, you know. But you can stay with them and sit down with them, you know. 

Interviewer [00:36:42] And that's amazing. Yeah, preparation is a key. And I do believe in that to push them one step. 

Minh Le [00:36:49] Yeah, a lot of Vietnamese, I mean, American people asking us, you know, because all my children when they graduate from high school and they valedictorian and they say, well, how do you do that? One of the principal common. Do you have more children? Because they keep asking me, you know, do you have any more children? You know, I say, no, this is my last one here. Because they do good at school, you know, and they asking me the same question that you were asking. How do you raise kid? I say they do the same thing and this step ahead. Yeah. So they have a confidence in them, you know, when they go to school. Like in math or science, they are learning during the summer. And basically it's very easy for them, you know, to focus all this subject like, history, government or something. You know, they know we cannot teach them. Everybody here, you know, have families and want their children to be successful in their life. Right. And to be, to have a children to have a successful in their life, you need to prepare them like as you say, and when you prepare them good when they were young age, same thing when they do the teenager grow up and you cannot do any more because, you know, they they say when the kid a teenager, they say, okay, they know a lot better than parents. A lot of people asking me about how to raise children. I can tell them the same thing. I mean, because they say, you know, my children have a successful life and have a good grade at the school, you know, and that one thing about the children, tell them the complete. That's it. [00:38:33]