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DA NANG, Vietnam – Only three
days into office, South Vietnamese President Duong Van Minh
delivered an unconditional surrender to the North Vietnamese in the
early hours of April 30, 1975. That same morning in the seas off the
coast of South Vietnam, a boy who once enjoyed the outdoors with his
siblings and his community in the city of Hue, found himself and his
family aboard a ship drifting further and further away from his
homeland.
Some 34 years later that same boy is
sailing back to his homeland, this time as the Commanding Officer of
the U.S. Navy’s Arleigh Burke class guided missile destroyer, USS
Lassen (DDG-82). As Cmdr. Hung B. Le, and his crew sail closer to
the Socialist Republic of Vietnam for a goodwill mission, Le
remembers the day his childhood was changed forever.
“My father was a Commander in the South Vietnamese Navy and was
serving as the Deputy Commanding Officer of Nha Be Naval Support
Base when we left Vietnam” he said. “My Dad navigated a fishing
trawler with 400 passengers out to sea, where we were picked up by
USS Barbour County (LST-1195) on May 2, 1975.”
Lee and his immediate family never returned to live in Southeast
Asia but says he still feels the cultural ties and pride of his
origin. “I do feel an attachment to Vietnam because I was born there
as was my entire immediate family,” he said. “I was raised eating
Vietnamese and American food and spoke both English and Vietnamese
as a child. I am proud of my Vietnamese heritage and proud to be an
American.”
Le and his family settled in the United States in an east coast
community. Living within driving distance of his new home’s national
capitol, Le’s love for the country came instant.
“I have always loved America,” he said. “Growing up in Northern
Virginia, my family often went to Washington, D.C. and enjoyed
weekend picnics on the Mall and visiting the historic monuments and
museums. It seemed we were always going to the beach, which was
great. I had a fun childhood.”
An avid sports fan and supporter of the Washington Redskins, as an
adult Le adopted an idea that hit closer to home than his northern
Virginia address was to RFK Stadium. In 1992, Le, like his father,
became a naval officer; the younger Le earning his commission after
graduating from the U.S. Naval Academy with merit with a Bachelor of
Science degree in Economics. After serving tours on four ships and 2
shore based commands, Le was given the opportunity to command a
ship.
“I work with an outstanding, closely knit crew of nearly 300 Sailors
on the Lassen so I am not lonely,” he said. “I enjoy walking around
the ship to talk to my Sailors. There is of course the
administrative work that goes with running a ship. Planning
meetings, training sessions, and other events help ensure that the
ship's personnel, equipment, and training are being taken care of.”
Le said his service in the Navy is his way of trying to give back to
the great Americans who helped his family begin a new life in the
U.S. “My parents are proud that I am the Commanding Officer of a
U.S. Navy ship and are excited that as part of my service I have the
opportunity to visit the country of my birth, he said.”
As Le and his crew make their way to the country he enjoyed picking
fruits from the trees as a child, he sees the significance of the
two nations that cultivated him continuing to build a stronger
relationship.
“The U.S. and Vietnam have a growing friendship, and our
military-to-military engagement with Vietnam continues to advance at
a measured pace,” he said. “Last year the hospital ship USNS MERCY
was the first U.S. military vessel to visit Nha Trang since 1975,
providing humanitarian assistance in cooperation with the Vietnamese
Medical Corps.”
Upon his arrival to Da Nang on Nov. 7, Le was greeted by the local
media and introduced to local political and military officials. When
he was not being interviewed or transported to a scheduled event Le
found himself taking countless photos with the local community who
were excited to have their picture taken with him. His ship, along
with the 7th Fleet Flagship USS Blue Ridge (LCC19) engaged with the
local community and further strengthened the relationship between
the U.S. and Vietnam.
On his final day in port Le visited a Vocational Training Center for
homeless children in Da Nang. During his visit Le learned about the
efforts within the center to help the youth through learning
specific skills and focusing on the importance of an education. He
also presented Alfonso DeMattieis, a director at the center with a
plaque to commemorate the occasion.. Aside from Le’s gift, members
of his crew and Blue Ridge presented the center with new sewing
machines and rolled up their sleeves alongside community members and
gave the center fresh new coats of paint.
Le’s visit to his home country was not only a chance for him to
rediscover things about his past, but for the bond between two
nations to grow that much stronger. Like his father did during the
end of the Vietnam War, Le now leads a ship of people in the pursuit
of freedom, and peace.
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