Natan's Story

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My name is Natan and I was born in South Vietnam at the height of the Vietnam war. Ever since I can remember, I heard gun fires and mortar attacks. My dad worked for the US Navy Seabees, a special part of the Navy that focuses on the completion of construction projects that serve combat and non-combat missions. He was the head mechanic for the Da Nang US Base. He was also a successful businessman. 

Everything changed when the Vietnamese Communists overran South Vietnam. 

• I saw dead bodies when they took over our city.
• I witnessed a South Vietnamese soldier pointing a gun at my mother’s throat demanding money.  
• My father’s businesses and properties were taken away and they restricted his rights to travel.  Escape from Communist Vietnam was our only solution.  

Escape by boat 

After months of planning we finally left in the dark of morning on a small boat in 1978 through the South China Sea.  The journey was treacherous because of numerous unplanned encounters, especially the storm at sea.  Our survival was only because of the grace of God. We were rescued by a Chinese fishing family from Hong Kong, at the time a British colony.    

Coming to America  

Through the goodwill of America we were able to settle in America in March of 1979.  America, the beacon of hope and freedom, finally became our home.  My dad told us when we got to America: "This is your new home, don't you ever turn your back on America." This message from my Dad inspired me to serve in the US Peace Corps and then after that I enlisted in the US Army Reserve. I served honorably and respect and love America even more afterward. With a Master's degree in History, I briefly taught as a substitute teacher in a suburb of Chicago, but decided to do something else. I've been a business owner ever since.

Historical background:  

 1st Indo China War (1946-1954) ended French Colonization of Vietnam with the signing of the Geneva Accords in 1954, which created the 17th parallel line splitting Vietnam in two (Communist North and Non-Communist South).  Vietnamese people were given 300 days from the signing to decide to move North or South. Nearly 1 million northerners fled to the south aided by the United States military through Operation Passage to Freedom.  

The North was supported by the communist countries of the Soviet Union and China (as well as other communist countries).  The South was supported by the non-communist countries of the United States of America, South Korea, Philippines, Australia, Thailand and other non-communist countries.  

The Vietnam War Begins 

Very soon after the 300 days were over, the North Vietnamese began to attack the South Vietnamese with hostilities increasing until the 2nd Indo China War, known as the Vietnam War, officially began on Nov 1, 1955, and ended on April 30, 1975, with the United States and others withdrawing from Vietnam and the capture of Saigon by North Vietnamese troops. Following the surrender of South Vietnam to North Vietnam in April 1975, the Socialist Republic of Vietnam was created on July 2, 1976.  

Sending 300,000 South Vietnamese to re-education camps

The Socialist Republic of Vietnam then took a series of punitive actions, which included:

• Sending up to 300,000 South Vietnamese to reeducation camps, where many endured torture, starvation, and disease while being forced to perform hard labor. 
• The government also embarked on a mass campaign of collectivisation of farms and factories, which resulted in the loss of personal property, businesses and the ability to earn a living for many people. 

1 million Vietnamese flee the country by boat

The result of these actions was the Indo China Refugee Crisis (1975-1979), which saw over 1 million Vietnamese peoples fleeing the country via the sea in small boats, ships and any other floating vessel likely to get them to freedom.  

Up to 400,000 perish at sea

While approximately 800,000 people arrived safely to Hong Kong and other southeast Asian countries, between 200,000 to 400,000 people perished at sea due to pirates, illness, boats sinking and storms. The refugees became known as the Vietnamese Boat People. Natan was one of these.   

Resources: https://victimsofcommunism.org/resources/