A Roadtrip to Remember: my reunion with the men who rescued me

photo credit: Caleb George


On June 17, 2017, I received a Facebook message about attending the 40th reunion for the Navy destroyer, USS John Young.  I was blown away because this was the ship that rescued my parents and me after we escaped Vietnam in 1981.  I was only 17 months old at the time.  After realizing it was not a joke, I happily accepted the invitation and for a year, I greatly anticipated the reunion.



I never imagined meeting the men of the USS John Young.  I didn't think it was possible.  And now, they have found me.  For so long, I have shared my rescue story and now I would get to meet them.  No words.  To read a little bit about my rescue, view here.

For the road trip a year later on June 22, 2018, I invited my friends Yelena and Mari.  Our first airbnb was in Sunset, Louisiana.  Our highlight was getting to visit a nearby horse farm.  The handler, Rusty, was so sweet to give us a tour and let us feed the horses.  I could tell she loved them deeply.

Tree Room airbnb

Mari in her happy place.

Yelena, Rusty, Mari, and me

Can you tell how much Rusty loves them??

That evening, we ate at Cafe Josephine by recommendation of our airbnb host and the place did not disappoint!  The oysters were fresh and delicious.  We also celebrated Yelena's birthday.

Happy Birthday, Yelena!
The next morning before we headed out, the host Dave made us the most amazing breakfast- it was a cross of french toast and bread pudding!

homemade breakfast.  sooo good!

USS John Young Reunion

The reunion was held at the Holiday Inn in Mobile, Alabama.  I was super nervous but when I walked in, I saw my cousin and her family.  Michael, the reunion coordinator, quickly came out to greet us and introduced us to two sailors who helped rescue us in 1981.  Chip and Mark.  It was so surreal.  We cried and hugged!  

Left to right: my cousin Thanh Ha Shaw, her mother Kim Nguyen, sailor Mark Taylor, fishing boat owner and my aunt's husband Bill Nguyen, sailor Chip Reichert, me 

best hug ever

I gave Chip and Mark a photo of my family at a refugee camp.

So funny they chose that photo of me.  I took that while on a mission trip in South Africa.

I admit I was so nervous to speak.  I shared the story of what became of my parents and me after the rescue.

sailor David Stewart
Jim showing me his photo back in the day.  They were 18!

Tim Powers

Mark Taylor

Can you believe that's my mother and me on the Navy ship??  You can see half of my dad's face.

Our fishing boat!  We were out at sea for four days.  Pirates had attacked us and killed the motor engine.  The USS John Young rescued us.

A gift from coordinator Michael Trotta.  

The rescuers with the refugees.


What an incredible evening it was!!!  I will never forget what one of the sailors said to me, "You're part of the crew.  You're home."

Heading Home

It was hard to leave and I wished I had more time with everyone but we now had each other's contacts.  Yelena, Mari, and I started to drive back home to Dallas.  We stayed at an airbnb in Monroe, Louisiana.  It was an artistic home on the bayou and the host, Janice, was incredible.  That evening, she showed her horses to us and Mari was able to ride.  During the day, the horses graze in the neighborhood, cutting the grass for them, haha.  In the evening, they stay in the front yard.  In the morning, Janice made us matcha tea and breakfast using eggs from her chickens and sweet potato leaves.  It was so good!  We also spent time painting in the art room.  A neighborhood girl came over and we got to spend time with her before we drove home.

The chicken that liked me the most happened to be named Lily, one of my favorite girl names!

Yelena enjoying the bayou

host Janice and I walking the horses

Mari enjoying the ride.

matcha tea!

fresh eggs with sweet potato leaves

Artistic Yelena doing her thing.

Mari, Yelena, and my artwork.

Mari playing worship music on Monday morning to our neighborhood child friend.

Teaching the sweet girl about our world.  Mari is from Japan and Yelena from Kazakhstan.

Last photo before our departure.

I have been hearing for about 20 years now that I should write a book about my life.  After this reunion, I believe it is time.  God has weaved such an intricate story and I feel He is encouraging me to write it down and keep seeking Him and dive deeper for more stories and miracles.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Golden Rock Pagoda, Mon State, Myanmar

Image
Golden Rock Pagoda, Mon State, Myanmar Golden Rock Pagoda (Kyaiktiyo Pagoda) is the 3rd most important pilgrimage site in Myanmar. The pagoda is located at the top of Mt. Kyaiktiyo, which is the highest mountain of Paunglaung mountain range.  Getting to Golden Rock Pagoda first required a 4 hour bus ride from Yangon to Kinpun Base Camp.    en route to Kinpun Base Camp, Locals drying fish. "Snake fish" refers to the appearance of the fish.  Its from the processors gutting, cleaning, and drying the fish. From Kinpun, people can transfer to an open truck to Yatetaung Gate. These trucks are old dumptrucks rebuilt with seats to fit passengers.  The ride itself was quite an adventure, reminding me of a rollercoaster as we traveled on the winding road up the forested mountain.  I couldn't help but smile the entire way up. Traveling up Kyaiktiyo Mountain. These engines have power! View while traveling up mountain. Theravada Buddhist flags- color
Read more

It's In The Little Details

Image
pexels.com     Last night after dinner, my mom was holding our family dog Mango and I heard her say, "it's in the little details".  She was referring to Mango's crochet sweater that he was wearing.  These days, I feel Mango has better fashion sense than I do.  Mango had on a beautiful sweater and my mom was admiring it.  Earlier that day, we had a guest come to the house and Mango was dressed to be the host with the most.  What my mom didn't know was when she said those five words, it made me prick up my ears.  This made me think of this past semester when my teacher Will Ford taught us the Hebrew word "qashab", which means to prick up the ears, be attentive, listen.  More on this word later.  First, let me explain why these five words meant so much to me and were the perfect seal to end the day.   Rewind to earlier that day, about 1:30pm.  I went to my workplace to get some things done and to drop off coffee for my friend Laura who was wor
Read more

Help-Portrait 2011

Image
A Picture is Worth... During the summer of 2011, while having lunch with my dear friend Kasie, I told her about my growing passion for photography.  In response, Kasie told me about a non-profit organization called   Help-Portrait and said it sounded like the perfect fit for me.  Founded by photographer Jeremy Cowart in 2009, Help-Portrait is a global movement where one day out of the year, photographers are asked to find someone in need, take their picture, and give it to them for free.  Along with volunteer make-up artists and stylists, these professionals work together to give back to the community.   With the help and support of family and friends, I was able to create a Help-Portrait event at a local nursing home, Presbyterian Village North.  The significance of this place is that my parents worked here in 1982 when we first located to the States from Vietnam.  My mother was a dietary aid and my father was a dishwasher.  Elderly residents taught my mom English, which
Read more