Overview of the Vietnam War

The Vietnam War featured political upheavals, battle tactics, and lots of publicity. But underneath all that were everyday people whose lives were forever altered by three decades of fighting.

Author's Reflection

In this memoir, author Don Lao looks back at what the people of Vietnam went through with this account of how his family went from living an honest and simple life to losing everything in a harrowing war that engulfed Southeast Asia.

Childhood and Heritage

Lao lived an idyllic childhood with his parents, eight brothers, and four sisters, but he was eventually swept into the South Vietnamese Army. Although he was born in Vietnam, he was Chinese in heritage and so he was always treated like a foreigner, even when he was fighting the communists.

Escape and New Beginnings

When Saigon fell, he sought a better life, leading him to a cargo ship along with other refugees who became known as the boat people. Their path to America was the first step in finding better lives and reconnecting with loved ones. Their tenacity and resiliency earned them the ultimate freedom as Americans living the American dream.