Former Vietnam War Prisoners Shared Their Stories. Happy Memorial Day.

Happy Memorial Day. Today is the day we remember and show our appreciation to every soldier who fought for the freedom of the United States of America for us to have a peaceful time nowadays.

On May 25, the Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum held a panel discussion titled Resilience, Fortitude, and Faith: Vietnam War POWs Reflect 50 Years Later, with the participation of four former POWs of the Vietnam War on the 50th anniversary of their return to the United States in a solemn and emotional atmosphere. Present at the discussion were many Vietnam veterans and Vietnamese-American politicians. I was so honor to attend the event and had a chance to listen to their story. They had written a glorious history to our nation.

The four Vietnam War prisoners and veterans were United States Navy Commander Everett Alvarez, Jr., U.S. Navy Captain Jack Ensch, U.S. Air Force Lieutenant Colonel Tom Hanton, and U.S. Air Force Colonel Tom McNish.

At the panel discussion, the veterans shared their most horrifying experiences, traumatic memories, and experiences of surviving when they were imprisoned at Hanoi Hilton in the North of Vietnam and, at the same time, voiced their views on the past 50 years of freedom.

They recounted stories and challenges they faced during their time in captivity, including physical and mental torture, as well as the teamwork and faith that helped them endure and overcome. They reflected on their experiences back home and how their time as prisoners of war shaped their lives.

After the event, I talked to Diedre Thu Ha Nguyen, former Deputy Mayor of the City of Garden Grove, California. She said she learned a lesson as she listened to four Vietnam War veterans share what they went through and their sacrifices. Learn about teammates' cohesion when they're in prison.

“The survival of one is the survival of all. That's what I learned from those four," said Nguyen. “It is just like our daily lives that we help each other to grow together. It's been more than 50 years, but the soldiers never forget that they are a soldier and are proud to have fought and served their country."

Nguyen may also be related to her father, who was a Major in the Marines of the Army of the Republic of Vietnam. Ms. Thu Ha shared that her father had many allies who fought in the Vietnam War, and after 1975, he was taken out of the North and imprisoned.

“The stories he told in prison, I think what he experienced in communist prisons was similar to that of former prisoners of war in Vietnam,” Nguyen said.

Ronnie Guyer, a former Vietnam War soldier, attended the discussion and told me that four former prisoners of the Vietnam War were real Americans. He added that those former prisoners didn't have to go through the kinds of misinformation that were spread from the press to the American people during the Vietnam War when the media just repeated some of the content that radio stations told them. Hanoi released it to the world and did not correct it.

“That’s I've always felt. I have to fight against that prejudice,” Guyer said. “So since I returned in 1966, I have been fighting for clarity and freedom for Vietnam and continuing our freedom in America.”

A former US Air Force colonel, Wayne Scott, told me that the stories he heard during the discussion were fantastic. He himself had served in the military and knew many former prisoners of war, so he was honored to attend this discussion.

“I am honored to hear their stories, to hear what they have endured, and how positive they are to have been affected by that experience,” said Scott. “And how important the United States of America is important to them, and how important their families are to them. It was a heart-moving experience.”

Mr. Scott wants the younger generation to understand the harsh reality of war and the importance of having a solidly united nation against the oppression and totalitarianism that led to the Vietnam War.

“And hopefully, they will understand that this future generation takes on the role of defending freedom and justice as the Vietnam veteran did during their generation,” Scott said.

Amy Phan West, Westminster City Council Member, was also present at the conference and shared with VOA that this discussion means a lot to her because her father fought side by side with the Chinese soldiers. Ky in the days when Saigon fell. He was also later arrested, tortured, and released. Therefore, the story of former prisoners of war in Vietnam is similar to her father's.

“I always tell them that I understand the pain of my father, I understand their pains, and they’re never alone,” Phan West said. “Because that brotherhood, that connection that we have was forged through the harshness of times from both sides. Americans and the Republic of Vietnam. Therefore, the bond between them will never be broken or taken away. So I think that affirms that we need to support them.”

Phan West wants the next generation to see the Vietnam War as a pity that the country has been lost from the liberal republic of Vietnam and is now being taken over by another regime where it has many more restrictions.

“When war happened in Vietnam, we all knew it was political or the benefit of something else. So when politics gets involved, they don't go through what they promised and lives have been shattered or killed. And that is unfortunate.”

Senator Tom Carper of Delaware and Senator Jerry Moran of Kansas submitted to Congress a resolution expressing Congress' approval for the 50th anniversary of the US POWs returning home from Vietnam and recognizing the extraordinary service and sacrifices of those prisoners of war during the Vietnam War.

Once again, I would like to say thank you to all the brave soldiers who had fought for the United States of America and we will never forget.