A Sincere Thank You

“I want to thank you Americans for what you did for us.”

Those are the words spoken by a small, thin Vietnamese lady recently speaking to 40-plus members of the Valley Kiwanis. Born in Vietnam in 1948, she began her 30-minute talk and explained the hardships she and her family endured as they attempted to escape their home in south Vietnam after Saigon fell to the North Vietnamese in 1975.

While fleeing on a moped motorcycle her husband was killed and her daughter lost an eye from exploding shrapnel. Ultimately, she endured extreme poverty, being jailed, living in refugee camps and surviving sinking rescue ships before arriving in the United States safely in 1982.

Her story includes much pain, perseverance and ultimately a new life in the United States. The highlight to her story was her sincere thanks to the American people for our involvement in the Vietnam War.

Gordon Spunich

Spokane Valley