Former Vietnamese refugee shares profound gratitude to veterans

EAST PEORIA ( 25News Now )—While in East Peoria, the Traveling Vietnam Memorial Wall has offered a sense of healing for many veterans and families. Former Vietnamese refugee Phihang Nguyen has been making it a point to visit and thank the veterans in person for the freedoms she has today.

"These fallen heroes who paid the ultimate sacrifice for the precious freedom, peace, and justice that generations of South Vietnamese such as me have the privilege as recipients," said Phihang.

Phihang's father, Chi Nguyen, was a fighter pilot in South Vietnam who was fighting alongside American soldiers.

After the conflict, thousands of South Vietnamese fled to the U.S., but her father, Chi, stayed behind because he was to be married to Phihang's mother and could not bear to leave her behind.

Tragically, her father later became a prisoner of war for three years.

"They had taken him deep into the jungle of Vietnam and took him into the labor camp. As the communists took over the whole country, the whole country plunged into darkness," said Phihang.

After his release, Phihang's father worked to seek refuge for him and his family in the U.S.; it wasn't until Phihang was ten that her family moved to America.

"I never knew that [the U.S.] would be the country that I would call home, and I did not speak any English [when I arrived], but today, I use my voice to declare the goodness of my father in heaven," said Phihang.

Now, she is using her voice to tell her story, serving as a testament to other veterans who fought for futures like hers.

"That is why I'm here [at the memorial]. This Vietnam War Memorial is the banner of victory for countless grateful South Vietnamese who get to breathe the air of freedom in the USA," said Phihang.