The Journey to Freedom of a Widow and Her Two Children - The Story of Mrs. Pham Thi Tuyet Phung VHM #LSQCK The war broke out fiercely in 1972, the late Lieutenant Vo Ba Co sacrificed his life. The widow Pham Thi Tuyet Phung was still very young and beautiful at that time, raising two children alone: ​​a 3-year-old son and a 4-month-old daughter. After April 30, 1975, like many other residents in the Republic of Vietnam, life became more difficult, Mrs. Tuyet Phung decided to take her two children on a boat to escape from her homeland, where her husband had died in a mission to protect but had now fallen into the hands of the communists. After days of drifting at sea, the three of them were lucky to reach the free land of Hong Kong, and then resettled in the United States, a place where many people in the world dream of living. However, the new life was not easy in a completely foreign society, from the language to the means of transportation. She had to persevere to overcome many difficulties to raise her two children to become useful people for society. How did she go through those hardships? We invite you to listen to her narrate through a documentary film produced by the Vietnamese Heritage Museum. History Through Stories is one of the projects of the Vietnamese Heritage Museum to preserve stories in memory, directly through the stories of those who participated or were witnesses to recent historical events. This project is a research work aimed at collecting, storing and explaining the history of Vietnamese refugees. Vietnamese refugees who survived need the opportunity to directly share their experiences, or witness the historical events of the nation, on the path to freedom, as well as the initial difficulties of settling and making a living in a foreign land. This is an opportunity to sympathize and understand each other better among refugee generations; at the same time, it also creates for future generations to understand, be proud of, and be grateful for the sacrifices and courage of their ancestors. If you have any memorabilia or stories you would like to share, please contact us at: ➤ Email: [email protected] ➤ Phone: 714-846-8438 (714-VHM-VIET) ➤ Website: http://vietnamesemuseum.org ➤ Facebook: /vietnamesemuseum ➤ Mailing Box: PO BOX 27372, Santa Ana, CA 92799 --- Braving the Waves: A Widow's Journey to Freedom with Her Teenagers - The Story of Ms. Tuyet-Phung Thi Pham In the afternoon of the war in 1972, the late Second Lieutenant Vo Ba Co made the ultimate sacrifice. His widow, Pham Thi Tuyet Phung, a young and beautiful woman at the time, was left to raise their two young children alone. Their son was just three years old, and their daughter was merely four months old. Life took a harsh turn after April 30, 1975. Faced with increasing difficulties, Phung made the heart-wrenching decision to escape her homeland, a place her husband had died protecting but had now fallen into the hands of the communists. She embarked on a perilous journey by boat with her two children. After finally enduring days adrift at sea, they reached the shores of freedom in Hong Kong. Eventually, Phung and her children settled in the United States, a land many dreams of calling home. However, life in a completely foreign society presented its own set of challenges, from language barriers to unfamiliar modes of transportation. Despite these obstacles, Phung persevered. She overcame countless hardships to ensure her children became valuable contributors to society. Her story is a beacon of hope and a source of inspiration for many. We cordially invite you to experience her compelling journey, as narrated in a documentary film produced by the Vietnamese Heritage Museum. VIETNAMESE HERITAGE MUSEUM ORAL HISTORY PROJECT: Through these oral history interviews, we will be able to learn and celebrate the personal experiences of notable Vietnamese-Americans, who offer their own accounts of history. These interviews document aspects of the historical experience of Vietnamese refugees, immigration, and settlement, which tend to be missing from most mainstream sources. These oral history documentaries will provide an avenue for both understanding and appreciating of the present and future generations of Vietnamese refugees throughout the world. #vietnameserefugee​​​​​ #reeducationcamp ​​​​#vietnameseheritagemuseum​​​​ #vietnamesemuseum​​​ #boatpeople​​​ #vhmusa