Philip Tran son of Colonel Trần Văn Hai former Commander Special Mission Services JCS/RVN

To whom it may concern,

Pardon the randomness of this email.  My ability to speak and read
Vietnamese is very limited as I was born and raised in the United
States.

I found this photo in one of my father's hidden boxes.  Are you the
same officer shown in this photo?
If you are, I would like to ask you some further questions.

Best

Philip Tran

 Yes I am the Colonel's middle son.  I know he has not been active in reunion parties since 1992 for personal reasons.  I'm finding it very hard to find anyone who served under him.  If you know of any paratroopers or anyone who served under him, I am enclosing a photo from Westminster.  I always felt that a patriotic son of the
motherland would have been buried with military honors.

Best

Philip

 

Lt. Pham

I am enclosing a photo of a project I created in memory of my father. I knew nothing really of his pre 1975 life.  I've tried asking him many times before but he would never say anything.  This shadow box is created by his reading actual military records.  If you or any other commandos who have served with my father, would you kindly share the stories with me.  I refuse to let his memory, sacrifice, and everything he's done in the name of freedom pass with him.  Today is April 28.  41 years ago he took my mom under the cover of night, and crossed the border through Cambodia to fly out through Thailand.  It is that bravery is how my family ended up living free and with choices in America.  I respect everything every soldier did in the name of the Republic.

Respectfully

Philip Tran

 

Bài Thơ Tháng Tư - Trương Đức Đoàn 71 NHAKYTHUAT

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Tiger Moriizumi RVN Ambassador Japan

Tiger Mori-izumiApril 18, 2016 at 12:12 PM

I've interested in a military uniforms from child age.
When I was 17, I started to collect uniforms of the QLVNCH, and study the history of Vietnam War on an individual basis. (By a curious coincidence, my old high school which I attend in that time called "越南(Koshi-Nan)" as an abbreviation, it's a same Chữ Hán with "Việt Nam".)
Then I've joining a Vietnam War re-enactment event in Japan with my friends over 10 years. Through that, we have playing a part of the QLVNCH soldiers, such as Bộ Binh, Pháo Binh, Kỵ Binh, Quân Cảnh, Nhẩy Dù, Biệt Động Quân, Địa Phương Quân, Lực Lượng Đặc Biệt, Nha Kỹ Thuật and Cảnh Sát Quốc Gia. If there is no reproduction insignias, I make those myself to aim high reproducibility for the re-enactment. Our passion for QLVNCH never decline.

At the same time, I've reading a voice of QLVNCH veterans on Internet to learn the history of that war deeply. Through that, I learned a hardship of the Vietnamese people who are repressed by the Communist Party of Vietnam.
Also I love Vietnamese culture, not only military, so I've attending the Tet festival holding at a Vietnamese buddism temple in Japan from 5 years ago. In there, I got some friends who came to Japan as a refugee after 1975, and I heard their sad memories.
In actuality, over 10,000 Vietnamese refugees came to Japan after 1975. However, most Japanese people don't know the true history of Vietnam War and why the "liberation" by Ho Chi Minh made over one million refugees. They are living without understanding by Japanese neighbor.
In addition, there aren't many chance to learn Vietnamese language in Japan, young generation who were born in Japan can't understand their own language. So they continue to lose their folk Identity now. I feel so sorry about them as a Japanese. So I decided to be helpful for them, as a person who knows their hardship.

In 2015, I visited to California to attend into "Đại nhạc hội Cám Ơn Anh". I had wished to offer my feelings of condolence and respect to the wounded veterans and the spirit of heroes from long time ago. I did it in this trip. And it was really great experience for me. I could meet a lot of veterans of QLVNCH such as Mr. Lê Hoàng, Mr.Nguyễn Văn Phép, Mr.Phạm Hòa, their family and USMC veteran Mr. William Mimiaga. They told me their experience of the war and life of Vietnamese refugees in America. My heart aches for those story.
On other hand, I was really impressed to know their efforts after the war. They lost their country and many things in April 1975. But they accomplished a rebuild of their life on America and other countries. I learned a lot of things from their life.
And luckily, I was able to know their kindness. They took every possible care of me in this trip. I cannot thank they enough. I shall never forget their kindness.

And I'm writing a Blog about Vietnam from few years ago, for example, the history of war, a person of VNCH, a life of refugees and the democratic political movement in CSVN. I wanna make people know those facts which hidden by political powers.
I'll continue to support for them. I feel it is my mission.

Tiger Moriizumi

Những tấm hình 27 năm về trước

Đoàn 72 đầy tháng cháu Minh Hằng 1989 Nam Californa nhà hàng Phi Đoàn 227

Lê Hoàng, Lương Lập, Hương Nguyễn, NT Nguyễn Phan Tựu, Phạm Hòa, Rinh Nguyễn và NT Trần Trung Ginh

 Đại Úy Phan Túc trong Đại Hội 2 NKT Stanton California

Đại Hội 1 NKT Houston Texas 1989

Hậu Lục RVN Ambassador of the United States

Thiếu Tướng Lê Minh Đảo và Hậu Lục

Vũ Duy RVN Ambassador at Nauy

 Hình cháu Vũ Duy, là một chiến sĩ xuất sắc nhất từ sinh hoạt chúng ta tại Bergen Nauy.

Nay cháu gia nhập quân đội tác chiến tại Nauy

Tiger Mori-izumi - RVN Ambassador in Japan

There is a foundation which assists the Vietnamese refugees in Japan, they have doing humanitarian work at the Republic of Vietnam from before 1975.
I want to work with them. I want to be help for a beloved friends, Vietnamese.

VNCH Blog in Japan
 http://ichiban.militaryblog.jp/e757476.html

30-4-2016