vietnam war

42. Timothy Johnson on the Vietnam War

In honor of Veterans Day, I sit down to talk to Private First-Class Timothy Johnson, a military cook and paratrooper who served in the Vietnam War. I recently returned from Normandy, where I visited the D-Day beaches and landing sight of paratroopers in WWII like, Major Dick Winters from Band of Brothers.  The visit to the Normandy American cemetery left me awestruck.  As I walked the grounds of the park, I truly felt proud to be an American.  I have the deepest respect for those that selflessly serve this country in the military.  It is a sacrifice, that I do not believe I am strong enough to make, and I am grateful for their service.  I admittedly have not been as active in outreach for Veterans as I should be, and after speaking with Tim, realize this is another social issue that needs attention.

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Dave Nguyen

41. Dave Nguyen on adoption, Operation Baby Lift, and reunions in Vietnam

In 1975, the mass evacuation of children from South Vietnam to the United States and other countries at the end of the Vietnam War was named Operation Babylift.  Thousands of children were evacuated during that time, and today I speak with one of those evacuees, Dave Nguyen. Dave was adopted at the age of three by an American family and now has a family of his own.  In 2010, Dave set out on a journey to discover his heritage and find his birth parents.  He shares his compelling story of his return to Vietnam, visiting his birth place, and reuniting with his birth mother.   Through this emotional journey, Dave discovers his own identity, and is now on a mission to find more answers about his past.  I love learning from others, and in this chat, I enjoyed hearing Dave’s story of his adoption, reunions, and self-discovery and learning about Operation Babylift.

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