Name: Hong
Birth Date: January 18, 1973

My life is an accumulation of hardships and ill treatment. I was born in 1969 from a mixed race couple. My father was an American paratrooper stationed at Suoi Mau, part of Bien Hoa, Dong Nai Province. My mother was married to a Vietnamese and had 4 children when she met my father at the Officers' Mess, where she worked.

When I was 22 months old my mother died from complications of a pregnancy. From that time on a step sister took care of me. When I was 8 years old my step father got married again. My step father and I went to live with my new step mother. She asked me to help her with selling of rice soup in the morning. She always told my step father I was lazy wouldn't help her, so he would beat me all the time.

Because of this a short time later I went back to live with my brother, but his wife didn't like me and was always telling me to leave. While living with them I would leave during the day, go to school and sell snacks on the street. She would not cook for me so I also had to do my own cooking to eat.

With these hard living conditions, trying to earn a living for myself, I quit school at the end of grade six, age 11, because I didn't have time to do the studies. I always got poor marks and my teachers showed no sympathy to me. While in school I had only four friends, one a Black AmerAsian, and three other classmates. During my school years I was always poorly dressed as my step father gave me only one suit to wear per year.

To earn a living I went everywhere selling cigarettes and lottery tickets, and it turned to be a failure. I then decided to sell various food stuffs, like sweet potatoes, peanuts and other things. At the age of 16 I went to a house and helped them make rice and coconut snacks, from 7 AM to 7 PM. One year later at the age of 17, I worked in a restaurant.

I had to work from 6 AM until 11 PM working as a cook, washing the dishes, and taking orders from the customers. I received two meals a day plus a very small salary. During these two years I worked in 3 different restaurants. When I was 19 years old I went to Saigon and got a job as a maid. This turned out not to be good, so 1 year later I returned to Bien Hoa and worked as a maid in a hair dresser shop, and they would teach me the hair dressers trade and a salary of 20.000 VND a week.

The customers would also give me little tips. By the age of 21, I became a hair dresser, and went to work in another hair dressers shop in Long Khanh. After working in Long Khanh for two years I came back to Bien Hoa and continued to work as a hair dresser. At this time I did not have a beauty shop and I would go to the house my customer and do it there. After two years of doing this and saving money I opened up my own hair dressers shop.> I got married at the age of 25 and lived with my husband's parents and family. One year later we bought a small house and I moved my business there.

Today we have 2 boys, ages 6 and 10. My husband works as a truck driver. I also attend English classes 6 days a week so when I go to America it will not be so difficult for me.

Information from mother's sister: Pham Thi Bay. Interview done by Jonathan Tinquist

In February of 1968 my sister (Hong's mother) and I applied for a job in an American Unit named the 101 Airborne, Screaming Eagles, and they wore black berets. Later my sister was transferred to another location as a maid for an officer with the rank of major.

During this time she had a close relationship and got pregnant by him. By the end of 1968 he was transferred to Phu Bai. Before leaving he gave her an LOI (Letter of Introduction) so she could get a job in any other American Unit. He also promised he would come back to see her.

After the departure of Hong's father, my sister kept on working for Mr. Henley, Chief of the Officers Mess. Mr. Majew was Hong's father's driver. Mr. Stroll was the 1st Sergeant in the 101st Airborne Unit. Mr. Smith in Phuc Minh

In 1970, one year after the birth of Hong, my sister was transferred to another battalion (78 the Black horse head). While working in this battalion my sister got acquainted with Jimmy Cox. This man helped my sister in many ways. He gave her his dog tag as a souvenir.

Cox Jimmy W. RA53609185 Blood Type: B Baptist

My sister died 11 April, 1971.