I was on a US Navy destroyer that recovered boatfuls of Vietnamese refugees 2 different times in the 1979-80 timeframe, and helped render aid to our pathetic but grateful passengers with clothing, bedding, toiletries and food while we delivered them to a refugee camp in the Philippines (via the US Naval Station). The raw humanity of that experience, my realizing their vulnerability with their fear driving them to undertake voyages in shit boats with inadequate supplies, fuel and water, knowing nothing of their unknown fates except that it was better than being killed by the communists affected me for life. One of the 2 boats had been attacked in the S. China Sea by pirates from Thailand who took all of the younger women and girls and all of the peoples' wealth which they had converted to gold, a common practice as I understood.They had been out of fuel and water for about 2 weeks, drinking urine to survive while they drifted with the currents. All of the Vietnamese people that I've encountered since then have all shown their gratitude to the US by a strong display of patriotism and also successful lives - I would almost say moreso than the average American. I have a special place in my heart for those people.

I was on a US Navy destroyer that recovered boatfuls of Vietnamese refugees 2 different times in the 1979-80 timeframe, and helped render aid to our pathetic but grateful passengers with clothing, bedding, toiletries and food while we delivered them to a refugee camp in the Philippines (via the US Naval Station). The raw humanity of that experience, my realizing their vulnerability with their fear driving them to undertake voyages in shit boats with inadequate supplies, fuel and water, knowing nothing of their unknown fates except that it was better than being killed by the communists affected me for life. One of the 2 boats had been attacked in the S. China Sea by pirates from Thailand who took all of the younger women and girls and all of the peoples' wealth which they had converted to gold, a common practice as I understood. All of the Vietnamese people that I've encountered since then have all shown their gratitude to the US by a strong display of patriotism and also successful lives - I would almost say moreso than the average American. I have a special place in my heart for those people.