37 years later

Photo By Lt. Col. Angela King-Sweigart | Be Nguyen and his wife Mary, also from Vietnam, remained in the U.S. and raised a family here.  

FORT INDIANTOWN GAP, PA, UNITED STATES

10.24.2014

Story by Maj. Angela King-Sweigart 

Fort Indiantown Gap

FORT INDIANTOWN GAP, Pa. - Recently, a former Vietnamese refugee visited the installation for the first time since he arrived here in 1975. While the barracks he stayed at have since been demolished, the oak tree he remembers still stands. Since arriving in the U.S., Be Nguyen became an electrical engineer and raised his family.

In 1975, more than 22,000 Vietnamese and Cambodian refugees were housed here. Ten troop billeting consisting of 314 barracks, and 84 messes were used to help house the refugees. The installation made improvements to infrastructure to support the influx. Fort Indiantown Gap also issued base newspaper in Vietnamese. Most refugees were fleeing communist governments who had taken over in Southeast Asia. The Indochina Migration and Refugee Assistance Act of 1975 and the related appropriation act provided immediate assistance to these refugees.

In the years since, several reunions of former refugees have been held here. The event remains an important milestone in the installation’s history.

Nguyen wrote a letter to the installation which is reprinted here:
From Mr. Be Nguyen:

I was in Fort Indiantown Gap in 1975, barrack 5-57 as a Vietnamese refugee waiting for a sponsor to help me to settle in the United States. They sheltered us and they comforted us. They took care of our health. We were well fed. They also gave me personal items such as a toothbrush, toothpaste, soap and used clothes.

Such a warm welcome and caring alleviated our anxiety in the first few days in a new country.

I want to take the opportunity here to thank the Fort Indiantown Gap personnel and volunteers that help us during the most difficult time of our life.

Thank you generous Americans with you big hearts. I told my children that this is a great county with great opportunity, and I want them to make to make the most of it.

• Date Taken: 10.24.2014
• Date Posted: 10.24.2014 10:29
• Story ID: 145963
• Location: FORT INDIANTOWN GAP, PA, US