Pursuing Freedom

ARABIAN GULF

02.24.2020

Courtesy Story

USS Bataan (LHD 5)

He had been on the run for days across unfamiliar terrain, without shoes or food. If he was caught, he feared being beaten to death. He was 9 years old.
“My childhood memories are ones that I will never forget because they shaped who I am today, and who I want to be in the future,” said Airman Hrang Cung Hu, who goes by Phillip Hu, now assigned to the amphibious assault ship USS Bataan (LHD 5).
In Hu’s years-long and harrowing journey from foreign shores to, ultimately, the U.S. Navy, he said he overcame physical punishment, imprisonment, language barriers and overwhelming odds to establish himself in a stable career with a proud future.
He said others can do the same, if they stay committed and “keep moving.”
Hu was born in Hakha, Burma, during a time of political conflict. Hu’s mother fled Burma to Malaysia when he was 7 years old. Hu stayed behind with his grandmother until he left for Malaysia two years later, but in order to arrive at his destination, Hu had to sneak through Thailand with other refugees.
“Running away from home was one of the biggest challenges in my life,” said Hu. “I never thought I would have to leave my friends at such a young age.”
The path to Malaysia was a 10-day journey. Of those, six were without shoes and many were without food. Hu said he was tired and had thorns in his feet, but if he stopped moving he would be left behind. If he was caught, he would be at risk of being beaten to death by border police. When he was not walking, he was hiding in a vegetable box on a truck, in a boat or in the trunk of a car. Eventually, Hu and the other refugees traveled three-at-a-time by kayak. After rowing along the shore, his group found a pineapple farm. Two elderly people that owned the farm greeted them and provided some pineapples they harvested.
“It was remarkable to me that a pineapple could make me so happy,” said Hu. “It helped me see the value of the little things.”
Once Hu arrived in Malaysia, he saw his mother for the first time in two years.
“When I saw my mom, I was so happy,” said Hu. “The journey made me feel so weak, I was just a kid. Seeing her again was one of the happiest moments in my life the weight on my shoulders instantly dropped.”

Getting caught

Although he made it to Malaysia, he still wasn’t completely safe since he was an illegal refugee. Hu said he stayed inside a room with four people to avoid being discovered by the police. He did chores and learned how to cook so he could serve his family until he was old enough to work as a full-time electrician at the age of 13. “My employer was an elderly lady; I called her ‘Madam,’” said Hu. “Despite me being a refugee, she treated me as her own son. I was payed 400 ringgit per month, but only kept 50 and gave the rest to my mother for rent. I did my best to provide for my family.” A year later Hu was captured by two Malaysian policeman at a restaurant while waiting for his brother to watch a soccer game on television.
Hu said they kept asking him questions, but he couldn’t understand what they were saying since he didn’t speak Malay.
“They beat me, kicked me, and even hit me with a stick,” said Hu. “I was covered in my own blood and put in a cell with gangsters and drug dealers. At first I was afraid, but since I was so young, they treated me like their brother.”
Hu said after he was released a month later, he just wanted to go to school like other teenagers. He enrolled as a student at a Christian boarding school for refugees. The school taught Bible lessons, English, accounting, science, math, music, choir, and drama.
“The [school] taught me reading and writing, but most importantly brought me closer to God,” said Hu. “That’s where I met my role model, Prof. Michael Moey, a pastor and lawyer. His motto is ‘to love your neighbor as yourself.’ That motto is really important to me because of the risks people made to help me. I wanted to give back.”

Finding the U.S.

Two years later, Hu received a call from his mother. She told him their family would relocate to Indianapolis, Indiana, in the United States as refugees.
“My first flight was two whole days, but once we arrived in Indiana I got emotional.” said Hu. “We finally made it somewhere safe. This would be our home for the rest our lives.”
After celebrating his new-found freedom with his family, Hu took the opportunity to pursue an education in the United States. “I was given the option in high school to become [either] a senior or freshman because I was 17 years old, but there was a strong language barrier and I wanted to get a real education,” said Hu. “I only went to school for two years in my entire life. If I chose to be a senior, I wouldn’t learn anything, so I chose to be a freshman. My first year I struggled talking to people because I was new and didn’t speak much English.”
In order to learn another language, Hu said he immersed himself in social activities and applied for a job. He joined the high school soccer team and became a lifeguard where he said he saved 18 people in the course of two years.
“The more friends I made, the better I was at my English,” said Hu. “I was getting good grades, I met great people and life was going well.”
Hu graduated high school at 22 years old.

Forged by the sea

“I was about to graduate and I was deciding what I wanted to do with my life,” said Hu. “The high school basketball coach asked me, ‘What do you want to do, son?’ I told him I wanted to join the military. When he asked why, I told him that I didn’t have a scholarship, but I was thankful to be here and wanted to give back. My coach said he could help me join the [U.S.] Air Force Academy, but after some research I wanted to join the Navy.”
Hu said he was always fascinated by the idea of aircraft, so he enrolled in an aerospace engineering course at the U.S. Naval Academy.
“I was warned that aerospace was one of the most difficult majors in the Naval Academy and many people drop out, but life has always been difficult,” said Hu. “You just have to keep moving no matter how hard life gets. Just embrace it, the pain is always worth it in the end.”
Because Hu was not a U.S. citizen, he could not fully enroll in the Naval Academy. But that didn’t stop him from enlisting in the Navy as an airman.
“I enjoy military life because I get to meet new people, it gives me a sense of purpose, and constantly challenges me to improve,” said Hu.
During his first year as an airman he joined the Bataan soccer team, participated in the Bataan’s worship team as a guitarist, and was recognized as Sailor of the Month. Hu said he plans to pursue becoming a Navy SEAL, and has applied to try out for the all-Navy soccer team.
“I believe that knowledge is through reading and wisdom is through experience,” said Hu. “The experiences that I had transformed me into a better person, a better leader, and they also helped me achieve my goals as I continue to work hard to change the world. If there is anything I would want people to take from my story, it would be to keep moving.”

• Date Taken: 02.24.2020
• Date Posted: 02.28.2020 00:05
• Story ID: 364039
• Location: ARABIAN GULF