Refugee returns to Vietnam as U.S. naval commander
November 9, 2009
DANANG, Vietnam -- On the day his side lost the Vietnam War, 5-year-old Hung Ba Le fled his homeland in a fishing trawler crammed with 400 refugees. Thirty-four years later, he made an unlikely homecoming -- as the commander of a U.S. Navy destroyer.
Le piloted the USS Lassen on Saturday into Danang, home of China Beach, where U.S. troops frequently headed for R&R during the war.
"I thought that one day I would return, but I really didn't expect to be returning as the commander of a Navy warship," Le said after stepping ashore Saturday. "It's an incredible personal honor." AP