From the “about” section:
I was born in Da Nang, South Vietnam, in August 1965. My father was a soldier in the Army of the Republic of Vietnam (ARVN). My mother had a small business. When the North Vietnamese Communists took over South Vietnam in April 1975, my father, like hundreds of thousands of other South Vietnamese, was sent to a “re-education” camp, where he suffered horrendously from hard labor, malnutrition, torture, and solitary confinement, for 12 years. (His father had been killed years earlier by the Communists). My mother’s business was confiscated, and we had to do everything we could to scrape by. I have no idea how we survived those years.
From 1979 to 1981, I made many unsuccessful attempts to escape Vietnam, and was caught twice. Each time I spent only about a month in jail, and my mother bribed me out. In jail, I was beat up, but I wouldn’t call it torture. Compared to what my father went through, my treatment was kid stuff. Finally, in August of 1981, at the age of 16, I managed to successfully escape on a small boat…
I guess this gives this new blogger something to say and then some. Not surprisingly he calls himself VietPundit. Welcome, big time.
Looks very interesting.
I’m pleased that you found him, Roger (so, you DO read marccooper’s blog regularly, eh?).
I have encouraged him to keep it up. VietPundit has had terrible experiences, knows a lot about Vietnam, and writes very well.
Everyone should welcome is input.
Roger, thanks very much for wonderful plug.
John, thanks for your kind words. Just FYI: I had sent Roger an email, telling him about the blog. And of course, nice guy that he is, he immediately sent a whole bunch of people to my blog!
To be honest, I don’t recommend every blog that comes over the transom, even some good ones. There are too many these days. But this one seemed unique and especially worthwhile. As for Dennis the Peasant, he sent me three cases of Chateauneuf du Pape, so what could I do?
(kidding–it was two cases…. okay, a case and a half)
Response to Vietpundit:
Sadly, your difficult times are the result of the unheroic efforts of John F. Kerry to muck up our attempts to protect you. Thank God that John Kerry did not get elected last year. He is not a hero. He is pathetic excuse for a human being. Senator Kerry ramains clueless to this day.