Escape from Vietnam 1976

We went to the port the morning of our escape from Viet Nam to America and after much trying to overcome with much dilemas, we finally gotten on the ship by almost mid-night.  After a night and most of the next day, we thought we would be in Saigon, but when the ship arrived there, news was that Saigon
was too crowded with poeple from other cities;  Therefore, we must go to an island called "Phu Quoc".

We got to Phu Quoc and we were all put in an area with  guarded since they don't know which one among us was truly South Vietnamese or spy from communist regime that mixed in with the people. That first day was not easy for us to find food. There were people who lives there tried to help passing out water and food. Since my father was so sick, my oldest sister was pregnant, my brother in law took my two older sisters with him to go get water and food.  We had lived in a guarded family, well taken care of by my parents, and to  go fight with other people to get food and water was very frightening to us all. Any how, later, my brother in law came back with a pale of water and my sisters got one bag of rama noodle.  Eventhough, my father was ill, he and my mom refused to eat, they say for us to share that dinner since we needed more than they do...especially my pregnant sister. We managed to cook the noodles with alot of water so we can drink the broth to filled our  stomach...we stayed on that island for about two weeks and things did get better as we get more familiar with the people there.  My family end up get to go to Saigon, but that was a different journey among many of our journeys until we get to the United States.

I can never forget or ever want to forget those hard times, because it help me to appreciate my parents love for us, it's a love that nothing can be compared to. As a parent  now, I understand what they did and what it meant to sacrifice for your children's happiness and well. I am sure any parents who loves their children will  know what it means too.