A Vietnamese Fighter Pilot in an American War

A South Vietnamese Fighter Pilots' Memoir: just wa

Review Written By Bernie Weisz, Historian & Book Reviewer, Vietnam War Pembroke Pines, Florida USA Contact: BernWei1@aol.com Title of Book "A Vietnamese Fighter Pilot In An American War" By Hoi B. Tran December 10, 2011

Terms like the "Dien Bien Phu, South Vietnamese Air Force, Vietnamization and Reeducation Camps for the most part mean nothing to the average American Vietnam Veteran. However, they mean everything to an individual who was born in Hanoi, Vietnam and came of age after the end of W.W. II. This would be a person who would witness French Colonial rule end, welcome a man named Ho Chi Minh until shown his criminalizing, brutal version of Communism. He would learn about General Giap's victory at Dien Bien Phu. Based on what was resolved in Geneva, Switzerland, a decision would have to be made as to whether he would live North or South of a geographic parallel that would split ideologies and families into two separate countries. This person would know what the South Vietnamese Air Force would be as he would go South and be a member of it. He would watch the Soviets and Chinese fund and supply his Northern Vietnamese nemesis from the sidelines while the Americans would back his Southern brethren with a fighting presence. The Americans would come, fight and die and eventually leave. Between the American press incorrectly interpreting the Tet Offensive, 58,000 plus casualties and a promise to back the South no matter what made by a U.S. president that would resign within a year, the Northern Communists would prevail in 1975. Once again a decision similar to 1954 had to be made; between accepting a brutal regime and incarceration in a Communist "Reeducation Camp" or freedom 10,000 miles away in America. The spectator of these events would choose the latter. His name is Hoi B. Tran and he is the author of "A Vietnamese Fighter Pilot in an American War." The importance of this book is not to publish a lackluster historical recitation of Southeast Asian history with the author's life serving as a reference point. Instead it details the ordeal Tran faced as an individual who was born in a colonial society that ultimately lapsed into dictatorial communism. A valiant twenty one year fight to preserve democracy was made but ultimately the author was forced to flee South Vietnam fearing retribution from the impending Communist takeover.

Nevertheless, this book reveals much more; the author conveys to readers his strong belief in filial commitment by virtue of taking his wife and three children as political refugees to the United States. Once in America, Tran proves that anyone can start over at any age and with perseverance and determination succeed. He quickly secured housing, transportation and gainful employment to provide for his family and become an asset to this country. Never again reentering the field of aviation despite an offer, the author had two successful careers; a four year stint as a state employee and twenty four year run as a claims adjuster. This is Hoi Tran's recapitulation of his life; the Vietnam War as he saw it, contributing to fight Communism as a fighter pilot in the South Vietnamese Air Force as well as a commercial airline pilot for Air Viet Nam. Being a participant of all of the aforementioned and coming out unscathed is one thing, writing a book about it in a second language with energetic vigor is another. In both cases, Mr. Tran excelled with flying colors. A multitude of rare lessons are learned by Americans from this memoir, among them the desperation and fear the South Vietnamese perceived should they lose the war. Other issues are their great disappointment from the results of the Paris Peace talks as well as what the American media did to influence American politicians as well as the course of the war. The author's personal reaction to President Nixon's "Vietnamization" was that he knew in his heart what the inevitable outcome of this war would be as a consequence. Also revealed is the deceiving, barbarous brand of Communistic treachery Ho Chi Minh and his band of miscreant flunkeys perpetuated on Vietnam that is guaranteed to make the most stoic reader cringe.

Regardless, could American "Vietnamization" have made the difference in the South defeating the North Vietnamese, backed by the Russian/Chinese monolithic bloc? Dick Geschke wrote in regard to that; "Even in the short time that I was in country, I knew that we didn't belong in a place of civil strife about which we Americans should have no say. The concept of the "domino theory" was a misguided theory. Facts are facts: we had an invalid mission statement that would have essentially no bearing whatsoever on the Cold War. At that time, the war was but a concept of saving face. Such a civil war could never be won by an outside party." Family is family; all the North Vietnamese and Vietcong did was wait it out. The negotiations were accomplished, and the U.S. was nothing but an observer. We won in the battlefield, but by 1971, in our hearts, we knew we had lost the war." Family is family? If that is so, why did half a million Northerners leave everything in 1954 to come South? If anyone can see the films that the panic stricken South Vietnamese displayed at Danang when Ed Daly, owner of World Airways landed his commercial plane to rescue women and children from the fast approaching North Vietnamese Army, or on April 29, 1975 at the U.S. Embassy the day before the fall of Saigon, certainly the realization that this is not one happy family would set in. In Jay Mallin's book "Terror in Viet Nam" he informed readers; "Terror is a weapon as real, and sometimes more deadly than a gun. For it can kill not only the body, but the spirit of whose lives it touches with fear. It sets friend against friend, family against family, and even children against parents."

Jay Mallin offered this appraisal of North Vietnamese psychological warfare; "To the Communists, terror is not a casual circumstance of war. Rather it is a highly-developed, highly refined political weapon designed to fester unseen from within, soften resistance to the enemy that can be seen, and set the stage for complete collapse of the target against which it is directed. Once in power, the Communists have used it routinely to control its own people." The aforementioned statement is what a lot of people do not understand. Hoi Tran's book will cut through the misconceptions. Pay attention to his descriptions of the panic and desperation that set in just before the fall of Saigon, the circumstances that led families to sell their life savings for a fraction of what it was worth just to take the huge risk of being on a rickety boat crossing the South China Sea, braving weather and pirates to get away from the Communists. Read about the 50,000 South Vietnamese including Hoi Tran's best friend that vanished out at sea, because this was not one happy Vietnamese family. Upon concluding this book, you will understand Hoi's sentiment as to why he felt it was ridiculous for America to expect South Vietnam to be able to effectively replace 550,000 American troops in 1971, a late stage of the war. Finally, when you read Mr. Tran's heartbreaking rendition of the treatment honest citizens were given in the Reeducation Camps, whose only desire was for freedom-and you will realize that what the author said is true; "Sometimes bad things happen to good people." A "must read!"