Vietnamese Refugee's Journey: From Saigon to County Official in America

Fleeing Saigon

• 👶 Hugh Nguyen was seven years old when he fled Saigon with his family 50 years ago, just before the city fell to communist forces in 1975.
• 🚢 He recalls landing on the USS Midway, acknowledging that without that ship, he wouldn't be alive today.
• 💔 Nguyen still experiences flashbacks of the final days in Saigon, remembering hiding under the bed during bombings with his sister, as taught by his grandmother.

Operation Baby Lift and a Grandmother's Love

• ✈️ A month before Vietnam's fall, his grandparents decided to give him and his sister up for adoption as part of Operation Baby Lift, where over 3,000 children were flown overseas.
• 😥 He remembers being dropped off with many other children, not understanding what was happening, but his aunt returned the next morning to pick them up.
• ❤️ Years later, he learned his grandmother missed them and stated, "If we're going to die, we'll just all die together," a decision that likely saved his life as the plane he might have been on crashed.

Escape and New Beginnings

• 💥 On April 29th, 1975, his grandparents, sister, and aunts attempted to reach the Saigon airport, witnessing people climbing the walls amidst bombings and a bombed runway.
• 🚁 He feels blessed to have come to America, crediting Operation Frequent Wind and helicopter rescues for their escape.
• 🙏 Nguyen expresses immense gratitude for being a Vietnamese American and for his grandparents' efforts, hoping they are proud of his life and their sacrifices.

A Vietnamese-American Official

• 🇺🇸 Now living in California's Orange County, Hugh Nguyen is the first Vietnamese-American County Clerk-Recorder.
• 🏅 He is proud of his heritage and the journey that brought him to this position, honoring the struggles his family endured.