Vietnam War refugee

Vietnam War refugee

• Vietnam War refugee becomes the military's first Vietnamese-born general

Vietnam War refugee becomes the military's first Vietnamese-born general

In 1975, when Viet Luong was nine years old, he, along with his parents and seven sisters, escaped Vietnam for the safety of an American aircraft carrier, just a day before the fall of Saigon. Almost 40 years later, Luong has become the first Vietnamese-born general in the United States military.
Brigadier Gen. Luong's journey from the chaos of war to the highest echelons of the Army brass began from the earliest moments on the Navy carrier that brought his family to the U.S. "That was such a profound moment for me, to see our service men and women and get an appreciation for what they did," Luong told Army Times. In his 27-year military career, Luong has seen combat leading paratroopers from the 82nd Airborne Division in Iraq and the storied Rakkasans infantry regiment in Afghanistan.

Reflecting on his improbable story, Luong noted, "It's a testament to what this nation stands for, and her ideals, and the opportunities my family has gotten."- - Mike Barry

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New one-star is U.S. military's first general born in Vietnam

Brig. Gen. Viet Luong's family escaped Vietnam when he was 9, shortly before the fall of Saigon. He is the first Vietnamese-American general officer in the U.S. military's history. (Army)

Col. Viet Luong pinned on his first star during a ceremony Wednesday at Fort Hood, Texas, becoming the first Vietnamese-born general officer in the U.S. military.

Luong, the 1st Cavalry Division’s deputy commanding general for maneuver, and his family escaped Vietnam in 1975 as political refugees. The infantry officer and 1987 graduate of the University of Southern California has commanded a battalion of 82nd Airborne Division paratroopers in Iraq and led the 101st Airborne Division’s 3rd Brigade Combat Team, the storied Rakkasans, into combat in Afghanistan.

“It’s a personal honor for me to be promoted to the rank of general officer, but I don’t want the promotion to be too much about me,” Luong told Army Times. “It’s a tribute to my soldiers and [noncommissioned officers], the folks who’ve worked to get me where I am.”

Luong said he is grateful for the opportunities granted to him as a U.S. citizen.

“It’s a testament to what this nation stands for, and her ideals, and the opportunities my family has gotten,” he said.
Luong, the only son in a family of eight kids, was born right outside Saigon, now named Ho Chi Minh City.

His father served in the Vietnamese Marine Corps, so “during a time of war, my dad was always away,” Luong said.
He was 2 during the 1968 Tet Offensive, one of the largest military campaigns of the Vietnam War.

“I don’t remember much about it but images of explosions and bad things happening,” Luong said. In 1975, when Luong was 9, his family escaped the chaos in Vietnam. “My family made the escape the day before the fall of Saigon,” he said. “We barely escaped.”

They were taken to the USS Hancock, a now-decommissioned Navy aircraft carrier, and eventually to Fort Chaffee, Arkansas, which was set up to receive refugees from Vietnam. Luong and his family stayed there for about two months, until one of his father’s friends helped the family resettle in Los Angeles. The family, starting from nothing, worked hard, and “over time, we were able to send all the kids to college,” Luong said.

The family’s experience has made him and his sisters “very patriotic,” Luong said.

“As a transplanted American, or an immigrant coming from a different country, there’s no sense of entitlement as far as earning that citizenship, and working hard to contribute to our nation,” he said. “There’s a sense of service, for me, to be able to give back to our nation for all the opportunities it’s given us, saving us from harm’s way but also the opportunity to assimilate and move up through education.”

Luong said his father, “the biggest influencer in my life,” inspired him to serve in the military. But he knew he would serve even as he stood on the deck of the USS Hancock, Luong said. “That was such a profound moment for me, to see our service men and women and get an appreciation for what they did,” he said.

Luong initially considered joining the Marine Corps to become an infantryman like his father. Then he met an ROTC instructor, an airborne-qualified sergeant major, who told him about the opportunities offered by the Army and ROTC.

His 27-year career has been highlighted by the opportunity to command troops in combat, Luong said. “Those were the most challenging times for me,” he said. “I’ve lost so many soldiers, and that has always been part of what the future has in store for me, in trying to really get people to understand that freedom comes at a pretty high price. For us who’ve lost troops in combat, it’s very personal.”

The wars in Iraq and Afghanistan have changed all of those who served in them, he said, and Luong is preparing to return to Afghanistan later this year.

The 1st Cavalry Division headquarters is already deployed to Afghanistan and is running Regional Command-South.

When RC-South, as part of the ongoing transition and drawdown in Afghanistan, is converted into a one-star Train, Advise and Assist Command, Luong will deploy to lead the new organization.

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Cánh Thép originally shared:

Promotion of Col Viet Luong to Brigadier General
Colonel Viet Xuan Luong emigrated from Vietnam with his family to the United States in 1975 as a political refugee. He began his military career upon graduating from the University of Southern California. 

 

His first assignment was with 1st Battalion, 8th Infantry Regiment at Fort Carson, Colorado, where he served as Rifle Platoon Leader, Anti-Tank Platoon Leader, Company Executive Officer, and Battalion Maintenance Officer. In 1993, Luong was assigned to Fort Bragg, North Carolina and served in the 2nd Battalion, 325th Airborne Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade, 82nd Airborne Division, as the Battalion Assistant S-3 (Operations) and Commander of Alpha Company. While commanding Alpha Company, he deployed to Haiti in support of Operation Uphold Democracy as the Commander of the Theater Quick Reaction Force. Following his assignment at Fort Bragg, he was assigned to the Joint Readiness Training Center in Fort Polk, La., as an Observer Controller.

Following his assignment at JRTC, Luong attended the Command and General Staff College and then was assigned to the Southern European Task Force (SETAF). Luong served as SETAF G-3 Chief of Plans, and the Operations Officer and Executive Officer of 1st Battalion, 508th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 173d Airborne Brigade, in Vicenza, Italy. During his assignment at Southern European Task Force, Luong deployed to Kosovo and Bosnia-Herzegovina on several occasions as part of the NATO Strategic Response Force.

Following this assignment, Colonel Luong was assigned to Joint Task Force North at Fort Bliss, Tx., where he served as a plans officer and Chief, Targeting and Exploitation Division in support of the Department of Homeland Defense. In 2005, he assumed command of the 2nd Battalion, 505th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 3d Brigade Combat Team, 82d Airborne Division. During this command, Luong deployed his battalion in September 2005 as the Division Ready Force 1, in support of Operation American Assist, the Hurricane Katrina Relief efforts in New Orleans, and Operation Iraqi Freedom 06-08, in support of the War on Terror.

In February 2009, Colonel Luong assumed command of the 3rd Brigade Combat Team (Rakkasans), 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault). In January 2010, 3rd BCT deployed to Afghanistan for Operation Enduring Freedom 10-11. Following BCT command, Luong attended Stanford University as a National Security Fellow and subsequently served as the Deputy Director, Pakistan Afghanistan Coordination Cell, J5, The Joint Staff.

Colonel Luong holds a degree in Biological Sciences from the University of Southern California and a Master of Military Arts and Science.