Daniel Brown’s (Nguyen, Viet Tri) Story

Vietnam and Mom, This Adoptee Remembers

By Daniel Brown a.k.a. Nguyen, Viet Tri

I have many reasons for opening the early chapters of my life. But there are a few that sit on the front burners: First; I write my story for my two sons (Andrew and Christopher) in hope one day they will read what I write and become better people from my experiences. Second; for my Mom, alive or deceased in Vietnam. And lastly; for some of the adoptees, Kevin, Indigo , Marita, and so many others who have limited knowledge of their early beginnings. I wonder though, if the adoptees knew what I know, would they wished they’d stayed in Vietnam long enough to have forged memories of Vietnam? Or, would they be happy to know they got out of a bad situation early on?

It’s hard to believe that three decades have passed since I last saw my Mother. I have always envisioned some perfect setting to tell these events of my past, perhaps on some talk show or to some famous news anchorperson. But the setting couldn’t be more appropriate writing to the adoptees from the comfort of my home and telling how my situation could have easily been their situation. How my Mom could have been their Mom or how they could have been my sister or brother. The thought of my mother brings me so much joy and sadness at the same time. Most times, the thought of Mom brings me the empty feeling of sadness. I miss her so very much. My Mom would be proud to know that not only her second of two sons would survive and make it to safety to America, but would thrive and carve out a nice piece of the American pie for himself and her two grandchildren. Maybe I’ll save the boasting for another time. I find it rather ironic that I, geographically speaking, couldn’t be farther from the place of my birth, exactly 12 time zones away. I was born to a jungle of dirt and wilderness, now; I live and compete in a concrete jungle, New York City….[story continues – publishing date tba]

To read more of this amazing story and how to gain a copy please contact Dan Brown: danangdaniel@yahoo.co

In Sept 2004 Dan also wrote:

The reason I am writing today is to give information to anyone who wishes to visit the Danang area. There is a man there that I met on my first trip, Le Xuan, Coai, 59. He was a helicopter pilot during the early 70 s. He now operate a tourist service gig in Danang and even helped me find my village during my second visit this past summer. I can’t say enough good thing about this guy. He speaks French, English, Chinese, and , of course, Vietnamese. Coai (pronounced Kwai) knows the Danang’s terrain extremely well. He was stationed in the Quang Tri area during the war, area near the DMZ. He even knew the area where I am from, Quang Nhai, about 180 kilometers south of Danang. His address is:

Le Xuan, Coai
94/22 Yen Bai Street
Danang City, Vietnam

Tel (dialing from the US) 01184 511 830-467

If you have a website, this information might help some who are looking for answers.

Best wishes,
Dan