ol . Pho Hoang left his home in South Vietnam the night before it fell into Communist hands , with his life , family and little else .
On Saturday , Sept . 17 , some members of the American Legion Post No . 658 rode motorcycles to Athens to present Hoang with a shadow box holding replacements for medals he ’ d left behind in the rush to safety . Friends and family of the retired officer gathered for the celebration .
“ Words cannot express how honored I am for these surprises ,” Hoang said .” This is truly a happy day for me .”
The commemoration written in the shadow box states that Lt . Col . Pho Hoang is a hero , who graduated from the Vietnamese Military Academy , which was considered the West Point of South Vietnam . He served 15 years and was the Assistant Infantry Brigade Commander in the South Vietnam Army .
Hoang fought against the enemy from the north and supported American Armed Forces in battle .
In 1969 , he was awarded the U . S . Bronze Star for his “ bravery , courage and sacrifice .”
“ These guys came her on their own time , with their own money to be here with you today ,” Sutton said
Hoang his wife and four sons were among the thousands who left South Vietnam on April 29 , 1975 .
The final hours before the fall of Saigon resulted in dramatic and often heroic efforts to evacuate people from the country before the arrival of the Communist forces .
“ If they would have caught him , before he left Vietnam , they would have killed him and his family ,” Sutton said . “ They gave up everything , their homes , their friends and their family .”
The Hoangs were moved by a U . S . Navy ship to the U . S ., after which they were transported to Fort Chafee , Arkansas . The First Baptist Church of Athens sponsored the family , who then moved to the city in October 1975 . They were one of five Vietnamese families sponsored by the church .
Sutton said he heard Pho Hoang ’ s story , from Hoang son Kwan , who had been a longtime co-worker and learned that the
Rich Flowerslstaff
Pho Hoang reads statement thanking American Legion Post No . 658 for replacing medals he lost when South Vietnam was overrun by North Vietnamese forces .
Rich Flowers / staff
Pho Hoang , a former South Vietnamese officer , who relocated to Athens in 1975 , was presented a shadow box , Saturday , with medals replacing those he lost when Saigon fell . Members of the Crosby American Legion Post No . 658 came to Athens for the ceremony . From the left are : John Swanson , Ken Pantin , Pho Hoang , Myanh Hoang , Dois Sutton , Gary Aston , Rich Van Tries and Arthur Tober .
Greater Athens Magazine | October 2022 | 11