Monday, October 4, 2010 - By Richard C. Dujardin - Journal Staff Writer
Dr. Lien Nguyen, left, presents Charles Romano with a portrait of her family, which reads: "To our savior Captain Romano. Without your rescue, smiles like these would not exist." At right is De Nguyen, one of those on the boat.
THE PROVIDENCE JOURNAL / CONNIE GROSCH
PROVIDENCE — It was mid-May 1981, and for Lien Huong Nguyen and the 51 other Vietnamese “boat people” escaping communist Vietnam in a rickety fishing boat, the situation was looking hopeless.
They had been four days at sea attempting to reach freedom, but found themselves adrift in the South Pacific after their engine failed. They were without food and water, and the boat was leaking.
Their SOS signs and pleas for help failed to draw the attention of at least five passing ships.
It was then that Lien, who had carved out a life in Vietnam as dentist, began to wonder if she had made a terrible mistake trying to bring two of her three children, ages 5 and 6, on such a risky voyage.
“I looked at my children and saw they were so innocent. They didn’t know what freedom is, or what dictatorship is. And, I took them away from the house and put them into danger. I didn’t protect them. I felt so badly that night.”
Then she saw a light from a ship providing supplies for an Exxon oil rig. The ship, the 300-foot salvage vessel Rainbow, was skippered by Charles Romano Jr., of East Providence, an ex-Navy seal who had done three tours of duty in Vietnam.
Romano had received a memo from Exxon warning employees not to pick up any refugees. But deciding that those in the boat would perish if he failed to help them in the face of an impending storm, he ignored the memo.
The refugees were then transported from his vessel to a German drill ship that took them to a refugee camp in Indonesia.
“I always wondered what happened to everybody,” Romano said Sunday. And for years, many including Lien Nguyen, had wondered about “the special gentleman” who saved their lives.
Though Lien had been given a business card with Romano’s name on it, she misplaced it and continued to kick herself for not being able to directly thank the man or express her gratitude in person.
“I told her to forget it,” said De Nguyen, another refugee who is no relation. “I said there was no way you would ever find him.”
But in late August, Lien, who has a dental practice in Santa Ana, Calif., was having some work done in her library when she noticed that one of the books on a lower shelf was out of place. She pulled it out and found an envelope with the long lost business card inside.
That “very, very, very good news” led to a festive reunion Sunday that brought together four of the original boat people and some of their family with the families and friends of the retired sea captain at St. Martin Episcopal Church on Providence’s East Side.
“God bless you and your family. You saved our lives,” declared Lien, who traveled from California.
Noting that other ships had passed them by, she said she worried that Romano would do the same or give them food and supplies and leave them to die in the coming storm.
But he did much more, she said.
“Had it not been for you, we would have all died in the ocean.”
And here are some of the results of Romano’s decision to take in the refugees: Lien’s son Ryan Tran, who was only 5 at the time and remembers getting his first glass of soda aboard Romano’s Rainbow, is now a doctor of internal medicine with his own practice in California. Her daughter, who was 6, followed in her footsteps and also practices dentistry.
De Nguyen, 67, who had been one of Lien’s dental patients in Vietnam and who made the trip with his 8-year-old son, Son, now works for a printing company in West Hartford, Conn., while Son is an accountant with Blum Shapiro in Shelton, Conn.
Theresa Nguyen, now 51, (also no relation to the others) recalled Sunday how her parents pushed her out of the house in Vietnam, telling her to follow her brother onto the refugee boat so she would have a life without communism. She took ill two days out at sea, passed out and only remembers standing on land after they were rescued. But, today, she’s the head of the renal department at Boston University Medical Center.
De Nguyen and Lien Nguyen — as well as Lien’s husband, Chau Tran, 75 — had first-hand experience with communist prison even before they made their move to escape.
Chau Tran was the secretary for the Ministry of the Interior for South Vietnam, as well as the lieutenant governor for the province of Phu Bon. De Nguyen, who worked under him, was the lieutenant governor for the province of Kein Hoa.
Because they worked for the South Vietnamese government, both men were sent to Vietnamese “re-education” camps for 5 to 6 years to “cure” them of their anti-communist tendencies.
After his release, Chau Tran immediately fled with his youngest son, now a mechanical engineer with the U.S. Navy in San Diego.
Chau Tran said he and Lien Nguyen decided to split up their family and try to escape separately on the theory that if one was caught, the other spouse would be able to bribe the police to get him or her out.
Tran’s escape did not come easily, however. He had to fend off 14 attacks from Thai pirates, but made it to the United States, where he was joined by his wife and other children. He became a social worker in Orange County, Caif. Before her own escape in the refugee boat, Lien Nguyen was captured and jailed five times.
Recounting the escape, De Nguyen observed Sunday that he had just gotten out of prison when he saw Lien Nguyen for a dental appointment and heard her say, “I am planning to escape the country. Do you want to follow me?”
Startled by the offer, he said yes.
To avoid detection, the escapees disguised themselves as communist Vietnamese soldiers and party officials, or as housewives going to the market. They traveled to the 37-foot sampan in smaller boats.
All went well until the second day, when the engine began to break down.
Romano, who received five Purple Hearts during his three tours of duty in Vietnam as a Riverine squadron member and Navy seal, remarked Sunday: “It’s always nice to find something in your life that you did right for a change.”
But he added: “I’m sure what I did was normal … Everyone here would have done the same thing I did. There’s nothing special about it. I just happened to be there at the right time.”
But those who came to give their thanks disagreed.
Not everyone would have done the same as you, De Nguyen told him. In fact, there were many who avoided picking up the boat people because they saw it as too much trouble.
Romano’s wife, Debra, and his friends, Dr. Denis and Elke Moonan, said they believed God had put him into the situation.
Lien Nguyen said Romano should know that his life influenced so many.
“My patients say they are grateful because, if it was not for you, they would not have such a nice dentist taking care of their teeth.”
rdujardi@projo.com
SOURCE : http://www.projo.com/news/content/VIETNAM_BOAT_REUNION _10-04-10_0CK6R9Q_v25.22484 0f.html
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Vu, Bich
12:40 PM on October 7, 2010
Even Capt. Romano said, “I’m sure what I did was normal … Everyone here would have done the same thing I did. There’s nothing special about it. I just happened to be there at the right time.”, he is really a hero, who has a great heart. In that situation, most people tried to get away to avoid too much trouble, but he ignored the memo to help the boat people who were facing of an impending storm. That would has changed his future and faced a very bad situation: "lay off".
Also, Dr. Lien Nguyen and her companies, who tried to find the man who did save their lives, are very good people. They did express their gratitude and made Capt Romano feel happy because of his beautiful and humanistic decision.
God bless them all.
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KJE55
5:59 PM on October 4, 2010
Wonderful story and kudos to an obviously very wonderful person, Captain Romano. And how gracious and lovely Dr. Nguyen and her family anf friends are.
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Lookingup
3:04 PM on October 4, 2010
Just a great story! Congratulations to all involved. God certainly does plan our work for us. We have to be obedient to Him.
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Max Fenig
12:33 PM on October 4, 2010
This story brought back some long dormant memories: In 1981, I was an officer onbaord the USS Fanning (FF-1076) and we rescued a boatload of refugees, about 75, and transported them to the Philippines. Unfortunately, we lost one soul that first night due to the peril of thier voyage. I never knew what became of them, but I am glad to read success stories from these refugees.
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JessicaSaurusRex
12:11 PM on October 4, 2010
This really brightened up my day. It's so refreshing to read the news and hear about the good people do for a change. I'm from East Providence and its nice to know that there are heroes like this in my own home town. Its amazing to think about the impact one good decision can have. I hope this inspires others to consider the impact of their actions no matter how big or small.
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johnd
11:53 AM on October 4, 2010
These are the kind of immigrants we need in this country, smart, hard working people who are contributing to this country. God bless them.
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lookatbothsides
11:40 AM on October 4, 2010
I am proud of Capt. Romano.
Not so proud of Exxon & its memo.
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LawDog
10:05 AM on October 4, 2010
A truly amazing story. As for Cpt. Romano, whatever else he did wrong in life, I think God may very well forgive him for saving the lives of so many innocent people.
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Keonli
9:53 AM on October 4, 2010
This story really brightened up my morning. As a First Generation American who has had to deal with many misconceptions and doubt my own faith in humanity, Captain Romano has managed to restore my hope for a better future.
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EMS
9:45 AM on October 4, 2010
This is a very nice human interest story. Captain Romano was certainly a savior of people who brought their skills to the US, and may he be blessed in all he does. I am glad these people escaped from Viet Nam as they are a respectful race.
This is not like the people coming over our borders who disrespect our law and want everything given to them.
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Jimbo1943
8:41 AM on October 4, 2010
Thanks to Capt. Romano, I am NOT ashamed to say I am from Rhode Island anymore.
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robbie the robot
8:12 AM on October 4, 2010
Captain Romano is a hero. It has been estimated that 250,000 to 500,000 boat people perished at sea or murdered by privates. Thai privates routinely rob those boats, take the young girls to sell and then sink the boat and murder the rest. Captain Romano is what is best in human and the privates are the worst.
Đă có văn bản không nhận người tị nạn lên tàu,' nhưng, một thuyền trưởng, cựu Navy Seal HK, đă cứu 52 thuyền nhân Việt Nam, 29 năm về trước.
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