In Loving Memory of My Father

My father was born in the Year of the Dog (Giáp Tuất), 1934, into a middle-class, scholarly family. Although his official documents record his date of birth as August 20, 1935, his life story reaches far beyond dates and records—it is a story of resilience, devotion, and quiet integrity.

He was one of six children. Life was not gentle with his family. Several of his siblings passed away in early childhood, and in 1952, during the chaos of war, his younger brother Biên was killed by bombing at the age of twelve. In that same tragic event, a maternal uncle also lost his life, and another brother, Giảng, was gravely injured and narrowly survived. These losses marked my father’s youth and shaped the strength and compassion that would define him for the rest of his life.

Earlier, in 1949, his mother had passed away due to illness. Left widowed with three sons, my grandfather carried the burden of raising his children alone, even enduring major stomach surgery in Huế in 1953. In 1954, he moved to Quảng Trị to work and provide for his sons, a sacrifice my father never forgot.

Despite hardship and displacement, my father remained deeply committed to education. He studied in Huế, then Đà Nẵng, and later moved to Sài Gòn to continue his studies. In 1958, at the age of 24, he passed the Baccalaureate examination and spent time teaching, sharing knowledge even as he continued his own journey.

In 1961, during the period of general mobilization, he entered the 12th class of the Thủ Đức Military Officers School. Upon graduation, he served as an officer in the Ordnance Corps. From 1962 to 1974, he was stationed primarily in Đà Nẵng, where he built both a career and a family. He married in 1965, and in 1966 welcomed his first son—an immense joy in his life.

In 1974, he was promoted to the rank of Major and assigned to work with the Four-Party Joint Commission near Mỹ Khê Beach. Soon after, history took another turn. From 1975 to around 1985, he endured years in re-education camps. During that difficult time, his father passed away in 1983. Only months later, my father himself narrowly survived emergency surgery for a perforated stomach ulcer in Hội An—a life saved by the dedication of a young doctor who would later settle in California.

When he was finally reunited with his family around 1985, life resumed slowly and humbly. He spent time in his ancestral village before returning to Đà Nẵng, carrying with him the weight of years lost, yet never bitterness.

As a young man, he formed lifelong friendships while studying in Huế—friends who remembered him as loyal, thoughtful, and sincere. Those qualities never faded.

Above all else, my father was a man of deep moral character. He was upright, compassionate, and quietly devout. He loved his parents, his siblings, his children and grandchildren, and his extended family with unwavering devotion. He treated friends and strangers alike with kindness and honesty. Because of his sincerity and goodness, he earned not only respect, but genuine affection from all who knew him.

His life was not loud or grand, but it was meaningful. He endured loss without surrender, hardship without resentment, and responsibility without complaint. His legacy lives on—not only in his family, but in the hearts of everyone who had the privilege of knowing him.

Send to someone

Share this obituary with others

https://everloved.com/life-of/de-ho/obituary/

Copy