In an earlier edition of the Hotel 2/5 newsletter, I authored a story about The Tri Ân Monument, a memorial that was dedicated to Vietnam war veterans thanks to the efforts of Mr. Yung Nguyen and is located in Louisville, Kentucky. In September of 2024, two weeks prior to our Seattle reunion, I made the trip up there to meet Yung Nguyen personally and tour the attraction.
Mr. Nguyen was warm, gracious, and fascinating to listen to as he told his story. Yung’s parents were both from North Vietnam and fled (separately) to South Vietnam where they met. After the Fall of Saigon, as a teen, Yung was desperate to escape the brutality of the communist party, so when he was twenty-two, he set out with two friends for Cambodia and Thailand, hoping for a new life. Sadly, Yung was the only one to successfully make the trip as his two friends were captured and imprisoned. Regarding communism, he told me, “all the things you hear….it is much worse than that.” Yung eventually made it to a refugee camp in Thailand and then over to the United States. He had family in Louisville and decided to settle there.
Yung’s admiration for those who served was evident by the amount of love and appreciation that went into the design, fund-raising, and community involvement he facilitated in turning the dream of the Tri Ân Monument into reality. Watch Yung Nguyen’s story here on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=421797418629395.
Yung told me to tell every one of you that you “were successful in helping so many South Vietnamese people.” And saving those lives had a ripple effect to save many more. Yung, along with his friend Mike Davis, went on to develop the VINE system. VINE, the nation’s leading victim notification network, alerts crime victims when their perpetrators are released from custody and when their court dates are scheduled. He would love to meet you in person if you are ever in the Louisville area. His email address is: yung.nguyen@ivsllc.com.
The American Flag and The Republic of Vietnam (South) flag fly together at the entrance to the memorial.
And there is so much more! I highly recommend going to see the attraction for yourself because you cannot get the full experience from these pages of the gratitude, hope, and truth that the monument holds.
By Stephanie Casey