By Daniel Hamon
Soon after the fall of South Vietnam to North Vietnamese military forces in 1975, the lives of South Vietnamese citizens who had assisted the United States or who had prominent roles in society were endangered. Rather than face death or likely internment in re-education camps, thousands of people fled the country by boat. This action was considered an illegal departure by the new Vietnamese government and was fraught with peril. Some estimates indicate that over one third of these "boat people" died at sea due to pirates, harsh weather, disease, and lack of food and water. In 1979, the United States established the Orderly Departure Program (ODP) which rescued and provided a new beginning to over 500,000 Vietnamese.
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By Daniel Hamon
Escaping persecution in Vietnam in 1978, Stephen Chau and his sister Melanie endured many trials. It was on their third attempt, after spending time in jail after their first unsuccessful attempt and barely avoiding capture during their second try, that their overcrowded boat with around 200 refugees left Vietnamese waters undetected by authorities. They left family behind, including their mother Kiet, without knowing if they would ever see them again – families fleeing the country after the fall of Saigon would split up in order to improve the chance of survival for at least one family member. Little did Stephen know that after three perilous years, his journey would eventually take him to Southern California where he would meet Judy, an Arkansas native, who would become a 2nd mother to him.
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