ROCHESTER, N.Y. — Across the United States we honor the men and women for their sacrifice in the service. Highlighting our heroes who put their lives on the line to save others. But rarely do we hear the stories of the ones being saved. 

“My family and others would never be here and live our lives the way we are right now without their sacrifice,” Vice president of the Vietnamese Community of Rochester Ginny Nguyen said. 

Ginny Nguyen grew up in Vietnam.

“It's a totally different world,” Nguyen said. “ I was living in Vietnam. We were very privileged. We are one of the upper class, I mean, the elite. My mom never worked a day in her life. I would even have people feed me, I wouldn't even feed myself. Now I look back and I’m like, 'wow.'” 

Nguyen’s father, a Lieutenant Colonel with the Green Beret special forces, served with the South Vietnamese army. Living a comfortable life until April 29, 1975. 

“He came home one day and said we have to leave the country,” Nguyen said. “To me it is just like the back of my head. It just happened yesterday. I couldn't shake it off, you know, even though I tried it. We only have 15, 20 minutes, not even because my father said I never hear him yell at all in my entire life.”

Leaving Saigon on Ngyuen’s father’s ship, the family were left in the Philippines for several months, before deciding upon a safer location. 

“He picked Rochester, New York because of Kodak, Xerox, IBM, Bausch Lomb,” Nguyen said. “My father is an electrical engineer by trade in Vietnam. So he sacrificed himself and he worked as an assembly line person for Kodak and as a janitor for the school.”

Leaving a lifestyle of privilege to poverty, they left everything behind to start a new life here in the States.

“I end up watching my brother and sister and my cousins, you know, at a very young age so that my aunt and my uncle and my mom, my dad can make money, you know, to help support their family,” Nguyen said. “ I think we learned to be strong and we learned to appreciate what we have and to be thankful for what we get. ” 

Following the passing of her father in 2011, Nguyen continues to honor those in the service and share her love for the States. She says she would not have survived in Saigon had it not been for those who sacrificed their lives for her own.

“I share those stories with my boys so that they understand the hardship that my parents sacrificed for us to come to this country so that we can live the American dream,” Nguyen said. “If this country is for you, make sure you stand there and you fight with her because that democracy and freedom are worth fighting for.