Dang Van Du

A Brief Biography

Mr. Du Van Dang was born on December 5, 1934 in Hanoi and immigrated to the South of Vietnam in 1954. He was a member of the Department of Psychological War. In 1960 he received a diploma of “upper primary school” and became a teacher at Chu Van An School.

After 1975 he presented himself to the Communist government and was “re-educated” for 7 days. In December 1977 he was captured and detained (confined, imprisoned) in Phan Dang Luu prison for the first time because of his fleeing across the border.  After being released, his house was confiscated. As such, he had to stay with a relative and became a tutor in English. Twelve times he had tried escaping the county in vain. In September 1983 he tried the 13th time. This journey had been prepared more carefully by buying the support of the communist police from the Port of Saigon River to the sea. During this voyage he was given each day a meal which is as small as a lemon. On the third day the boat was rescued by an American Man of War and taken to Subic Bay, The Philippines. He served in the United Nations Delegation there until February 29, 1983 when he left for the U.S.A. He is now living in Orange County, California.