Victims of War

By Mao Hiet (KAO)

I don't remember much of what had happen but here are bits and pieces. (1976) I remember my father coming home one even and telling us that we needed to leave our home and flee toward Thailand. Then I had four brother, a baby brother, and two eldest sisters. We packed up as quickly as we could and headed toward Thai border. After running with my father for hours we heard gun fire, it was the khmer rouge. They were shooting as us and the other families that was fleeing. We all panic and I my mom grab me and the baby and started running. After a while we had lost my father, brothers and sisters. I remembered being really scared. I was probably 6 yrs old. Suddenly my mom was shaking my baby brother and she put him down on the grass and went to hide in the bushes because there was still gun fire. What I didn't know was my little brother was shot in the head when we were running. I don't remember how long we were hiding but we walked for a very long time. Then we came to a Thai military camp with five so soldiers. I remember one of the soldier gave me some food. There must of been others families but I don't remember. After a while we were on our way to another camp. When there we finally found my family but some were missing, my two elder sisters. I think we spent time in the Thai refugee camp for 2 or 3 years. I remember herring bombs going off now and then, attending the school, playing soccer and flying kites. I think then we were taken into the cities of Thailand. We spent time in this sticky camp there and I think then we were sponsor by an American from US. I remember my mom telling me that in the plane I got sick and threw up. We arrived in the US 1979 and was brought to Bellingham Washington were my sponsor lived. My sponsors was members of the church.

They provided us with a house, clothing and taught us to read and write English. I don't know how to thank them except a big hug for life. My parents had a little girl they name her Lisa. They tried contacting people to see if they had seen my sisters but no luck. They sent money to relative to help find them and still nothing. Years pass we move away to Tacoma , WA just 1.25 hours south from Bellingham. A couple of years later my father past away in 1987 at the age of 55. After my father died every thing changed. My old brother quit high school, my little brother was out of control as for me I drop out my junior year of high school to get a job. I later went back to finish high school and graduated, thanks to girlfriend.

I now realize that the war had a tremendous effect on my families in some ways or another. As I was typing this up I felt angry for revenge for the lost of my sisters, baby brother and other khmers that went through similiar sorrowful disastrous tragedy. What I don't understand is why the US did not intervene even to save million of innocent lives. I quest this is what you call population controll.