Vietnam Families

Ha-Le Thai knew that escaping Vietnam for freedom in a cramped, leaking boat would not be easy. She imagined that building a new life in Australia, from little more than a hope and a dream, would stretch her courage and strength to its limits. But the warrior and refugee never guessed that her biggest challenge of all would be motherhood. A product of two cultures, Ha-Le’s daughter is educated, confident, and excited to introduce her Australian boyfriend to the family.

The experience of the Vietnam War is almost impossible to grasp - the fear, smell, pain, and camaraderie. Boys were turned into men, men were transformed into soldiers, and then from soldiers to warriors. These warriors had wives who shared in their transformations. Some marriages were strengthened, while for others men and their families were left emotionally and spiritually battered. Focusing in on a singular company’s experience of war and its eventual homecoming, Andrew Wiest discusses the shared experience of combat and both the darkness and resiliency of war’s aftermath.

Nineteen-year-old Jesse McGowan kills to stay alive. As a Marine gunner in Vietnam, he knows the gun team is the heart of every battle. Meet the gun team. They serve in a place called Con Thien, “The Hill of Angels”. Learn what gives them the courage to fight another day. Will Jesse prove worthy? Will the gun team? Will they survive their 13-month tour? In her war-torn country, Tweet, a Vietnamese nurse who believes in democracy, works to save American soldiers. With war’s end, there is no one to protect her or her young daughter.

Asia’s growing economic clout is starting to reshape global business rules that have been molded by Western multinationals for many decades. The region’s rising star, Vietnam, is now flexing its economic muscles, and Competing with Giants tells the story of its transformation from war ruin to dynamic nation through the experiences of Tân Hiệp Phát (THP), the drinks company founded by Phương Uyên Trần’s family. Told through the eyes of the daughter who watched her parents overcome numerous obstacles to achieve success, the book offers a primer for others to follow suit.