Yesterday, April 30th, is the "celebration" of the Fall of Saigon in 1975.

My friend, Win, was an officer in South Vietnam's Army... a man of virtuous character... a husband and father of 3 beautiful little girls... in Saigon.

After the progressives in America's congress ensured our defeat in spite of our victory... the American forces were forced to "cut and run" and leave South Vietnam to her fate... the progressives forsook our charge... abandoned our mission... and believe me... the Freedom Fighters of South Vietnam suffered.

Win was immediately imprisoned... his house and property confiscated... his wife and three daughters cast out onto the streets.

Win spent five years in a "re-education" camp... and an additional three years in solitary confinement. His crime? It was not that he fought with the American forces... his crime was that he was a Catholic Believer... a Christian.

The three years in Solitary were laden with torture. Win would be hung upside down in some kind of bag from the ceiling... beaten with rods... and the demand? "Win... renounce this Jesus and the Church and we will let you go!"

Win's response... always the same... through tears... "Sirs, I love you and Jesus loves you."

While in the "re-education" camp the communists would allow Win's wife to see him through the bars once a week. One day she smuggled him a little sugar cube through the bars... a valuable treasure... Win quietly hid the sugar cube in his shirt... One of the other prisoners saw the exchange... and in the middle of the night came to Win demanding the sugar cube for himself.

Win protested but the unknown man then began to beg through tears that he needed that sugar cube. Win... out of compassion gave his little sugar cube to another desperate prisoner.

A couple of years later... Win was released finally... after 8 years... to a shack with his wife and children. One night there was a knock on the door... it was the unknown man who cried for the sugar cube. Win has no idea how the man found him.

The man took Win's hand and placed a small cube of solid gold in his palm... about the size of a sugar cube... through his tears the man said it was all that he had... but it was the only way he could say thanks for that simple sugar cube that night years ago.

Long story shorter... after Win escaped on one of those refugee boats under hail of communist fire... finally making it to California 8 years later through various tests and trials... Win reached into his pocket... alone in LA... and pulled out that lone cube of gold... found a place to sell it... he traded that cube of gold for $300... and with that $300 Win began a new life... in a new nation.

In another 8 years Win was able to secure the freedom of his wife and finally his 3 daughters... a 16 year journey from the day of his escape under fire.

Win is one of my heroes... Win is my friend... he is one of the very few good things that came out of the "Fall of Saigon."

Remembering.

xtnyoda, shalomed