Dao Le Quang

“Were you a good student?” – “Yes, I was a good student and thanks to that I came to Czechoslovakia. The picked me because of good grades and good behavior.” – “What school did you attend?” – “A chemical high school with A-level exams. But I never finished it. There was not enough money for students in Vietnam back then, so they were sending the best students abroad with the idea that when we come back, we would be serving the state.” – “How old were you? You were mentioning you did not finish the school and went to Czechoslovakia….” – “I was twenty.” – “What did your parents expect, sending their son abroad?” – “Back then, it was an honor for the family because not everyone got this opportunity. We thought that abroad the education systems were better and that when I get back, I would be better off. We heard that Europe is wealthier and that I would not only get better education but also upon return some money to start a better life.”

“I experienced aerial attacks of the American B-53 bombers and went through the horrors. Next to our village there was a big factory which was also being targeted. The bombers were flying over our heads. We were hiding under ground and at school we hid under the tables serving as a shelter. We had to run and hide underneath the tables every now and then.” – “Did the bombers ever hit the village? Had anyone lost their life?” – “Yes. Quite a lot of people died near the factory. It was a factory producing fertilizers for the agriculture.” – “How did your parents explain to you what was happening?” – “Everyone knew that the Americans were the enemy who wanted to occupy Vietnam. When they started to bomb civilians, they became a major enemy to us.”