From the fall of Saigon to falling in love

By Erin Thompson, The Bridal Guide

Lylan Nguyen and Phat Le have been partners for the last four decades — in business, family and love. Nguyen and Le, who separately emigrated from Vietnam in the 1970s, arrived on Guam with few resources, little knowledge of English and no idea they would find, in each other, their partners for life.

Lylan Nguyen and Phat Le

Far from home

Le arrived with other refugees in Guam in 1975 after the fall of Saigon. A member of the Vietnamese navy, he was concerned about reprisals from the communist government.
“His father said you better go, because, it’s not going to be a good place for you after the communists come,” Nguyen says.
In his first years on Guam, Le found jobs where he could — working as a farmer, waiter — doing whatever could put food on the table. While the tropical weather was familiar and the people were friendly, adjusting to Guam was a challenge for Le. He had trained in San Diego during his time in the navy, but still struggled with English.
“He was kind of lonely, far away from home,” Nguyen says. “And he didn’t know when he was going to see family in Vietnam.”
All that changed in 1977, when he met Nguyen while she was working at a restaurant in the ITC building.
“When you see someone who speaks the same language, you feel close to them,” she says. “It can bring out a friendship.”

A special bond

Nguyen had arrived that year from Vietnam, where she had worked at an American military base exchange. She and Le bonded over their shared war experiences — and her cooking.
“He really liked the food I cooked,” she says.
The two began dating, started a family, and by 1981, they had saved up enough money to start their own business — a grocery store called Dededo Retail Store. Le managed the day-to-day operations, while Nguyen oversaw their household and helped out with the accounting. Running a business took practice and dedication.
“At first we needed to learn,” she says. “We had to buy a lot of books on how to do it.”

Read the full article by Erin Thompson from the Bridal Guide.