By Dave Wagner, NBC Charlotte
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — From his small room in a Charlotte assisted living center, Phan Siu sees a world of happiness, following more than a decade of heartache. His liver is failing, but his faith and fortitude are thriving.
Phan Siu reunites with Vietnam veteran, Tom Polston. Photo from NBC Charlotte.
More than four decades ago, Phan Siu was one of thousands of persecuted Montagnard villagers who helped American troops in Vietnam. “He was our civilian interpreter,” said Vietnam veteran Tom Polston. “He spoke English, Vietnamese and Montagnard.”
When the U.S. pulled out of Vietnam, Phan Siu and thousands of other Montagnards were left behind to face the Communists. “We abandoned the country in ’75 and these people were left to fend for themselves,” said Polston.
Phan Siu’s allegiance to America would come with a price. He would spend the next 12 ½ years in a north Vietnamese prison camp. “Terrible, I said terrible. Torture, the Communists torture,” said Phan Siu.
Polston and the other members of his platoon returned home, trying to block out the memories of a harrowing war. “When I came out of the service, I put everything behind me,” said Polston. But he never forgot his charismatic friend, Phan Siu, and nearly 40 years after the war ended, set out to find him.
Read the full story by Dave Wagner from NBC Charlotte.
