SIERRA VISTA, Ariz. (KGUN — In 1975 more than 100,000 Vietnamese refugees came to the United States, fleeing war in their home country. The Nguyen family were one family who fled.
At the time, Ted Nguyen was 6 years-old and the oldest of his siblings.
“I may be born in Vietnam, but I was assembled and produced here at the Sierra Vista,” he said.
The Nguyen family were sponsored by the then Sierra Lutheran Church — now Sierra Evangelical Lutheran Church — to come to Sierra Vista. Ted and his mom made the trip back in southeastern Arizona, 49 years after they first arrived.
“We always wanted to come back, but we lost touch with Lieutenant Colonel James Behnke,” he said.
James Behnke helped support the family when they arrived. He bought the family a home in 1975, when they had nothing. The family paid the monthly mortgage and other bills.
“I said, you now have a mortgage, this makes you an American citizen,” Behnke said with a laugh.
He served in Vietnam twice. He said he had to learn the language and culture, which helped him communicate and help the Nguyen family.
"I was Vietnamese myself you know, I lived there for two years," Behnke laughed. “I loved the people."
Which made it easier for him to understand what the Nguyen’s were fleeing.
“You can imagine what was like fleeing your country, all your friends, your family, terrible communist regime," Behnke said. "They were lucky to get out.”
Ted said the family lived in a refugee camp in California for six months. Before finding out they had a new place to live, and a church community to support them.
“We did have a choice," Ted said. "We didn't know where we're going, but I'm so glad that Sierra Vista chose us, and for that we will always choose here.”
Even though it’s been almost 50 years since they’ve come back to Sierra Vista, for the Nguyen's it'll always be home.
“For me, Sierra Vista is everything.," Ted said. "It’s where we started our new lives in America, and because of that this is a special place.”
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Alexis Ramanjulu is a reporter in Cochise County for KGUN 9. She began her journalism career reporting for the Herald/Review in Sierra Vista, which she also calls home. Share your story ideas with Alexis by emailing alexis.ramanjulu@kgun9.com or by connecting on Facebook.
