issue 54 - AsiaLIFE Magazine

It takes a moment to realise where
to look, or even what exactly we are
looking for. But there it is.
mottled-grey piece of Lockheed
C-5A Galaxy number 68-0218.
The owner of the house
initially is not too pleased to
see us. Despite our excitement
at finding this artefact from
Operation Babylift, we apparently
are not the first to make
the trek to his front door. It
is not long though before Mr
Dang, who says he is a year
shy of 50, warms to us once he
understands the reason for our
interest. He tells us his family
moved to the area when he
was a boy and built the house
he currently lives in. At that
time, he says, there was still
much of the wreckage to be
found. He also related stories
about people gathering clothing
and even jewellery from
around the crash site.
I wonder why there is
still one piece of the aircraft
remaining and an altar built
around it. Apparently, like an
iceberg, only a small portion
is visible and Mr Dang
estimates the piece of metal
extends perhaps two metres
below ground. It was simply
too large to dig away so life
continued on around it.
From somewhere cans of 333
are produced and we enjoy a
beer and amiable conversation.
Out of a clear blue sky commercial
airliners regularly descend
on their final approach
to the airport only a few miles
away. It is a reminder of how
close that flight in 1975 came
to making it to safety.
Carnie is uncharacteristically
quiet, and seems content
to take things in while others
do the talking. I ask how he
is feeling now we have found
the crash site, and even the
remaining piece of the plane.
“I can't fully grasp it at the
moment,” he says. “But I’ll let
it sit for a while as I digest everything
that has happened.”
He says he is maybe a little
disappointed there was not
more tangible evidence of
what had occurred. “I also realise
why there wouldn’t be, it
is not the story of the Vietnamese
living here.”
When I met Carnie at his
apartment at the beginning of
the day, before we set out on
our search, I was interested
to know if he felt in any way
special because of what he had
been through, the very fact he
was alive.
He tells me it is difficult to
say because he has no recollection
of the events of that day,
being only 18 months old at
the time. “But it was always
something I kind of knew,
even though I don’t remember
when or how I was told,” he
says.
It is understandable that it
would take some time to process
everything he thought or
felt on the day of our expedition,
so I get in touch a few
weeks later to ask how he is
feeling about it now.
“I think I feel more at peace
about one small bit of my life
and experience of coming to
America,” he tells me. “I think
about the sacrifices that were
made to get me and many others
to countries which would
provide us with great opportunities.
Mainly, I think you
have to live life as you want
to, not how you are expected
to, and just try to make others’
lives better and show compassion.”
The last remaining piece of the aircraft
Mr Dang, on whose property the makeshift shrine is located
32 asialife HCMC