[Janeytwo]

Hey all, A little long but worth it I hope....

Some fifteen years ago I watched a show on 20/20 that I have never forgotten. It concerned the story of a young marine who went in search of his birthparents.

This marine's story actually began in 1975 in Vietnam when the young man's father fearing reprisals by the North Vietnamese literally tossed his young son (then 11)and daughter (then 5) onto one of the American helicopters that was leaving the roof of the French Embasssy. He handed the young son a picture of thier mother and did his best to calm his children's fears that their father would die that day. The man stood on the roof of the embassy and watched with emotions I can't even begin to imagine as the helicopter lifted off taking his son and daughter away to a foreign land. The chances were great that he would never see his children again or know of their fate, if they lived, if they died. Nothing.

The story then progressed some years. The young marine and his sister had been adopted by two loving people. He was now in his early twenties, married and secure in himself. But what he wanted more than anything was to learn about his culture, his people and most importantly to find his parents. After securing one of the rare and coveted American passports needed to travel to Vietnam, he set off on his journey with his young bride at his side.

Armed with only a picture of his birthmother and next to no other information regarding his parents, he waited at the airport with his amom and dad, waited for the flight to Vietnam. His amom kept hugging him and crying that if he found his birthparents he wouldn't want her anymore, he would forget about her. The young marine assured his amom that he would always love her and that she was his mom first and most of all.

(That still brings tears to my eyes. In fact, I am crying as I write this to you).

Some time after the young man boarded the plane with his wife and the two took the long flight to Vietnam. When they arrived, they walked around Saigon, flashing the birthmother's photo, asking various people if they'd seen her, if they knew her. But no one could help.

Hours passed and eventually feeling somewhat defeated and fearing he'd never find his parents, the marine sat down at the curb with his bride trying to decide what to do next. Suddenly from across the street a woman started crying out loudly and gestituculating to him, calling him by his given Vietnamese name. Then she came up and began speaking, "It's you! It's you! I can't believe it!" THe woman was his aunt, his mother's sister, who had come to the market that day to buy fruit even though she had thought better of doing so when the day started! Several times she had changed her mind but at the last minute decided to go to market.

The aunt took the young marine home to his parents' village; the one they had been relocated to. Both his mother and father were still alive and wept openly when they saw their beloved son. They welcomed his American bride with open arms and the family spent the next week together in the same little house, rekindling their relationship and celebrating the fact that all of them had survived the War and its aftermath.

The young marine brought pictures of his aparents and his home in AMerica. And his bmom wrote a letter to the amom (which was translated by the marine) thanking the amom for taking her children in and for providing such a loving and tender home for them.

Not your average adoption story perhaps but uplifting and hopeful.

A testament to the power of love and the human spirit.

Thanks for listening,

Janey

[mygrl4meee]

Thanks Janey, It's a great a great story. I loved it. Miracles can happen!!

[Jackiejdajda]

I liked the part about the amom being told that there was no way she would be left behind..

Jackie

[kakuehl]

Great story, Janey.

[finallyamom0310]

Great story. I still have tears in my eyes.

[bprice215]

Great post, geart story, great everything. Thanks!

bprice215