The Forgotten Generation

In the memoir The Forgotten Generation, Vui Le chronicles the life-changing experiences of the Vietnamese expatriates who fought valiantly for South Vietnam, risked their lives in search of freedom after the fall of Saigon, and made sacrifices for the future of their children during the aftermath of the war. In 1975, Vietnam was a country of no consequence. While studying to be a Catholic priest, Vui Le is called out of the seminary by his mother after the Communists overrun Quảng Trị, the town where his father was stationed. Because she had not heard from his father in several weeks, she summons Vui Le to help plan his father’s funeral. It is this event that begins an uncertain future for a young Le and later motivates him to share this poignant narration of his family’s escape from the fall of Saigon and their journey to a new life in America.

In his vivid account of how his family survived difficult and uncertain circumstances through sheer will and determination, Le also highlights the courageous and heroic acts of the South Vietnamese people-their struggles, sacrifices, and eventual victories-shedding light on a forgotten generation that deserves to be remembered.