Posted on 11/09/2007 6:13:31 AM PST by AppyPappy
In 1992, he came to Greensboro with the clothes on his back and a price on his head.
Y Pen Ayun was the last leader of a Montagnard army that carried on a guerrilla war against Vietnam for 20 years after the highlanders' U.S. allies withdrew. It would fall to him to carry out the last order of the war, for the tribesmen to lay down their arms and join him in a new home in exile.
Now, half a world away from that cease-fire deep in the jungles of Cambodia, another chapter has closed this week in Greensboro.
Y Pen, who at 65 lived in quiet obscurity among the now 5,000-strong Montagnard community in Greensboro, collapsed at his tool factory job Monday. He died two days later at Moses Cone Hospital, from the effects of an apparent stroke.
(Excerpt) Read more at news-record.com ...
God bless his family for supporting a modern warrior against communism.
The Montangards and Viets have assimilated very well in Greensboro. We probably have the highest Vietnamese restaurant/coffee house per capita of any city in the State of NC.
I think I’ll have a bánh mì gà for lunch today.
I used to love that Vietnamese place near the projects. But it was scary.
We have a Vietnamese Tea House here but it doesn’t get much business. Is there a Vietnamese place at High Point Rd and Merritt?
I remember when they moved the Monts in at the old TKE house on Friendly. They had a pile of junked cars in the back because they had so many DUI’s. The church got them out of the DUI’s. One of them backed into my wife on Friendly trying to figure out the straight drive. Luckily, he was too stupid to figure out that it looked like a rear-end hit and ran into the house. They all came out and the cop asked her to point out the guy. She claimed they all looked alike. Between all of the men, they could only come up with one valid license. He got the ticket by default.
Meritt/Holden is the Saigon Restaurant. Good food and a formal atmosphere. There’s 6 or 7 in town. I’ve tried them all. Here’s a list starting with my favorites.
1 Bihn Mihn on West Market about a block east of Edwardia.
2 Don’t remember the name of this one but it opened this summer in a new shopping center behind the strip mall ethnic stores at Farmington and Holden.
3 Saigon mentioned above.
4 Van Loi at Farmington and Holden, also has a Viet BBQ carry out attached to it.
5 The place over by the projects at Florida and Freeman Mill
6 A Loation sandwich place about 5 doors down from the project place.
There used to be a great place near High Point rd. and Fla. street that was a real mom/pop joint. I was there 2-3 times a week and didn’t even have order, they knew what I wanted and brought it out. It closed sometime this past summer.
There’s also two or three Viet Cafes around the Holden/Farmington intersection which are 100% Viet culture immersion when you’re there. That Coffee lites me up as good or better than Cuban coffee.
One of the most shameful chapters in our history,IMHO, was leaving these fiercely loyal - and just plain fierce - warriors to fend for themselves.
Colonel, USAFR
I wonder if they are open on Thanksgiving which is when I will be in town next.
RIP.
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