Veteran shares unique connection with Vietnam Women’s Memorial

His humor is tinged with sobriety when he admits to sharing a birthdate with the start of the Korean War.

Two decades after that conflict, Chung found himself serving with the U.S. Air Force in the Easter Offensive during the Vietnam War. Here's where Chung’s story takes a serious detour from that of most Veterans.

A crucial encounter

“I lived with the face of the enemy,” he said. “When our convoy was ambushed, I was wounded and taken to Bien Hoa Air Base. They thought I was Vietnamese. They separated me and brought me to the dispensary, among the Vietnamese wounded. They were going to put me on a truck and send me to a Vietnamese aid station, when a woman Veteran, a nurse, said, ‘You speak really good English. Where are you from?’ I said, ‘The south side of Chicago.’”

Chung said she laughed, and that interaction possibly saved his life.

“With my Asian face, they didn’t know who I was even though I wore an American uniform,” he said. “Had I not spoken up or if I’d been unconscious, I’d have been lost."

Chung continued, "As an Asian American in the military, I saw the war from a different point of view. That’s why I got involved in the Vietnam Women’s Memorial. No one said anything about the women who served.”

Personal connection to the memorial

In 1986, Chung met Diane Carlson Evans, a Vietnam War combat nurse who worked for years to get the Vietnam Women’s Memorial on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. The memorial, a one-ton bronze statue standing 15 feet high, depicts three uniformed women, one with a wounded soldier draped across her lap. Sculpted by Glenna Goodacre, the memorial honors the 265,000 women Veterans who served in the Vietnam War, many as nurses.

In 1993, Chung, who worked for FedEx, became the catalyst for transporting that commemorative sculpture from the artist’s home in Santa Fe, New Mexico, to Washington, D.C.

“We designed a special truck and turned it into a rolling stage, stopping in 47-49 cities along the way, so people could view the memorial,” he said. “We drove across the country for 45 days. It was amazing to see people come out and view the statue. There are hundreds of signatures on the FedEx banner from people expressing how they felt about the statue. That banner sits at the Smithsonian today.”

Chung took his role seriously while transporting the sculpture.

“As the caretaker of the Vietnam Women’s Memorial, it was my responsibility to keep it safe,” he said. “To show it to Veteran communities for those 45 days was an honor.”

Chung considers that trek and sharing the sentiment of the memorial with Veterans a healing process for many people, including himself. At one point, as Chung checked on the statue, he had a flashback.

“I thought of the nurse who took care of me when I was wounded,” he said. “It was a very spiritual trip of healing.”

Three decades of celebration

This year marks the 30th anniversary of the Vietnam Women’s Memorial. A celebration commemorating the wealth of experiences represented by this monument is set for Veterans Day, Nov. 11, in Washington, D.C.

A Purple Heart recipient, Chung has spoken at several observance events for the beloved memorial over the years. In a new memoir, the 73-year-old detailed his unique military experience and the pivotal encounter with the nurse during the war. His book, Face of the Enemy: An American Asian’s War in Vietnam and at Home, should be available in print by mid-October.

For more information on the Vietnam Women’s Memorial and its upcoming commemorative event, please visit Vietnamwomensmemorial.org.

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April Love is a Writer-Editor on the VISN 19 Creative Task Force. She began working for Denver VA in 2016 and lives in Aurora, Colorado.