The Vietnamese American Armed Forces Association (abbreviated: VAAFA), (Vietnamese: Hội Quân Nhân Người Mỹ Gốc Việt), is a non-profit, non partisan professional military association. It is the first military association for Vietnamese American service members in the United States. Its members are Active, Reserve,

National Guard National Guard is the name used by a wide variety of current and historical uniformed organizations in different countries. The original National Guard was formed during the French Revolution around a cadre of defectors from the French Guards. Nat ...

, and Veterans of the

U.S Armed Forces The United States Armed Forces are the military forces of the United States. The armed forces consists of six service branches: the Army, Marine Corps, Navy, Air Force, Space Force, and Coast Guard. The president of the United States is the ...

;

Enlisted Enlisted may refer to: * Enlisted rank An enlisted rank (also known as an enlisted grade or enlisted rate) is, in some armed services, any rank below that of a commissioned officer. The term can be inclusive of non-commissioned officers or ...

and

Commissioned Officers An officer is a person who holds a position of authority as a member of an armed force or uniformed service. Broadly speaking, "officer" means a commissioned officer, a non-commissioned officer, or a warrant officer. However, absent context ...

from the five branches of the

U.S. Military The United States Armed Forces are the military forces of the United States. The armed forces consists of six service branches: the Army, Marine Corps, Navy, Air Force, Space Force, and Coast Guard. The president of the United States is the ...

;

U.S. Army The United States Army (USA) is the land service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army of the United States in the U.S. Constitution.Article II, section 2, cla ...

U.S. Marine Corps The United States Marine Corps (USMC), also referred to as the United States Marines, is the maritime land force service branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for conducting expeditionary and amphibious operations through comb ...

U.S. Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage of ...

U.S. Air Force The United States Air Force (USAF) is the air service branch of the United States Armed Forces, and is one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. Originally created on 1 August 1907, as a part of the United States Army Signal ...

, and

U.S. Coast Guard The United States Coast Guard (USCG) is the maritime security, search and rescue, and law enforcement service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the country's eight uniformed services. The service is a maritime, military, multi ...

and the two noncombatant uniformed services the

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Commissioned Corps The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Commissioned Officer Corps, known informally as the NOAA Corps, is one of eight federal uniformed services of the United States, and operates under the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administ ...

(NOAAC) and the

United States Public Health Service Commissioned Corps The United States Public Health Service Commissioned Corps (PHSCC), also referred to as the Commissioned Corps of the United States Public Health Service, is the federal uniformed service of the U.S. Public Health Service (PHS) and one of the ...

(PHSCC).

Mission

VAAFA's stated mission is to provide professional development, mentorship, enhanced camaraderie, and networking for current and former

Vietnamese American Vietnamese Americans ( vi, Người Mỹ gốc Việt, lit=Viet-origin American people) are Americans of Vietnamese ancestry. They make up about half of all overseas Vietnamese and are the fourth-largest Asian American ethnic group after Chinese ...

service members of the seven uniformed services. Through fund raising events and activities, the association raises money to provide care packages for deployed service members as well as provide financial assistances to families; in order for a member travel to the location of care in the event a military service member is wounded in the line of duty. VAAFA, also seeks to raise awareness of the contribution and sacrifices of Vietnamese American in the U.S. Armed Forces through active engagement of the Vietnamese Community through participation in community events and activities. As a military association, it does not endorse any political groups or activities. In 2010, VAAFA established the Fallen Heroes Scholarship, for 12 U.S. Citizen or Permanent Resident Vietnamese American students currently enrolled in college or high school seniors. The Fallen Heroes Scholarship was established in memory of Vietnamese American military service members who have died in defense of the United States of America.

History

In the Spring of 2007,

Lieutenant Commander Lieutenant commander (also hyphenated lieutenant-commander and abbreviated Lt Cdr, LtCdr. or LCDR) is a commissioned officer rank in many navies. The rank is superior to a lieutenant and subordinate to a commander. The corresponding rank i ...

Christopher V. Phan,

Judge Advocate General's Corps The Judge Advocate General's Corps, also known as JAG or JAG Corps, is the military justice branch or specialty of the United States Air Force, Army, Coast Guard, Marine Corps and Navy. Officers serving in the JAG Corps are typically called judg ...

, U.S. Navy, was deployed with the

U.S. Navy SEAL The United States Navy Sea, Air, and Land (SEAL) Teams, commonly known as Navy SEALs, are the United States Navy, U.S. Navy's primary special operations force and a component of the United States Naval Special Warfare Command, Naval Special Wa ...

to Iraq. He and several of the SEALs were trying to arrange a flight out of Baghdad when

Lieutenant Colonel Lieutenant colonel ( , ) is a rank of commissioned officers in the armies, most marine forces and some air forces of the world, above a major and below a colonel. Several police forces in the United States use the rank of lieutenant colone ...

Tho V. Nguyen, U.S. Army, overheard LCDR Phan speaking at the reservation counter. The men struck up a conversation on the air field and made a commitment that they would stay in touch upon redeployment to the States. True to their words, LCDR Phan and LTC Nguyen remained friends after their deployment. They both knew and experienced the loneliness of serving overseas in harm's way and being far from their families. They wanted to establish an association in order to assist all Vietnamese American service members and their families to cope with the separation and loneliness. LCDR Phan and LTC Nguyen, along with

Sergeant Sergeant (abbreviated to Sgt. and capitalized when used as a named person's title) is a rank in many uniformed organizations, principally military and policing forces. The alternative spelling, ''serjeant'', is used in The Rifles and other uni ...

Thao Bui, U.S. Army,

Captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police department, election precinct, e ...

Triet Bui, U.S. Army, and Captain Hien Vu, U.S. Air Force, met at Captain Bui's home and began drafting the by-laws and article of association for the Vietnamese American Armed Forces Association (VAAFA) on August 23, 2008. VAAFA received official recognition from the State of California on September 15, 2008. The association held its installation banquet on May 31, 2009. VAAFA's membership is growing and the association hopes to reach and serve all Vietnamese American service members, their families, and the Vietnamese American community.

Past Events

05/31/09 – Vietnamese American Memorial – Orange County, CA 05/31/09 – Installation Banquet – Orange County, CA 09/6/09 – First Bi-Annual Conference – Coronado, CA 09/26/09 – First Annual Care Package Donation Drive – Orange County, San Jose, CA 09/27/09 – First Annual Care Package Donation Drive – San Diego, CA 11/22/09 – A Gift From The Heart Donation Drive – Orange County, CA 11/26/09 – Alta Gardens Care Center Thanksgiving Day Visit – Orange County, CA 12/13/09 – Toy Distribution – Orange County, CA 12/19/09 – Toy Distribution – San Jose, CA 02/14/10 – Alta Gardens Care Center Tet Visit – Orange County, CA 03/05/10 – Fallen Heroes Scholarship Fundraiser Banquet – Orange County, CA

Fallen Vietnamese American Service Members

TSGT Thanh V. Nguyen, USAF, June 25, 1996, Saudi Arabia
LCPL Alan D. Lam, USMC, April 22, 2003, Iraq
LCPL Andrew S. Dang, USMC, May 22, 2004, Iraq
SPC Binh Q. Tran, USA, November 7, 2004, Iraq
LCPL Victor Ronald H. Lu, USMC, November 13, 2004, Iraq
CPL Binh N. Le, USMC, December 3, 2004, Iraq
SFC Tung M. Nguyen, USA, November 14, 2006, Iraq
SSGT Du H. Tran, USA, June 20, 2008, Iraq
PFC Tan Q. Ngo, USA, August 27, 2008, Afghanistan
SGT Long N. Nguyen, USA, February 10, 2007, Afghanistan
SPC Dan H. Nguyen, USA, May 8, 2007, Iraq
CPL Tevan L. Nguyen, USMC, December 28, 2010, Afghanistan

References

{{reflist

External links

* '
Official Page
''
VAAFA YouTube Videos

Viet Bao Newspaper article on VAAFA
American military personnel of Asian descent American veterans' organizations 2008 establishments in California Overseas Vietnamese organizations in the United States Organizations established in 2008 Non-profit organizations based in California United States military support organizations American military personnel Overseas Vietnamese organizations Vietnamese emigrants to the United States