Dr. Ha Tuong, an author and researcher, came to Maple Grove Middle School May 5 to visit some sixth grade history classes and share his experiences as a member of the South Vietnamese army after the United States and other allies left Vietnam in 1973 after the Paris Peace Treaty.
After they left, the South Vietnamese army had to build up their troops from 800,000 to 1.5 million to fight the north, which is the point where Dr. Tuong entered the service. He explained the impact of agent orange, how different countries affected the war, clandestine operations taking place during that time and more.
The school’s sixth grade scholars have recently studied the Vietnam War, and Dr. Tuong offered a new perspective on this tumultuous time.
Dr. Tuong immigrated to the United States as a war refugee after the war ended in 1975, where he worked as a teacher and principal for Minneapolis public schools from 1976-2006.
