Skip to content
  • News
  • Classical
  • Indie 102.3
  • KRCC
Need help?
Donate
  • Politics
  • Environment
  • Justice
  • Arts
  • Music
    • Classical
    • Indie 102.3
  • Economy
  • Education
  • Denver
  • Southern Colorado
  • Audio & Radio
    • Ways to Listen
    • Shows and Podcasts
    • CPR News Radio Schedule
    • CPR Classical
    • Indie 102.3
  • Newsletters
    • All Newsletters
    • The Lookout
    • Denverite
  • About CPR
    • Mission & Vision
    • Staff & Hosts
    • Careers
    • Staff DEI Report
    • Recent Awards
    • Press Room
    • Contact Us
  • Ways to support
    • All the ways to give!
    • Login to the Member Center
    • Make a donation
    • Donate your car
    • Corporate sponsorship
    • CPR Shop
  • Politics
  • Money
  • Arts
  • Justice
  • Environment
  • Newsletter
  • Ways to support

Vietnam

News

Listen: Business in Little Saigon is a family matter. What happens when the next generation moves on?

By Paolo Zialcita
Chester Reed remembers the images vividly: the fall of Saigon broadcast on television, families desperate to flee. "The people, they were scared to death. They didn't know what tomorrow was gonna bring," he recalled. "Only thing the people in South Vietnam wanted to do is live in peace, raise their families and get on with their lives." Fifty years after the end of the Vietnam War, Reed — a veteran who served two tours in Southeast Asia — has found an unexpected bond with someone whose life the war upended: Dr. Vinh Chung, a Colorado Springs dermatologist who now treats him. “When Saigon fell in April of 1975, my mother was pregnant with me,” Chung said. “I didn't choose to go there. I wasn't drafted. I was just born there." Chung's family, ethnic Chinese business owners, lost everything when Saigon fell, he said. Born in the Mekong Delta, he spent his early childhood in the jungle before his family fled Vietnam by boat. "There's a one-way trip because when you leave as a refugee, there's no going back," he added. After drifting at sea with no food or water, they were rescued by a humanitarian ship. Eventually, a small Lutheran church in Fort Smith, Arkansas, sponsored them. Decades later, another life-changing event brought Reed and Chung together — not on a battlefield, but in a Colorado clinic. "I had a cancer on the back of my neck," Reed remembered, touching the spot below his head. Reed said a friend recommended Dr. Chung. "Two days later, he operated on me and I'm here today because he's took good care of me for the last 14 or 15 years." "Mr. Reed here took a chance on me," Chung chimed in. "I came here, opened a practice. I knew nobody. And so we started from scratch." The two men bonded over more than medical procedures. Their conversations revealed parallels between their journeys and a shared belief in the power of kindness. "You can't control the paths of your lives," Chung said. "But you can always control how you treat other people." Reed agreed: "I like to treat everybody just like I treat myself. If I treat you that way, you'll treat me right too." Fifty years after Saigon fell, both men say they carry the lessons of war and survival. "It made me grow up a little quicker," Reed said. "You go through field hospitals, you see people laying there with no legs, no arms. You just learn to live with things. You can't change nothing." Chung reflected on the duality of human nature. "Humans are capable of the most cruel and savage behavior," he said. "On the other hand, I'm just amazed at the incredible courage and generosity of people I've encountered." As the world marks the anniversary of the war's end, Chung sees it as a reminder. "Today, as we talk about immigrants and refugees, we must see humanity in them," he said. "We should never, ever lose that." Reed echoed the sentiment. "Just treat everybody like you want to be treated and life will go on and everybody will get along good."
Life and Culture

Two Colorado men shaped by the fall of Saigon share their story 50 years after the Vietnam War

By Hayley Sanchez
Veterans protest Trump at Capitol in Denver
Government and Politics

Colorado veterans join nationwide protests against VA job cuts and healthcare reductions

By Molly Cruse
U.S. Army Vietnam Veteran Robert Dalton holds his Certificate of Special Congressional Recognition
Military

Colorado’s Vietnam veterans receive long overdue recognition in ceremony

By Molly Cruse
News

The Remains Of A Fallen Vietnam Veteran, Identified By The Water He Drank, Have Returned Home

By American Homefront Project

Ways To Support CPR

You make the news and music from Colorado Public Radio possible. Your active support builds our community, grounds us in shared experiences, and improves the lives of Coloradans. Support the stories and songs you and your neighbors rely on!

  • Become A Member
  • Become A Sponsor
  • Donate Your Car
  • Donate Real Estate

Sign Up For Our Newsletters

It takes a good day’s drive to cover Colorado, but we’ll help you do it in a few minutes. Our newsletters bring you a closer look at the stories that affect you and the music that inspires you.

  • Get A Newsletter From The Climate Team
  • Sign Up For The Lookout
  • Sign Up For The Quotie Monthly
  • Get The Inside Track On Denver Music
  • Classical Music Playlists And More

Upcoming Events

Join CPR at the Juneteenth Music Festival

12:00pmFive Points
Jun15

Join CPR at Denver PrideFest

11:00amCivic Center Park
Jun28

Indie 102.3’s INDIEVERSE

4:00pmLevitt Pavilion Denver
Sep13

Listen to a Colorado Postcard



Colorado Postcards

Colorado Postcards are snapshots of our colorful state in sound. They give brief insights into our people and places, our flora and fauna, and our past and present, from every corner of Colorado. Listen now.

News That Matters, Delivered To Your Inbox

About Us
  • Our Mission
  • Staff and Hosts
  • Careers at CPR
  • General Contest Rules
  • FCC Applications & Files
Contact
  • Contact Us
  • Member Support
  • Connect With CPR
  • Opt Out of Targeted Advertising
Listen
  • Ways to Listen
  • Listening Help
  • On-Air Schedule
Support
  • Make a Donation
  • Donate Your Car
  • Become a Sponsor
  • Corporate Supporters
  • CPR Shop

© 2025 Colorado Public Radio. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy.

0:00/0:00