The Foreign Service Journal, April 2015

THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL | APRIL 2015 49 Meetingmy heroes has taught me there is always hope, even during the darkest hours of our lives. The Strength of America We cannot change the past, but we must never forget the humanitarian acts that show the importance of the State Depart- ment’s work. One of the main reasons I wanted to pursue a career in foreign affairs is because I know firsthand the human toll and devastation of war. I recently found my refugee documentation and have made a copy to carry in my handbag, to remind me of how fortunate I am and how I must continue to find ways to do meaningful things for others. It is my hope that future history books about the VietnamWar will include the stories of the brave unsung heroes who followed their conscience and saved so many lives. President Barack Obama’s May 28, 2012, remarks at the VietnamWar Memorial underscored this notion of making peace with the past that resonated with my father and some of the 1975 evacuation heroes in attendance: “As any wound heals, the tissue around it becomes tougher, stronger than before. Five decades removed from a time of division among Americans, this anniver- sary can remind us of what we share as Americans. That includes honoring our Vietnam veterans by never forgetting the valuable lessons of that war.” Meeting my heroes has taught me there is always hope, even during the darkest hours of our lives, and that we have to keep moving despite adversity. By saving me on that fateful day, they planted the seeds of strength and hope that helped me to achieve my dream of working for the State Department. My hope is to someday represent America abroad as an ambassador. While I may not achieve this goal, I have learned frommy unsung heroes that the journey and our life experiences are what enrich us, more than any destination. We must try even when the odds of success may not be high, like finding a way out of Saigon in April 1975. I want to do it for my 1975 evacuation heroes, to make their sacrifices even more meaningful. While I am a product of a painful chapter in his- tory, I am also a product of the greatness of America, with its diverse society, democratic ideals and opportunity for all. Only in America can a former refugee child become a senior adviser working for the same agency as do the Foreign Service officers who saved her. I am a living testament to the importance of humanitarianism, a core and enduring strength of diplomacy. It is the story of America, and the Ameri- can dream restored. n Anne Pham, State Department faculty member at the National Defense University, honors her 1975 evacuation hero, Shep Lowman, in December 2009. Foreign Service Officer Lowman was first posted to Vietnam in 1966; he returned in 1974 and saved thousands of lives during the last days of the war. Katie Lewis A healing moment: As a State Department National War College student in April 2008, former refugee child Anne Pham has a special exchange with Henry Kissinger. Dr. Kissinger was both Secretary of State and National Security Advisor during the final years of the VietnamWar. Francisco Gonzales