Nguyễn Qúy An is a former Major

Major

Major is a rank of commissioned officer, with corresponding ranks existing in almost every military in the world.When used unhyphenated, in conjunction with no other indicator of rank, the term refers to the rank just senior to that of an Army captain and just below the rank of lieutenant colonel. ...

 in the Republic of Vietnam Air Force who risked his life to rescue four Americans in a downed chopper while he was on a different mission. For his actions he was awarded the United States Distinguished Flying Cross

Distinguished Flying Cross (United States)

The Distinguished Flying Cross is a medal awarded to any officer or enlisted member of the United States armed forces who distinguishes himself or herself in support of operations by "heroism or extraordinary achievement while participating in an aerial flight, subsequent to November 11, 1918." The...

 and Silver Star

Silver Star

The Silver Star is the third-highest combat military decoration that can be awarded to a member of any branch of the United States armed forces for valor in the face of the enemy....

. In a subsequent combat mission he lost both of his arms when his helicopter was shot down during a combat mission.

In 1962 An graduated from high school in Saigon. He served as a helicopter pilot in the Republic of Vietnam Air Force from 1963 to 1974, and received some of his training at Fort Rucker

Fort Rucker

Fort Rucker is a U.S. Army post located mostly in Dale County, Alabama, United States. It was named for a Civil War officer, Confederate General Edmund Rucker. The post is the primary flight training base for Army Aviation and is home to the United States Army Aviation Center of Excellence and...

, Alabama

Alabama

Alabama is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Tennessee to the north, Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gulf of Mexico to the south, and Mississippi to the west. Alabama ranks 30th in total land area and ranks second in the size of its inland...

 and Fort Wolter, Texas

Texas

Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...

. He flew numerous combat missions in support of American and South Vietnamese troops in Vietnam. He made three attempts to escape Vietnam, but was apprehended each time and imprisoned.http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/cpquery/T?&report=hr811&dbname=104&

Distinguished Flying Cross citation

On June 14, 1969, he was awarded the U.S. Distinguished Flying Cross for `Heroism while participating in aerial flight'.

Political asylum granted by the United States

The United States passed special laws designed to help South Vietnamese who had experienced special hardship during the war to immigrate to the United States. One provision of this law is that those South Vietnamese who spent a year or more in North Vietnamese "re-education camps" were allowed to enter the United States by special provision. However, because of his amputated arms, Major An was released from such a camp after only nine weeks, and so did not qualify. What he had done for his American comrades-in-arm was completely ignored and only after a staggering amount of paperwork and the special efforts of a U.S Congressman did Major An receive permission to immigrate to the United States.

After a special law was enacted, Major An was granted legal residency and citizenship on October 31, 1996. http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/cpquery/T?&report=hr811&dbname=104& However, this special consideration did not apply to his daughter, Nguyen Ngoc Kim Quy, who takes care of him, and additional efforts had to be made before she was able to come to the United States.

He now lives in San Jose

San Jose, California

San Jose is the third-largest city in California, the tenth-largest in the U.S., and the county seat of Santa Clara County which is located at the southern end of San Francisco Bay...

.http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/cpquery/T?&report=hr811&dbname=104&

See also

• Nguyen Van Kiet
  Nguyen Van Kiet
  Nguyen Van Kiet was a Petty Officer Third Class in the Republic of Vietnam Navy and is one of only two South Vietnamese, and the only South Vietnamese Navy member, to receive the Navy Cross for actions during the Vietnam War. The other recipient was ARVN PFC Tran Van Bay).In April 1972, United...
  
   - Petty Officer Third Class in the Republic of Vietnam Navy recipient of the Navy Cross.
• Tran Van Bay
  Tran Van Bay
  Tran Van Bay was a Private First Class of the Army of the Republic of Vietnam and is one of only two South Vietnamese, and the only South Vietnamese Army member, to receive the Navy Cross for actions on February 19, 1967 during the Vietnam War .-Navy Cross citation:The President of the United...
  
  , Army of the Republic of Vietnam - Private First Class Tran was posthumously awarded the Navy Cross for heroism after he sacrificed his life to save a U.S. Marine on February 19, 1967.http://www.homeofheroes.com/valor/1_Citations/07_RVN-nc/nc_19rvn_other.html

External links

• Senate lets former South Vietnamese major who saved 4 Americans remain in U.S (Photo of Major Nguyen)
• King helped Vietnamese rescuer remain in U.S.
• THE VIETNAM WAR VETERANS