It’s Not the Dates — It’s the Dash
April 16, 2025
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50 years. Lord where did all that time go?
50 years ago today I was rescued from Vietnam as an Amerasian child. Many know my story. On April 4th my mom walked me up the steps of a plane leaving that day for America, then she left the airport. That plane crashed and she was told I died on that plane. I always wondered why she was told that until a couple of days ago when I got to see the list of children that died. My name is on that list!
Instead, at the last minute they decided the plane was too full so I was removed. I left Vietnam on 5 April 1975 on a Pan Am flight. I was fostered then later adopted by the Williams family in SW Portland.
"I have found that in a person’s story, the most important thing isn’t when they were born or when they died. The MOST important thing is that dash. What happened between the other two dates is what defines a life. Our legacy is everything." - Thuy Williams
I get asked a lot how it was to be a Black/Vietnamese mixed child in a white family in white Portland in the early 70’s. The answer? Wonderful. I was embraced by my community, not made to feel any different then anyone else, learned English from my classmates (who are still my friends today), they taught me how to play games and have fun outside of the sounds and images of war and accepted me for who I was.
I have been a coach, a sports ministry missionary, secretary, teacher, speaker, tank mechanic and Master fitness trainer for the Army, business owner, started nonprofits, led about 30 ministry (sports, medical, dental, humanitarian, community service) trips around the world – and so many other things. Goodness, I’ve had so many adventures in life!
Legacy, Love, and the Life In Between
I get asked all the time, do you have kids? You mean, have I physically carried a child? The answer is no. But I have thousands of children around the world that I call “mine”. Ones left behind in refugee camps, slums and poverty. Ones here in the US that I’ve coached and mentored through the years. Athletes that I have had the privilege of spending time with and bringing smiles, sports and fun to their lives – just like my friends did all those long years ago for me.
Today I go back and forth between gratitude for my life to wondering if the sacrifices of others has been lived out in my life. Have I made an Eternal impact on others and lived a life that reflects my gratitude for all the life I’ve been given? Did I live life to the fullest for those kids that died on that plane, for those kids left behind in Vietnam, for the pilots, flight attendants, soldiers and others that risked their lives to save mine, for my family, for my friends, for my athletes?
Me and my family
I have found that in a person’s story, the most important thing isn’t when they were born or when they died. The MOST important thing is that dash. What happened between the other two dates is what defines a life. Our legacy is everything.
50 years. Today I reflect on much but in the end GRATITUDE is the word I would use. Thank you to all who have had a part in making me the person I am today. I am truly blessed!