Cambodian Refugee Goes Home as US Navy Commander
- Posted on December 5, 2010 at 1:24am by
Scott Baker
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SIHANOUKVILLE, Cambodia (AP) — The distant thuds of gunfire and bombs weren‘t nearly as memorable for Michael Misiewicz as fishing barehanded with his older brother in Cambodia’s Mekong River.
In 1973, as a 6-year-old then called Vannak Khem, he was more concerned with boys’ games than the deepening war — unaware, like most Cambodians, of the trauma that the Khmer Rouge would soon inflict on the country. He had no idea that after his adoption by an American woman that same year, it would take him 37 years to go home.
Misiewicz finally returned home Friday as commander of the U.S. Navy destroyer USS Mustin — reuniting with the relatives who wondered whether they would ever see him alive, and the aunt who helped arrange his adoption. His ship departs Monday.
“Chumreap suor, Om,” he greeted 72-year-old Samrith Sokha in the Khmer language, clutching her in a sobbing embrace on the Mustin’s sea-swept walkway. “Greetings, Auntie.”
The warship has a larger mission: to help the United States as it deepens ties with Cambodia and other nearby nations in a region overshadowed by China’s economic and military clout.
But the ship’s arrival in the port of Sihanoukville also ends an odyssey that took Misiewicz, now 43, from the poverty of Cambodian rice fields to the farmlands of the midwestern United States to the helm of a U.S. destroyer.
The process of returning has been intensely emotional, he said: sadness for the more than 1.7 million who died or were killed by the communist Khmer Rouge when they held power in 1975-1979, combined with guilt at his escape from it and joy at seeing the relatives who helped him leave it behind.
“This isn’t going to wash the guilt away but I am looking to provide some sense of closure, going back to my birth country, going back to where my family suffered, and where my dad was executed, seeing it firsthand,” he said in a phone interview before his ship arrived.
Born south of the capital, Phnom Penh, Misiewicz and his family were uprooted in 1969 as Khmer Rouge fighters forced villagers to join the radical communist movement. His father didn’t sympathize with it, unlike many of his mother’s family, and many considered him a traitor for not joining up, Misiewicz said.
They fled north, living on the streets as beggars for a time and scraping by until settling in Phnom Penh. They lived in a stilt house over mosquito-infested waters, subsisting mainly on his father’s work as an herbal medicine pharmacist. His father’s oldest sister, Sokha, worked for Maryna Lee Misiewicz, a U.S. Army administrative assistant with the defense attache’s office at the U.S. Embassy.
Misiewicz remembers eating popcorn and watching cartoons while his aunt cooked and cleaned Maryna’s home. Eventually, he said, his father decided they should ask Maryna to adopt him and Maryna and the boy left for the United States in April 1973.
“They were concerned about the Khmer Rouge. No one had any idea what would happen, but they hoped for a better life for Mike,” Maryna Misiewicz said in an interview from her home in Freeport, Illinois. “We had no idea how long it would be before they would ever see each other again.”
He grew up in Lanark, a town of 1,500 people just south of Freeport, most of whom had never seen an Asian before, and he said he cried frequently, thinking about his family.
Gradually, the letters to his relatives went unanswered as Cambodia spiraled into chaos. He forgot what little Khmer he knew, graduated from local high school and enlisted in the Navy. Like most Americans, he only later realized how many had died and suffered because of the Khmer Rouge’s nightmarish efforts to create an agricultural utopia. Maryna Misiewicz said she initially tried to shield her adopted son from the few reports about the Khmer Rouge’s brutal actions.
“You didn’t have any idea it would end up like that,” Maryna said. “I felt badly for Mike and his family and I wondered what was going on, what they were going through.”
“As I got older it was less painful to not think about it,” Misiewicz said.
It was in 1989 when he was at the U.S. Naval Academy when he was finally located by his family — and he learned of their own odyssey through refugee camps on the Thai border and in the Philippines and finally to Austin, Texas.
His birth mother, two brothers and a sister had survived but two other sisters died, most likely of disease or malnutrition. All of his mother’s relatives, except for a brother, died or were killed by the Khmer Rouge, he said.
“We never knew what was going to happen,” said Misiewicz’s younger brother, Rithy Khem. “Thank God we were able … to be reconnected with each other finally.”
Misiewicz learned that his father, who was drafted as a medic for the U.S.-backed government that collapsed in 1975, was summoned to a meeting with Khmer Rouge officials on the anniversary of their takeover and never returned.
Misiewicz said his reunion with relatives in Cambodia would go a long way toward easing his qualms about the opportunity he had — and that his relatives did not.
“A lot of who I am is small-town America, you know, work hard trying your best at whatever you do … but certainly the genetic thing, so many of the blessings that I’ve had come from my birth family,” he said.
“I feel a lot of sadness for my own family, but also for so many Cambodian families,” he said. “It’s been a long, long time of war, genocide, civil war; my birth country and my fellow Cambodians just need a break.”
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Comments (82)
cindyloo
Posted on December 5, 2010 at 9:22amNow, no one should have any excuse to think or say, “We don’t have any idea what Communism does for a Country.” WE KNOW.
God bless Commander Vannak Khem. God bless America!
Report Post »jakartaman
Posted on December 5, 2010 at 9:10amThanks for the story
Report Post »Thanks to the Captain for his service
Thanks to my fellow conservative patriots
Thanks for our founding fathers
Thanks for our loving merciful God
TexasCommonSense
Posted on December 5, 2010 at 9:02amYet another example of a Communist regime killing people with whom they disagree. Join or die! People living in peace and providing for their selves is not an option!
Report Post »thankyouvets
Posted on December 5, 2010 at 8:36amWow! Blessings abound in this article! Thank you for adopting Michael, Mrs M! Commander Michael, what you have overcome blows me away. God bless you and your service to the US! So nice to read something heartwarming. I know there are darker elements in this story, but…its Sunday, I’ll choose the finer points.
Report Post »TOSKIMAN
Posted on December 5, 2010 at 8:36amTears in my eyes, wow – this is America!
Report Post »doncarr61
Posted on December 5, 2010 at 8:31amThis is what Obama would call a ‘teachable’ moment. To all those who seem enamored with the Communist/socialist/new world order should listen to this man.
Report Post »MJ1025
Posted on December 5, 2010 at 8:03amWhat a wonderful article. Thank you for posting. This American could teach obama a thing or two about communism.
Report Post »dizzyinthedark
Posted on December 5, 2010 at 7:38amTouching!
Report Post »jimhill58
Posted on December 5, 2010 at 6:59amThis could have only happened in The United States of America. It is good to have immigrants come to this country who want to achieve rather than get on the entitlement bandwagon.
Report Post »emertz8413
Posted on December 5, 2010 at 6:51amThis is what conservatives fight for, more opportunities like this one. Being an immigrant myself, I grew up without cousins, aunts, uncles and grandparents. How wonderful to be able to see family again and for them to know they did the right thing sending you here! Illegal immigration is killing this kind of opportunity for others like Michael!
Report Post »red penny
Posted on December 5, 2010 at 6:35amAs a retired Navy officer, I understand fullwell what this Gentleman has accomplished.Just an amazing oddesy for one individual.God bless and best wishes in the future.
Report Post »popeyebedford
Posted on December 5, 2010 at 6:14amGOd bless women who adopt these children of misery…
Report Post »CALIDUDE
Posted on December 5, 2010 at 5:29amGod Bless Mike and both of his families. God Bles America!
Report Post »guyperram
Posted on December 5, 2010 at 4:58amThis is the story of America. People come here for the chance at a better life for themselves and, especially, their children. Great story!
Don’t, however, miss the reason why they left. The socialists/communists killed millions of “unbelievers”, as laid out by Marx. This has happened in every country where there weren’t any constraints on their actions. If the complete their take over, it can. and will, happen here.
Just study your real history, not the nonsense they dish out.
Report Post »burnteye86
Posted on December 5, 2010 at 4:53amYet another story of triumph from the pages of this book called AMERICA!
Report Post »spendthrift
Posted on December 5, 2010 at 3:44amA Superb UnAmeican-American tribute to Rags to Riches, to UnFounded to Found, To was it Truly is Like to be an American……………………………………………….Again……….Superb…..
Report Post »Bob_R_OathKeeper
Posted on December 5, 2010 at 3:08amHe’s more American than all Liberals put together, great story!
Report Post »WaterH2O
Posted on December 5, 2010 at 2:19amGreat Story!!! A great Man.
Report Post »silentwatcher
Posted on December 5, 2010 at 2:12amone the great things about America,,,,anything is possible. At least for now.
Report Post »RobertCA
Posted on December 5, 2010 at 2:03amThanks for sharing .
Report Post »BlueStrat
Posted on December 5, 2010 at 6:39amI wonder if the good Captain could be temporarily excused from normal duties so that he and his Cambodian relatives might provide some special tutoring for all the Mao-loving, Marxist Progressives in D.C. so that they might learn from those who experienced it, what a wonderful life it was for Cambodians under Communism…for those who were allowed to live, that is.
What kind of a damaged mind must these Socialist/Communist Progressives possess to seriously think that, despite their ideas having failed every single time they’ve been tried throughout history, *THIS* time it will work out great?
—
Now in other “lamestream” news;
“It’s been rumored that the cartoon “Pinky & The Brain” was the inspiration for the Soros/Obama “power-pairing” when the Progressives were planning their strategy.
When President Obama was questioned on this recently, he replied only with “NARF!!”.
Our lamestream media analysts theorize the President may be using an acronym for a possible yet-to-be-announced future Social Justice program in partnership with the Tides Foundation and SEIU. More on this story as it develops. Back to you, Katy!”
—
Because.
Sometimes, people here get just a little too worked up and forget to laugh.
Report Post »snowleopard3200 {mix art}
Posted on December 5, 2010 at 6:45amThe Progressives want to call me a radical fine! I am an AMERICAN FIRST, FOREMOST, and ALWAYS will be. Remember this much, WE outnumber the Progressives in Congress by something like 500,000 to one in population; bring the weight of numbers to bear in spreading the truth and in organizing along family, community and county areas.
Use the power of the press, the media, the radio, and such to spread the word and get the people fired up for changes to be made; the first battles of the Americans counter assault on the bastions of Progressive institutions have been won, we need to follow up and keep the fight going.
Not just for ourselves; do it for the children and their children yet to come.
Do not say we can win.
Say (or shout) WE WILL WIN!!!
Report Post »JGP
Posted on December 5, 2010 at 10:19amI feel better now. But still, give me liberty.
Report Post »shane2813
Posted on December 5, 2010 at 1:50amAnd what has the Leftists said about the Communist slaughter after we left south east Asia…….NOTHING!!!!!!
Report Post »freightliner1160
Posted on December 5, 2010 at 8:11amIt didn’t happen. No matter how many pic, videos and first hand stories, non of that ever happened. No one ever died because of the loving nature of crapy-ism.
Report Post »Take two apples, put two more apples next to them and they will say 5 every time. Facts mean nothing.
FORLORNHOPE
Posted on December 5, 2010 at 10:45amThe 94th Congress forced the surrenders of South Vietnam and Cambodia. Read ‘An American Amnesia’ by Bruce Herschensohn. When will the truth be taught? When I tell people what happened after we left SE Asia, surprise surprise nobody has ever been told what happened after we left or how it ended the way it ended.
Report Post »mrhate
Posted on December 5, 2010 at 1:44amCommander Misiewicz represents what is the best of what the U.S. stands for. Freedom and Opportunity! This is why we must preserve and protect our republic!!!
Report Post »Taquoshi
Posted on December 5, 2010 at 1:04pmI absolutely love it. He left as a six year old and while it did take him a while to find his way back, when he came back it was a commander of a warship.
Unbelievable!
Report Post »meckerdt
Posted on December 5, 2010 at 3:40pmI’m with you 100%. Say what you will about the U.S. government, but the American people are good, kind, industrious, and faithful. We have to preserve this nation and its traditional values so that there can be at least one bright spot in the world.
Report Post »Richlove1
Posted on December 5, 2010 at 1:44amGod bless him for his service. The unique strength of the American melting pot is proven yet again.
Report Post »grandmaof5
Posted on December 5, 2010 at 2:45amVery true. How brave his aunt was to send him so far away and how lucky Michael was to have had the opportunity. It is obvious he used that opportunity to its fullest extent and we, as Americans, are very proud for both he and his family. Thank you for your service to our country.
Report Post »Marylou7
Posted on December 5, 2010 at 5:34amAmen to that.
Report Post »Peregrinus
Posted on December 5, 2010 at 1:33amWhat a great story. Thanks for posting it!
Report Post »PoliticalOpinionWarDOTcom
Posted on December 5, 2010 at 1:30amWow, thats pretty amazing! Some times stories like this turn my attention off, but this one was pretty good!
http://www.politicalopinionwar.com
Report Post »snowleopard3200 {mix art}
Posted on December 5, 2010 at 1:42amThat is one remarkable story!
Report Post »maxedout
Posted on December 5, 2010 at 2:23amWhat you said…..and congrats and upmost respect to the cap. Absolutely outstanding.
Report Post »Stuck_in_CA
Posted on December 5, 2010 at 4:38amThank you Scott, for finding and posting this. And thanks to AP for the excellent well-written piece. I pray Michael can loose the chains of guilt, and forgive himself. May God Bless them.
Report Post »Rational Man
Posted on December 5, 2010 at 4:58amOne beautiful success story that comes out of the horrible decisions made during the Vietnam war.
Report Post »Like the decision to leave those poor people in Cambodia and Vietnam to be slaughtered.
This story speaks both bad and good of America. Bad in the way we handled that conflict and good in that a wonderful person brought the now US Navy Commander Misiewicz home to Middle America with her. Guess Middle America isn’t as bad as the two left coasts of our country say it is. Maybe if they did more than just fly over it or only make campaign stops there, they would see the goodness in rural America.
May God continue to bless this family and the country that made their happy reunion possible!
KAKATOO
Posted on December 5, 2010 at 6:49amOnly in America. God bless USA.
Report Post »DagneyT
Posted on December 5, 2010 at 7:50amVery heartwarming.
Report Post »UPSETVET
Posted on December 5, 2010 at 8:09amThis is an amazing success story. One life rescued from the “killing firelds” of Cambodia that has made a difference.
Report Post »monroeslb
Posted on December 5, 2010 at 8:33amThat is an amazing success story!
Report Post »Cemoto78
Posted on December 5, 2010 at 8:53amThese are the type of immigrants that have made this the greatest country in the world. Legal immigration is a must, those who have decided to come in through the back door and become the dark side of immigration need to go back to their country of origin and try it the legal way. God bless this man and his wonderful achievements. Once again, it just goes to show you that hard work is the backbone to this wonderful country. People like this is what our youth should be looking up to, not those who scam the system and make it their purpose to apply and get every freebie they can, eg., food stamps, medicaid, welfare of any sort.
Report Post »DrammyCoke
Posted on December 5, 2010 at 9:43amGod bless America!!
Report Post »NapoHill15
Posted on December 5, 2010 at 11:34amThere’s another side to this story that beckons to be told . . . Factually, to be widely told. The essence of which rises to the top by the unassuming AP author witing about the Commander’s family still living in the violent Khmer region:
“They were concerned about the Khmer Rouge. No one had any idea what would happen, but they hoped for a better life for Mike.
Gradually, the letters to his relatives went unanswered as Cambodia spiraled into chaos. He forgot what little Khmer he knew, graduated from local high school and enlisted in the Navy. Like most Americans, he only later realized how many had died and suffered because of the Khmer Rouge’s nightmarish efforts to create an agricultural utopia”.
It’s the desire; the “nightmarish” desire to create a “utopia” that rises to a spiraled top sitting as the pinnacle of this story that larger than the subject itself. The sentiment here is magnificent in its own right; but then, we should also honor the Commander’s reality by embracing it as part of our own because his history is also ours. There are many here that understand that . . . and to those that don’t, pay closer attention to those that do so that you can join us in seeking truth.
America, as a nation, a collective mindset, the lessons of Cambodia and of our Navy and this, our Commander, have a shared and tragic history that can be traced back to the motives of a liberal group that organized and concentrated its emotive power for the causes of change, for the ideas of “utopia.” Admittedly, this AP author proclaims a truth worth repeating, that at that time, “no one had any idea what would happen.” The future then was also unknown due to corruption and threats of disarray, turmoil and destruction, economic and otherwise.
It is highly ironic then that this refugee returns to his place of “nightmarish utopia” leaving behind the shores of his future, an adopted country and safe haven, the country that we share but now mirrors his past, of before he was born when coalitions of “nightmarish utopia” existed still only in the minds of a few.
It is also highly ironic that the Khmer Rouge rose up out of the consequences of political corruption forming coalitions of those under the belief and emotive forces that something had been taken away from it, and was being deprived of its destiny. It resulted in the mass of populations traveling by way of the dark psychological corridors that lead to revolution, chaos, disorder, tyranny, punishment, all the rationalizations that open the doors that allow for the mind to contemplate human extermination, the expedient humane removal of all obstacles that stand in the way of one’s destiny.
This story makes you wonder . . . What is Mr. Obama’s destiny while he dreams of the obstacles of his desire to “return America to its rightful owners?” Does Nancy Pelosi have “nightmarish” dreams of attaining her “utopia?” By way of the coalitions they form, and those they belong to, do they not secretly embrace violence by protecting those that threaten it against their opposition? We could look to the “new” Black Panthers; and we could talk about that; their conception and growth, maturation and their purpose; we could do that for a while, put things into historical perspectives . . . contemplate our futures as we think of this boy, the irony of this refugee returning from his safe haven that is now itself moving towards, resembling the beginnings of “nightmarish utopia.”
We could think about that . . . or how nice of a Christmas time story that this is. That we share it with all that we spend the Holidays . . . to know there’s peace on Earth and goodwill towards men, somewhere; and that good eventually triumphs over evil.
Report Post »thepatriotdave
Posted on December 5, 2010 at 12:27pmWhat a great story.
PatriotShops.com
Report Post »Marcia
Posted on December 5, 2010 at 12:50pmWhat a blessing that American woman was to him as a boy – and what an incredible blessing America has been to this man. God bless him and his family.
Report Post »@leftfighter
Posted on December 5, 2010 at 1:55pmWhen I was growing up, I had a family of Cambodian refugees living across the street from me.
This is an amazing, and unfortunately rare, story of good that came out of that evil.
People forget that Cambodia was a direct result of us giving up in Iraq. That’s one concern I have about our deadlines for the current wars. Yes, we need to get out but not not at the expense of a bloodbath.
Report Post »captjack63
Posted on December 5, 2010 at 4:14pmIsn‘t it so typical of the reader’s who post on here that one Blames America for leaving people,ie;not to even mention the 58 thousand of our own country’s lives that were given in process.While other’s realize that this great success and reunion could only happen in America.GOD bless America,and the Marine Corp. Semper Fidelis.
Report Post »southerncross
Posted on December 7, 2010 at 4:04amremarkable? how can you sit there and watch this guy talk about “home” being anything other than the USA, given the fact you pay his wage, he commands US citizens, and he’s got access to top secret military documents……………and you wonder how the “enemy” keeps sticking it’s hands down your pants? well, this is about as close to seeing why as it gets! You CAN NOT allow IMIGRANTS to reach POWERFUL positions in your military or government, no matter HOW LONG they’ve been “citizens”……………..only a NATURAL BORN CITIZEN shall SERVE! and THAT is why you’re BROKE!
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