“Back then, Vietnam was embargoed, and link xem bóng đá trực tuyến people suffered a lot from poverty. Who could’ve thought that it was possible, to launch a flight from Vietnam to anywhere? After all, only true patriots took what it takes to complete that mission.”, Mr. Johnathan Hanh Nguyen recalled link xem bóng đá trực tuyến time of 35 years ago, when he was given an “impossible mission” from link xem bóng đá trực tuyến country. 

 

BACK TO VIETNAM FOR link xem bóng đá trực tuyến MISSION FROM link xem bóng đá trực tuyến PRIME MINISTER

By link xem bóng đá trực tuyến end of 1984, while being a respected finance inspectorate of Boeing Airline, Mr. Johnathan Hanh Nguyen took a surprising call from link xem bóng đá trực tuyến Vietnam Representative Office at link xem bóng đá trực tuyến United Nations, invited him to pay a visit to Vietnam. With so much thrill, he said yes, and brought his wife and children back to Vietnam right away for link xem bóng đá trực tuyến trip. Then, he had a meeting with link xem bóng đá trực tuyến Minister Pham Van Dong in Ha Noi City, to talk about launching an international flight for Vietnam. Having worked in link xem bóng đá trực tuyến airline industry for a long time, Mr. Hanh fully understood how complex this task was, in link xem bóng đá trực tuyến context of being embargoed by link xem bóng đá trực tuyến US government at that time. Still, he took link xem bóng đá trực tuyến job and said: “I’ll try my best.”

From link xem bóng đá trực tuyến left to right: Mr. Rudy Martel, Marcos’s brother-in-law, Minister Pham Van Dong, Mr. Johnathan Hanh Nguyen and link xem bóng đá trực tuyến Minister’s assistant.

 

Unfortunately, during this trip in Vietnam, two of his children has a severe VHF (Viral Hermorrhagic Fever) with link xem bóng đá trực tuyến risk of death. Lack of medical equipment as hospital were, link xem bóng đá trực tuyến doctors in Nha Trang city has put all of their efforts to fight for his children’s lives. This incident came to his realization that this was link xem bóng đá trực tuyến common situation in Vietnam at that time, where millions of Vietnamese children all at his child’s age are at danger of link xem bóng đá trực tuyến disease threat. Without link xem bóng đá trực tuyến medical equipment to supply for link xem bóng đá trực tuyến hospital, they might not survive. But how can link xem bóng đá trực tuyến hospital could get that medical supplies if there is no international flight to import them to Vietnam? At that moment, Mr. Hanh finally understand link xem bóng đá trực tuyến weight of link xem bóng đá trực tuyến given mission by link xem bóng đá trực tuyến Prime Minister.

When back to Philippines, Mr. Hanh talked with his wife’s family (his wife is a cousin of link xem bóng đá trực tuyến First Lady). link xem bóng đá trực tuyến proposal he made was not taken easily, as link xem bóng đá trực tuyến President Ferdinand Marcos (Philippines President from 1965 to 1986) told to never mention about launching link xem bóng đá trực tuyến flight.

This kept Mr. Hanh up for many nights, with link xem bóng đá trực tuyến obsession from link xem bóng đá trực tuyến CNN news where they reported thousands and thousands of Vietnamese was robbed and attacked by link xem bóng đá trực tuyến pirates on link xem bóng đá trực tuyến way of crossing oversea. He set his determination to make this task happen and seeked for link xem bóng đá trực tuyến advices from link xem bóng đá trực tuyến lawyers and US Associations. They told him it was more likely possible to apply for launching link xem bóng đá trực tuyến humanitarian flight, instead of commercial flight. And that advice was a great idea.

On May 22 1985, Mr. Hanh has registered and founded PHL Company to hire airplanes from Vietnam Airline to prepare for link xem bóng đá trực tuyến international flight launch. Still, when he proposed this to link xem bóng đá trực tuyến Philippines Department of Foreign Affair and Department of Aviation, once again they warned him that “this is a dangerous and impossible mission because link xem bóng đá trực tuyến president will not approve it”. After thinking it through, Mr. Hanh insisted: “I’ll take link xem bóng đá trực tuyến responsibility for this task by myself. All I need is your approval, and I will hire link xem bóng đá trực tuyến airplane to do it.”

 

link xem bóng đá trực tuyến MOMENT OF FACING WITH PRESIDENT MARCOS

On August 27 1985, Mr. Hanh completed his files and talked to Rita, his sister-in-law and also link xem bóng đá trực tuyến president’s assistant. “Whenever you see him in a good mood, let me know. I need to talk to him”. Mr. Hanh told. After that is a long time of waiting and staying nervous, to receive link xem bóng đá trực tuyến call from Rita. At 7:00 PM, on September 4 1985, Rita finally told him “Come over! He’s in a good mood this evening”. Knowing this is link xem bóng đá trực tuyến moment he’s been waiting for, Mr. Hanh called Mr. Tran Vinh Tien, link xem bóng đá trực tuyến Vietnam Representative in Philippines to see link xem bóng đá trực tuyến President together. By then, his mind’s already prepared for link xem bóng đá trực tuyến worst scenario. “In case I was arrested for proposing this, ask for help from link xem bóng đá trực tuyến Vietnam Government.”, he told his wife, briefly.

At 8:00 PM, on Sep 4 1985, President office was oddly quiet. Mr. Hanh drove link xem bóng đá trực tuyến car of Vietnam Embassy straight to link xem bóng đá trực tuyến office. Inside link xem bóng đá trực tuyến place, Rita has been waiting. He came and asked her to submit link xem bóng đá trực tuyến files to link xem bóng đá trực tuyến president, but she shook her head. He proceeded to ask link xem bóng đá trực tuyến Colonel and received link xem bóng đá trực tuyến second head shaking. By this time, he knew he has to take link xem bóng đá trực tuyến risk and do it all by himself. President office was almost empty. Only him sat at link xem bóng đá trực tuyến desk, signed documents under link xem bóng đá trực tuyến light of a blue lamps. Mr. Hanh stood on link xem bóng đá trực tuyến left to submit link xem bóng đá trực tuyến files and convinced link xem bóng đá trực tuyến president to sign. “He was indeed in a good mood. link xem bóng đá trực tuyến meeting was quick and somehow magical. I got his signature that night.”

“link xem bóng đá trực tuyến feeling back then was strange. link xem bóng đá trực tuyến steps I took inside was so heavy. But when I got out, they were light as link xem bóng đá trực tuyến air. I tried to walk as quickly as I could without making any noise. Cause I was so afraid that he could change his mind at anytime.”

“A minutes ago, I came to link xem bóng đá trực tuyến room with 2 questions. link xem bóng đá trực tuyến first one was “what to ask him for”. If I said I ask him to approve for link xem bóng đá trực tuyến international flight with Vietnam, I would be a dead man as he already said “no” to that many times. link xem bóng đá trực tuyến second one was “How can I enter here without link xem bóng đá trực tuyến informing from link xem bóng đá trực tuyến colonel and assistant.” If he found out, we’d be doomed.”, Mr. Hanh told. I ran out to link xem bóng đá trực tuyến hall and saw Rita. Trying to keep it down, I screamed to her “Yes, I did it” and ran to Mr. Vinh to announce him link xem bóng đá trực tuyến good news. We were hugging and crying after that – Mr. Hanh recalled. It took a while for Mr. Hanh to find out at that time, link xem bóng đá trực tuyến opposed side in Philippines had risen up a coup, while link xem bóng đá trực tuyến US were trying to put pressure on Marcos’s government. That’s why  president wasn’t contented with link xem bóng đá trực tuyến US. Maybe because of that, when one member of link xem bóng đá trực tuyến family asked for link xem bóng đá trực tuyến idea of an international flight with Vietnam, he approved right away.

That night, when link xem bóng đá trực tuyến news got to Vietnam, link xem bóng đá trực tuyến government was jubilant. Then, Mr. Hanh continued to receive another task, where he had to make link xem bóng đá trực tuyến international flight happen in two days, in link xem bóng đá trực tuyến context of every legal procedure in aviation at that time must take two weeks. So he rushed to see Rita and asked her to submit link xem bóng đá trực tuyến files to link xem bóng đá trực tuyến related offices in link xem bóng đá trực tuyến night. It was a stressful moment, so much that every sound came from Rita’s typing machine became a terrifying noise as he was so afraid to miss link xem bóng đá trực tuyến deadline. In link xem bóng đá trực tuyến meantime, link xem bóng đá trực tuyến admin of link xem bóng đá trực tuyến President office was waiting outside to sign all link xem bóng đá trực tuyến documents and prepared link xem bóng đá trực tuyến rest.

When having link xem bóng đá trực tuyến official archives, on link xem bóng đá trực tuyến next day, Mr. Hanh directly brought them to submit at link xem bóng đá trực tuyến offices of related departments, and link xem bóng đá trực tuyến Aviation Department. Within 5 days, on Sep 9, 1985, with link xem bóng đá trực tuyến supports of many departments, Vietnam has its first international flight from Tan Son Nhat Airport to Manila and backward. This marked a new era in link xem bóng đá trực tuyến international partnership between Vietnam Airline and foreign countries.

 

Mr. Phan Tuong – Director of Tan Son Nhat Airport was thrilled to meet Embassy Luu Dinh Ve at link xem bóng đá trực tuyến Flight launching event between Ho Chi Minh – Manila on 9/9/1985.

link xem bóng đá trực tuyến first international flight was link xem bóng đá trực tuyến flight B-707, with link xem bóng đá trực tuyến attendance of 31 leaders from many Vietnam departments and aviation company, alongside with link xem bóng đá trực tuyến press. link xem bóng đá trực tuyến crew leader was Mr. Phan Tuong, director of SASCO, and his crew, including 11 members, landed on Manila Airport by 9:30 AM on 9/9/1985. On link xem bóng đá trực tuyến way back to Vietnam, link xem bóng đá trực tuyến plane brought 30 tons of gifts from link xem bóng đá trực tuyến oversea Vietnamese. On that day, Mr. Luu Dinh Ve, link xem bóng đá trực tuyến Vietnam Embassy at Philippines asked Mr. Hanh in tears: “link xem bóng đá trực tuyến Russian had asked for a flight for 20 years but never succeeded. How did you do it in weeks?”. Mr. Hanh couldn’t decide where to begin his long challenging story, so he smiled for link xem bóng đá trực tuyến answer.

 

Flight Crew B-707 of Vietnam National Airline visited link xem bóng đá trực tuyến Vietnam Embassy in Manila on 09/09/1985.

link xem bóng đá trực tuyến people in Vietnam received link xem bóng đá trực tuyến gifts at Tan Son Nhat Airport in 1985.

Mr. Tran Tien Vinh, link xem bóng đá trực tuyến man who was with Mr. Hanh link xem bóng đá trực tuyến whole time, on link xem bóng đá trực tuyến way to President Office that night has confirmed every detail has been told in this story.

 

MISSION COMPLETE

After link xem bóng đá trực tuyến first flight to bring gifts from oversea Vietnamese, Mr. Hanh arranged link xem bóng đá trực tuyến next trips to prioritize transporting link xem bóng đá trực tuyến medical equipment. As link xem bóng đá trực tuyến flight route was opened, link xem bóng đá trực tuyến medicals were sent more frequently so link xem bóng đá trực tuyến children and link xem bóng đá trực tuyến patients were finally taken a good care. However, link xem bóng đá trực tuyến image of link xem bóng đá trực tuyến people who was attacked and found dead on link xem bóng đá trực tuyến way of crossing oversea still haunted link xem bóng đá trực tuyến mind of Hanh Nguyen.

He then sought for Soeur Pascale Le Thi Triu, link xem bóng đá trực tuyến woman who participated many humanitarian projects in Philippines and Vietnam. She took him to see link xem bóng đá trực tuyến oversea Vietnamese at link xem bóng đá trực tuyến refugee camp in Philippines’s islands. They were all in traumatic conditions, after witnessing so many violence and accidents happening to their love ones on link xem bóng đá trực tuyến way here. They took it so bad that they thought Mr. Hanh was a threat and planned to attacked him. But nothing happened when he came, and raised his hand with link xem bóng đá trực tuyến flight permission, told them: “I got link xem bóng đá trực tuyến permission to get a flight. Please tell your family stop crossing oversea. It is dangerous. Give me time to make this happen. Each flight can contain 148 people. I am fighting to get you a humanitarian flight. All you need to do is to tell your family to fill in link xem bóng đá trực tuyến registration form and I will make this flight happen. Don’t risk your life by crossing over link xem bóng đá trực tuyến sea anymore.”

They were so thrilled, some even kneel down to say thanks.

And he made it happen. link xem bóng đá trực tuyến humanitarian flight from programs “Obstacles Departure Procedures” (ODP - to take link xem bóng đá trực tuyến people from former regime to USA) and program “Humanitarian Operation” (HO) was respectively taken place. These humanitarian actions were praised by link xem bóng đá trực tuyến global news, but still, Mr. Hanh had a goal on his mind he needed to complete. That goal was to transform link xem bóng đá trực tuyến humanitarian flights into commercial flights. But he has to wait for link xem bóng đá trực tuyến right day. And it finally came. On 28/11/1988, he contributed to happenings of link xem bóng đá trực tuyến Aviation Pact. With this pact, Vietnam is no longer put under link xem bóng đá trực tuyến Embargo by link xem bóng đá trực tuyến US and started to operate link xem bóng đá trực tuyến commercial flight with other countries. Only then, link xem bóng đá trực tuyến mission, from Prime Minister Pham Van Dong to Mr. Hanh, was complete. He handed over link xem bóng đá trực tuyến rest for link xem bóng đá trực tuyến Vietnam Airline and Philippines Airline.

 

REWARD AND 2 THINGS TO REMEMBER

By link xem bóng đá trực tuyến time Vietnam has its first international flight with Philippines, Mr. Johnathan Hanh Nguyen was only 35 years old. What makes a young man risk his stable life to conduct a dangerous flight despite many challenges? “link xem bóng đá trực tuyến answer is link xem bóng đá trực tuyến love for country.” – He said.

After completing his mission, Mr. Hanh and President’s brother-in-law was invited by Minister Pham Van Dong to a meeting. He said to Hanh Nguyen: “Thank you. This country owns you.”. Then he rewarded his family 8 visas to go from Philippines to USA. After visiting Minister Pham Van Dong, Mr. Hanh met Mr. Tran Quynh, link xem bóng đá trực tuyến Vice President of link xem bóng đá trực tuyến Ministry Council. He held Mr. Hanh’s hands, told him: “There’s 2 things I want you to remember. First, when establish business in Vietnam, you need patience. Second, when operate business, you need to obey link xem bóng đá trực tuyến laws of Vietnam, link xem bóng đá trực tuyến regulation of link xem bóng đá trực tuyến Party. Then you will get all link xem bóng đá trực tuyến support and protection from Vietnam Government & people.” It took a while to figure out link xem bóng đá trực tuyến true meaning of these words, he said. When Vietnam opened link xem bóng đá trực tuyến gate to link xem bóng đá trực tuyến world, there’d be conflicts, obstacles that needed link xem bóng đá trực tuyến patience to run link xem bóng đá trực tuyến business for link xem bóng đá trực tuyến flight route.

"That time, in order to keep link xem bóng đá trực tuyến flight route open, I had lost 5 million USD. But if I shut down link xem bóng đá trực tuyến flight route to stop link xem bóng đá trực tuyến loss, then all link xem bóng đá trực tuyến efforts have been made would become nothing. After that, I found out that there are many regulations and laws was in link xem bóng đá trực tuyến way of link xem bóng đá trực tuyến business I ran and invested in Vietnam. Things that if I hadn’t tried my best to obey, I would have lost in link xem bóng đá trực tuyến wrong track in link xem bóng đá trực tuyến later years. So that was link xem bóng đá trực tuyến 2 most precious things that I have been advised and still keep to myself till this day, after 35 years of my business establishment in Vietnam." – Mr. Hanh told.

 

Source:Báo Giao Thông