VHM_0022

Vietnamese military honor awarded to Lieutenant Nguyễn Minh, specifically the National Order (Bảo Quốc Huân Chương) Fifth Class, conferred by Decree 033/TT/LĐQG/SL on February 1, 1967. The decoration is presented in a clear display case featuring a red beret adorned with an insignia, alongside the medal itself. The items are housed in a clear acrylic box set on a black base, with a white label that reads: 

"THIẾU TÁ NGUYỄN MINH, ĐỆ NGŨ ĐẲNG BẢO QUỐC HUÂN CHƯƠNG, DO SẮC LỆNH 033/ TT/LĐQG/SL, ngày 01/02/1967" 

"Major Nguyễn Minh, Fifth Class National Order of Merit, Awarded by Decree 033/TT/LĐQG/SL, dated 01/02/1967"

The National Order Medal (Bảo Quốc Huân Chương) is the highest military and civil decorations awarded by the Republic of Vietnam. Modeled after the French National Order of the Legion of Honor, the medal was issued in five classes. This one belonged specifically to the fifth class. This medal was presented to Major Nguyễn Minh on February 1, 1967, in recognition of his exceptional service in the Army of the Republic of Vietnam (ARVN). 

Born in Hà Nội in 1933, Nguyễn Minh initially joined the Việt Minh youth movement before turning away upon realizing its Communist affiliations. He then enlisted in the National Army of Vietnam (ARVN), beginning a long and decorated military career. In the ARVN, he served in critical intelligence, armored, and leadership roles across provinces including Kontum, Phước Long, and Tây Ninh. After the fall of Saigon in 1975, Nguyễn Minh was imprisoned for nearly seven years in a Communist forced labor camp. Upon his release in 1982, Nguyễn Minh fled Vietnam by boarding a fishing boat from Rạch Giá, Kiên Giang, on November 4. After three days at sea, he arrived in Thailand on November 7 and entered the Songkhla refugee camp. On March 13, 1983, he was transferred to the Sikiew camp, where he served as the Catholic community representative. His journey continued through several other refugee camps: Panasnikhom in Thailand (September 1984), Galang Island in Indonesia (October 1984), and finally the Hawkins Road refugee center in Singapore (February 1985) before arriving in the United States in March 1985. He eventually made his home in Honolulu, Hawaii, where he reunited with his family and lived for 29 years before retiring in 2006 and relocating to Westminster, California.