Our Foundation Is Inspired by a True Hero
Commander Lê Văn Thự
Leadership, Integrity, and Quiet Courage
Our foundation’s commitment to duty and service is also shaped by the life of our uncle, Commander Lê Văn Thự of the Republic of Vietnam Navy.
Raised in Huế, he experienced loss early and learned resilience young. A gifted student, he became a mathematics professor before leaving the classroom to serve his country during wartime. As captain of naval vessel HQ-16, he led forces during the 1974 Battle of the Paracel Islands (aka Trận Chiến Hoàng Sa), defending Vietnam’s sovereignty in one of the region’s defining naval conflicts over disputed territory.
When Saigon fell in 1975, he brought his mother, wife, and young son to the United States to begin again. In America, he lived simply and spoke little about the war. He did not seek recognition. Instead, he sought truth, later documenting his firsthand account of the Paracel Islands battle in The Truth About the Paracel Island Battle to preserve history with integrity and clarity.
Though he rebuilt his life in a new country, he never forgot those left behind. He consistently supported family members in Vietnam, demonstrating that service does not end with geography or circumstance.
From him, we learned that leadership is not about titles, it is about character. It is about answering the call when needed, standing firm in conviction, and quietly lifting others along the way.
His example reinforces the values at the heart of our foundation: courage rooted in principle, education as empowerment, and responsibility to the most vulnerable. Service is not only a moment in history, it is a lifelong commitment.
