FORT PIERCE — From July 19–21, the Navy SEALs will take part in a reunion 45 years in the making.
The National Navy SEAL Museum, in conjunction with the Navy SEAL Foundation and UDT-SEAL Association, is pleased to announce that Nguyen Hoang Minh and his wife, Hyunh Thi Nhi, will make their first visit to the U.S. to be reunited with members of SEAL Team Two, whom they assisted during the Vietnam War.
A Vietnamese interpreter and operator, Minh worked hand-in-hand with numerous SEAL Team Two platoons. After having lost contact for more than 40 years, retired Brown Water Navy Officer John Donovan eventually located Minh.
Minh and his wife will be the honored guests of over 5,000 former and active duty SEALs and their families at the Navy SEAL annual reunion at the Naval Amphibious Base, Little Creek, VA over the July 20th weekend.
In the Mekong Delta in the late 1960’s, Minh and his wife risked everything to assist the Navy SEALs in numerous dangerous operations. Minh was wounded several times in his work as undercover intelligence source, point man, gunman, and translator.
Minh is one of a kind. He’s the only Vietnamese civilian to have acted in this capacity with SEAL platoons during the war, and has become a somewhat mythical figure in Vietnam-era SEAL lore. His wife’s role was also significant, as she became the primary contact for “intel” on the Viet Cong.
Together their contributions marked a turning point in SEAL mission success. Over the last few years it has taken fundraising, government cooperation, and SEAL perseverance to make this historic trip a reality.
Before traveling to Virginia, the couple will spend time at the Navy SEAL Museum while staying at the Trident House located in Sebastian, a private home donated to the Navy SEAL Museum and located nearby.
The house is used as an “R&R” accommodation for SEALs and their families. Several of the couple’s old friends from SEAL platoons will visit and even stay with them at Trident House.
For more information, please contact UDT-SEAL Museum Executive Director Rick Kaiser at (772) 595-5845 ext. 205 or by email at Rick@NavySealMuseum.com or Mary Ann Koenig at (917) 656-2800 or by email at MAK@R-Dog.biz.
