TOUCHED by the Vietnamese War, Khuu Binh Hue and his three year old daughter Khuu Thi Mai Trang have known the fear of the war, himself as a helicopter pilot and herself hearing the rumblings of bombs.

A family that rode a helicopter to safety after South Vietnam’s surrender are the first refugees to move to New Ulm.

The family of Khuu Binh Hue arrived in New Ulm Tuesday.

They are being sponsored by a single family in New Ulm that has been working quietly since April to bring a refugee family to the city.

THOMAS KUSTER, 317 Hollywood Ave., said he wanted to keep the news of sponsorship out of the press until after he had met with the refugees to determine whether they would be averse to publicity.

The Kusters met the Khuus at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport Tuesday afternoon, and the family arrived in New Ulm late in the day.

For 2-year-old Khuu Thi Khmh Trang and her mother Lan Tran Thu being safe in New Ulm is warm smiles. (Photos by Steve Kohls)

Khuu, 30, a helicopter pilot who had trained in the United States, brings with him his wife, Tran Thu Lan, 28; three daughters, Khuu Thi Thu Trang,7, Khuu Thi Mai Trang, 3,and Khuu Thi Thmh Trang, 2; and his cousin, Le Minh Hung,21, also a helicopter pilot.

Khuu said that as far as a job is concerned, he will take “any kind we can (get), but right now I don’t know.” He is the only member of the family who speaks English.

His wife, he explained, took French in school rather than English, and the 7-year-old girl can speak English greetings.

“At this time, I need all the people in this town,” Khuu said.

KUSTER, a professor at Dr. Martin Luther College, indicated that he contacted the International Rescue Committee in New York last April to begin steps to obtain a family.

For the time being, at least, the Khuus will be staying in living quarters created for them in the basement of the Kuster home.

“I think it’s the same way it came to many other people,” Kuster said when asked what prompted the sponsorship. “When we heard that there would be many refugees and they would need sponsors, we took stock of what we had and decided we had enough to share.”

He indicated that he had made some preliminary inquiries about employment opportunities for the family, but that serious job-hunting would take place now that they are in New Ulm.

During the next few days, he said, Khuu will be looking for work. The family will be attempting to learn English, starting to get settled and getting to know the people of the community.

They will also be working with a group at Mankato State College that is offering a class for Vietnamese in the United States, Kuster said.”We’ll just take one step at a time,” he added.

THE KHUUS escaped Vietnam April 30 and arrived at the refugee camp in Ft. Chaffee, Ark., May 12.

Khuu, who was a helicopter pilot in the South Vietnamese Air Force, said that within 15 minutes of the announcement of the surrender, he took a helicopter and began his escape.

In a plan worked out with his family earlier,he flew the helicopter to his family’s house, in Cantho province south of Saigon, where his wife and daughters boarded while he watched others contemplating escape gather below.

IN LEAVING the country, he had to leave his parents and seven brothers and sisters. He said that he has heard no word from them since his escape.

After picking up his family, he flew the craft to an American aircraft carrier. After the family disembarked, Khuu said, the helicopter was thrown overboard to make room for other refugees.

His cousin Le, according to Thuu, also escaped the fallen country by taking a helicopter.

In addition to his relatives, Thuu also had to leave all his possessions, other than the clothes the family was wearing, behind. The family carried only two suitcases when it arrived in New Ulm.

“I don’t know exactly, but I think the VC (Viet Cong) would kill if we stay in Vietnam,” Khuu said. “No choice, we must go. I cannot live with the VC.”

ONE BROTHER, Khuu Tong Giang,escaped to Canada, he said. He just made contact with him for the first time Monday.

“My brother, he wanted me to go to Canada with him, but I already told him that I wanted to stay in America,” Khuu added. “I want to stay here a long time and find a job.”

New Ulm Daily Journal

July 23, 1975