HOF044: LE VAN Chau

LE Van Chau left Vietnam one day before the fall of Saigon. He, his wife, his infant, and nanny boarded a naval ship with 600 other passengers.  When they arrived at the Port of Vung Tau in Vietnam, the ship was quickly overcrowded when it picked many more passengers. The refugees eventually boarded an American ship that sailed to Subic Bay in the Philippines and then to Guam 13 days later.  Once in the Guam refugee camp, the family chose Canada as their preferred destination. They arrived in Canada on May 13, 1975.  Once established in Montreal, Quebec, Le Van Chau pursued his studies and in time earned his license to practice medicine in 1977. In April 1988, he volunteered to work with a medical group known as  "Médecins du monde Canada / L'ile de Lumière" during a period of three months to assist Vietnamese boat people seeking asylum. During this experience, he was reunited with one of his medical colleagues. He sponsored his colleague who also became a medical practitioner in Canada. He is the author of a book entitled: "En Mer de Chine" that recounts his journey to assist Vietnamese boat people.

 

 
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