1524: From War-Torn Vietnam to America Finding Freedom, Purpose, and Healing After Conflict with Author & Activist Thuy Reed

Sunday, January 4, 2026

Thuy Reed is a Vietnamese American author whose life was shaped by war, loss, displacement, and resilience. Born in a small village in Vietnam during the war, she witnessed firsthand the devastation inflicted on families and communities, including the death of her brother, who was killed by a sniper at the age of 21. She left Vietnam as a young woman, believing she would return, only to have South Vietnam fall months later, permanently altering the course of her life. After immigrating to the United States, she navigated profound cultural shifts, built a new life, raised a family, and transformed her painful experiences into a lifelong commitment to peace, civic responsibility, and honoring the true cost of freedom.

In this episode of Marketer of the Day, Thuy Reed shares how her experiences motivated her to write Dear America: From Vietnam with Love, a memoir written as both a personal reflection and a message to her adopted country. She discusses her 12-year effort to help lift the U.S. trade embargo on Vietnam, her deep concerns about political violence and civic disengagement, and her belief that democracy requires education, participation, and accountability. Through her story, she emphasizes that war leaves generational wounds, violence does not win hearts or minds, and freedom must be protected through informed action rather than fear. The key takeaways center on valuing democracy, rejecting violence, staying engaged, and remembering the human cost behind political decisions.

Quotes:

“I do not like war, because the bullet that killed a boy on the battlefield went straight into his mother’s heart.”

“You cannot win hearts and minds with guns and bullets. You cannot.”

“This is America. If you want change, you work hard, you vote, and you stay engaged. You do not tear it down.”

“I love America with all my heart, because this is where everything that is me and mine is found.”

Resources:

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 28:31 — 39.2MB) | Embed

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