Profile – VIETNAMESE AMERICAN FOUNDATION

Honoring The Fallen Heroes Of The Republic Of Vietnam Is What We Do!

Board Of Directors

MR.THANH D. NGUYEN

Founder, Chairman of The Board

Mr. Thanh D. Nguyen graduated from South Vietnam’s Thu Duc Military School, Class No. 12, in August 1962 and then completed a series of other military training for high ranking officers. His last ranking was Major (Thieu Ta) in charge Chief of Tactical Operation Center of Chau Doc, Southern Vietnam. After the Fall of Saigon (April 1975), Mr. Thanh Nguyen spent more than 9 years in prison camps in North Vietnam (from May 1975 to October 1984). He and his family arrived in New York in October 1990 through the U.S. government’s Humanitarian Order (H.O.) and then moved to Houston, Texas in July 1991. He and his family are currently living in Houston Texas, U.S.A.

Unlike most people at his age who accepted the fate of “too late to start it over” when it comes to education, he managed to earn his degree as a Legal Assistant from the Southwestern Legal Institute (Texas, U.S.A) while working full-time to support his family. He also received many scholarship offers to further his study in the legal field but he declined due to family responsibilities. After graduating, he then worked for the Brazos Law Office until 2008.

Mr. Thanh is the Founder and currently serving as the Chairman of the Board & President of the Vietnamese American Foundation. His unyielding passion, mission and purpose of his remaining days is to do everything he possibly can to promote, preserve and honor the legacy of the Fallen Heroes of the Republic of South Vietnam. “The promise that I made to my friends when I buried them (in prison camps) was that if I ever made it out alive, I will do everything I possibly can to bring them home to their families and that promise is still living inside of me each remaining days of my life.” , said Mr. Thanh Nguyen.

MR. HUAN NGUYEN

Board of Director & CEO

Born in Huế, South Vietnam, Mr. Nguyen survived the 1968 Tet Offensive, in which his parents and siblings were killed. He was gravely wounded but escaped and later fled Vietnam with his uncle in 1975.
As a refugee, he lived in Guam before settling in Oklahoma, working odd jobs and attending school.
Earned a BS in Electrical Engineering from Oklahoma State University in 1981.
Holds three master’s degrees: Electrical Engineering (SMU), Engineering (Purdue), and Information Technology (Carnegie Mellon, highest distinction).
Commissioned in 1993 as a Reserve Engineering Duty Officer.
Served in technical and leadership roles in Japan, Iraq, Afghanistan, and at NAVSEA, specializing in cyber and electronic warfare.
In October 2019, became the first Vietnamese American U.S. Navy Rear Admiral, appointed as NAVSEA Deputy Commander for Cyber Engineering.
Decorated with multiple honors: Legion of Merit (×3), Bronze Star, Meritorious Service, and Navy Commendation awards.
In 2020, honored with OSU’s Melvin R. Lohmann Medal and inducted into its Engineering Hall of Fame.
Retired on October 7, 2022, after nearly 30 years of service—recognized for founding NAVSEA’s Cyber Engineering Directorate.
Currently serves as a senior advisor at NAVSEA and sits on the National Bureau of Asian Research board, mentoring and championing cybersecurity efforts.

DR. KEVIN DANG

Board of Director & Chief Of External Affairs

Kevin and his family migrated to the United States from Vietnam in 1989 when he was ten years old. He received his Pharmacy Doctorate Degree from the University of Connecticut School Of Pharmacy in 2003 and earned his Master of Business Administration Degree from Grand Canyon University in 2017. Kevin is currently working as a Pharmacy Director at Dignity Health Arizona General Hospital and as a part-time adjunct faculty at Grand Canyon University.
Kevin firmly believes that volunteering work, activism, advocacy, and leadership are the essential elements for success in the community. He is committed to helping the indigent population and giving back to the community. To him, serving the community is rewarding and has enriched his life in many aspects. Kevin has served two terms as the President of the Vietnamese Community of Arizona, and is currently engaging in various community-related projects serving people from all communities in the Phoenix metropolitan area.
Kevin is a current member of City of Phoenix's Licensing Appeal Board and is presently serving citizens of Arizona in his role as a member of the Arizona State Board of Pharmacy as well as the Arizona Regulatory Board of Physician Assistants. As a healthcare provider, Kevin is compassionate about patient’s wellbeing and always exhibits his alacrity and enthusiasm in exploring ways to make lasting contributions to the healthcare system at the local and state levels.

MR. NGHI PHAM

Board of Director & Finance

Mr. Pham is a graduate of the University of Houston, 2007, majoring in accounting. He currently lives in Houston Texas with his wife and two lovely kids. Mr. Pham is currently serving as a Board member in charge of Finance for VAF and a member of the Core Leadership Team.
VAF helped his aunt to locate and brought back home his uncle in law, Airforce Captain Mr. Nguyen Vinh Thang’s remains. As result, He appreciated and joined VAF in 2007 as a member of the Casualty Family where his focus is on locating missing remains of those who died in the “Re-education Camps” and bringing them home to their family.
Oversees VAF’s finances and serves on the Core Leadership Team. Handle webmaster duties and liaised with casualty families (2008–present)

DR. DONGCHAU NGUYEN

Board of Director & Chief Operating Officer

Đông-Châu always cherishes his childhood time visiting his father stationed at various army bases in South Vietnam. He feels fortunate and blessed that his father survived the war and subsequent years of imprisonment in the so called “re-education” camps after 1975. Many other children were not as lucky. Đông-Châu is determined to devote his best effort to help the younger generations of the fallen heroes of the Republic of Vietnam.

He is married and a proud father of four residing in Houston, Texas. He obtained his B.A. in Mathematics from Wesleyan University (Middletown, Connecticut) and his Doctor of Medicine (MD, 1993) from Jefferson Medical College (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania). He completed his internship and residency in Internal Medicine (1993-1996) at Jefferson Medical College and Thomas Jefferson University Hospital (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania). He then completed his Fellowship in Cardiovascular Disease (1996-1999) and Fellowship in Interventional Cardiology (1998-2000) at Harvard Medical School and Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (Boston, Massachusetts). He is a Diplomate of the American Board of Internal Medicine with double board certification in Cardiovascular Disease and in Interventional Cardiology. His father had served as Chief Medical Officer for the 25th Division of the Republic of Vietnam Armed Forces (SĐ25BB QLVNCH). After his release from the prison camps, his father had led his family to successfully escape from Vietnam by boat. They arrived in the USA as boat people and political refugees in 1980.

MR. Attorney TOM HOANG

Board of Director & Legal Counsel

Born in Bac Lieu 1965
Left Vietnam April 30, 1975 as refugee as Boat person
Accepted into US as refugee December 1975 after brief stay at refugee camp in Hong Kong
Settled in Columbus, Indiana in December 1975
Move to Houston, Texas summer 1976
Attended high school and college and law school in Houston, Texas
Licensed to practice law in the State of Texas 1995
Married with three sons
Practice law in private practice in Houston, Texas
Hobbies: movies and yard work
Hosted weekly legal show on Saigon Network Television (SGN) 2014-2019
Hosts weekly legal show on Radio Saigon Houston 900AM 1999-current