'I am proud to be Vietnamese on a US aircraft carrier'

That is the sharing of sailor Carlos Nguyen, one of the young people of Vietnamese origin, present on the aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan visiting Da Nang .

Doan Nhat Huyen Tran attracted much attention from visitors to the USS Ronald Reagan because she always smiled and spoke Vietnamese - Photo: DUY LINH

On June 27, the US ship USS Ronald Reagan continued to welcome Vietnamese visitors. After about 20 minutes of sailing from Tien Sa port, when stepping onto the ship weighing more than 100,000 tons, everyone immediately felt the stability under their feet instead of the feeling of swaying.

On the morning of June 27, visitors were allowed to visit the hangar and the deck, both of which housed a variety of fighter jets and helicopters. Visitors were free to take photos and film, but were not allowed to touch or climb on the aircraft as they were still active fighters.

On the deck, everyone was briefed on how to take off and land on an aircraft carrier. Any questions were answered by an American pilot who was flying a fighter jet on the USS Ronald Reagan.

Apparently to surprise the visitors, the organizers arranged for two Vietnamese sailors to welcome the group.

Among the more than 5,000 sailors on the USS Ronald Reagan , there are many of Vietnamese origin. This visit is an opportunity for them to return to their roots. Two sailors in their twenties, Doan Nhat Huyen Tran and Carlos Nguyen, had a short conversation with Tuoi Tre.

Carlos Nguyen shared that he has been to Vietnam 3 times but each time he was full of excitement - Photo: DUY LINH

Only 28 years old but with eight years of service in the US Navy, this is Carlos Nguyen's third visit to Vietnam. "The first time was when I was very young. The second time was when the USS Theodore Roosevelt aircraft carrier visited Vietnam in March 2020. This is the second aircraft carrier I have served on and both of them have been to Vietnam," he said.

Although he has been to Vietnam three times, Carlos said he is still eager to immerse himself in his native culture. His main job is to ensure that the mechanical equipment on board the aircraft is working properly. "I am proud to be Vietnamese on an American aircraft carrier," Carlos Nguyen said.

Huyen Tran and Carlos Nguyen welcome visitors to the USS Ronald Reagan aircraft carrier - Photo: DUY LINH

Doan Nhat Huyen Tran (23 years old) has worked for the US Navy for two years. Tran is from Nha Trang, and has loved working on ships since she was a child, but she never thought she would work on an aircraft carrier.

Sharing more about her work on the USS Ronald Reagan aircraft carrier, Huyen Tran said she is working as an aviation equipment support technician.

"My job is to maintain and repair equipment, tools to move aircraft on the ship, and many other devices to support aircraft repair departments," the sailor born in 1999 further explained.

During the welcoming ceremony on June 27, Huyen Tran became the center of attention because she always had a smile on her face, listened attentively and answered questions in fluent Vietnamese. She said she was very happy to return to Vietnam as a sailor on a US aircraft carrier.

Huyền Trân also confessed that she was surprised but happy to be known by many people. She also modestly said that her job on the aircraft carrier was "nothing too special".

The sailor, who is about to turn 24, also thanked everyone for paying attention to her and shared that there are many other Vietnamese people on the USS Ronald Reagan.

The USS Ronald Reagan aircraft carrier group visited Da Nang from June 25 to 30. Accompanying it were two escort cruisers. The aircraft carrier is more than 330m long, 76m wide, and displaces more than 100,000 tons. The USS Ronald Reagan is home to more than 5,000 people, including sailors and naval pilots. The ship can carry 90 aircraft of various types, mainly F/A-18 fighters.

Tuoitre.vn

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