Binh Gia 50 Years

This was a huge campsite filled with over three hundred people. Everyone who had lived in that village had at least a story to share. My dad, Dinh Van Khang, had a story to tell about Vietnam War when he saw huge bombs and heard extremely loud planes. I can’t believe that all these people from all over the world would come just for the 50th anniversary of the village. This anniversary at the campsite was where people can be reunited after a long time of being separated. People there were always happy even after what they had suffered, like losing loved ones during the war. At first I didn’t want to go, my dad practically had to drag me there. Now that it’s over and I had fun, I wish I could go back in time and start Binh Gia all over again. Before mass, the men would talk about how the soldiers shed their own blood so we don’t have to be controlled by the communists today.

Ever since the day I came back from the camp, I wonder why I am here in America today. It was my parents’ intentions to get away from the memories of the war and to have freedom for their children. Viet Nam is where it all begins, that’s why all of these people came to this camp to celebrate. What I think of Binh Gia is a place, where all of these people can be united after so many years.

I had a lot of fun at the camp. We were selling stuff and catching frogs. A lot of people were just working together to help keeping others cool from the intense heat. All I think of Binh Gia is a big group of people working together. It’s like how they were working together to get onto boats to escape through the South China Sea to Canada, America, and other countries. That’s how people were separated, but now we are reunited with peace and happiness. At nightfall, we would gather in a circle to sing silly songs in the great white tent, everyone seemed to enjoy and was having a lot of fun.

On our departure day, the 4th of July, when it was to say good bye and pack up, that was a bit depressing. I was just walking around, watching people packing and shaking hands and hugging to say farewells. Well, an idea came to my mind, maybe in 50 years we’ll have a 100 years anniversary , but I wonder who’ll be there to share more stories for us young people . For now during this 50th anniversary I’ll have memories of a great summer camp experience with the kids I met there, memories of us catching frogs, starting a fire to roast marshmallows, make delicious s’mores, selling bottles of water, putting out the campfire while we sang ho ho ha he ha ho ha he around the fire, and playing games. My friends, I’ll always remember the summer of the year 2005. I’ll also remember those sharing moments, stories from my parents or other elders of how Binh Gia Village had started, suffered through war, and struggled for 50 years and still reuniting today. Although not everyone was able, with over 300 hundred people attending, that says something about our strong village. I will have these memories with me especially how big it was when we had this big group picture with everyone.

Tammy Dinh
Pennsylvania USA
9 years old