N g u y e n N g o c P h u
U V S A E x t e r n a l V i c e P r e s i d e n t
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http://www.thsv.org/special/ngocphu/default.aspx
Phu Heo--words cannot describe the pain that I am going through as I am trying to cope with your sudden death. I spent the entire weekend with you in SoCal two days before you passed away. We went to an all day meeting on Saturday, and on Sunday you accompanied me on a road trip down south, and then suddenly just a few days afterwards, you were taken away from us.
Phu Heo, from the bottom of my heart, thank you for always being there for me. You have helped me so much in the last months to deal with my hardship, and I am honored being able to be there for you through your hardship as well. Your loss has sent shockwaves throughout the entire international Vietnamese community and in this past week, I have received tons of emails from all over the world. Yet, even after you have passed away, you continue to make us a stronger community, as we have spent more times with each other as a circle of friends this past week than I ever had this entire year.
Phu Heo, even though I am grieving and trying to deal with the pain, I am happy and honored to have known you, to have worked with you on so many projects for a better Vietnam. You have touched so many people with your happy and altruistic character, and my heart aches knowing that you cannot be with us as we continue on our road to humanity. You always said "Chuye^.n nho? tre^n con ddu+o+`ng nha^n ba?n". Phu, you ARE that road to humanity.
Thank you for being my friend, thank you for San Diego, for DH3, for the Shaolin Brothers video, for being locked out on the roof during DH3, for misspelling Lien La.c on national TV, for the endless DaVinci Code discussions, for Tet, for Radio TNSV that gave me so much laughter in depressing Seattle, for taking care of our community, for your love of a country, for being a role model to us all. Sydney will not be the same without you this year, but you will always be with us, wherever our fight for a better Vietnam takes us. You have paved the road for us, and we all miss you greatly.