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James Van Thach
Average Member
USA
68 Posts |
 Posted - 08/04/2009 : 06:24:51
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Army National Guard veteran Sinh Tho Nguyen, of Fort Worth, is walking across America to honor America and its troops.
Youtube Video documentary of Sinh Tho Nguyen: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tZqlWI9ZIqw
Star Telegram -- He had been traveling 44 days, walking, walking, walking since early June, when he left Atlantic Beach, Fla., the starting point of his one-man, 2,600-mile patriotic parade.
His days began shortly after dawn. He walked alone for hours, under the wilting sun.
On he went, into the night, smiling, waving at honking truckers and others who spotted his silhouette ˇX an irrepressibly cheerful man with a sign across his back ˇX along the shoulder of some state highway.
Above his right shoulder waved the American flag.
His feet carried him across northern Florida, where he showered in a coin-operated car wash.
He walked the breadth of Georgia.
He crossed Alabama, Montgomery, Selma, Demopolis ˇX into Mississippi.
"Thatˇ¦s enough today," urged the friend who is slowly driving the walkerˇ¦s compact car along the cross-country route.
They communicate on cellphones.
"Two more miles," was the typical reply.
Resolute, the walker soldiered on, covering 31 miles one day, until the concerned friend insisted that they stop for the night.
They slept in the car, in the front seats ˇX or occasionally pitched a tent on a church lawn.
Once a week, they stayed in an economy motel.
They stored food in an ice chest in the car. They dined on lunchmeat sandwiches or cold noodles or whatever strangers offered them, along with encouragement, best wishes and prayers.
ˇ¦The sky is the limitˇ¦
Sinh Tho Nguyen was limping when he left Louisiana for Texas last week.
Layers of skin peeled from the soles of his calloused feet.
Swollen, cracked and badly blistered, his feet needed medical attention, but he wasnˇ¦t about to stop once he reached the edge of Tarrant County. With his face turned to the afternoon sun, the weary traveler headed west, buoyed by thoughts of family and the comforting prospect of falling asleep in his own bed.
"There is no place like Fort Worth!" said Nguyen, beaming.
Nguyen, a 40-year-old water meter reader, is recuperating at the Fort Worth home of his sister, where he lives.
The Army and Texas National Guard veteran saw a Veterans Administration hospital doctor Friday. He said the physician strongly advised him to rest for at least two weeks and referred him to a podiatrist.
"I already miss walking," Nguyen said.
He hopes to reach San Diego in November.
"In America, the sky is the limit," Nguyen said, when asked about his motivation for his odyssey. "I always have a dream that I would do something bigger than myself to reflect my love. I only want to thank America and honor all those who serve."
U.S. citizen
Born in Vietnam in 1969, Nguyen was, in his words, a "war baby," the son of a man he never knew, an American soldier, named Rodriguez.
Nguyen doesnˇ¦t know whether his father was among the 58,000 Americans killed in the Vietnam War.
"I always pray that he has a happy life," Nguyen said. "A happy family. Proud in every way of what he does."
At 23, Nguyen applied for a visa and arrived in the United States in 1992. He moved to Fort Worth three years later. Now a U.S. citizen, he received an undergraduate degree from the University of Texas at Arlington. While stationed at the Armyˇ¦s Fort Meade in Maryland, Nguyen attended Bowie State University in Bowie, Md., at night and earned a masterˇ¦s degree in counseling psychology.
About 1 1/2 years ago, he decided to broaden his education by undertaking this walk across the land he loves. He saved about $25,000 for expenses. On his job as a contracted meter reader, he met David Dominguez, a 25-year-old co-worker, who quit his job to make the six-month trip.
Nguyen planned to start in California. But Victor Nguyen, principal of St. Ignatius College Preparatory in Fort Worth, a small private nonprofit school, warned against the strategy. He told his friend that he couldnˇ¦t withstand the brutal Arizona heat in June and July. So he reversed the itinerary.
Generosity of strangers
He began his journey wearing a pair of Crocs, which he wore as a meter reader.
A sign Nguyen wears across his back reads: "Shore To Shore. A Walk Across America To Honor Those Who Serve!"
The walker is ever-mindful to show respect for the flag he proudly bears.
"Every three weeks, I gently soak her and hand wash her and dry her," Nguyen said. "Without the flag and the support of people, I couldnˇ¦t walk. She is my protection."
Nguyen and his companion have discovered the friendliness, the goodness, the generosity and the patriotism of Americans.
In Shreveport, a man gave him tomatoes and a cantaloupe from his roadside stand. A woman bought the pair a meal at a Waffle House. In Quitman, Ga., a man insisted that they spend the night in his home.
In cities and towns, strangers dug into their pockets and made donations ˇX from 25 cents to $100. So far, the offerings total more than $1,500.
A week into the walk, Nguyen experienced a throbbing toothache. He gulped ibuprofen and walked on.
Toenails fell off. Skin between his toes cracked and bled. He lost 20 pounds.
"I know he is hurting, but he doesnˇ¦t complain. He is strong," Dominguez said. He looked admiringly at his friend. "I feel like a more patient man, thanks to Sinh."
Nguyen flashed his 1,000-watt grin.
"I speak English with a broken accent, but an intact heart. I have very solid faith in America."
I speak English with a broken accent, but an intact heart. I have very solid faith in America."
Sinh Tho Nguyen
Nguyen always carries an American flag and has a sign strapped to his back displaying his message: "Shore to Shore: A Walk Across America to Honor Those Who Serve."
He arrived in Dallas on Wednesday wearing a U.S. Army-issued T-shirt and Crocs on his feet ˇV with padded inserts at the bottom.
The shoes, which have traveled 700 miles of the trip, were falling apart ˇV and Nguyen's feet were showing wear as well. While he is back in Fort Worth, Nguyen said he will have a doctor look at his feet. He joked that the blisters on his soles formed the shape of America.
Nguyen said the support he gets from people keeps him going. He told of folks bringing him homegrown tomatoes and money ˇV and offering words of encouragement.
"Without their support, I don't think I could make this far," he said.
Nguyen added: "This is about America and it belongs to the troops and their family members. I am a messenger. I carry the flag. America is behind me now."
His route: http://www.bacaytruc.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=3060&Itemid=32
Source:
http://iraq.pigstye.net/article.php/ArmyVeteranSinhThoNguyenwalksacrosUSA |
Edited by - James Van Thach on 08/08/2009 20:16:19 |
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vaafaadmin2008
Forum Admin
USA
236 Posts |
Posted - 08/04/2009 : 19:53:26
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Dear Friends,
I just contacted Anh Sinh. He stated that he is getting ready to leave TX to continue his trip across America.
I asked his permission to join him for the last 10-15 miles of his journey when he arrives in San Diego. I proposed that we could join him and we can each carry one of the Armed Forces flags to his final destination.
He will keep us posted with his travel. His email is fromshoretoshore@yahoo.com and his number is 682-472-1380 in case you want to wish you well.
He plans to be in San Diego around Thanksgiving so lets plan to greet him then. Thanks!
Chinh
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James Van Thach
Average Member
USA
68 Posts |
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Army Veteran Sinh Tho Nguyen walks across USA
