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Col. Asan Q. Bui is the director of cyberspace and technology at Headquarters Air Force Reserve Command, Warner Robins Air Force Base, Georgia. He entered the U.S. Air Force in May 2000 through the ROTC at Louisiana State University, where he was commissioned as a second lieutenant and received a bachelor’s degree in computer science.
Episode 3309 of the Vietnam Veteran News Podcast will feature an opinion piece about Vietnamese Refugee & U.S. Air Force Colonel Asan Q. Bui’s advice to America. The piece is titled: My family chose America. Now I’m a US Air Force colonel. and it appeared in USA Today. It submitted by COL Asan Q. Bui .
Bui reported in his opinion piece that as America celebrates its 250th anniversary, the inspiring story of U.S. Air Force Col. Asan Q. Bui reminds us why the United States remains a beacon of freedom and opportunity. His remarkable journey began in the chaotic aftermath of the Vietnam War when his parents, along with five young children, fled communist-controlled Vietnam in 1975. His father, who had fought beside American forces as a South Vietnamese soldier, chose freedom over oppression, risking everything aboard an overcrowded fishing boat in the South China Sea. After four perilous days, a U.S. military vessel rescued the family, and shortly afterward Col. Bui was born at Camp Asan, Guam, where Vietnamese refugees began new lives under America’s protection.
That rescue became the foundation of an extraordinary American success story. Col. Bui rose from refugee beginnings to become a colonel in the United States Air Force, serving his adopted nation with distinction through multiple deployments in support of Operations Enduring Freedom, Iraqi Freedom, and Inherent Resolve, while also helping Americans during devastating natural disasters.
His story reflects the greatness of America—a nation built not upon ancestry but upon timeless principles of liberty, opportunity, personal responsibility, and freedom. It also honors the Vietnam Veteran generation and America’s allies who stood together in defense of those ideals. The sacrifices of American service members and South Vietnamese soldiers gave countless families the chance to escape tyranny and build new lives.
Col. Bui’s life demonstrates that the American dream remains alive for those willing to embrace hard work, service, and gratitude. As the nation marks 250 years of independence, his journey stands as a powerful tribute to America’s enduring ideals and to the courage, sacrifice, and lasting legacy of the Vietnam Veterans who helped preserve freedom for millions.
Listen to episode 3309 and discover more about Vietnamese Refugee & U.S. Air Force Colonel Asan Q. Bui’s advice to America.
