Marriage and Motherhood
As a young woman, Lien continued working in the family owned business and helped to take care for her five younger siblings. Unable to attend school after the age of 15, she helped her mother and settled into her expected role as the eldest daughter.
In 1972, when Lien was 25 years old, the Vietnam War continued to rage on. That year Lien married her husband. In 1975, after three years of marriage, Lien became pregnant with her first daughter, Lynne. Lien’s husband was involved in the war as a soldier and would often leave the family for periods of time to serve as a soldier. While pregnant, Lien received the tragic news that her husband had been killed in combat. At the age of 28 Lien was suddenly and unexpectedly a young widow and soon-to-be mother expecting her first child.
Four months later, Lien’s first daughter Lynne was born. Lien, in need of support from her family, moved back
home to live with her parents in
the town of Di An, located in
South Vietnam. With her
mother and father’s help Lien
was able to raise Lynne while
once again contributing to the
family’s small bakery business.
During this period of time the Vietnam war continued as the forces from the North Vietnamese penetrated deeper into South Vietnam and the United States continued its withdrawal of forces from Vietnam.
In April of 1975, the government of South Vietnam was defeated and the country was formally occupied by the armed forces of Communist North Vietnam. Lien and her family experienced a drastic change in the lives. Repressive measures were put into place by the North Vietnamese government in an effort to forcibly unify the country and punish those who had supported the South Vietnamese government. Lien and her family noticed changes immediately in their loss of freedom to own a business or move there they wished to. In spite of these new challenges, the most difficult part of her life was still ahead of her.
