Since the fall of south Vietnam to the communists in 1975, many Vietnamese
citizens attempted to flee their homelands in small boats. This exodus is continuing
today.
In 1982 and 83 the USS Sterett was no stranger to the waters in this part of Southeast Asia.
Sterett was awarded three Humanitarian awards for her efforts to rescue some of these refugees.
On June 10. 1982, Sterett rescued a boatload of 20 refugees who had been beset upon by pirates and left to drift.
Then on July 20, 1983 Sterett rescued a boatload of 127 refugees.
The next day, July 21, 1983 Sterett picked up a second boat with 92 people aboard.
We have been contacted by three of the refugees. One from each of the three boats. Each of these individuals came to the U. S. and have had very successful lives. Each of them refers to the USS STERETT as "The Angel of the Pacific" and have nothing but thanks and warm feeling for the men and the ship who rescued them.
James Dinh was a 14 year old boy on board a boat with 127 aboard that had left Vung Tao, Vietnam on July 13, 1983 and was rescued July 20, 1983
Le Phung was rescued on July 20, 1983 from the same boat that James Dinh was aboard. She was a teenage girl at the time
Tracie Trang Lee (Le Thi Minh Trang) was a 6 year old girl on board a boat containing 20 refugees. She was on the boat that Sterett rescued on June 10, 1982.