Cuong Vo knows hardship and how lucky he and is family are to live in Australia.
The president of the Army of the Republic of Vietnam Veterans Association of Australia and NSW will speak at the Blue Mountains Vietnam Veterans and Associated Forces Memorial Day on August 11 in Springwood.
Mr Vo was a helicopter pilot for the South Vietnamese forces during the Vietnam War when he was shot down by the Viet Cong and held in a 're-education camp' for seven years.
The detainees were given very little to eat, surviving solely on the root vegetable cassava. Mr Vo lost 20kg during that time, dropping to just 50kg.
"It was a terrible time," he said.
His captors had thought he had connections with the CIA, because he did some of his training to become a pilot in America.
When he was eventually released in 1982, he made it to a refugee camp in Malaysia, where he was then able to travel to Australia the following year on a refugee and humanitarian visa.
Mr Vo's wife and four sons also came to Australia, but he would never see his parents and siblings again.
"My mother called me before she died and said 'I miss you very much'. But they would put me in a re-education camp again if I came back. 'No,' she said, 'don't return home.' It's very emotional," Mr Vo said.
Once in Australia, he set about creating a new life, working through the day and studying at night to become a lawyer, with a desire to help people, particularly poor people from non-English speaking backgrounds.
"I want to help non-English speakers to integrate into society. It's good for everyone," Mr Vo said.
He's extremely grateful to the Australian government for resettling his family, and knows that his four sons - one's an architect and the other three are lawyers - would not have been given the same opportunities in Vietnam.
"I'm very proud of them," Mr Vo said.
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Guest of honour at the memorial day in Springwood will be Brigadier Phillip Bridie, an Honorary Colonel for the 1st/15th Royal NSW Lancers, the director of RSL NSW and an honorary aide-de-camp to the Governor General.
The parade will march along Macquarie Road to the Buckland Park War Memorial, starting at 11.30am. The memorial service will be held from midday to 1.15pm.
Planned road closures are: 11am-12.15pm Macquarie Road between Ferguson Road underpass and the Sports Club entrance; 11.30am-12.15pm Macquarie Road, Greenway Lane (west and east ends); 11.30am-12.15pm Raymond Road, Springwood Avenue; 11.30am-1.15pm Macquarie Road at Raymond Road roundabout. The association apologises for the inconvenience and appreciates everyone's support.
"This year will be first that we have an ex-Veteran from the South Vietnamese forces making a speech," said association secretary Chris McKay.
"Our Vietnam Memorial Day is now the biggest of its type in Australia and includes community groups and schools from the Blue Mountains area."
