Koy Punnarin (right) shakes hands with a fellow soldier.Sarita Nuch
VOA Khmer
Washington
19/03/2007
When Koy Punnarin was young, his family was rescued from the Khmer Rouge by American soldiers. Now, at age 39, he is a captain in the US Army Reserves who recently returned from Iraq, where he was deployed for nearly a year as the commander of a maintenance company.
"With over 270 soldiers, we occupied over eight different locations throughout Iraq," Koy Punnarin told VOA recently.
In 1975, Koy Punnarin, whose father worked for the US Embassy, and his family were taken out of Phnom Penh by helicopter. They were flown to a Thai refugee camp and eventually resettled in America. He became a soldier, he said, because he never forgot the good will shown him and his family when he was a boy. He told VOA he sees his military service as a way to repay a debt.
In Iraq, he said, he would venture out of base camp once every two weeks or so to check up on the soldiers in eight different locations. His primary role in the army was to support combat forces by ensuring all of the troops were stocked with supplies.
Now back in Minnesota, Koy Punnarin leads a taekwondo school, trains for fighting competitions and runs a financial practice.
"With over 270 soldiers, we occupied over eight different locations throughout Iraq," Koy Punnarin told VOA recently.
In 1975, Koy Punnarin, whose father worked for the US Embassy, and his family were taken out of Phnom Penh by helicopter. They were flown to a Thai refugee camp and eventually resettled in America. He became a soldier, he said, because he never forgot the good will shown him and his family when he was a boy. He told VOA he sees his military service as a way to repay a debt.
In Iraq, he said, he would venture out of base camp once every two weeks or so to check up on the soldiers in eight different locations. His primary role in the army was to support combat forces by ensuring all of the troops were stocked with supplies.
Now back in Minnesota, Koy Punnarin leads a taekwondo school, trains for fighting competitions and runs a financial practice.
1 comment:
They destroyed your former country. Your father lost his home, became refugees, on welfare, while 1.7 millions were executed thru civil war caused by three giant super-powers: US, China, and Russia.
Serving in Iraq is serving oil corporations. After Iraq country is fully destroyed, 20 years from now its refugees will server as soldiers again their mission will be the next war against another super-power.
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