USS Mustin docks in Cambodia

US Warship Docks, Begins Humanitarian Mission

U.S. navy officer Michael "Vannak Khem" Misiewicz becomes emotional as he embraces his aunt Samrith Sokha, 72, at Cambodian coastal international sea port of Sihanoukville. (Photo: AP)

Sok Khemara, VOA Khmer
Washington Monday, 06 December 2010

The US warship USS Mustin arrived in Preah Sihanouk province on Friday for a five-day visit, officials said.

Troops from the Mustin, which is commanded by an American-Cambodian who left with a US Embassy official prior to the fall of Phnom Penh, will conduct humanitarian missions, such as medica checks at orphanages and schools. Other exercises include training with Cambodian military personnel and visits to Angkor Wat.

For Commander Michael Vannak Khem Misiewicz, the visit is a homecoming to a country he left nearly 40 years ago. Misiewicz said he expected to meet with family members who had remained in Cambodia, in what he predicted would be an emotional visit.

Over the past few years, he said, the US has increased its visits to Cambodia and other countries across Southeast Asia, “to assure all the nations in the area that the US is there to help promote peace and stability.”

The arrival of the warship comes on the heels of a visit here by US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in November.

37 years after escaping killing fields, a Cambodian returns as US Navy commander

This photo released by the US embassy in Cambodia shows US Navy Commander Michael Vannak Khem Misiewicz, who fled Cambodia 37 years ago to escape the Khmer Rouge. He returned to Cambodia with the USS Mustin on Friday. (Newscom/File)

US Navy Commander Michael Misiewicz docked the USS Mustin in Cambodia Friday. He last saw his homeland, and many of his relatives, as a boy fleeing the murderous Khmer Rouge.

December 3, 2010

By Clancy McGilligan, Contributor

Christian Science Monitor

Sihanoukville, Cambodia

US Navy Cmdr. Michael Misiewicz watched today as relatives prepared to board his destroyer, which was docked a few miles off the shore of Cambodia. He had not seen any of them since he left the Southeast Asian nation as a boy 37 years ago, escaping civil war and the murderous Khmer Rouge.

The commander’s face was impassive at first, but it softened as more and more extended family members were helped onto the barge below him. Then he saw his aunt, now 72, who had helped him leave for the US so many years ago. Commander Misiewicz walked slowly down the metal stairs and they embraced, weeping.

“When I saw her this morning,” he later told reporters on the ship, “I just couldn’t hold back the tears, I was so happy that she was here. It’s been a very long time.”

The USS Mustin, which arrived in Cambodia Friday, is on a four-day goodwill mission that includes meetings with the Cambodian Navy and community service projects. Misiewicz made it clear that he places his duties as captain first, but also said that he had been “overwhelmed” by emotions upon his return.

Escaping the Khmer Rouge

Now 43, Misiewicz was born Vannak Khem in the rice fields outside Phnom Penh. As a child, he spent some days watching movies and playing games at the house of his future adoptive mother, Maryna Lee Misiewicz, a US embassy employee for whom his aunt worked as a maid. As the civil war between the Cambodian government and the Khmer Rouge worsened, his aunt and father arranged for her to adopt him, and they left for the US in 1973.

“I liked the person I worked for very much,” says the now-frail aunt, Samrith Mol, referring to Ms. Misiewicz. “That’s why I decided to send my nephew for adoption. And I had the feeling that I would send him first and then I would follow him later. But unfortunately the war happened, so I could not go with my nephew.”

Misiewicz, who describes himself as “happy go lucky” as a child, remembers the tearful goodbyes of his mother, and said he promised to buy her a “big white house.” He recalls being excited by the prospect of a trip to America, which to a 6-year-old boy meant watching movies and eating limitless popcorn there. When he arrived, the absence of his family set in.

"I cried a lot when I first came,” he told the Monitor in an interview on the ship. “It had hit me: This is not just a fun trip, this is separation that’s permanent from your family.”

Cambodian in the American Midwest

Misiewicz, who speaks English with a Midwestern accent (he doesn’t remember how to speak Khmer, the language of Cambodia), went to high school in Lanark, a town in northern Illinois with a population of about 1,500. He was the only non-Caucasian.

He says he decided to go into the Navy partly to spare his adoptive mother, a single parent, the expense of college. After enlisting in 1985, he received a commission in 1992, and says he has learned to love his career. Officers on board the USS Mustin, a 510-foot missile destroyer, spoke highly of their commander.

“Now the ultimate joy is being able to lead sailors who are like me, who just wanted to have an opportunity,” Misiewicz says.

Yet as he rose through the ranks of the US Navy, Misiewicz was haunted by memories of his family. The Khmer Rouge sealed off Cambodia to the outside world, and for 16 years after moving to the US Misiewicz did not know what had become of his parents and siblings.

Long awaited reunion

As it turned out, his mother and three siblings had survived the regime, under which an estimated 1.7 million people died of executions, starvation, disease, and overwork. They fled to refugee camps along the Thai border and in 1983 received asylum in America. They then moved to Texas, but it took another six years to find the boy they knew as Vannak Khem. The search included a lot of phonebooks and the aid of a graduate student in Southeast Asian studies at the University of Texas.

“We knew he was alive, but we just didn’t know where he was,” says his younger brother, Rithy Khem, who lives in Austin but traveled to Cambodia for his brother’s first return.

The 1989 phone call that reunited them was bittersweet: Misiewicz learned that his father and a younger sister had died in Cambodia's “killing fields.”

Misiewicz, who is now married with four children, stays in touch with his Cambodian mother and siblings, although he says the “Navy lifestyle” restricts visits. And he has bought his mom a house, although he said, “It wasn’t quite a big white house.”

“For years I’ve been feeling a lot of guilt because my whole family did go through the killing fields,” he says. “My father was executed, and so I feel very sad, but I think coming home will bring a little bit of closure. I don’t think it’s going to really heal any wounds that I feel about it, but it’s going to help me bring closure to the loss of my father.”

Cambodian-Born Commander Visits His Homeland

PACIFIC OCEAN (Nov. 29, 2010) - Cmdr. Michael V. Misiewicz, commanding officer of the Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Mustin (DDG 89) addresses the crew following a frocking ceremony held aboard the ship. Mustin is currently conducting routine operations and training in the Pacific Ocean. Mustin is assigned to Destroyer Squadron (DESRON) 15 and is forward-deployed to Yokosuka, Japan. (U.S.Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Devon Dow)

December 3, 2010
By Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class (SW) Devon Dow
US Navy Public Affairs Support Element West Det. Japan

SIHANOUKVILLE, Cambodia – Commanded by a man who was born in the rice fields of Cambodia, the guided-missile destroyer USS Mustin (DDG 89) arrived in Sihanoukville, Cambodia for a port call Dec. 3.

It has been over 37 years since Mustin’s Commanding Officer, Cmdr. Michael V. Misiewicz has returned to his homeland after being adopted by an American woman in 1973 after the Vietnam War spilled over into Cambodia.

“We are honored to be representatives and ambassadors of the U.S. Navy here today,” Misiewicz said. “Very significant progress has been made this year in terms of U.S. and Cambodia relations and my crew and I are hoping to contribute to that forward progress of strengthening this partnership.”

During the visit, Misiewicz and his crew of approximately 300 Sailors will engage in community service (COMSERV) projects and other goodwill activities. Mustin Sailors will interact and train with the Cambodian Navy, host a reception on board Mustin for distinguished guests and participate in an overnight COMSERV trip to Siem Reap, Cambodia, where Sailors will have the opportunity to visit Angkor Wat, one of the Seven Wonders of the World.

For Misiewicz this visit reaches beyond fulfilling the Navy’s mission, it also brings him back to where his life started and a chance to reunite with family.

His personal life story has garnered international media attention.

As a young boy growing up in the countryside outside of Phnom Penh, Cambodia during the Vietnam War, his family allowed him to be adopted by an American woman who was serving in the U.S. Army in Cambodia. Shortly following his immigration to the U.S., Cambodia fell into more turmoil when the Khmer Rouge regime came to power in 1975, causing millions of deaths in the country in what is known today as the “Killing Fields.”

While Misiewicz has been able to re-establish some communication with family members from Cambodia over the years, it will be a bitter sweet reunion when he is able to embrace and see his family and native country for the first time in almost four decades.

“I’ve been thinking about this visit a lot and thinking about all the emotions I will have to cope with about returning to the country I was born in and seeing relatives that have wanted to see me for so long,” he said. “It is important for me to be strong and to remember and honor the sacrifices that were made for me.”

Both Cambodians and Americans in my young life sacrificed life and happiness so I could have a better life. So now I am very happy and proud to lead a mission that serves to develop a positive and persistent relationship between the U.S. and Cambodia, laying the foundation for a long-lasting friendship between our two nations,” Misiewicz said.

Mustin joined a unique group of Navy ships to have the opportunity to visit the Asia-Pacific nation since the end of Vietnam War. In February 2007, the frigate USS Gary (FFG 51) made its historical port visit to Cambodia.

“This is my first time ever going to Cambodia and I am very excited about getting the chance to visit. It is a once in a lifetime opportunity,” said Machinery Repairman 2nd Class (SW) Mickie Kitchens from Roseland, La. “I am glad to see my captain be able to return to Cambodia to see his family and show them what he has become, I know he is making them proud. They will all see he is not a little boy anymore.”

While Misiewicz is humbled by the attention on his personal life, he said the unique opportunities the Navy and United States has provided him, made a story like his own achievable.

“Anything is possible. You can start anywhere, any place, if you’ve got freedom and you have opportunity like we have in the U.S., the sky is the limit,” he said. “When you look at the U.S., you see that we are a melting pot of people from almost every country in the world, and then if you look at the U.S. Navy, that diversity is magnified 100 times.”

If one was to look at my crew, they would be amazed at the different faces, cultures and backgrounds. Every member of Mustin has a unique story of why they joined the Navy, the hardships of their families and of themselves. I’m just one of those stories. I am glad that I’m able to share my story so we can show that the U.S. Navy is committed to diversity and willing to give opportunity to those who work hard and want to succeed,” Misiewicz added.

Misiewicz assumed command of Mustin in June 2009. The ship is one of seven destroyers assigned to Destroyer Squadron (DESRON) 15 and is forward-deployed to Yokosuka, Japan, as part of the U.S. 7th Fleet.

U.S. warship arrives in Cambodia for goodwill visit

Cambodia-born U.S. navy commander Michael Vannak Khem Misiewicz

USS Mustin (Photo: Reuters)

December 03, 2010
Xinhua

The missile destroyer USS Mustin docked in Sihanoukville Autonomous Port on Friday for a five-day goodwill visit in Cambodia, said a U.S. embassy official in Phnom Penh on Friday.

The missile destroyer USS Mustin is commanding by the Cambodia-born U.S. navy commander Michael Vannak Khem Misiewicz, with the more than 300 sailors under his charge.

Vanrith Chrea, Public Affairs Section, told Xinhua on Friday that the Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Mustin (DDG 89) docked at Sihanoukville Automomous Port on Friday morning for 5-day (Dec. 3-7) goodwill visit.

"In Cambodia, the naval crews will conduct community service projects, visiting orphanage, do humanism work in Bateay Meanchey province's Samlot district and meet with Cambodian Navy for military experience exchange," he said.

Michael Vannak Khem Misiewicz was born and living at the outside of the capital Phnom Penh in the late 1960's until April, 1973, a young American woman, who worked at the U.S. Embassy, took him for adoption in the U.S.. It is his first time to return to his birth country in 37 years.

Raised by his adoptive mother Maryna Lee Misiewicz, Misiewicz enlisted in the Navy after graduating from high school in Lanark, Illinois.

He was selected for the Navy's Broadened Opportunity for Officer Selection and Training (BOOST) program and attended the U. S. Naval Academy, where he received his commission in 1992.

His service as a Navy Surface Warfare Officer ultimately brought him to command the guided missile destroyer USS Mustin, forward deployed to Yokosuka, Japan.

U.S., Japan Hospital Ships Arrive In Cambodia For Pacific Partnership 2010

PHNOM PENH, June 15 (Bernama) -- The hospital ship USNS Mercy and Japanese destroyer Kunisaki arrived in Cambodia on Tuesday to cooperate with the Royal Government on medical construction and engineering projects as a part of Pacific Partnership 2010, according to U.S. Embassy in Phnom Penh.

The two hospital ships paid the courtesy visit at the invitition of the Cambodian government, reported China's Xinhua news agency.

In a statement released by the Embassy, it said that the Pacific Partnership 2010 is the fifth in a series of annual U.S. Pacific Fleet humanitarian and civic assistance endeavors aimed at strengthening regional partnerships and increasing interoperability with host nations, partner nations, U.S. interagency groups, and international humanitarian and relief organisations.

Pacific Partnership 2010 (PP10) brings together military medical and engineering professionals from Australia, Canada, France, Japan, the United Kingdom, and the U.S. Medical personnel from Cambodia will work with the PP10 team to provide medical care in partnership with their American and international counterparts.

The two ships are docking in Sihanoukville Province, 230 km southwest of Phnom Penh and will be here on June 28.

According to the Embassy's statement, the Pacific Partnership team will conduct surgery aboard Mercy, as well as numerous medical, dental, engineering, and veterinary civic action programs ashore.

In addition to Sihanoukville, PP10 teams will be providing assistance in other provinces including Ratanakiri, Kampong Cham, Kampong Spue, and Kampot. Military engineers will also be drilling three wells which will provide fresh water for remote communities in Kandal Province and two in Takeo Province.

The Pacific Fleet Band will give public musical performances in Sihanoukville.

Pacific Partnership 2010 participants also include volunteers from the non-governmental organisations (NGOs).

The statement also said that one of Mercy's primary missions is to provide mobile surgical hospital services for use in disaster or humanitarian relief missions and other peacetime operations.

U.S. Naval Vessel to Make Port in Cambodia's Coast of Sihanoukville

USS Patriot (Photo: US Navy)

2010-02-12
Xinhua

The USS Patriot, an Avenger-class countermeasures vessel from the 7th fleet based in Hawaii will make port in Cambodia's coast of Sihanoukville early next week, according to a statement released Friday by the U.S. Embassy in Phnom Penh.

The statement said the USS Patriot will begin a weeklong visit starting from Monday and to conduct exercises with the Cambodian Navy.

Sihanoukville province is located 230 kilometers southwest of Phnom Penh.

The bilateral training exercises will focus on damage control, search and seizure and at sea rescue techniques.

In addition, naval surveyors who are also traveling on the ship will assist their Cambodian counterparts in taking sides scan surveys of the port area to check for possible obstructions in commercial shipping lanes.

Both the bilateral training exercises and the survey are being orchestrated at the request of the Cambodian Navy and the Port Authority.

This is the fifth visit by a U.S. naval ship since the resumption of military to military engagement between the U.S. and Cambodia.

The statement said that "each visit represents another important step in this evolving relationship as well as an opportunity for military personnel from both countries to exchange experiences, tips and techniques which will assist them in the future."

Chinese Warship Makes Friendly Port of Call

By Heng Reaksmey, VOA Khmer
Original report from Phnom Penh
06 November 2008

Click here to listen to the Khmer audio program

The Chinese warship Zhenghe docked in Sihanoukville Wednesday and will stay five days as part of a goodwill visit, a Chinese official said.

Members of the Zhenghe’s crew of 400 will meet Cambodian officials and play football with members of the Cambodian navy, said Man Zhong He, military attache at the Chinese Embassy in Phnom Penh.

The visit “is to improve the relationship between the Cambodian and Chinese navies,” he said.

Cambodian naval officials were not available for comment.

Sihanoukville has been host to a number of international naval visits in recent years. In October ships from both the French and American navies made ports of call.

Cambodia has been receiving direct military aid from the US since 2007, while China annually contributes hundreds of millions of dollars in mostly unconditional aid to the country.