Introducing our Local Legend, Mr Nam Sy, war hero, storyteller and survivor.
Mr. Nam Sy’s Story
This is a truly inspirational story of survival and strength of spirit. Born into a revolutionary family in Can Tho, a town on the banks of the Mekong River in Southern Vietnam, Nam Sy’s father was part of the revolutionary army fighting for the liberation of his homeland of Southern Vietnam from foreign occupancy.
Despite Nam Sy’s best attempts to follow advice from an army commander to pursue his education, he couldn’t resist the urge to join the war effort at the age of 15, distributing leaflets and offering any support he could.
Nam Sy learned very quickly the dangerous reality of war. Tragically he was caught and imprisoned in the Can Tho prison, known as the ‘Large Prison’, in 1968. He spent four traumatic years there and speaks of the torture he and his fellow inmates endured daily. Still active despite their obvious restrictions, they regularly connected with outside fighters and taught new prisoners about survival and spirit. Nam Sy was part of a six-man real-life prison break operation, where tragically he was one of the two unsuccessful prisoners to break free, his punishment saw him moved to Chi Hoa and then Con Dao prisons where his ordeal continued.
Guests meeting Mr Nam Sy should expect to hear a humbling story of suffering and survival; to learn the true atrocities of the war and feel a real authentic connection from an inspirational, brave war hero.
