During my junior year in high school in Nebraska, I wrote an essay for my English class describing life in the Buton Refugee Camp and the unforgettable runaway on a boat to Singapore with Gary Ferguson. Writing from memory, I vaguely described the runaway from Buton to Singapore, taken place in May 1979. It was all because of Gary Ferguson, a Vietnam War vet and a humanitarian from Arizona. After having lived in the United States for a little over four years, I was still struggling with learning the new language, as evidence with multiple spelling and grammar errors in this excerpt from my journal, January 18, 1984.

Below are original excerpts from the journal, accompanied with Vincent Leduc's photographs:

 

 

Grand Island Senior High

English 5R. Period 10-11

Mr. Hammers

Nam Nguyen

Jan 18, 1984

Journal

 

RUN AWAY FROM HOME

 

This is really a stupid thing to think of. But to me it remind of what I have done. Not from my own family, but from a family that I stayed during 8 month waiting in a refugee camp in Indonesia.

 

 

​My hut (left) at Buton Refugee Camp, May 1979.

 

Well, we were waiting for the government of Indonesia to call our name to leave the camp to the free world. Thing were pretty boring.

 

 

​Finally, an American traveler name Garry F. came to visit our camp. He soon inlove with our people and our activity in the camp. He also worry about life there which was very bad condition

 

 

​One night, a boat people came as usual and everyone were happy and excited to meet new people on the boat. But a new law of Indonesia finally announced that no boat people will be permitted to stay in Indonesia. So everyone on the boat was very sad and worry. They have only one day and one night before they have to go back to the sea.

 

 

​Garry was trying to talk to the government of the island but it didn’t help much as all. So he have an idea that is to command the boat and take everybody who want to go along to Singapore.

 

 

​Everyone in the camp was making decision whether they should trust Garry and to go to Singapore with him. Other people doesn’t want to go back to the sea because it reminded them many dangerous memory.

 

 

​That night I finally make up my mind is to go with Garry. The boat will leave at midnight that night. I knew my family would not go and they also doesn’t want to see me go with Garry either. But I was out of my mind at that moment. So I snick off to the boat that night. Most of my friend stay in the camp.

 

 

​We went on that boat for almost that night and the next day we were very closed to Singapore harbors. Many of the great ship were around us, some come out on board greeting, some staring and some ship even didn’t show us if there were any people on their ship. We though maybe they were afraid of our boat, a strange boat.

 

 

​An airplane riding around and very close down to us for couple times and later a navy ship come and told us we weren’t egible to come to Singapore.

 

 

​So their ship pull our boat back to the sea. It was a frighten moment because when their ship pull our boat, the boat almost turn over and almost want to break apieces.

 

 

​We, that night, didn’t know what to do, where to go. Finally, an embarrassing idea come out that is come back to our camp.

It was the most stupid and embarassing time in my whole life.

 

TEACHER’S NOTE: I think it would be great for you to record all this in a notebook, so your descendants will have a record of this exciting part of your family history.