Prestigious medal for Australian Defence Force Academy graduate Nam Nguyen

Bao Vu for Radio Australia's Vietnamese Service
Updated Sat 25 Jan 2014, 2:43am AEDT



After many years of intensive academic and physical training, 265 midshipmen and officer cadets graduated from the Australian Defence Force Academy (ADFA) in December 2013.

The graduation ceremony was held in the presence of some of Australia's most important figures including Governor General Quentin Bryce, Assistant Minister of Defence Stuart Robert, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Defence Darren Chester, Chief of the Defence Force David Hurley, and other generals.

One of the most striking aspects during the graduation ceremony - at least to the Vietnamese community in Australia - was that the valedictorian of the prestigious military academy was a young Vietnamese-Australian Lieutenant Nam Nguyen.

As a student valedictorian, Nam had the honour of holding the sword to present the graduates to Ms Bryce and the guests.

In a statement, the Australian Defence Department said the academy's most prestigious award, the Commander in Chief Medal, was awarded to Midshipman Nam Nguyen.

"This medal is awarded to the most outstanding graduate in the fields of military and academic achievement as well as leadership, personal example and performance of duty," it said.

Ms Bryce personally presented this medal to Nam Nguyen.

Aside from the ADFA's most prestigious medal, Nam was also awarded the Megan Anne Pelly Perpetual Memorial Award .

This award is for outstanding students in all areas, whilst at the same time bringing prestige to the school.

He is the first person in the history of the Australian National Military Academy to receive the award two years in a row.

The awards for Chief of the Defence Force Sword of Honour for Leadership Award and Army Commander of the Sea and other awards were presented by generals, including Australia's top military commander, General David Hurley and Deputy Commander Air Force General Mark Binskin to young officers who had shown outstanding achievement in their fields.

Following in footsteps of namesake

In an interview with Radio Australia's Vietnamese Service, Nam said that he didn't know why he was chosen as valedictorian and received top medals by the renowned Australian national military academy.

"Everyone had done well and studied hard," he said.

Nam said he was "fortunate to have many opportunities to learn more and help his friends, which is definitely one of the reasons that lead to his award".

Some members of the community have remarked that the name 'Khoa Nam' given to the boy born in Australia in 1991 was perhaps an 'omen' that he would follow his namesake.

Nguyen Khoa Nam was the General of the South Vietnamese Army who committed suicide on January 5, 1975.

Nam said that it "has a lot of meaning for his family" and that General Nguyen Khoa Nam's story is "very good story" so his parents named him after the general.

Nam's father, Khoa Nguyen, said he named his son after Khoa Nam because he "greatly admired the general as well as to remind his son that he is Vietnamese".

Like many Vietnamese parents in Australia, when asked about why Nam gained his outstanding achievements Mr Khoa said he learned self-discipline and studied hard.

"The family can only support and advise him, in fact we are not knowledgeable. He was conscientious and strived to do well," Mr Khoa said.

'Australia is my homeland'

According to some Vietnamese in Melbourne, where the family currently lives, Nam was very active in his youth and had been involved in various associations and religious groups such as Scouts and Salesian Youth Group.

He was also nominated to participate in the International Security Conference in Slovakia and Singapore.

Nam said that the reason he was selected to attend the conference was probably because he had previously written a number of articles on the issue of security and safety of navigation in the South China Sea and in South Asia.

At the conference, Nam had a chance to meet and discuss with some defence ministers and senior officers from many countries on the issue of safety in the area.

Nam said Vietnam had also sent a number of students to study at the ADFA in Australia and these students were trained by Australians so that they could return to Vietnam to work.

However, he said not many Vietnamese people born in Australia chose to join the ADFA.

Compared to many of his Vietnamese peers, Nam's ability to speak Vietnamese is very good, which is probably why he was chosen as an interpreter and translator on several occasions when a military delegation from Vietnam visited Australia.

Nam was an interpreter for the then-Australian defence minister Stephen Smith when he welcomed his Vietnamese counterpart, General Phung Quang Thanh.

Nam has also translated for Vice Admiral Pham Ngoc Minh when he visited Australia.

Since graduating from military school, Nam is continuing his training to become a marine officer on the battleship.

When asked what he thinks about Australia, Nam said: "It is simple, Australia is my homeland", citing that as the reason why he wanted to be an officer in the Australian Navy.

He said that while Vietnam is "his parents' homeland" and so he "is Vietnamese as well", in his heart, his homeland is Australia.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-01-2...?section=sport



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