Who am I?
Jason Robertson has asked himself that question more than once. He was one of many children at the An Lac Orphanage in Vietnam. Picked up off the streets. Left at the gate with no paperwork. Not even a name until the orphanage gave him one, Vu Tien Thuoc.
He wasn’t alone. There were hundreds of other babies and children, many whose Vietnamese mothers were left to raise children from American fathers. Their fathers were young soldiers looking for companionship from young Vietnamese women looking for promises of a better life.
“I didn’t have an identity until I came to this country and was adopted by Bill and Wanda Robertson from Salem, Alabama. Then I became Jason Robertson.”
He was about four years old at the time. Although with a lack of a birth certificate, that is anyone’s guess. His adopted parents gave him the birthdate of December 30, 1970.
An Lac Orphanage
The orphanage was founded in the mid-1950s. Madame Vu Thi Ngai, who fled South Vietnam after Communists killed her parents during the takeover of North Vietnam, was the caretaker.
In a dilapidated military barracks in Saigon, now Ho Chi Minh City, toddlers sat on overturned pots. Stools and urns of water served as makeshift showers. Food was cooked in pots placed on charcoal burners on the dirt floors.
The cribs were rusty with hammocks and rags between them. There was no electricity and no running water.
Over the years, Madame Ngai would take in thousands of homeless children. Resources may have been limited but she was able to provide a roof over their heads and keep them off the streets. None had names or any official paperwork. Some were given names while others were given numbers.
The Angel of Saigon
Enter Betty Tisdale. A force of nature from New York who was inspired by the stories of the sick and poor half a world away. In 1961, then in her late 20s, she made her first trip to An Lac. The visit changed her life and would eventually change the lives of children at the orphanage.
When she returned to America, Betty began raising money to send food, diapers, and other supplies to An Lac.
She skimped on her own meals to save money to visit again and again over the years. While there she scrubbed floors, washed clothes, and taught songs to the children like Row, Row, Row Your Boat, hoping life for them would someday be a dream.
Operation Babylift
In 1974, the city was being overrun by Viet Cong in a war that would cost an estimated two million civilians their lives. Villages were wiped out. During the fall of Saigon, death and destruction were imminent.
Betty Tisdale went into high gear to secure military help in saving the children at An Lac. In an unpopular move stateside, she arranged for more than 200 of the children to be airlifted to Fort Benning, Georgia.
There weren’t enough blankets for all of them. The babies and smaller kids were placed in cardboard boxes.
Today, those children, now grown men and women, give thanks to Betty Tisdale and the brave soldiers that defended their city and helped them escape almost certain death.
“They all helped rescue me and other children. They saved our lives and we are eternally grateful. Thanks to all of them, America is my country now.”
Coming to America
Bill and Wanda Robertson gave their adopted son a name and a birthdate but it was clear that like many of the other An Lac orphans, Jason had endured the traumas of war. He was thin as a rail and struggling to overcome night terrors and flashbacks of his former life.
“When a helicopter would fly over our house, I could see and hear those Huey choppers that dotted the Vietnam sky. I would wake up in the middle of the night and could see and hear the children from the orphanage crawling around my room.”
Those sights and sounds give him a chill up his spine even now.
The challenges of his early life would continue to haunt him. During his school years, Jason never seemed to fit in. He didn’t look like everyone else.
“My skin was brown but I didn’t have slanted eyes. It was like being a minority for many races. I was called the “N” word and a “Gook” but I was always in a world of my own. I could never escape my own skin.”
While Jason suppressed his feelings, his experience would later make him stronger and more independent. His life has never been easy but he appreciates the opportunities the Robertson’s gave him and the values they instilled.
From rice to grits
In 2006, Jason published a book about his experience, A Love Beyond Explaining: An Orphan’s Journey From Rice to Grits. The description reads: A positive story from the Vietnam War about an orphan. It is a story of encouragement and appreciation to all who have served and are currently serving our country. It also lets readers know how blessed we are to live in a country of such freedom.
He is currently working on a rewrite and update of his story to include some of the emotions and meaning behind the story that may have been too raw to tell at the time.
As a child, Jason’s early experience of abandonment and displacement made it difficult for him to connect with not just his adopted parents in a new country, but to establish true friendships.
“I always protected myself from getting close to anyone (adopted parents, adopted siblings, friends, girlfriends, then my wife) due to the underlying fear that they could abandon me for any reason at any moment.”
A recent diagnosis of Reactive Attachment Disorder, a serious condition sometimes found in adopted children, has helped him better understand what has been a lifelong struggle. The disorder can be a result of not having basic needs met as early as infancy to include being abandoned.
“Until I realized that I needed to take part in the responsibility of my healing, the trauma, past hurt, and pain never disappeared. Healing is a process that I am still experiencing but so much further along than before.”
Happy Birthday, Jason!
During the Christmas rush, it’s easy to forget the true meaning of the season. Surely the story of the An Lac orphans will remind us of what’s truly important.
We’ve all heard the story of the Three Wise Men. Isaiah 60:1–6, refers to them as the “kings coming to the brightness of your dawn.”
Jason’s “dawn” comes from a happy marriage and being the father of four children. He and his wife, Debbie, have helped them be strong and forge their own way to success and happiness.
“I’ve had great examples of strong women in my life. Madame Ngai, the director and caretaker of the An Lac Orphanage, Betty Tisdale, known as the “Angel of Saigon” and “Mom” to many, and his wife Debbie. They have all played a part in taking the bad in my life and helping me reverse it for good.”
So who is Jason Robertson? He is a child of Vietnam, a patriot who loves this country, who strives to be a good husband and father and to inspire others to heal regardless of their circumstances.
This is his birth month and he is celebrating by asking for a gift from all of us.
“I want to use this month to offer my healing experiences to any parent that has an adopted child whether it be same race adoption, but especially multicultural adoptions.
I hope that they don’t have to go a lifetime refusing help. You can’t do it alone, at least not successfully.”
For his birthday gift, introduce Jason to someone that he can help. Someone who needs to shape their journey into a story they can share with others. You can connect with Jason on Facebook or by email.
It’s not wrapped in shiny paper with a big bow but it is a gift from the heart!
