From Gratitude to Service: A Tale of Inspiration

  • Published
  • By 1st Lt Will Witherow
  • 58th Special Operations Wing

Staff Sgt. George Tran, a unit training manager with the 58th Maintenance Operations Flight, hails from a background marked by strength and resilience. Born to Vietnamese refugees who fled their country in 1980, Staff Sgt. George Tran's family faced numerous perils from the dangers they were facing while trapped there. After many attempts to flee the country, his mother and her sisters finally succeeded in escaping to Cambodia. They were not able to avoid danger for long in the new country and found themselves fleeing once again for their lives.

While leaving the country on a ship and under severe distress facing starvation and dehydration, their ship was raided by dangerous criminals. A passing U.S. Navy ship captain, Dana French, who was on board the USS Robinson, intervened after noticing the suspicious ship. She went on to save the remaining 262 of 300 refugees onboard and provided them the necessary medical treatment.

Tran’s family later made it to America due to the heroic actions of Captain French. His family eventually settled in Houston, Texas where they began expanding.

Tran later joined the Air Force in 2016.

“I joined the Armed Forces, driven by a sense of gratitude” said Tran, “for the life and opportunities I was given, thanks to Captain Dana French’s heroic act.”