short story about Rajesh Patel in Saigon 1974, a tale of loneliness, desire, and loyalty in a city on the brink of change. Written by Huynh Tan Hung, April 2025. 50 years after the war's end. It is a personal and honest story, born from my own life experience. I was adopted from Vietnam during the war in 1975, in connection with Operation Babylift, an American rescue mission during which over 3,000 children were flown out of the country. I was on the first plane that arrived in San Francisco on April 5, 1975, received by President Gerald Ford. I was named Bjorn (after Bj rn Borg the Swedish tennisplayer) as the only thing known at the time was that I was headed to Sweden. I grew up there without placing much focus on my origins. But after my divorce in my 40s, a need to understand my past was awakened. I took a DNA test and traveled back to Vietnam. The test revealed that I am half Vietnamese and half Indian. Through DNA matches, I have connected with relatives of my biological mother
