Tulsa Marine And Rescued Saigon Refugee Meet For First Time

The last time Hung Than and Retired Lt. Colonel Richard Meydag were anywhere near each other was almost half a century ago on the other side of the world.

“It's an honor. It's just really - it is,” Than said seconds after shaking hands with Meydag Friday.

Meydag, who served as a Marine, helped people desperate to escape Saigon in the final hours of the Vietnam War in 1975. His job was to fly them to the USS Hancock.

"We had 3,000 evacuees on our ship alone,” Meydag said.

While Than wasn't on Meydag's chopper, they did both end up on the Hancock for several days.

Than was just 12 years old. His whole family survived and moved to America.

Than eventually moved to Tulsa, where he walked the same halls as Meydag and graduated from Will Rogers High School. The two graduated 23 years apart.

Meydag, along with four other Will Rogers graduates, were inducted in the school's Hall of Fame Friday. Thinking of their potential connection, Than knew he had to reach out when he heard about Meydag's honor at their alma mater.

"I'm really surprised because you look at all these people, you got doctors, lawyers, and everything,” Meydag said. “I was just one of the ordinary guys out there doing my job."

But to Than, Meydag is anything but ordinary. He represents the reason he was able to come to America, leading to a successful career and a full life.

“The crazy thing is none of this would have happened if I wasn’t brought to the United States,” Than said.

He became a lawyer and now lives just outside Washington, D.C. Than is married with three children.

"I couldn’t thank everyone involved in that operation. Just to thank one person is satisfying,” Than said. “Because of this pent up need to say thank you."

“It’s what it’s all about. That’s what I served 22 years in the Marine Corps for,” Meydag said.

The two talked on the phone before meeting in person, and plan to stay in contact in the future.