nguyende

Imperial Vietnam Website Honors the Passing of a Great Friend of the Cause of the Ancestors: Nguyen Trung De
1919-2004

              The Friends of Imperial Vietnam and all of those who have been united by our eternal faith in the cause of our ancestors, of benevolence and virtuous conduct have been greatly saddened today by the sudden loss of our venerable older brother in the religion, Nguyen Trung De of Port Aransas, Texas former of the Imperial City of Hue in the place where his heart had always remained. Just after midnight, I recieved the call from his wife that my beloved friend and our teacher in many things for us all, had died in the Corpus Christi, Texas hospital from a large brain tumor only five days since his birthday of 85 years (western calendar). Until only three days ago, none of us were even knowing of his being sick at all. Now, we have lost a dear and strong champion.

               Who we know, Ba'c De, was born in the Year of the Sheep, during the era of Khai Dinh, his always beloved first emperor that he honored throughout his long life. Raised in the old capital city of Hue, Nguyen Trung De was always close to the heart of Viet Nam, his humble and hard working parents often worked inside the Holy Citadel of the Nguyen, his mother with cleaning and his father with stone work. Always he could recall and loved to tell all of the younger people about the first time he distinctly recalled catching a glimpse of the Emperor. He was on the roof of a home where his mother was working for an official and the Khai Dinh Emperor was coming back to the Dai Noi and as his palanquin was being carried inside, for a moment he saw a glimpse of the Thien Tu for the first time, which always left a deep impression on him.

               Because of the kindness of those who his parents worked for, De was able to have an education that would have been impossible on his own. He learned French and Chinese and became well read in the history, rites and principles of our country and culture. Growing up in the times of great turmoil for the country, he went to work in Da Nang where he married before moving with his wife back home to Hue to be close with his parents. When revolutionary talk was spreading everywhere he liked to tell of his friends irritation with him, for always shaming them for their disloyal talk. I met him while teaching school as he had been given quite a collection of antique books that was great help to me, so we helped each other in research and studies.

               When all of the conflict started, De had to go to the country for a short time because he worked for a man very unhappy with his initial happiness of the Japanese occupation. He told the story many times of being filled with hope over the declaration of independence, but came rushing back with great saddness at rumors of the collapse of the Nguyen Dynasty. Because of his political opinions, it was very dangerous, but he gathered with the crowd at the Ngo Mon to hear the Bao Dai Emperor read out the resignation from the throne. He remembered very well crying with deep emotions that day and described his feeling many times, as if the universe had suddenly fallen apart, nothing could make sense and have feelings at the same time of great loss and betrayal.

               Later on, De worked as an interpreter for the French after the return in 1948, but always insisted nothing was the same, and no one had bright feelings anymore. His only pride was his four children. During the American war, he was further attacked by heartache with the death of two brothers in the massacre at Hue by the Communists in 1968, because of the names from their family on a list from the Communists as counter-revolutionaries, because of their old party membership. He moved south with his family and had help from the family of his wife to make a living by fishing. In the years later he lost his two oldest sons fighting in the army of the Viet Nam Cong Hoa. Finally, from a friend in the US army, he was able to take his wife and two last children to America before the Communists take over the country.

               Since that time he moved from California to Louisiana and last to Texas to continue fishing shrimp, he said only feeling the most calm out on the dark water. He was known to all those around him for his kindness, devout faith in the ancestral religioun of our country and his great knowledge of all the old customs and traditions from the imperial period most no one else remembers at all. According to his wife, only a short time ago he began having very painful headaches, but at his age he was reluctant to see a doctor. When three days ago he became violently sick he was taken to hospital, but became non-responsive only hours later. He died a few minutes past midnight I estimate from the phone call. The doctors said more than half his brain already was covered by the tumor. To all friends: I will call you all with more information as quickly as I know, and we all honor and revere the memory of our old friend, my neighbor, Nguyen Trung De.

                                                      Nguyen Van Tuan