Xuan Viet Tran

He joined a busy family of 5 children. He spent his first years playing hard and making friends. Five of these young boys became friends for life and the group became known mischief-makers of the village.
When Xuan completed his education in the village school, he was accepted into Tieu Hop Cong Dong. This school was in a nearby city, where Xuan lived with a family friend. He tutored their younger children and helped with their rice distribution business for his room and board. He was able to come home on weekends. He and his group of friends – older, wiser, and ready to give back to their village – designed and built different items of infrastructure for the village. A floating bridge and a ferry system were a couple of the improvements they built. These were used for decades.

Xuan graduated with high honors and was accepted into the military’s officer training college. Again, completing his education with high honors and the rank of Lieutenant, he was given his choice of specialties. He decided to train with the American Special Forces and worked closely with the Americans throughout the Vietnam War. He never shared many of his war experiences, as many of his activities were classified. At the fall of Saigon in 1975, Xuan and a few soldiers continued to fight as the evacuation was occurring. He was eventually captured by the Vietnamese Communist Army and placed in jail. Here he endured horrible days and longer nights as the VC tried to get information from him. One of his buddies from childhood discovered where he was and arranged for his release. He returned to his village and family.

His family, realizing that Xuan did not have a safe or secure future in Vietnam, started making arrangements for his escape. He was captured on the first two attempts and thrown back in jail. On the third attempt he managed to escape by fishing boat. After several days in the South China Sea his boat came to the Hong Kong Harbor. After entering the Hong Kong refugee system, he was resettled in America.
He made his home in Lincoln, Nebraska from his arrival in 1981 until his death. In 1985, he met his wife, Celia, and claims he knew right away that she was to be his wife. They were married Jan 1,1986 and blessed with four strong, healthy sons over the next seven years. Xuan loved his sons deeply. And was very protective. This came out in strong expectations at times, but he always wanted them to strive for their best.
Xuan and his family were very active in their church. Working in Children’s Ministries and Missions. After any church function, you would find Xuan and his boys cleaning up, moving chairs, volunteering to help do what needed done. He loved kids, maybe because he never fully grew up!

Xuan enjoyed teaching his boys and their friends to camp, hunt, fish, and build things. Playing out at a lake was one of his favorite activities. He was always thinking “outside the box”; innovating and designing. He taught his boys this skill as well. He was passionate about football. Loudly passionate! He also loved soccer which he had played in Vietnam.

Xuan worked a variety of jobs, bringing his unique abilities to improvise, to all. He spent over thirty years working for Kawasaki Motors. He worked in many, many positions there. He also worked on diesel engines in a boat yard, and a printing company where he invented machines and systems that are still in use. He took early retirement at 62. But retirement is not something Xuan ever understood or embraced. He went back to school, receiving his Food Handlers and Food Manager permits, he owned and ran a sports bar in Papillon. Realizing longer hours and later nights just wasn’t a good fit, he returned to school; this time receiving his CDL with HazMat designations. He then went to work for Gana Trucking, hauling construction materials. He also worked for Gana’s agriculture and cattle operation. He enjoyed this and worked for them until his health interfered.

Xuan is preceded in death by his father, Xuyen Viet Tran; his mother, Quy Thi Huynh; and a sister; numerous friends and comrades-in-arms. He leaves behind his wife, Celia (nee King), sons Sovida (Rachel), Caleb (Jenni), Akim (Jessa), and Tobin. Grandchildren Samuel, Katharine, Eliza, Mathilda, Braxton, Ella, Bowen, Wesley, Hudson, Skyler, and Rhyker who will greatly miss their Papa and his smile.