Bernice Rattanasamay |
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Living Under the Communists Interviewer: What was it like living during the war? Bernice: The communists came and took over everything. They made us go to something called a seminar. These seminars were held at their headquarters, and they made us do work there; sometimes from morning until night. You had to chauffeur them around late at night or do chores for them during the day. Interviewer: Did everyone have to work for them? Bernice: Everyone had to, even those in the army or in business. Early every morning, the communists would do as they pleased. They played things like drums and music. They woke up everyone and had us do things like clean the streets that people would use as a bathroom. We were forced to do work ranging from two to three hours. Interviewer: For them? Bernice: Yes, we were doing all that work for them. People who were teachers, like me, didn’t really teach. We had to go to seminars for most of the day. Then, at night, I got to teach students a little, but I mainly had to garden, water plants, and plant vegetables. For example, they would split us into groups of ten or so people and would force us to farm three fields that were assigned to us. The farms had to be nice and organized. Interviewer: They told you to do all of this? Bernice: Yes, when the communists were in power, we were given some of the hardest jobs. They made us do things like raise chickens and pigs for them. Living in a house or building didn’t excuse you from work either. Interviewer: Did your two sons also work for them? Bernice: Both of them were enrolled in school at the time. But, when they turned sixteen, they were forced to enlist in the army. Interviewer: The army? They had to join the communist military? Bernice: Yes, the army for the communists. Interviewer: Not the Royal Laos Army? Bernice: No, they were forced to enlist at age sixteen and were turned into what was called a “little soldier”. They gave you a gun to carry, a long gun. Interviewer: So these “little soldiers” weren’t sent off to fight in battles or wars right? Bernice: No, they weren’t told to go to war. Generally, they were assigned to watch and stand guard. Interviewer: All for the communist’s benefit? Bernice: Yes, and at night it was hard to sleep. We feared that the communists might come knocking. Interviewer: What did it mean if they knocked on your door? Bernice: If they knocked on your door, it usually meant you said something wrong that upset them. The communists would come knocking, asking for a person to take. Sometimes they would kill them. Other times, they would take them to a place to reform their thoughts. It was similar to the place at school were children are sent for punishment, where they are told what is right and what is wrong. They didn’t just take you there to teach you right from wrong but also to work for them. They made you do all different kinds of work. You were never allowed to not be working. They made you cut wood or trees, all kinds of things. If they had any task, they would make you do it. If their yard was messy or unclean, they made adults sweep, clean, and broom everything and anything.
Object Description
Profile of | Bernice Rattanasamay |
Title | If they told you to do something, you had to do it. You were given no choice |
Profile bio | Bernice Rattanasamay was born on February 13, 1935 in the province of Khom Moung, Laos. She was married to a brigadier general in the Royal Lao Army and was a high school teacher prior to her flight to America. After her husband was killed while fighting in the Laotian countryside, Rattanasamay and her two sons moved to a military compound belonging to her father-in-law, who was the Inspector-General for the Royal Lao Army. When communists took over the country, she fled with her two children to a refugee camp in Nongkai, Thailand. After residing in Nongkai for about a year and a half, she finally arrived in the United States on April 13th, 1978. She was sponsored by a family member and moved to Orange Country, California where she still resides today. |
Profiler bio | Kevin Doran is currently a senior majoring in Chemical Engineering. He is from outside of Chicago and will be attending Northwestern for graduate studies in the fall. John Tanaka is currently a sophomore from Mililani, Hawaii. He is double majoring in Environmental Sciences and Health and Biological Sciences. Alarick Rattanasamay is currently a junior from Lake Forest, California. He is majoring in Economics |
Subject |
Laos, refugee camp immigration quota communist Royal Laos Army english application |
Profiled by | Rattanasamay, Alarick; Tanaka, John; Doran, Kevin |
Profile date | 2014-03-03 |
Geographic subject (city or populated place) | Nongkai |
Geographic subject (county) | Orange |
Geographic subject (state) | California |
Geographic subject (country) | USA; Thailand; Laos |
Publisher (of the original version) | http://anotherwarmemorial.com/bernice-rattanasamay-3/ |
Type |
images video |
Format | 1 image; 3 video files (00:11:16); 3 transcripts |
Contributing entity | University of Southern California |
Part of collection | An Other War Memorial -- Memories of the American War in Viet Nam |
Filename | rattanasamaybernice |
Description
Profile of | Bernice Rattanasamay |
Title | Living Under the Communists |
Format | 1 transcript, 3p. |
Filename | rattanasamaybernice-vid2_tr2.pdf |
Full text | Living Under the Communists Interviewer: What was it like living during the war? Bernice: The communists came and took over everything. They made us go to something called a seminar. These seminars were held at their headquarters, and they made us do work there; sometimes from morning until night. You had to chauffeur them around late at night or do chores for them during the day. Interviewer: Did everyone have to work for them? Bernice: Everyone had to, even those in the army or in business. Early every morning, the communists would do as they pleased. They played things like drums and music. They woke up everyone and had us do things like clean the streets that people would use as a bathroom. We were forced to do work ranging from two to three hours. Interviewer: For them? Bernice: Yes, we were doing all that work for them. People who were teachers, like me, didn’t really teach. We had to go to seminars for most of the day. Then, at night, I got to teach students a little, but I mainly had to garden, water plants, and plant vegetables. For example, they would split us into groups of ten or so people and would force us to farm three fields that were assigned to us. The farms had to be nice and organized. Interviewer: They told you to do all of this? Bernice: Yes, when the communists were in power, we were given some of the hardest jobs. They made us do things like raise chickens and pigs for them. Living in a house or building didn’t excuse you from work either. Interviewer: Did your two sons also work for them? Bernice: Both of them were enrolled in school at the time. But, when they turned sixteen, they were forced to enlist in the army. Interviewer: The army? They had to join the communist military? Bernice: Yes, the army for the communists. Interviewer: Not the Royal Laos Army? Bernice: No, they were forced to enlist at age sixteen and were turned into what was called a “little soldier”. They gave you a gun to carry, a long gun. Interviewer: So these “little soldiers” weren’t sent off to fight in battles or wars right? Bernice: No, they weren’t told to go to war. Generally, they were assigned to watch and stand guard. Interviewer: All for the communist’s benefit? Bernice: Yes, and at night it was hard to sleep. We feared that the communists might come knocking. Interviewer: What did it mean if they knocked on your door? Bernice: If they knocked on your door, it usually meant you said something wrong that upset them. The communists would come knocking, asking for a person to take. Sometimes they would kill them. Other times, they would take them to a place to reform their thoughts. It was similar to the place at school were children are sent for punishment, where they are told what is right and what is wrong. They didn’t just take you there to teach you right from wrong but also to work for them. They made you do all different kinds of work. You were never allowed to not be working. They made you cut wood or trees, all kinds of things. If they had any task, they would make you do it. If their yard was messy or unclean, they made adults sweep, clean, and broom everything and anything. |
Archival file | Volume3/rattanasamaybernice-vid2_tr2.pdf |