The story of Ketkeo Sisouphonh all started in 1979 when he fled his country to come to a more promising land. Ketkeo swam across the Mekong river with a couple of empty 5 gallon barrels of water tied to him to keep him a float in the long haul. On the other side of the Mekong river was Thailand, and what many can say was freedom from the Viet Kong's coming through Laos and torching women and children. At the time this was the end of the Vietnam war where the Laotian supported the American troops in there victory over Vietnam. It is to say that if it wasn't for the Laotian troops helping the US troops understand the terrain that the Vietnam war would have latest much longer than it did. .
Well Ketkeo was able to escape the treachery of the Viet Kong's and found himself working in Thailand as a dishwasher. After working in Thailand to get enough money to set his way over to America he was sent to the Philippines to a refugee camp. The Philippines was the designated island for whomever was going to the states so along with my father were thousands of fellow Laotians.
After six months in the refugee camp he then was able to come to America. With the sponsorship of a few good Lutherans he was finally here, land of opportunity. First day landing in America he had to get a job and so guess what he first did, that's right welding. He was thrown into a smelly dumpster with hole and was told to fix it. With no experience we managed to fix all the rusted holes from rotten garbage. And this is where it all began, the beginning of the Laotian Welder.
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