One of the leading advocates on the West Coast for veterans services visited Ventura County to talk about how we can improve care. But, Kim Mitchell also had another, very moving story during her appearance at Cal State Channel Islands. She always knew she was an orphan, but only recently learned how some split second decisions during the Vietnam War saved her life.
Mitchell grew up on a farm in Wisconsin, served in the Navy for 20 years, and now runs a non-profit helping veterans.
But, there’s much more to her story. It actually started halfway around the world, in a small, war-torn Vietnamese village near Da Nang.
Mitchell was grateful to her parents for adopting her, and America for being her home. She wanted to pay back the opportunities she had. She served in the Navy for nearly two decades, including two years at the Pentagon as an aide to one of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. She was tasked with doing research on how the military could do a better job supporting veterans, and their families.
A few years ago, she decided to visit the country where she was born. Some friends of her arranged for her to visit the Vietnamese orphanage where she stayed as an infant. Mitchell says she was surprised to find some of the nuns from the 1970’s still at the orphanage, and knew bits of her story, including the fact a South Vietnamese solider had brought the infant to the facility. But, what she would discover about her past would soon become even more dramatic.
The U.S. Embassy heard about her story, and put out a press release which got international media coverage. That exposure led to some big, unexpected information about her past. The Marine who took the infant to the orphanage was living in New Mexico.
Mitchell found out the whole story. Her mother died as their village was being attacked. An old man found the infant with her mother’s body by the side of a road. He scooped up the little girl, and ran towards a bridge which was about to blown up to try to stop advancing North Vietnamese forces. He gave the infant to a Marine, who took her to the orphanage, saving her life. Mitchell says after hearing the whole story, she’s even more grateful for her life today.
She was at Cal State Channel Islands to speak about how to help veterans. Mitchell now heads a San Diego based non-profit founded by veterans, Veterans Village of San Diego It’s dedicated to providing service for those who served who are in need.
Mitchell says finding out about her incredible story makes her even more committed to giving back. She’s grateful for the people who stepped up out of nowhere to help, and the country which gave her a home.
