Ly Tong facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Lê Văn Tống
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| Born | September 1, 1946 An Cựu Đông village, Thừa Thiên Province, French Indochina (now Thừa Thiên Huế Province, Vietnam) |
| Died | April 5, 2019 (aged 72) San Diego, California, U.S. |
| Allegiance |  South Vietnam United States |
| Service/ |
Republic of Vietnam Air Force |
| Years of service | 1965-1975 |
| Unit | "Black Eagle" Fighter Squadron No. 548 Squadron |
| Battles/wars | Vietnam War |
Lê Văn Tống (born September 1, 1946 – died April 5, 2019), also known as Lý Tống, was a Vietnamese American activist. He was known for his strong opposition to communism. He spent many years fighting for freedom and democracy, especially for the people of Vietnam.
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Early Life of Lý Tống
Lý Tống was born on September 1, 1946. He grew up in a large family with nine brothers. His father, Le Van Tan, was against French rule in Vietnam and died in prison. Lý Tống's brother, Le Van Quy, joined the Communist Party of Vietnam.
Lý Tống once said about his family:
"My father was against the French, my brother was against the US, and I was against the Communist. That is Ly Tong's life."
In his early years, Lý Tống went to An Cựu Primary School in South Vietnam. He then studied at Nguyen Tri Phuong High School. In 1962, he finished middle school. The next year, he studied at Huế National School.
Military Career in Vietnam
In 1965, when he was 19, Lý Tống joined the Republic of Vietnam Air Force. He trained at the Air Force Training Center in Nha Trang for a year. After this, he was sent to study in the United States.
In January 1970, he joined the "Black Eagle" Fighter Squadron. This was part of the 4th Air Force Division in Can Tho. There, he learned to fly the Cessna U-17 and A-37 Dragonfly planes. During this time, Lý Tống fought in the Cambodian campaign. He also took part in battles in the southwestern part of Vietnam.
In early 1973, Lý Tống moved to the 548 Squadron in Phan Rang. He continued his training to fly the A-37. He learned how to do bombing, scouting, and guided air strikes. He mainly fought in the Central Highlands region.
Captured and Escaped from Prison
In April 1975, Lý Tống was flying a mission against North Vietnamese targets. His A-37 plane was shot down by anti-aircraft fire. In the same month, the city of Saigon was captured by the North Vietnamese Army. This event ended the Vietnam War and led to the fall of South Vietnam.
After being captured, Lý Tống was held in a re-education camp for five years. In August 1980, he was working at a camp in Tuy Hoa. He managed to escape and fled to Ho Chi Minh City. There, he lived secretly.
Lý Tống met people who could make fake identity documents. With these documents, he left Vietnam by land. He crossed the border into Cambodia. From there, he traveled to Thailand by bike, bus, train, and on foot. He then swam at night across the Johor Strait to Singapore. He took a taxi to the United States Embassy in Singapore. He asked for political asylum there.
In 1984, Lý Tống was allowed to move to the United States. He even received a letter from then-President Ronald Reagan. The letter recognized his struggle for freedom. He later earned a master's degree in political science from the University of New Orleans. He also wrote a novel in Vietnamese. He became good friends with former Republic of Vietnam Air Force Colonel An Vo. He was also very active in the Vietnamese community in New Orleans.
Activism Against Communism
In the 1990s, Lý Tống decided to become an activist against communism. In 1992, he flew a Vietnam Airlines plane over Ho Chi Minh City. He dropped thousands of leaflets from the plane. These leaflets called for people to rise up against the communist government of Vietnam. He then parachuted from the plane. He landed in a swamp and was caught by Vietnamese soldiers. He was sentenced to 20 years in prison. In 1998, the Vietnamese government released him. This was part of a program that freed many democracy activists.
On January 1, 2000, he flew over Havana, Cuba. Again, he dropped leaflets. These leaflets encouraged the Cuban people to protest against the government of Fidel Castro. When he returned to Florida, he was questioned by U.S. authorities. However, he was released without charges. The Federal Aviation Administration then stopped him from flying planes. When he returned to Florida, some Cuban-Americans saw him as a hero.
On November 17, 2000, Lý Tống and another pilot flew to Thailand. From there, he flew to drop 50,000 pamphlets over Ho Chi Minh City. These pamphlets called for protests against the communist government of Vietnam. This leaflet drop happened when then-U.S. President Bill Clinton was visiting Vietnam. After landing, Thai authorities arrested him. In 2006, Lý Tống was released by the Thai government. He then returned to the United States.
On August 26, 2008, Lý Tống rented a plane and a pilot. Shortly after taking off, he told the pilot to fly over North Korea. He wanted to spread anti-communist leaflets to the North Koreans. The pilot told him they needed to refuel in Seoul. The pilot also sent an emergency signal. When they landed, Lý Tống was arrested briefly by airport authorities.
Later Life and Passing
In early 2008, Lý Tống went on a hunger strike at San Jose City Hall. He was protesting a plan to name a part of the city "New Saigon Business District." He wanted it to be called "Little Saigon" instead.
Lý Tống passed away from lung cancer on April 5, 2019. He died at Sharp Memorial Hospital in San Diego, California. Many people from the Vietnamese American community attended his funeral in Westminster, California. He is buried at Westminster Memorial Park.
