A Brief Introduction of David's e-book Memoirs
By Russell Dorn | 5 min read
By Russell Dorn | 5 min read
INTRODUCTION
David's memoirs entitled "848 DAYS: <title-TBD" are a compelling and captivating narrative of an individual who has witnessed and experienced firsthand the brutality, affliction, and violent bloodshed perpetrated by the Khmer Rouge party during the Cambodian genocide period from 1975 to 1979 when approximately 1.5-2.5 million people lost their lives, many just for being educated. Numerous others were starved or overworked in the fields at glorified slave labor camps as the result of the Khmer Rouge's efforts to establish an agrarian society. This is evidenced by David's own harrowing experiences which include being beaten with bamboo sticks as a child when he was caught escaping the youth labor camp, forcible separation from his parents and siblings, attending nightly mandatory propaganda meetings where brainwashing occurred, witnessing children being severely punished for the mere fact of overindulging in food, and being incessantly hungry. David is without question an example of someone whose character has been tempered in the crucible of adversity. From his inauspicious beginnings in Cambodia, David would overcome considerable obstacles and become quite successful later in life. In his memoirs, David discusses, among other subjects, his journey to America and assimilation into the U.S. culture; his family life, both before and after living in Cambodia; the rise of the Khmer Rouge and Pol Pot, the main architect behind the killing fields; his professional career as an engineer; and his envisionment of the American dream.
I first made David’s acquaintance in freshman year of high school circa 1983 but did not really get to know him until sophomore year in humanities classes. My initial impressions of David were that of a somewhat shy, unassuming, mild mannered, affable and at times socially awkward individual who was not very fluent in English. However, two qualities that he possesses and first stood out to me were his willingness to always lend a helping hand and his thoughtfulness as demonstrated by the fact that he would offer to share his lunch with me without me even asking. Later in Junior year, he worked tirelessly to help me in an advanced computer class; without which help I would have almost certainly failed. He also wouldn't hesitate to drive me to any location when I couldn't drive. David has always possessed a high degree of empathy. Shortly after getting to know him, I learned that he had almost no formal education prior to starting his schooling here in the United States; thus he had substantial education-related obstacles to overcome. I have many other fond high school memories about David including going to a church retreat, working out with our friend Dan, studying for exams, eating simple yet delicious meals prepared by his Mom when he lived in a modest apartment on the South side of Evanston, Illinois and going out on Saturday nights to the roller rink (David is a roller skating virtuoso!) At one point, David was actually invited to be the lead singer of a band, however this never materialized because he really wasn't cut out for it. Along the way during high school, his communications skills vastly improved and he learned how to build meaningful relationships. He harnessed his incredible discipline and began to excel academically in school while also holding down a part time jobs as a caddy at a golf club and as a camera clerk at Walgreens. As numerous examples in his memoirs clearly illustrate and to which I can also personally attest, David underwent a dramatic transformation from the aforementioned shy, awkward individual who I knew in high school, to a much more confident version of himself that I know today.
As far back as I can remember, David has been an avid exerciser. He was on the track team in high school and thus did a lot of early morning running. In his early twenties, he endeavored to become a professional bodybuilder but this never transpired as his studies took priority. To this day, he still tries to workout as often as time permits, which is usually 3-4 days per week. In college David devoted himself unremittingly to his studies and obtained both a Bachelor's and a Master's degree in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, which later allowed him to land high level employment jobs at some very prestigious companies in corporate America. During this time, his confidence levels began to increase as he took on more and more challenges and responsibilities in the workplace. He also took on prodigious workloads, often working 90 or more hours a week. David is currently a successful engineer, which is evidenced in part by the fact that in the recent past, he had held the highest level security clearance with the Department of Defense (DoD), having secured a prestigious Top Secret, Sensitive Compartmented Information (TS/SCI) with counter intelligence polygraph clearance. I was one of his character references interviewed, in person, by a Federal Investigative Services special agent as part of the background investigation process necessary for him to obtain the security clearance.
I vividly recall the first time he introduced to me to his magnificent and multi-talented future wife Mari, back in 2000. Mari is from Petrolina, Brazil and with her help, David is able to converse in Portuguese fairly well. Seeing David get married to Mari when he was in his early 30s was truly a delightful experience. Over the years, they have traveled to many fascinating locations all over the world. Work and family travels have taken David to over 30 countries. I adored going out with them to eat at the various restaurants in the Chicago area. Although there was a period of several years where we lost touch due to his being overseas for lengthy amounts of time, he still to this day remains a loyal friend.
Today, David is an articulate man of high moral rectitude with a wonderful family of his own. Many of his admirable qualities can be attributed to the precepts that were inculcated in him by his parents when growing up during harsh times. Most importantly, David puts other people first and makes them feel important; he is a person you can count on when you have hardships in your own life. I am extremely proud to call him my friend.
Clearly an individual who has been through the cauldron of adversity before immigrating to the U.S. to rebuild his life and become the financial and personal success he is today, David epitomizes what an immigrant can achieve through industriousness, being a law abiding citizen, and by possessing a high level of integrity. He truly embodies the American spirit and as such is an exemplary role model. In the final analysis, David's memoirs speak volumes to the importance of the subject of the Cambodian genocide and its repercussions. Because unless we understand it, it may very well happen again.
Russell Dorn
October 25, 2016
Illinois, USA
As far back as I can remember, David has been an avid exerciser. He was on the track team in high school and thus did a lot of early morning running. In his early twenties, he endeavored to become a professional bodybuilder but this never transpired as his studies took priority. To this day, he still tries to workout as often as time permits, which is usually 3-4 days per week. In college David devoted himself unremittingly to his studies and obtained both a Bachelor's and a Master's degree in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, which later allowed him to land high level employment jobs at some very prestigious companies in corporate America. During this time, his confidence levels began to increase as he took on more and more challenges and responsibilities in the workplace. He also took on prodigious workloads, often working 90 or more hours a week. David is currently a successful engineer, which is evidenced in part by the fact that in the recent past, he had held the highest level security clearance with the Department of Defense (DoD), having secured a prestigious Top Secret, Sensitive Compartmented Information (TS/SCI) with counter intelligence polygraph clearance. I was one of his character references interviewed, in person, by a Federal Investigative Services special agent as part of the background investigation process necessary for him to obtain the security clearance.
I vividly recall the first time he introduced to me to his magnificent and multi-talented future wife Mari, back in 2000. Mari is from Petrolina, Brazil and with her help, David is able to converse in Portuguese fairly well. Seeing David get married to Mari when he was in his early 30s was truly a delightful experience. Over the years, they have traveled to many fascinating locations all over the world. Work and family travels have taken David to over 30 countries. I adored going out with them to eat at the various restaurants in the Chicago area. Although there was a period of several years where we lost touch due to his being overseas for lengthy amounts of time, he still to this day remains a loyal friend.
Today, David is an articulate man of high moral rectitude with a wonderful family of his own. Many of his admirable qualities can be attributed to the precepts that were inculcated in him by his parents when growing up during harsh times. Most importantly, David puts other people first and makes them feel important; he is a person you can count on when you have hardships in your own life. I am extremely proud to call him my friend.
Clearly an individual who has been through the cauldron of adversity before immigrating to the U.S. to rebuild his life and become the financial and personal success he is today, David epitomizes what an immigrant can achieve through industriousness, being a law abiding citizen, and by possessing a high level of integrity. He truly embodies the American spirit and as such is an exemplary role model. In the final analysis, David's memoirs speak volumes to the importance of the subject of the Cambodian genocide and its repercussions. Because unless we understand it, it may very well happen again.
Russell Dorn
October 25, 2016
Illinois, USA