Le Ly Hayslip, the Vietnamese-American author, humanitarian, and friend of the Veterans Breakfast Club, invites veterans and others touched by the Vietnam War to a free gathering of remembrance, healing, and reconciliation.
By Todd DePastino
Le Ly Hayslip had as traumatic a war experience as imaginable. Yet, instead of trying to put t behind her, she turned that experiences into a lifelong effort to help people on both sides of the Vietnam War understand one another.
Born in a small village near Da Nang, Vietnam, Hayslip was still a child when war engulfed her community. She endured imprisonment, torture, sexual violence, and the destruction of the world she had known. Eventually, she came to the United States, where she began a new life. But she never forgot the people and places she left behind.
Hayslip told her extraordinary story in two memoirs, When Heaven and Earth Changed Places (1989) and Child of War, Woman of Peace (1993). Her experiences inspired Oliver Stone’s 1993 film Heaven & Earth, starring Hiep Thi Le and Tommy Lee Jones.
She then devoted herself to rebuilding communities in Vietnam and bringing together people once divided by war. Through the East Meets West Foundation and later the Global Village Foundation, she has supported schools, libraries, medical care, humanitarian assistance, and other projects benefiting communities in Vietnam and elsewhere in Asia.
Just as importantly, she has worked to bring American veterans and Vietnamese people together in a spirit of reconciliation.
We at the Veterans Breakfast Club have a special affection for Le Ly. She joined us at our first StoryFest in Santa Monica in February 2026, sharing her story and her message of peace with our community. We were proud to have her there.
Her presence reminded us why we bring people together to share stories in the first place. The Vietnam War produced vastly different experiences and memories among Americans and Vietnamese, soldiers and civilians, refugees and those who remained. Listening doesn’t erase the past, but it can help us understand each other, despite our differences.
See photos and highlights from VBC StoryFest 2026.
A Special Gathering on November 8 in Southern California
Now Le Ly has invited our VBC community to join her for a special free event on Sunday, November 8, 2026, in Fountain Valley, California, organized through her Global Village Foundation.
The gathering will feature two films telling stories of the Vietnam War, followed by a panel discussion and an awards ceremony recognizing veterans and others who have worked to promote understanding and reconciliation.
Among those being honored are Vietnam veterans Doug Rawlings and Chuck Theusch.
Chuck is another friend of the Veterans Breakfast Club. We previously featured him and his remarkable work through Children’s Library International, an organization dedicated to expanding educational opportunities for children in Vietnam and other countries.
Watch our VBC conversation with Chuck Theusch.
Le Ly describes the November 8 gathering as an opportunity for healing and remembrance for American veterans, Vietnamese Americans, and everyone whose life has been touched by the war.
It’s a mission that speaks directly to what we try to do at the Veterans Breakfast Club: create communities of listening where stories can connect people who might otherwise remain strangers.
Please Join Le Ly if You’re in Southern California
If you live in or near Orange County or Los Angeles, we encourage you to attend this special event. Admission is free, but registration is requested.
Sunday, November 8, 2026
Fountain Valley, California
Admission: Free
See event details and reserve your free seat here.
You can also watch a video of last year’s Global Village Foundation gathering to get a sense of the community Le Ly has built around her work.
And if you’re nowhere near California, we hope you’ll take a few minutes to learn about Le Ly Hayslip, read her books, and discover the work of the Global Village Foundation.
More than fifty years after the end of the Vietnam War, its consequences remain with us—in families, memories, relationships, and communities on both sides of the Pacific.
Le Ly Hayslip has spent much of her life showing what can happen when people who have suffered through war choose to reach out to one another afterward.
We’re proud to call her a friend of the Veterans Breakfast Club, and we’re happy to help spread the word about her November 8 gathering.
Please share this invitation, especially with veterans, Vietnamese-American families, and friends in Southern California.
