Edited sentence: After spending more than twenty years in America, Nguyễn still held on to his South Vietnamese citizenship.Along the way, the refugee column (now known as the "convoy of tears"), took heavy casualties as communist forces (North Vietnamese 340th Division) rained down artillery and killed thousands.At the closing of the war that led to the Fall of Saigon, Nguyễn stood and fought while the neighboring Military District Chiefs ran without a fight, creating chaos as refugees poured into Saigon from the First and Second Corps.He had hopes of returning home.He was resolutely honest and is fondly remembered by his constituency from the Central Highlands of Vietnam (Da Lat and Tuyen Duc).Nguyen ordered his own withdrawal only after realizing that his city and district were isolated.Nguyễn led an orderly retreat, stayed with his troops, and saved many lives