RANDOLPH AIR FORCE BASE, Texas –
On October 4th, Ambassador Sichan Siv, former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations spoke to the Randolph Composite Squadron of the Civil Air Patrol. In attendance were over 30 cadets and 10 senior members to hear Ambassador Siv speak about his life's story and what makes America great. He also participated in promoting several cadets including a Billy Mitchell Award and a promotion to Second Lieutenant for Cadet Paul Mueller.
Ambassador Siv spoke of what happened in his native country of Cambodia when the Khmer Rouge came to power in 1975. The constant fear of losing one's life for trivial infractions and the unrelenting executions of the innocent brought Ambassador Siv to only one conclusion - how he might escape. Through a series of miraculous interventions, he successfully crossed the border into Thailand in 1976. In a matter of months, he found himself as a new immigrant to America with only two dollars in his pocket. To this day, he keeps a two dollar bill in his wallet as a constant reminder of his beginnings in the United States. Through a scholarship to Colombia University, he gained a Masters degree in International Affairs in only 14 months. From 1989 to 1993, Ambassador Siv served at the White House as deputy assistant to President George H.W. Bush and as deputy assistant secretary of State. In 2001, a mere thirteen years after his arrival in America, he became the U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations under the administration of President George W. Bush.
Ambassador Siv spoke of never giving up hope and that H.O.P.E. represents Honesty, Optimism, Perseverance and Extra-Ordinary Courage. His life attests to the potential that every American can achieve in this great country. Ambassador Siv has authored a book entitled "Golden Bones" that chronicles his life's story and the lessons learned including how 'Force ties for a time. Ideas bind forever'. Certainly, the ideas he shared from his life's experiences serve as a binding force for freedom and an enduring hope for the future.