A 70-year-old American veteran who fought in the Vietnam War, Matthew Keenan returns to Da Nang after 48 years as a special teacher and father figure, accompanying, sharing, helping, and alleviating the pain of Agent Orange victims. The Agent Orange victims at the Center are always close to Matthew Keenan. Every day, early in the morning, the Da Nang Center for the Protection of Agent Orange Victims and Disadvantaged Children (facilities 1 and 2 in Thanh Khe District and facility 3 in Hoa Vang District) is filled with the laughter and playful chatter of the Agent Orange victims. Immediately, the children, some limping, some with crooked arms, others with distorted mouths, run out to take the foreign man’s hand and lead him into the Center.
The place is never quiet or quiet. The children, with their babbling, lisping voices and giggling laughter, waved their arms and hobbled along, running to greet the elderly, tall, thin, pale-skinned, wrinkled man with a bald, white head. He was Matthew Keenan, an American veteran, whom the children affectionately called, “Mr. Matthew, Mr. Matthew.” Seeing this, he quickly approached, knelt down on the floor of the center’s auditorium, and embraced the bewildered children, comforting them with a gentle and friendly smile.
After interacting with the children at the center, Mr. Matthew strolled around the center, from room to room, greeting everyone. Despite the language barrier, the teachers and the Agent Orange children here, having learned a few bits of English from Mr. Matthew, responded in broken English: “ok, ok,” “good, good,” “thank you, thank you,” or with easily understandable gestures, then looked at each other and giggled, showing great delight… Mr. Matthew Keenan interacting with the Agent Orange children at the Center One morning, as Mr. Matthew blew his whistle, the children excitedly and quickly ran out to the playground to line up and play basketball. He divided them into two teams, and the children vied to “show off their skills,” but one after another, they clumsily tried and no one could get the ball into the hoop. He then showed them how to do it.
Seeing this, Mr. Matthew also tried his hand at shooting a ball and hitting the target, and the children clapped excitedly and laughed. Leaving the sports field, Mr. Matthew and the children went to the classrooms. In each room, he meticulously and diligently taught each child how to play with building blocks, draw pictures, and so on. In one room where incense was being made, Mr. Matthew helped arrange bundles of incense sticks and dry them in the sun with the children. Nearby, seeing some children making souvenirs, Mr. Matthew approached and carefully helped some girls who were awkwardly stringing sparkling beads onto wire to create flowers and meaningful flower arrangements. These were the fruits of their labor, the creations they had made together. Mr. Matthew Keenan with the children of Agent Orange making incense at the Center. As soon as he finished teaching one child, another group of children would run up, clinging to his hand and asking him to teach them. Mr. Matthew patiently held each child’s hand, teaching them to write the letters O and A.
Each time they completed a clumsy letter, the children would clap their hands with delight, hug Mr. Matthew, and grin widely. We had a conversation, and Mr. Matthew shared his story. He is a US veteran who fought in the Vietnam War since 1970. In 2013, Mr. Matthew Keenan was diagnosed with prostate cancer due to exposure to Agent Orange during his time in Vietnam. Upon learning of his illness, he researched online and was shocked to discover that in Vietnam, more than 45 years after the war ended, generations continue to suffer from the effects of chemical toxins. He witnessed the miserable lives of children affected by Agent Orange in Vietnam, which deeply troubled him. More than anyone else, he understood the losses, disadvantages, and suffering that these children and their families are enduring. This is the pain of Agent Orange.
It was this understanding that motivated him to return to Vietnam to volunteer and help alleviate the suffering caused by Agent Orange. In 2016, Matthew Keenan returned to Da Nang and was connected with the Da Nang Association of Victims of Agent Orange/Dioxin by a friend, a former American soldier living there. For nearly five years, he has been involved with the Da Nang Association of Victims of Agent Orange/Dioxin, working alongside teachers and staff at the Center for the Protection of Agent Orange Victims and Disadvantaged Children in the city. Here, Matthew first came into contact with Agent Orange victims and Vietnamese veterans affected by Agent Orange. “Despite their illnesses, the children are always cheerful and happy; they inspire me to live well.” Since then, Matthew visits Vietnam 2-3 times a year, staying for 2-3 months each time.
He also confided, “I don’t speak the same language as the children with Agent Orange here; but I believe they understand my concern, sharing, and care. Because there are loves that don’t need to be expressed in words, but through actions, from the heart. Honestly, I consider them my own children!” Over the years, in addition to caring for and helping the Agent Orange victims at the Center, Matthew Keenan has also called for, mobilized, and connected with
