Dragons Don’t Dance
A Daughter’s Portrait of Colonel Trương Tấn Thục
The story of Colonel Trương Tấn Thục, from a poor village in central Việt Nam to a career in the South Vietnamese Army, through decades of war, the fall of Saigon, and our family’s life as refugees in America.
Drawing from his own writings, military records, interviews, and family memories, I tell his story not only from a soldier’s perspective, but as his daughter—trying to understand the man behind the uniform and the history that shaped our family.
About the Book
Dragons Don’t Dance tells the story of my father, Colonel Trương Tấn Thục, from his childhood in a poor village in central Việt Nam to his career as an officer in the South Vietnamese Army, through decades of war, the fall of Saigon, and our family’s eventual life as refugees in America.
Drawing from his own writings, military records, interviews, photographs, documents, and family memories, the book follows both the soldier and the man behind the uniform. It traces the choices, losses, loyalties, and historical forces that shaped his life—and, in turn, shaped our family.
This is also a daughter’s attempt to understand her father more fully: the world he came from, the war he survived, and the history he carried with him long after the fighting ended.
From the Book
“Dear Father Dragon,
Please dance.
You are free of burden, at last.
You and Mom will always be my heroes.
Please, Dragon.
Dance!”
Praise & Reviews
“Dragons Don’t Dance is a powerful, riveting, and deeply moving portrayal of a daughter’s love for her father, and her determination to tell his story of courage, resilience, determination, heroism, and grit. It’s a true labor of love and a must read!”
Dr. Carolee GiaoUyen Tran, a Vietnamese American author of The Gifts of Adversity: Reflections of a Psychologist, Refugee, and Survivor of Sexual Abuse. October, 2026.