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No More War

A huddle of people began to run away from the loud, hot, burning explosion, while a little girl was just standing in a corner crying. She was scared and it seemed she had lost her family. Suddenly, a big cluster of cloudy dust came rushing through the mass of people. They couldn’t see where they’re going, they tripped over bodies, falling on top of each other.

Then a woman came out of nowhere and grabbed the little girl away from the danger. The woman put the little girl on her back and ran for a safe place. Finally, they stopped at a little straw house. Inside, people were screaming, crying, terrified, shocked. Each one had lost family members. Everyone, including the elderly and babies, had brown dirt covering their faces. The air was filled with the thick dust that made it hard to breath. The little girl rubbed her eyes and saw dead bodies all around her. She was so scared that she couldn’t even speak.

My grandma was only four years old the very first time she experienced a war.

For days the village family brought her with them as they searched for water, food and shelter. After they escaped to Cambodia, they couldn’t take care of her any more so they had to give her up for adoption.

Luckily, my grandma was adopted into a rich family with an older brother and a caring mother. She was given the name Hao, which means “good” and “fortune.” She lived in a big house. Still, she had not forgotten about the war in China.

And then, war erupted in Cambodia. Japanese soldiers knocked door-to-door looking for people. Airplanes dropped bombs and soldiers aimed their guns at at everyone.

At the age of 18, my grandma began to run again, this time to Vietnam. She had no money with her, so she had to sell all her jewelry in order to survive. She started a whole new life when she met my grandpa. They had a farm and five wonderful children. Her life was really happy. Then the Vietnam War started.

Everyone’s life was miserable in Vietnam. They prayed every day and night hoping to survive and for the war to end. Again, she saw airplanes dropping bombs. Mines were planted in the green forest, where many kids played. Many people were killed by the mines; there were dead bodies everywhere.

These are the stories my grandma has always told me to remind me of our family’s history and what she had been through. She taught me to be disciplined and to be thankful everyday of my life.

The reason she decided to immigrate to the United States was to get away from war. Through the years when I listened to my grandma describe all the terrible wars she had survived, I never thought it would happen again.

But on Tuesday, Sept. 11, 2001 at 8:30 a.m., the principal announced that we were dismissed from school early. Everyone was happy and began to cheer. I was wondering why we were off that early. I heard something about bombing in New York City, but it wasn’t clear. My teacher told us not to go near those federal buildings downtown.

Then my heart began to beat faster and faster with each second. I called my grandma once I got out of school. I told my little cousins and sisters not to go to school. I called my parents and asked where they were. Although I didn’t really know what was going on, I wanted to make sure my family was safe.

I rushed to my grandma’s house and turned on the television. I saw an airplane crashing into the World Trade Center. I was shocked. ‘What I’m seeing is unreal,’ I thought. It looked like a set of a Hollywood movie. I sat there knowing more bad news and even war were going to come. I watched the clips of people dying and buildings being blown up over and over again. I was terrified.

I might not have the knowledge to understand how wars can solve problems, but I do know the devastation they cause — and I don’t want it to happen again. My grandma and my family have already suffered enough.