Vietnam Babylift Personal Stories

Kathy Penevolpe
**Editor's Note...Kathy and her husband have recently adopted 2 children from Vietnam. She spoke on behalf of families who have recently adopted children from Vietnam at Babylift Remembrance Day, New Jersey Vietnam Era Educational Center, Holmdel, New Jersey, November, 2002, and followed up with this note**

Lana,

I wanted to thank you for letting us be a part of the Babylift Remembrance. My family really enjoyed being there.

In retrospect there is something I wish I had said. I wish that I had thanked the Babylift Adoptees. They are truly a wonderful group. Theirs was a unique and heartbreaking situation. They could have moved on and no one would have criticized them but instead they have united together and reached out to younger adoptees.

They are offering their time, their experiences, and in some cases reliving their painful childhoods so younger adoptees and their parents can be more aware.

For obvious reasons I am very grateful to them. I wish I had publicly thanked them.

Thank you for including us in this special day. I hope we will see you again soon.

My thoughts are prayers are with you and your family this holiday season.

Kathy Penevolpe