Gay Vietnam Hero Tells His Tale
VOL 30, NO. 32 MAY 6, 2015 www.WindyCityMediaGroup.com John P. Riordan, United States Army, in Saigon, 1968. Photo courtesy of Riordan Gay Vietnam hero tells his tale BY SARAH TOCE then the agent said there’s no interest in the publishing in- dustry in this book about Vietnam; people are tired of this On April 3, 1975, Vietnam War hero John Riordan single- story. So this is kind of all through the ‘80s—it just was going handedly took on a secret mission to rescue the Vietnamese nowhere, and I was getting tired of it.” from Saigon as the war was drawing to a close. Saving a total During many incarnations (including the possibility of the of 105 people—including bank employees, spouses and chil- foretold book to become a movie instead), it seemed that the dren—the Citibank assistant manager risked his own life so future best-selling memoir, was a goner. “It finally just petered that others might continue living theirs. out; it was just going nowhere,” Riordan said. “I think we all have these points in our life. Some of us get Still, Riordan’s story fascinated anyone who would listen the chance in the limelight or the camera or something, but and, because of that, he kept sharing it, anyway. a lot of heroic things happen every single day in lives, lots of “I got a call from one fellow by the name of Tom Krause, lives,” Riordan said when referred to as a hero. who is a Vice President in the Asia-Pacific division of CitiBank It took more than 40 years for Riordan to make his book- in New York, telling me, ‘John, this is Tom Krause calling, and writing dream a reality with They Are All My Family: A Dar- Peter Howell, another VP, is on the phone with me.
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