A Vietnam veteran who was forced to leave his baby daughter behind at the end of the Vietnam War said he felt "destiny fulfilled" after she tracked him down more than 50 years later and asked him to walk her down the aisle on her wedding day. Bob Andron, 77, was legally married to Linda Throng's mom, Lin, between January 1970 and January 1971, when he lived in Vietnam. A sergeant with the United States Air Force, Bob was an English specialist and an English language instructor, improving airmen’s use of the language. But after a year of service, Bob said he was forced to leave and had no way of keeping in contact with Lin, given that he didn't have her Vietnamese last name when he left for the United States. For decades, Bob wondered what became of Lin and his child, understanding that it would be up to them to find him if they were ever to meet. Then, one day in May 2021, Bob received a phone call from a genealogist, Kristee Mays, who specializes in reuniting veterans with lost biological family members. Linda, 51, had since moved to the United States via the Philippines, and in searching for Linda's American father, Kristee had matched Bob's family name to a birth certificate. The pair were later able to meet in person, in a moment that received an outpouring of love on social media when it was shared by Bob's son, Lee Andron, who captured an emotional video of his dad and Linda's first embrace. Over the years that followed, Linda and Bob stayed in touch, with Linda asking Bob if he would walk her down the aisle at her wedding, which took place on December 30, 2023, in Katy, Texas, near where she now lives. Bob said he was thrilled to be asked, and the moment provided a feeling of fulfilling his destiny, he added.
Category
🛠️
Lifestyle