Mormon Serviceman Reunifies Refugee Families

When American servicemen including Virgil Kovalenko left war-torn Vietnam in 1972, they promised Vietnamese Air Force Captain Nguyen Ngoc Thach and his wife that they would not forget them. Though South Vietnam fell to the communists in 1975, Virgil was able to return to Southeast Asia 10 years later and help not only the Thachs but also other Church members relocate to America.

In 1982, Virgil and a small group of veterans and missionaries responded to a series of letters from the Thachs by founding the Veterans Association for Service Activities Abroad. Under Virgil’s leadership, the 300-member organization has since helped to resettle and/or reunify hundreds of refugee families from Vietnam and other countries ravaged by war.

Besides organizing volunteers to work with hospitals, clinics, and schools in Vietnam, Virgil has worked in the Ukraine, where he gathered 12 tons of medical and educational supplies. He has also worked on humanitarian projects in Mexico.

Virgil retired from active military duty in 1983, completing nearly 30 years of Navy and Air Force service. He holds a BA degree from BYU and a PhD from the University of Utah. He and his wife, Lela, have five children.

BYU Magazine Alumni Service Awards 1997