Dr. Thieu Bui MD

Thieu, born July 7, 1934 originally from Nha Trang, Vietnam, was a loving son, husband, brother, uncle, father, and grandfather and was an accomplished man. Thieu was written about in People Magazine (September 1, 1975), Time Magazine (December 18, 1978), National Geographic (circa 1979), the Arkansas Gazette (June 13, 1975), a book that chronicled the history of medicine in Travis County called, “A Preeminently Healthy Place” (2008), and at least one college text book entitled, “America, Past and Present” (circa 1997) as a shining example of prosperity as a refugee in America. Following Thieu’s death, a friend of the family having access to the largest newspaper archive online, learned of these magazine articles and researched his database to discover several AP affiliated newspaper articles in which Thieu was either the entire subject of the article or was mentioned positively. Although too numerous to name, , over 50+ of such newspaper articles from the late 1970’s turned up, a few detailing how Thieu had traveled alone to comb through stretches of rural Arkansas after a devasting tornado and was credited by authorities with saving lives during that time.

Thieu grew up in a small village in Vietnam, the son of Can Bui and Tram Nguyen, with very limited means but upon leaving his village found a way to obtain education for himself. He excelled as a student, as he did in so many other endeavors in life, and graduated from Saigon University Medical School in 1961. He was drafted and enlisted into The Army of the Republic of Vietnam (ARVN), which was the ground forces of the South Vietnamese military that was trained by and closely affiliated with the United States. Thieu served as a lieutenant doctor and had his first assignment in Banh Me Thuot Military Hospital.

Thieu excelled in surgery and when the Chief of the ARVN Airborne Hospital in Saigon needed a qualified surgeon, he asked Thieu to join them. Thieu then trained as a paratrooper with the ARVN Airborne Division to become an Airborne doctor. The ARVN Ariborne Division, sometimes known as the “Angels in Red Hats” [red berets], represented the elite of the South Vietnamese military. Due to the fact that the United States had only land stationed medics at this time, Thieu additionally became part of the elitist of this already elite group, in that a select group of doctors and surgeons in the Airborne Medical Division of the ARVN were given the opportunity by the United States to go to America for a residency in medicine. He was sent to a VA hospital and a university hospital in Morgantown, West Virginia to further his medical training in aide to the ARVN and US troops.

After a period of residency in the US, the ARVN desperately needed him so he admirably returned to Vietnam from the United States to work in the Airborne Hospital, and later became Chief of the “Do Vinh Airborne Hospital” in Saigon. During the Operation Lam Son in Southern Laos in the early 1970’s, Thieu became instrumental in a part of history in that he initiated the building of the first medical evacuation center underground. He achieved the rank of [Doctor] Colonel and served as Military Medical Commander of the 71st Surgeon Brigade in Da Nang, I Corps ARVN.

In the Spring of 1975 when Saigon fell, at the age of 41, Thieu and his wife, Simone, and their young children began their lives in American at a refugee camp in Fort Chafee, Arkansas. During this time, small rural towns in medically underserved areas in the South were seeking doctors for their communities. A wealthy Arkansas farmer by the name of William “Bill” L. Johnson, and mayor, William E. Place of a small town, called Wilmot, Arkansas (population 1,200) particularly took a liking to Thieu, his credentials and his character and recruited him to run their town clinic. Mr. Place, Mr. Johnson, and the townspeople were so grateful that the townspeople collected donations of furniture and household items and started Thieu and his family out with rent-free housing in exchange for a number of years of service. Mr. Johnson helped apply for funding from the National Health Services Corps, which provided needed health care in underserved areas of the country. Mayor William E. Place told Time Magazine that the first day the clinic opened, people were standing in line [outside]. A few years later, Thieu resigned to be under the aide of the Health Services Corps and was able to run the clinic as his own business. As Mr. Place also owned that building, he said how large Thieu’s business grows just depends on how hard he wants to work now. Thieu worked hard. He was up and out the door everyday by 5 or 6am to drive his 1975 Ford Granada 35 miles north, up Route 165 to Chicot Memorial Hospital in Lake Village, Arkansas to make rounds at the closest hospital as they also lacked doctors, and was then back at his clinic in Wilmot by 10am. Of note was that the hospital also lacked an obstetrician so Thieu also was witness to the birth of hundreds of babies in that area. To say Thieu felt a debt of gratitude to both Mr. Johnson and Mr. Place is an understatement; and that small town of Wilmot, Arkansas will forever hold a special place in the hearts of the Bui family. Equally, I believe Mr. Johnson and Mr. Place reciprocated that debt of gratitude as Thieu stayed for longer than his agreed amount of time, as they proved they wanted to make him as happy as possible there so that he would stay. Mr. Johnson originally attracted Thieu to Wilmot under the guise that he could choose to be a “small fish in a big pond” or a “big fish in a small pond”. Thieu’s start in Wilmot proved that he choose the later at that time but he later found a bigger pond.

After a visit to South Central Texas in the early 1980’s, Thieu decided that the City of Austin felt like “an intellectual, education focused city,” and since his wife wanted to obtain a degree from UT Austin law school, which she obtained in 1986, these factors prompted them to consider a move to this bigger pond. Thieu also liked that the city was physically surrounded by nature, hills, lakes, rivers and shady trees. He decided it would be a good place to raise his young children so him and Simone packed up from Wilmot, and found a home he loved in the Cat Mountain area off 2222 that was his home until the day he passed. Thieu began practicing medicine through St. David’s Hospital and later served as a resident physician at Seton Hospital, and opened his own Family Medicine Practice on North Lamar close to 35 years ago. His clinic was a beacon to many in that community, and especially Vietnamese speaking, Spanish speaking, and patients who sometimes did not have insurance or money to pay out-of-pocket. He was committed to helping anyone he could. He served his patients with a generous and caring heart and treated numerous patients, sometimes for trades of services like homemade food, tree trimming, nominal payment, a promise to pay later or whatever his patients could give. In Travis County Medical Society, he became a member of the honorary “50 year club” for his many years of service of caring for patients.

Thieu enjoyed music, art, science, history, traveling, nature, watching birds, and salt water fish, among so many other passions. He taught himself Spanish, to read and compose music and play many instruments including, violin and flute but his most favorite was the piano and guitar. Thieu gave his family the gift of music that was a constant in their home for their entire lives.

With the true Thieu character of determination and passion, he took up marathon training later in life and traveled around the world seeking out marathons and half-marathons to enjoy and complete. At least one year, he won the Austin Marathon in his age group. He could often be spotted jogging around town and would be recognized by patients, friends, his children’s friends, and the Austin running community. He always encountered them all with a big smile on his face. Thieu found great solace in running, walking, playing and writing music, and most of all, his family. The everyday memories and acts of love towards his family is something that can never be fully described. Although Thieu will be greatly missed, after a lifetime of service to others, may Thieu find peace and know that in the end, he even made it as a big fish in an even bigger pond. Dad, you were an EXCEPTIONAL human being and lived an amazing life. I love you Dad. Love, Joan

Thieu is survived by his wife, Simone Hanh Trang Bui, numerous close friends and life-long military brothers of the red beret airborne division, relatives, and a large blended family with children from a prior marriage: the eldest daughter, Trang Bui of Austin, her husband, children, and grandchildren; his late son, Tuyen Bui of Austin, his wife and son; his daughter, Loan Bui of Austin, her husband and his children; his son, Thuy Bui of Austin, and his wife. And children from his wife, being: son, Jean Francois Truong of Thailand, daughter; Jennifer Bui Moore, her late husband Walter Moore, and daughter Rachel Moore of Fairfax, Virginia; son Thienan Bui and his wife, Tara Bohnert of Austin; daughter, Tina Bui, her husband Nathan Doxsey and their son, Liam Doxsey of Austin; and his youngest daughter, JoAnn (“Joan”) Bui Leslie, her husband Brian Leslie, and their sons, Bryson Leslie and Wells Leslie of Dallas.