Uk Tat, Second Lieutenant
My father Uk Tat was a soldier. He was the only one in his family to be educated; he went to school at a pagoda and transported vegetables and fruits to the market to help his family. Then the French government recruited him into the army. My mother Chhim Ret used to sell cakes in […]
Khiev Noeun, Second Lieutenant
Noeun studied in Kandal Province. He was a good student and earned a diploma. During the chaos following the 1970 coup d’état, he volunteered to join a unit that guarded his school at night because they were afraid the Vietnamese would burn it down. He wore a uniform that was the same color as tree […]
Heng Sokphanna, Master Sergeant
I was very lucky to marry my husband. If I had married a selfish man, I probably would have died from starvation during the Khmer Rouge regime. He was a handsome man and many girls were attracted to him. We had gone to school together for four years before we got married. He always waited […]
Voeng Vorn, Soldier
My husband Vorn had skin the color of a soybean. He was gentle, hardworking, and very likable. We were married when I was 16. About a month later, the village and sub-district authorities came to persuade Vorn to join Lon Nol’s army. He didn’t want to, but had little choice. He served in many battles. […]
Huy Mann, Soldier
was not really ready for love when I was 18. Mann and I first met on the Khmer New Year, when he was on a short leave from the army. It was love at first sight for him. And when he had his unit chief ask my mother for my hand in marriage, I didn’t […]
Kauv Choa, Soldier
Kauv Choa married me when he was 22 and I was 18. Although we lived in the same village, we had never met before his parents came to mine to arrange our engagement. My parents asked for a 100 riel dowry; it was a lot of money at that time. But because his parents loved […]
Kang Nan, Soldier
This picture was taken during the Lon Nol regime in Phnom Penh. I had moved there to live with my younger cousins because I didn’t want to join the Khmer Rouge. I’m not sure why my friends and I decided to have our picture taken, and we didn’t dress properly. I was wearing a pair […]
Sek Moeun, Soldier
My husband worked for the civil aviation administration at Pochentong Airport when we met. He was responsible for security at the airport at a time when people were trying to burn it down. Moeun was much more educated than I. He could speak English and French fluently, as well as Chinese because he was half […]
Sum Sras, Army Medic
I was ordained as a monk when I was 12 years old. But after a year, I resigned because I had very little knowledge of Buddhist teachings. At the time of the coup d’etat against King Sihanouk, I was a village chief. I supervised more than 50 houses, although I was not allowed to collect […]
Chhuon Sopheak, Military Policeman
My mother died when I was young and my father did not have enough money to support my education. So, I moved from Prey Vent Province to Phnom Penh where I lived with my brother-in-law Chann Kim Hor. He was a sergeant in the army and asked me to take the entrance exam to become […]