Grandfather’s Vietnam heroism led grandson to USF and an interest in national security

By Paul Guzzo, University Communications and Marketing

A 2018 trip to California opened Calvin Pham's eyes to the far-reaching impact of one man's pursuit of freedom.

There, he met dozens of cousins - descendants of relatives who escaped communism in Vietnam, thanks to his grandfather, Pham Quang Khiêm, who piloted a commandeered plane out of Saigon in April 1975, evacuating 51 - a mix of family members and friends - as the city fell to communist forces.

The aircraft, nicknamed Saigon Lady, now sits in New York's National Warplane Museum, preserved as a testament to one of the war's most daring final escapes.

"It was one of those moments that inspired me to do my part to support freedom and democracy," said Pham, who is studying global business at the University of South Florida. "I wanted to find a way to make my own impact."

Finding purpose at USF

He found that path at USF through the Future Strategist Program, a student organization that brings together participants from a wide range of majors and experience levels to provide pathways to careers in national security.

The program is part of the university's Global and National Security Institute, which helps USF address the expanding set of issues shaping today's security environment - extremism, cybercrime, biothreats, climate risks and the rapid spread of emerging technologies.

With the assistance of GNSI, students receive help with resumes and writing samples, connect with leaders in national security, build networks, and mentorship from current national security practitioners.

Guest speakers regularly include senior military leaders, policy experts and academics, along with representatives from MacDill Air Force Base, located less than 20 miles from USF's Tampa campus.

But one recent speaker carried a legacy that brought Pham's story full circle.

On April 1, his grandfather spoke to more than a dozen FSP students gathered in a classroom in the Patel College of Global Sustainability.

"He is a reminder that one man with a desire for freedom and democracy can make a difference," said Jim Cardoso, GNSI's senior director.

A pilot's courage in South Vietnam

A C-130A pilot and first lieutenant with South Vietnam's 435th Transport Squadron in early 1975, Khiêm witnessed the collapse of his nation and the desperation of civilians who did not want to live under communism.

Da Nang was one of the first major South Vietnamese cities to fall. On a mission there, Khiêm's C-130 - designed for 92 passengers - lifted off with an estimated 350 refugees packed inside.

"There was a lot of chaos," he said. "The minute I opened the cargo door, people rushed in, uncontrollable, looking for a seat."

He then flew them to Saigon, one of the few major hubs still under South Vietnamese control.

But by April, Saigon was days from falling too.

A daring escape

Fuel was tightly rationed and commanders limited aircraft to short, local missions to conserve resources and prevent unauthorized flights, making escape difficult.

But Khiêm saw his chance on April 3, 1975, when he went to inspect the fuel tanks of a C-130A assigned to him and discovered it had already been completely filled.

"The plane had seven hours' worth of fuel," he said. "The fuel man came running in and apologized - he said he'd taken a smoke break and forgot to turn the pump off. He asked if I wanted him to drain it."

Khiêm told him not to touch the fuel - and not to let it happen again.

Feigning illness to delay his mission by a few hours, he used the time to tell his family and friends to head to a remote airstrip just outside of Saigon, where he would land so they could board.

The escape from the airstrip took minutes. Khiêm's cargo rolled off the C-130's lowered ramp as 52 family members climbed aboard. A South Vietnamese soldier aimed an M-79 grenade launcher at the cockpit in an attempt to stop the unauthorized escape, but Khiêm pushed the throttles forward and lifted off.

To avoid radar, Khiêm then flew so low over the ocean that "someone could have put their hand out and touch the water," he said.

The plane successfully reached Singapore, where he contacted an American pastor connected to World Relief. The organization helped move the family to Saipan, then California's Camp Pendleton. Khiêm later settled in Ohio, where Pham was born before his parents moved them to Michigan.

"For as long as I can remember, I grew up with that story," Pham said. "When I was 5, my aunt made a cake designed like the plane for my grandfather's 65th birthday. Every April, my family gathered to remember the journey that brought them to the United States."

That legacy didn't just shape his family's past - it's now shaping Pham's future through the Global and National Security Institute and the Future Strategist Program.

Future national security leaders

Created in 2022, GNSI brings together USF faculty and partners in government, industry and academia to inform decision-makers, prepare the next generation of national security leaders and enable practical solutions to 21st century challenges.

"By building teams around real-world problems and pursuing major research opportunities, GNSI helps USF contribute meaningful insight to the conversations happening in the national security community," Cardoso said. "It's positioning USF as a premier national security university."

Although USF does not provide a national security academic major, GNSI works with colleges to connect students with hands-on opportunities in the field - most directly through programs like FSP, founded in 2024.

"GNSI recruits and connects students to mentors - career practitioners, retired ambassadors, leaders in national security," Cardoso said. "They graduate not just with a degree, but with a line of sight on jobs within the U.S. government's national security enterprise or in the defense industry."

Global business in national security

FSP is helping Pham connect his interest in global business to real-world questions shaping today's geopolitical and economic landscape.

"International business and trade are huge parts of our economy," he said. "How do we prioritize business in a way that doesn't jeopardize national security, and vice versa?"

Pham will get to pose those questions to experts in May as part of a GNSI-sponsored trip to Washington, D.C., where students will tour national security organizations and meet with leaders, including USF graduates who could help them one day secure jobs in the field.

"Real-world connections," Cardoso said.

Pham has high expectations for the trip. He hopes it sets him on a path to pay forward what his grandfather did for the family.

"I have hundreds, literally hundreds, of cousins now in the United States because of my grandfather's bravery," Pham said. "That's hundreds of people who get to wake up to freedom every single day. It's humbling yet inspiring."