The American and the Chinaman

2026-08-23 · Ho Chanh Nghia

Originally published on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/american-chinaman-khanh-pham-aghvc/

The American and the Chinaman

The American and the Chinaman

By Chinaman

Please do not read if you are an American!

Reading level required: 3 in Mortimer’s reading level hierarchy

Purpose for reading: to understand the world, the world and Chinaman, and Chinaman the man

If you were an American, and you were in Thailand between 2010-2013, and you had an emergency after business hours, and you called the 1 800 US Embassy help me hotline, you had a chance of hearing my voice on the other end.  Off Duty phone was like a hot potatoes, many of us took turn carrying it for 1-2 weeks at a time.  And that voice is the voice of a Chinaman.

If you were a US marine guarding the US embassy in Bangkok between 2010-2013, you may occasionally see a Chinese-looking guy check in and check out out of the embassy, but he’s not with any group you have met; that could be this Chinaman.

That long hallway, pass the FBI door, pass the CIA door, a lone Chinaman is occasionally spotted going into a blank door; that could be this Chinaman.

This Chinaman is like that backbone of a nation; every nation has got them, and every nation without them has fallen.

This is sort of like the declaration of cause.  Who ever, ever had a need for one, understand why there is a need for one.

“The Declaration of the Causes and Necessity of Taking Up Arms was adopted by the Second Continental Congress on July 6, 1775. Written by John Dickinson and Thomas Jefferson, it explained why the American colonies resorted to armed resistance after the battles of Lexington and Concord, asserting a defense of historic liberties rather than an immediate bid for independence“

The Declaration of Causes is not a document for the masses, but it is often addressed to the masses.  When two-way communication is no longer possible, and out of necessity, the only words you can utter, is a declaration.

Declaration: This is the situation

Declaration: This is the cause of all xyz that comes from this cause

In 1979, a harmless bundle of joy came into this world.  Not yet the Chinaman that you will learn about, but just a sack of meat without a soul, without a history, without a future.

The doctors marked him as the Kinh people.  I suppose if you learn enough about epistomology, sociology, the history of vietnam, and the use of language, this could simply mean this sack of nothing is descended from the people who lived in the Capitol of the country.  Vietnam had at least 50 tribes that were conquered and vanquished.  The dominant and remaining standing tribe were from the North.  Possible an offshoot of the Chinese ruling elites, like Taiwan, and probably Korea.  But never tell a Korean their culture came from China, or they may be related to Chinese.  Any way, short of some major issue, most babies are “kinh” people.  The kinh race.  Some vietnamese enjoy conflating it for king race, but those are entirely different words for different purposes; no linguist would conflate them.

In the context of the world in 2026, the Kinh race is the equivalent of the White race. White caucasian in America today.  I even have some vivid images to draw the parallel for you.  The white man vs the black man, and how that translates to the Kinh man vs the Vietnamese equivalent of a black man in a white nation.

It must have been the first semester of 3rd grade.

I (not yet the Chinaman) was living in the periphery of the Vietnamese empire, if you could call it that after the French rode it like a donkey for 100 years, and the US rode it like a cheap prostitute from Slim Iceberg’s novel Pimp for another 10 years.  The poverty level could not be much worse.  There was no doctor.  My father was the doctor with his penicillin shots and Tylenol pills.  Almost like the very high desert of California where I am living now.  Poor, destitute, zero opportunity, scrapping by, invisible to the rest of the country.  Do or die; it would make zero impact on the empire.  We could call it the underbelly of society, but it is probably worse.  We really should see it as discarded humans of the empire.  We do not want the reputation for killing them, but we would like them to stop existing; and the compromise is forcing them into the caves of Palestine and pretending they do not exist.  Easy enough for modern life where ivory towers are a million a dozen.

Here in a classroom of 20 children.  Various shades of white or kinh, and one and only one Khamere (Người Miêng) in the entire city.  5 boys surounded him.  He may as well be black african in Alabama, Missippi or Tallahassee, Florida in 1700.  He was several shade less darker than the darkest Vietnamese.  He stood out like a black man on a hanging tree surrounded by white hoods.  One boy held him.  One boy held out his hand.  One boy stab his hand with a pen.

Why?

I will never know.

I had no tears.  I was mortified.  I was petrified.  I could do nothing.  I want it to stop.  I wanted to scream for help.  But there was no help.  No one cared about this.  This is a world where justice has not been breached.  Teachers who beat the students too much may see her house in flame while her doors are locked.  This is a world where Americans may never understand.  This was my world.

While children in America were learning about American slavery, or we can simply call it Black American history.  They are not exactly American; they are black american–big distinction.  I was acting out that part of history in Vietnam.  Let that sink in real slow. And then think on it for a few years.  It had been 40 years for me.  I cannot erase that image from my soul.  The lynching of another child by children of the superior race.  Where children learn their behavior from, we should not look further than their mother and father.  For the ability to cry for another human, we can look to the mother.  For the ability to stab another person for pleasure, we really should focus on the father.  In any case, the apple does not fall far from the tree it came from.  Find that child, you will find that parent; find that parent, you will find their community, find that community, you will find that country.  The opposite of which is also true.  Find that country, you will find that community, and that parent, and that child.

One could also look at the chicken-and-egg dilemma.  What came first, the chicken or the egg?  But regardless of which came first, you should discard both the chicken and the egg at this point.

September 1989.  Finally made it to California under the auspices of Americans’ occasional compassion for the poor and suffering.  No, really, there are those Americans.  Sometimes they get their way too.  They don’t own any loudspeakers or multi billion media empire to paint the image of a saint on Epstein, but they do exist, and they do work and speak for the voiceless.  If you listen when all the noises stop, you can hear them working in the background.

One of my first shell shocks was responding to an earthquake.  I was standing in the open field doing morning roll call and exercise or something.  Then the earth shook.  Everyone around me got on their knee and ducked and covered.  The adults too.  I stood there looking at all the idiots, what are they doing?  And all the idiots are looking at me, get down, you idiot.  This would be a common theme throughout my life, even now at 47.  Americans would call me an idiot for being different.  I would call Americans idiots because the facts landed in that part of the territory.  Idiot Americans like all those people with a mask in their car on the American highway, protecting themselves from COVID, inside their car, with no one else in it.

While I am that guy in the negative pressure room with a tuberculosis patient without any mask.  The nurses think I must be the dumbest man on earth, but only I and the patient know who is the dumb one in that room.  The doctors and nurses from the wealthiest hospital in Florida were treating a piece of paper, while the patient and I were trying to communicate with them.  They killed the patient.  They killed the patient by denying him the care he asked for.  And providing the care he asked not to receive. That’s American intervention for you in its entirety.  As it is above, so it is below, and you can find this everywhere else.

I am also the guy who read the history book about 6 millions jewish people killed and gassed by Hitler.  Then asked where the 6 million skulls were.  Then I would receive attacks like, the number doesn’t matter.  Does it matter if it was 6 millions of 2 million?  Of course it does matter for a truth seeker.  But between one false claim of 6 million and another false claim of 2 million, I suppose it doesn’t really matter what that number is.  I am also the guy who do not see Adolf Hitler as my friend, but I do ask which part of his grievances were true and which grievances were falsehood.  “Truth and Falshood” is of material concern.  It shames the entire fabric of our existence as humans.  Realities, laws, contracts, resolutions.

2000: bored with a stale life, and boring people, I wanted to find a bigger purpose in life.  I signed up for the only career field with anything interesting, and waited 12 months before the USAF called to check if I was still good to go give up my life.  I thought I could discover discipline by joining the military.  My father said No, you can do that with better means.  My mother could only cry.  My heart was dead, but i did not want to die.  I must find life; I don’t know how, but I must try.  My military instructor SSgt Saguera  laughed his ass off and told me to get the fuck out of his office.  Everyone joined the military to kill the bad guy; what is wrong with this kid?  The military is for killing people and breaking shits.

A note on my understanding of discipline vs the American understanding of discipline.

A bee will attack you and dies, that’s discipline.

An ant will attack you and dies, that’s discipline.

Americans will swear an oath to defend you, and show up with excuses on why they could not defend you.

An American will demand his pay if you’re a day late, but if you’re asking him to fulfill his oath, it would be a century and a decade too late.

Examples of the infinity of rationality:

1. There must be a reason for it
2. I dont know the story
3. I dont know you and the specific
4. It is not my jurisdiction
5. I am busy
6. You should forgive

… to infinity

I am somewhat on an entirely different plane of existence.

Example:

I was holding the emergency phone for the US embassy.  An American demanded to speak to the Ambassador.  Why, I asked.  He had received an erroneous alert for the Bangkok coup in 2010, in 2012.  Two years too late, and two years out of place and time.  I said to disregard the notice, and I will inform the embassy of the event.  He called back and intended to harass me until I connected him to the ambassador, even asking if I was even an American.  This is the type of American that people at Oracle call center will put on hold and transfer to an India call center.  I didn’t know about that strategy in 2012, so I told him to get off my line.  “If you continue to call this line, I will block your number, and you will never be calling this number again”.  Fortunately, he understood the consequences.  I informed the management officer in the morning that I had threatened to block an American from calling because he was preventing the line from being available for real emergencies.  The management officer was the sharper tool in the shed; he laughed and said he fully supported me on my action.  Don’t worry about it.  The lesson here is not blocking or not blocking an American from sabotaging a national capability.  The example is the differentiation between a mediocre cog in the machine who cannot act without instructions, versus a competent expert who can invent new rules and procedures based on intent, context, and expected outcomes for mission objectives.  Blocking American was not an option in the thick manual of emergency call handling.  The shift from treating a distressed American to treating an American hell-bent on taking down the mission is instantaneous, abrupt, and absolute.  These are the deterministic traits that have developed well beyond any classroom or textbooks.

I was discussing internal sabotage with my coworkers.  I was the lowest-ranking of 4 military advisors to Thailand, to ensure 247 capabilities for nuclear monitoring and detection.  For some asinine reason, my work had been organized into a bureaucracy with 4 offices and 3 levels of management.  While the job was to maintain equipment.  So we had the office of SysAdmin, and the office of Maintenance, with the logistics manager above, and a chief above that.  The two NCOICs of SysAdmin and Maintenance would carry the load of the mission.  The logistics manager would pretend to manage an office, where there is nothing to manage.  And a Chief that pretend to manage human resource issues, where there are no hr issues.

This is where the Chinaman enters the story.

My name is Khanh Tuan Pham.  SSgt Pham to the Airmen in the United States Air Force.  NCOIC of Detachment 41.  All problems ended here, not with the Detachment chief.  There’s the organization chart on the wall, and there is the organizational truth on the ground.  I had used NCOIC of SysAdmin as a title, and NCOIC of Maintenance as a title, but regardless of title, I had to do it all.  All 30 programs and whatever comes up.  Mosquito, drunk driving, lighting damage, international treaties, daily operations, writing SOP, writing policies, building programs, inspecting programs.  Generally, many of these programs are managerial of materials, and would be handled by so-called commanders-in-chief.  But as all real operators know, some chiefs are worse than tits on a boar.

I was having a massive issue with TSgt Russel Hultberge, who acted as a spy for Keith Ewasiuk in HQ AFTAC.  A good-for-nothing middleman in moving papers from point A to point B, while taking credit for all meaningful impacts.  Russel Hultberge somehow made it past basic training, even technical school, and even gets assigned to a maintenance team for repairing airplanes for the US Air Force.  For 10+ years, they prohibited him from coming close to an airplane.  Then, with the infinite wisdom of the US decision process, he was cross-trained into the 9S100 career field.  Ever since he arrived in Thailand, he had tried to build a secret clique with Kieth Ewasiuk to undermine and work against SSgt Khanh Pham.  He had been sending reports about the situation in Thailand outside the official channel, and keeping it a secret.  Sort of like Hillary’s private email server.  This is that type of secrecy.  Then Keith at Patrick AFB Florida would use that information as ground truth and challenge my decisions and reports from Thailand.  And all his information were wrong.  After 6 months of trying to train his idiot on how to do his job, I was at the end of my rope.  I told his supervisor that this must end.  His supervisor was TSgt Joshua Darting, a guy more interested in spreading Mormon ideologies to Thai people than defending the US mission.  His defense: My wife is his wife’s best friend; I don’t want to hear any grievances from my wife. So we walk around Doi Suthep for 2 hours.  That was 120 minutes.  To debate why TSgt Russel Hultberge should no lies about what is going on at work.  That communication that represents Detachment 415 must include the members of Detachment 415.  This is not his personal business, nor is it his private business.  This is the US government at work, and all official records must follow the laws.  And his tendencies to make shit up and say whatever he thinks will win cookie points are harming himself and everyone at work. Two hours later, no resolutions.  This is the epitome of the USAF and the USA’s situation.  Could not get it right, for a minor problem that a first-grade teacher can handle.  – Do you see why US will lose ever war?

I realized talking in a circle with these two idiots was simply going in circles.  I declared the truth of the matter.

If we go to war, and I have to go into battle to fight the enemies, I will shoot him first.  He will be the guy that shoot his team in the back when they are out fighting in the front.

You cannot fight a war or run a business with this type of person behind you.   They undermine everything you do, across every minor and major work effort.  Here is the receipt:

I had to hold down the fort in Bangkok, so our one-man army could take a 2-week vacation.  I had to clear all the work in Bangkok, as well as run the Chiang Mai station remotely, through TSgt Hultberge.  He reported the printer was broken, so we needed to buy a new printer.  He said TSgt Darting ask him to call me, and see if i can help.  I asked if he tested the printer.  He said no, “how do you test a printer”.  I said plug a laptop to it and print a page.  He said okay.  I came back 2 weeks later, and we bought a new printer. 1,000 USD for a printer we did not need, while a computer of 500 usd was waiting for funding for eternity.  I connected a laptop, I printed a page, and it printed.  I looked at TSgt Hultberge and asked WTF.  TSgt Darting said, " Let’s not discuss water under the bridge.  We already bought a new printer.  This shit would cost thousands of dollars every week.  The Dell Edge shipped from Australia to Thailand for a guy who doesn’t know how to use a server.  A guide wire for an antenna in the mountains, that is tied to an illegal extension tied to the pole, and anchored to the ground by burying the anchor in some rocks in a 1-foot hole because you cannot dig through granite. I was forced to play kindergarten cop for a grueling 12 months and some.  So i said, I want a vacation.

I said I am going to go visit China.  Emailed TSgt Russel Hultberg, who SMSgt John Sutton, the Detachment Chief, had made supervisor over me, and had demoted me to under TSgt Russel Hultberg.  TSgt Hultberg then emailed TSgt Darting.  TSgt Darting then emailed SMSgt John Sutton.  Who then emailed TSgt Darting.  Who emailed me.  “Approved”.  Read that again.  10 times.  Or until you comprehend and understand, the US will lose every war.

As someone with TS/SCI clearance.  Visiting China is not as simple as calling China Tours.

I visited the US Consulate Chiang Mai diplomatic security manager.  Mike Hegseth.  His name is not Hegseth, but is really Mike.  He was a Navy SEAL before landing this role, so I will give him one last ounce of professional face-saving by keeping his name out of the public.  He said, yes you can go on vacation to China.  I emailed Mike, look mike, there is a step we need to take.  Can you contact diplomatic security in Bangkok and ask them about this leave request?  He ignored me.  And failed his job.  And failed me.  I don’t know how to tell him to his face or in an email: you don’t know your job, and I cannot tell you over a public communication channel a classified procedure on how to handle your job.  That was another data point on how US will lose every war.  Read that until you can understand why the US will lose every war.

I went through the Pacific Command and filled out a 9/11 Commissioner report-style request.  The rescue plan.  The secret phrase to identify I am me if I am captured, and a rescuer came to rescue me.  Not that I could remember that secret phrase if I was really captured and tortured.  Maybe it’s a special power of navy seals, green beret, combat controller, and delta force.  I was a chair force, and I imagined if that shit ever happened, my brain would be pretty useless in recalling some secret phrase i never uses in my entire life and never practice a day in my entire life.

I sent the email of my leave request, and I plan to Mike Manker.  I like the guy, a 20-year military police.  A little slow, but a little more honest than the rest.  He does deserve this public shame.  He failed his job.  He endangered my life and the lives of all the people under his obligation, and therefore he should be in prison and not just publicly shamed.  I still like him and have compassion for him, but there are crimes and punishments, and those should be taken with great care.  This was not his first failing.  When Kathy Querry attempted to assassinate me using military fear of spies in 2005, he told me to forget it and move on. In 2013, he saw what was happening and told me not to push the issue and to move on. I pretty much said fuck it and fuck you.

If you were a police officer, and one of your police officers is actively trying to get another police killed.  Will you intervene?

If you were a Marine guarding the US Embassy, and one of your coworkers is trying to kill another soldier or airman, will you intervene?

If you were active duty military like people in the Defense Attache Office in Embassy Bangkok, and one of your members is actively trying to get another member killed, will you intervene?

If you were a Vietnamese generation in the US military, serving as Defense Attache in Hanoi, and learned that one of your Vietnamese brothers in the US military is being assassinated in Thailand, will you intervene?

If you were a US senators? If you were a US president? If you were a US vice president? If you were a US secretary of state? If you were US secretary of Defense? If you were US Air Force Secretary?  If you were an attorney general for any of the 50 states? If you were a judge in the US.  If you were a retired judge, lawyer, military or any person with any duty to the United States: would you intervene?   Do not answer; the answer is harder to do than you think.

This is the situation, and the cause for the Chinaman.

Mike Manker emailed SMSgt John Sutton, confirming that SSgt Pham said he’s applying for leave to China, and that you approved. Is that true?

How it should have worked was: SSgt Pham sent his paper to TSgt Darting, who then sent it to Mike Manker and cc SMSgt John Sutton.  So the chain of command goes from bottom up, and from the top of the command, it is routed to the external command.  In this way, everyone who needs to be informed is informed.  Chain of command, at least that is the theory.

SMSgt John Sutton emailed Mike Manker without cc me and the team, He did not approve SSgt Pham leave.

Mike Manker emailed me, and said my boss said he did not approve my leave.  Accused me of lying.

I forwarded him the ridiculous email chain of my leave request to Mike Manker.  And they all pretended that it never happened, that they accused me of lying.

…. My son wants some soda, so I must depart the realm of national security and geopoltiics to buy some soda for a five years old.

But this story really needs a professional pen like Silenus of Caleacte and Sosylus of Lacedaemon

Before Hannibal embarked on the siege of Rome, he had writers to record the cause and sequence of events.

The war between SSgt Khanh Tuan Pham and the United States of America is nothing short of Hannibal’s journey across impossible odds to surround Rome.   Out of 1 million, the chances of success is still closer to zero than 1.  If the stories are written after death, there’s nothing to write about.  All the details are in the living.