It is with a heavy heart that we announce the passing of Dr. Dan Nguyen, M.D. Dr. Dan was born in 1943 in Vietnam. When he was just two days old, the Japanese bombed the strategic port near his hometown. His family fled to a village in the central part of North Vietnam where they sought safety and refuge.
This would not be the only time Dan and his family would find themselves in the crosshairs of historic events of their home country. Nonetheless, their family endured and found ways to create normalcy. Dan's first decade of childhood would be filled with going to school, swimming in a nearby pond and learning to speak French. After WWII and the defeat of Japan, there was another war between the French and communist guerillas in North Vietnam. Upon France's defeat and the encroachment of the Viet Cong, Dan (age 11) and his family moved to South Vietnam and settled in Saigon.
In Saigon, Dan's interest in science and tenacity for learning would spur his pursuit of medicine. He earned placement in the University of Saigon Medical School through a rigorous testing process–during which only one out of a thousand applicants were accepted. He completed Medical School with a specialty in Internal Medicine in 1973 and was drafted into the South Vietnamese Army shortly thereafter. He served in Pleiku, an essential hospital unit and airbase that included both US and South Vietnamese personnel. On April 29th, 1975, the day before the fall of Saigon, Dan and his brother Phong would board a PT boat in the Saigon River and make their way to a United States Aircraft Carrier. They were welcomed aboard and would be taken to a refugee camp in Malaysia. Eventually they were sent to Guam. Here, Dan showed his abilities as a physician by volunteering to help the 423rd Medical Company clinic at Tent City, Guam, while participating in Operation New Life.
Dan made his way to the United States through a refugee camp in Pennsylvania. From there Dan and his brother were sponsored by a Lutheran Church in Iowa. In Iowa Dan worked as an aide in a nursing home. During the mid-1970s Nebraska’s smaller communities were looking to recruit medical personnel and did so through programs that sponsored doctors from Vietnam entering the U.S. after the war. Dan heard about one of these programs and made his way to Omaha’s University of Nebraska Medical Center (UNMC) to start the next phase of his career.
Once Dan passed all of his credentialing exams, he moved from Omaha to Bridgeport, Nebraska, in 1977 to work as a physician. A nurse that worked with Dr. Dan introduced him to her friend Marie, who was the Director of the Cosmetology Program for WNCC in Sydney. After a blind date and a year of courtship, Dan and Marie were married in 1979 and shortly thereafter purchased a practice and moved to Sutherland, Nebraska. They started a family while living there for 5 years. In 1984 Marie heard that Dr. Nakamura, from North Platte, was selling his practice and she contacted a friend to arrange a showing. Dr. Dan purchased the practice, moved his family to North Platte, while maintaining offices in both Sutherland and North Platte. A point of pride during this period was when Dan became a naturalized US Citizen – both of his children witnessed this meaningful event.
Dr. Dan was an avid hobbyist and, outside of his practice and family, dedicated his time to many interests over the span of his life including: fishing, reading, cooking, hunting, building remote controlled planes, and eventually taking to the skies in the real deal - solo flying in a single engine Cessna. His love for flying started young but came to fruition through the building of radio controlled model planes and eventually, with the help of Trego Aviation, led to his first solo flight in 1993. Dan was a lifelong learner who had a passion for reading and brewing the perfect cup of coffee. He was a compassionate, caring, physician who left big shoes to fill when forced to retire after a bout with cancer. After a brutal protocol, by God’s grace, medical technology and Dan’s desire to survive, he beat cancer. Beating cancer meant he was able to spend lots of quality time walking 3-5 miles (almost) every day, sitting on the patio with a cup of coffee enjoying his natural surroundings (especially bird watching) and getting to spoil both of his grandsons - who he is survived by.
He is also survived by his wife, 2 daughters, 2 brothers, many nieces and nephews, in-laws, and several great-nieces and great-nephews. Dan was preceded in death by his parents, beloved sister, and a nephew. We recognize that this is more verbose than Dr. Dan would have ever been (those of you who knew him know what we mean) but we felt his life and legacy warranted it. In lieu of a memorial or donation, if inclined and weather permits, enjoy a walk in the early evening (but before the news) as Dr. Dan would have.
Online condolences can be left for Dr. Dan and his family at https://www.bestfuneralservices.com/