Undergraduate / Admission essay - Grandfather [7]

The question asks you to talk about someone who is significant to your life.
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He is the man I am most compelled by. His life is the center of the web that connects all loose strands.

The end of the Vietnam War left hundreds of thousands crying for freedom. Villages transformed into ash and cities wiped clean. The fall of Saigon evoked an exodus of disillusioned Vietnamese immigrants. Only two thirds of the men and women escaping communism survived the ravaging sea. My grandfather was one of the "boat people" traveling to an Indonesian refugee camp. He escaped oppression with his wife and my mother in 1984. Their wooden ship transported fifty helpless passengers through arduous waves. The journey lasted seven days without stops and scarce amounts of food. His most dreadful moment fell when the ship was too heavy. In the heart of the sea, the captain nearly considered losing men to the blue abyss.

There was only hope because he risked everything. Seven days over the ocean had finally seen the land ascending from the horizon. The sixteen feet long boat stuck the shores of an Indonesian refugee camp. They lived in deplorable conditions of theft, murder, and abduction. On good days, he could let his family sleep on cots and eat enough to see the sun rise once more. They had defeated the sea and survived the camp. Within months the new world was on the horizon and he was the first person to engrave our family name on American soil.

They were penniless but optimistic. With help from fellow Vietnamese refugees, my grandfather established the roots for our family to grow. He took handyman jobs and learned English to support his wife and daughter. They had warm food, clothing, and a home as a result of his endurance. My mother speaks of her father to illuminate the darkness. Because of him, I discovered hope. I saw the true meaning of sacrifice through his actions. He bribed officials, he gave up food and shelter, and braved the seas for our future. His inspirational tale makes me proud to say I am the hero's descendant. My grandfather died five years before I was born, but he is still alive to me.