by Timothy Stoeber ’26
One of the world’s most iconic photographs is that of a nine-year-old girl running naked down a road in South Vietnam, crying hysterically after being burned by napalm. That little girl’s name is Kim Phuc Phan Thi—and neither she, nor the photographer Nick Ut, nor anyone else could have imagined that the “fire road” would be the start of a journey that fueled her conversion to Christianity.
Although napalm is most often associated with the Vietnam War, it was first used in World War II. The weapon was invented in 1942 by a Harvard professor, and it was tested on a football field near the Harvard Business School. During the Vietnam War, the napalm fire bomb was used to devastate the country. Soldiers and civilians alike were killed by severe burns, intense heat, smoke inhalation, and carbon monoxide poisoning.
Phan Thi’s clothes were literally burned off her body. A well-intentioned Good Samaritan doused her with water moments after being burned, but this only worsened her wounds.
She was taken to a children’s hospital in Saigon, the capital of South Vietnam. Not only did the doctors think that she had little chance to survive, but at one point when she was in a coma, they even put her in the morgue. Ironically, being in the morgue saved her life; if her bandages had been removed, the oxygen in the air would have reignited the napalm and killed her.
After 14 months and 16 surgical procedures, Phan Thi was finally able to leave the hospital. However, the physical and psychological scars remained. With all of her hardships, Phan Thi even contemplated suicide.
But in 1982, ten years after being burned, those thoughts were erased after Phan Thi came across a New Testament Bible in a library. This encounter led her to convert from her native religion, Cao Dai, to Christianity.
Phan Thi’s relationship with God changed her attitudes and behaviors, allowing her to forgive those who had harmed her. Her “enemies list” turned into a “prayer list.” The more she prayed, the lighter and freer she felt. Instead of continuing to think of herself as a victim, Phan Thi realized that God had a plan for her, and that the plan involved helping others. The eponymous Kim Foundation International was established to provide funds to support the work of international organizations that offer free medical, living, and educational assistance to child-victims of war, violence, and deprivation.
An inspiration to everyone she meets, today Phan Thi is a Canadian citizen, married, a mother of two, and a grandmother of five. She is a Goodwill Ambassador for UNESCO and has undergone experimental laser surgery to help lessen her pain. Though she was initially shunned by her family for her religious conversion, Phan Thi and her family have since reconciled. Several members of her family have even converted to Christianity after seeing how it changed her.
Her autobiography, Fire Road, chronicles her countless misfortunes and miraculous events, including several failed attempts to escape Vietnam; a surgery in West Germany that enabled her to finally move properly; being used as a propaganda tool by the communists after the war ended; being allowed to study in Cuba and honeymoon in Russia; and spontaneously defecting to Canada with only the clothes on her and her husband’s backs.
Tarmac had the privilege of conducting a brief interview with Phan Thi via email. The following questions and answers were lightly edited for brevity and clarity; the edits were subsequently approved by her staff.
Tarmac: Both you and President Richard Nixon, who was in office when you were burned, had an “enemies list.” You turned yours into a “prayer list.” Was Nixon on your list? What advice would you give to those who harbor grudges?
Phan Thi: Yes, he was on my list in a general way but not specifically by name. I prayed for all of the people who had caused my suffering—even if I did not know their names. For instance, I prayed for the pilot who dropped the bomb, the commander who ordered the strike, the Viet Cong who came over and caused the war, and those in my own government who cut short my academic studies. One by one, all of my enemies were added to my prayer list. I no longer look at people as enemies—even if they do bad things. My action, my response, is to pray for them. Doing so is really good for me. Life for me now is so beautiful.
Tarmac: Can you give us an example of someone for whom you are now praying?
Phan Thi: I pray for Putin every single day. I pray for God to please soften his heart and the hearts of those who work with him so that they can see the enormous consequences and suffering that has come from the war with Ukraine.
Tarmac: A business associate that you trusted embezzled the $40,000 that you had saved for your sons’ education. You forgave him. Did he ever pay you back? Did you ever consider calling the police?
Phan Thi: No, he never paid me back. I never considered calling the police because I had already forgiven him. The lawyers wanted me to sue him, but I said, “No, I forgave him already. I love him.” As I’ve always told my children, the Lord will provide.
Tarmac: You and your husband raised your two boys in a very religious household. Now that they are young adults, they both hold strong religious beliefs. What advice do you have for the young men of Chaminade High School in regards to keeping their faith strong?
Phan Thi: We raised our children by prayer, by being a good example, by loving them. It’s not just about going to church or following traditions, it’s about having an intimate relationship with Jesus. Salvation comes from your own belief. If you seek God with all your heart, you will find Him.
Fifty years after the official end of the Vietnam War, Phan Thi still feels the pain of almost being burned to death. But she has only grown stronger by traveling the world doing God’s work, and most recently by helping Ukrainian refugees move to Canada.
“Fifty years ago I was in the wrong place at the wrong time. But right now, I am in the right place at the right time,” Phan Thi remarked.
If you would like to learn more about the Kim Foundation International or make a donation, please visit Kim Foundation International.
Original Photograph: Photo taken by Nick Ut / Associated Press
Photo by @stefbrownphoto, Stephanie Brown
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