Golden Leaf | Kilong Ung

"I am fortunate, and I don’t easily perish." –Golden Leaf

Who would have thought that my boyhood would end abruptly, my freedom would vanish overnight, my meals would be rationed, my youngest sister, grandmother, and parents would be starved to death, over fifty of my relatives would die from starvation and execution, and two million Cambodians would be killed by the merciless hands of the Khmer Rouge (aka the Cambodian communists)?All are true, and I survived, began to learn English in high school, graduated from Reed College, received my M.S. in applied statistics from Bowling Green State University, began my career with Andersen Consulting (aka Accenture), and have a terrific family.My name is Kilong Ung—aka Golden Leaf.

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I was a leaf at the mercy of the wind. The wind carried me from one remote part of the world to another. It blew me through turbulence and catastrophic weather. It took me to the Khmer Rouge labor camp and lingered for an eternity. It dehydrated me and nearly starved me to death. I helplessly watched the most devilish mother of all winds ruthlessly crush my tree into lifeless pulp. Like an almighty Olympian god, when the wind wanted to toy with me, it blew me through minefields, rockets and bullets. While two million leaves disintegrated, I persevered. Through an extraordinary journey, I discovered myself. I am fortunate, and I don’t easily perish. I was a golden leaf:

golden leaf (gōl’dən lēf) – n., pl. golden leaves (gōl’dən lēvz)

1. a survivor of a heinous act against humanity, especially genocide.
2. Golden Leaf (pl. Golden Leaves):
   a. A person who survived the Khmer Rouge genocide: “Golden Leaf, A Khmer Rouge Genocide Survivor” (Kilong Ung)
3. one who survives against extreme odds

Against all odds, I survived, laid down roots and became a tree.

As a tree, I have a dream, a golden dream. I dream of yielding wood to build schools for children in need. Unfortunately, there is only so much wood a tree can yield. So I need a fellow trees … a forest … the Golden Leaf Education Foundation, a force that makes the world a better place.

Roman Philosopher Marcus Tullius Cicero once said “The life of the dead is placed in the memory of the living.”

The life of the dead is placed in the memory of the living.

I, Golden Leaf, behold such memory.

But for one decade … Over two … And about three … The memory manifested as pain, anger, and fear.
Half a world, the distance … Yet the memory is profoundly near. Clear as glass, the memory of those who passed lived in my nightmare.

Cracked but unbroken, onto paper, I penned nightmare into dream.
A book, I published.
The memory, I preserved.
And dignity, I redeemed.

Nightmare is disappearing; so are fear, anger, and pain.

No more to lose, but everything to gain.
They who died have not died in vain.

The nightmare, I suffered; a golden dream I gained.

My memoir “Golden Leaf: A Khmer Rouge Genocide Survivor” was published in August, 2009. Since then I have spoken at Rotary clubs, Optimists, colleges and universities (including Columbia, M.I.T., and George Mason), libraries, art galleria, 2010 Wordstock Book Festival, corporate conventions, high schools, bookstores, community events, Military Officers Association of America, Naval Academy Alumni Association, Ambassadors for Peace, Wholistic Peace Institute, and more.

I have appearded on OPB Radio Think Out Loud, [MTV / Spike TV] Deadliest Warrior episode Saddam Hussein vs. Pol Pot, and Deadliest Warrior Aftermath. Parts of my story were written in various newspapers and magazines (including Reed College Magazine and The Rotarian.) I am the founder of the Golden Leaf Education Foundation (GLEF). If you would like to learn about or support GLEF, please go to http://goldenleafeducationfoundation.org.

Thank you,
-Kilong