PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — A Philadelphian who rose from poverty overseas to protect some of the United States’ most prominent leaders is telling his story in a new book.
From surviving the killing fields of Cambodia, to going to school at the Community College of Philadelphia and graduating from Widener University, Leth Oun has seen and been through a lot.
He documented his experiences in his autobiography, “A Refugee’s American Dream,” written with Joe Samuel Starnes.
“It’s about my life, my memoirs,” said Oun, “how I came from such a poor country, picked up trash, aluminum to make a penny. Coming here, no English, penniless and worked my way to become a United States Secret Service [uniformed officer].”
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The 52-year-old Oun wants his book to educate people about the horrors of the Cambodian civil war, and why he believes it’s important to never lose hope, something he says he did not do even after spending four years in a refugee camp in Thailand and weighing only 86 pounds.
“I hope the book inspires people, motivates people to do what you want to do. I always say aim high, work hard, don’t quit,” he said. “My goal is to keep moving as far as I can go.”
The authors’ proceeds from the book will go to help poor and needy kids in Cambodia.