‘Like a Second Homecoming’: Vietnamese American Couple Honors Veterans at Pub for 23rd Year

The Froggy Bottom Pub in Washington, DC, is a place Vietnam War veterans love to congregate, thanks to a special couple whose hearts are full of love.

Vietnam veterans have been showing up at the pub every year on Veterans Day for 23 years, the Washington Post reported Sunday.

Every Veterans Day, Froggy Bottom, a bright, bustling pub and restaurant in downtown Washington, D.C., becomes a haven for sharing Vietnam War stories, remembering comrades and talking about a time that others prefer to forget. https://t.co/jr8QlYtc2K

— The Washington Post (@washingtonpost) November 12, 2023

Seventy-three-year-old Don Litz said the reason is Hoang and Hien Bui, the Vietnamese American couple who own the establishment, make veterans feel appreciated.

The couple hosts the special event each year to honor America’s veterans while the rest of the nation also celebrates them.

The veterans who enjoy the pub said the Buis shower them with hospitality, therefore, they feel at ease in a place where they can swap stories and remember their time in the service.

Although 74-year-old Rich Sanders could not make it this year, the Army veteran told the newspaper, “When you walk in the door it’s almost like a second homecoming.”

While describing the welcome they receive from Hien Bui, he said, “I’m having a hard time saying this. She yells your name and rushes across the restaurant to greet you. That’s a homecoming we never got.”

According to the Froggy Bottom about page, the Buis escaped Vietnam after the war and eventually made their way to America:

Froggy Bottom Pub has become a home for local college students, the surrounding working community, and the annual gathering place for VietNOW, a Vietnam veterans organization. Regulars claim the success of the restaurant to the sheer tenacity and generosity of Hien and Hoang Bui.