Mike Little
VP Communications
Mike Little has been involved with FVSO since its inception in the early 2000's, prior to it becoming a recognized charity. He was also a member of the original Board beginning in 2005 serving as 2nd Vice President. Most impressive, Mike has been the driving force keeping all FVSO's efforts and successes in front of our donors through his informative and heart warming newsletters. He's had a huge impact on the success of FVSO throughout our 20 years of existence supporting the Sisters and children at the Vinh Son and Sao My Orphanages.
His time in the Central Highlands during the war brought him very close to the Montagnard people, and to this day, he remains passionate about their culture and their plight following the end of the war. Mike's contributions go beyond just FVSO, and we have been blessed to have him fueling our efforts for so many years.
Born and raised in the San Francisco Bay Area, Mike attended St. Mary’s High School in Berkeley, California, graduating in 1964. Initially, college was a struggle, so he joined the Army in August of 1966. Trained as a Military Policeman, Mike arrived in Vietnam a year later, and served his entire tour in the Central Highlands. Their camp was located just outside of Pleiku, the largest town in the area. Mike's group helped secure the road for military convoys traveling from the coast to the highlands, and it was on these patrols that he first began to befriend many Montagnard people. While his duties took him to Kontum on a daily basis, but at the time, he never had the opportunity to visit Vinh Son or the old Wooden Church. He did however develop a close relationship with a group of Bahnar Montagnard children which has lasted to this day. They are the reason he has returned to Vietnam so many times, and why he joined us on the board of VSO so many years ago.
Returning to the States in August 1968, Mike returned to school and graduated from Sacramento State with a degree in English. He worked for Coca-Cola Company as a business analyst, in addition to various other roles over his 26-year career, retiring in 2004. This did not last long however, as he took a job shortly after with the Coors Brewing Company analyzing sales data and industry trends.
For many veterans, their Vietnam experience is something from a past they wish to forget. For others, it’s an old memory, sometimes good, but most often not. Even fewer are men like Mike who cannot “escape” Vietnam. In fact, they don’t want to. For Mike, Vietnam is very much “alive” and a vital part of his daily life. Staying connected in a positive way provides a great deal of joy and satisfaction. In many ways, Vietnam defines Mike, so much that he can’t imagine a life without it. He is a better person because of what he has learned there, and continues to learn from it to this day. His wife and son have visited Vietnam with him on multiple occasions, and he has loved sharing his passion for the Montagnard people with them. Whether it’s spending time with their friends in Pleiku, or visiting the orphans at Vinh Son, they always come home enriched from their experiences.
We invite you to read Miracle in the Highlands, a story told by Mike about his original return to the area in 1994 and his reunification with the children he knew and loved during the turbulent times of war.
