American father reunites with Thai daughter after 48 years apart

[webfact]

A 72 year old American man, travelled across the globe to reunite with his Thai daughter after being separated for 48 years. With assistance from a friend with a Thai wife and a renowned hotel owner in Nang Rong, Buriram, the father and daughter finally met, embracing each other with tears of joy.

 

Terry Howley, a 72 year old American man, and 49 year old Kanjana Milkewicz, from Yai Yam Watthana, Chaloem Phra Kiat district, Buriram, had been separated for nearly five decades. Despite the long separation, both father and daughter never gave up hope of finding each other.

Modern technology and help from a friend with a Thai wife and a well-known hotel owner in Nang Rong enabled this emotional reunion.

 

Upon meeting, both father and daughter were overwhelmed with emotions, crying and hugging each other tightly. Kanjana presented Terry with red roses and a garland of marigolds to express her love for her father.

Kanjana shared that Terry, a former American GI, was stationed in Nakhon Phanom, Thailand, 50 years ago during the Vietnam War. At that time, he met Kanjana’s mother, Supaporn, now 73 years old, who was pregnant by another American soldier who refused to acknowledge the child.

Terry, however, took care of Supaporn during her pregnancy and continued to support her and Kanjana until she was one year old. Terry then returned to his home country, and Kanjana and her mother lost contact with him.

 

As Kanjana grew older, she made numerous attempts to locate Terry, posting on social media to find him. She learned that Terry had also been searching for her and her mother.

 

Daughter reunion

 

In 2019, they finally reconnected through social media and kept in touch via Facebook. Terry had planned to visit Kanjana and her mother in Thailand in 2019, but the Covid-19 pandemic hindered his travel plans. He promised to visit once the situation improved.

 

On July 31, Terry arrived in Thailand, intending to surprise Kanjana and her mother. He landed at Suvarnabhumi Airport and contacted his friend with a Thai wife to pick him up but they missed each other. Terry then took a bus to Buriram and a taxi to Nang Rong. However, he had difficulty communicating with the taxi driver, who eventually dropped him off at the Nang Rong Hotel to rest.

 

The hotel staff helped Terry locate Kanjana by searching her name on Facebook, where they found her posts seeking her father. The hotel contacted Kanjana, who immediately rushed to the hotel to meet her father.

Overwhelmed with joy, she expressed her disbelief at reuniting with Terry after 48 years. Although Terry is not her biological father, he has cared for her since birth, creating a strong bond between them.

 

Terry plans to stay in Thailand until August 21 and will visit Kanjana’s mother at their home. If the opportunity arises, Kanjana hopes to visit Terry in the United States in the future.

 

Tan Worachak, a staff member at Nang Rong Hotel, recounted that on August 4, a taxi brought a guest to the hotel who stayed for one night. The guest tried to communicate that he was searching for someone. Tan contacted the hotel owner, who spoke with the guest and learnt that he had travelled from the United States to find his long-lost daughter, reported Sanook.

 

Tan expressed happiness in being part of the reunion, helping a father and daughter reconnect after so many years.

 

by Bright Choomanee
Picture courtesy of Sanook

 

Source: The Thaiger2024-08-07

 

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[2008bangkok]

Crock of <deleted> as a father myself 

[Will B Good]

My wife (Thai) met her father (also Thai) for the first time after 42 years......he abandoned her mother before she was even born.

 

She never met him again as he died the following year.

 

Very sad state of affairs.

[hotchilli]

1 hour ago, webfact said:

Kanjana shared that Terry, a former American GI, was stationed in Nakhon Phanom, Thailand, 50 years ago during the Vietnam War. At that time, he met Kanjana’s mother, Supaporn, now 73 years old, who was pregnant by another American soldier who refused to acknowledge the child.

Terry, however, took care of Supaporn during her pregnancy and continued to support her and Kanjana until she was one year old. Terry then returned to his home country, and Kanjana and her mother lost contact with him.

Decent guy... 

[Patong2021]

I genuinely do not understand. How is he the father?

 

Terry, met Kanjana Milkewicz's mother, Supaporn, now 73 years old

Supaporn was pregnant by another American soldier who refused to acknowledge the child.

Terry,  took care of Supaporn during her pregnancy and continued to support her and Kanjana until she was one year old.

Terry then returned to his home country, and Kanjana and her mother lost contact with him. 

Now 48 years later he shows up.

 

Reads to me like Mr. Milkewicz is the father not Terry.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[thaipo7]

Earlier this year, I was at a van pickup point in a small town outside of Korat to take people to BKK.  There was this black man about my age with a Thai family.  I told my wife that I was going to speak to him and find out if he was one of the children of a Thai woman and an American GI.  My wife did not want me to ask him but I did anyway.  He was in his early 70s and was left there by his American father.  He said he had a successful Barbecue business, married with three children that he sent to college and they were all doing well.  I told him through my wife that I made many donations to the Pearl S Buck foundation that gave money to the mothers to help raise their children.  He said, for the longest time she only received 100 Baht a month.  This guy had a great attitude on his life's story.  I am really happy to have met him.  He liked how I understood what had happened to him as a child.  

[Ohyesuare]

18 minutes ago, Patong2021 said:

I genuinely do not understand. How is he the father?

 

Terry, met Kanjana Milkewicz's mother, Supaporn, now 73 years old

Supaporn was pregnant by another American soldier who refused to acknowledge the child.

Terry,  took care of Supaporn during her pregnancy and continued to support her and Kanjana until she was one year old.

Terry then returned to his home country, and Kanjana and her mother lost contact with him. 

Now 48 years later he shows up.

 

Reads to me like Mr. Milkewicz is the father not Terry.  

 

I genuinely do not understand how you don't understand. He is not the biological father, as the article says, but he took care of and supported the mother through her pregnancy and the daughter after she was born until they lost touch. So they see him as the father in every way but the biological one and he seems to accept that and feel the same way. Just like when someone adopts.

[john donson]

(step)father of the year award goes to

[NativeBob]

23 minutes ago, Patong2021 said:

Reads to me like Mr. Milkewicz is the father not Terry.  

Polish surname. Got it. 

 

I heard about this "lost american daddy" some 15+ years ago. It was another way to get citizenship and cost (back than) about $10K. 

Terry got $3K and a ticket. 

 

Meanwhile "my thai GF flies with me to AU" was 20K thb, I knew one old Wilbert who did it every year. 

[BobBKK]

He was not the real father so not sure about this article. Better to chase the scumbag who made her pregnant.

[chickenslegs]

8 minutes ago, BobBKK said:

Good old Terry looked after until one year old, then abandoned his daughter. Obviously, a hero!

Not his daughter.

2 hours ago, webfact said:

he met Kanjana’s mother, Supaporn, now 73 years old, who was pregnant by another American soldier who refused to acknowledge the child.

Terry, however, took care of Supaporn during her pregnancy and continued to support her and Kanjana until she was one year old.

 

[fredwiggy]

22 minutes ago, BobBKK said:

He was not the real father so not sure about this article. Better to chase the scumbag who made her pregnant.

48 years ago? They don't look for those who run away here after 1 year .

[chippendale]

2 hours ago, 2008bangkok said:

Crock of <deleted> as a father myself 

 

Awful father rants with awful comment.

[Celsius]

Did Britman flee the scene?

 

 

just kidding 

[Namplik]

1 hour ago, thaipo7 said:

Earlier this year, I was at a van pickup point in a small town outside of Korat to take people to BKK.  There was this black man about my age with a Thai family.  I told my wife that I was going to speak to him and find out if he was one of the children of a Thai woman and an American GI.  My wife did not want me to ask him but I did anyway.  He was in his early 70s and was left there by his American father.  He said he had a successful Barbecue business, married with three children that he sent to college and they were all doing well.  I told him through my wife that I made many donations to the Pearl S Buck foundation that gave money to the mothers to help raise their children.  He said, for the longest time she only received 100 Baht a month.  This guy had a great attitude on his life's story.  I am really happy to have met him.  He liked how I understood what had happened to him as a child.  

 

The American military was not present in Thailand before around 1960. So this mans father was not a soldier? 

[Liverpool Lou]

1 hour ago, BobBKK said:

He was not the real father so not sure about this article. Better to chase the scumbag who made her pregnant.

I'm pretty sure that it takes two "scumbags" to create a pregnancy.

[Gottfrid]

1 hour ago, Patong2021 said:

I genuinely do not understand. How is he the father?

 

Terry, met Kanjana Milkewicz's mother, Supaporn, now 73 years old

Supaporn was pregnant by another American soldier who refused to acknowledge the child.

Terry,  took care of Supaporn during her pregnancy and continued to support her and Kanjana until she was one year old.

Terry then returned to his home country, and Kanjana and her mother lost contact with him. 

Now 48 years later he shows up.

 

Reads to me like Mr. Milkewicz is the father not Terry.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

By emotional adoption, but that is probably beyond your understanding.

[RichardColeman]

My wife often asks why I married her, I am 60 she is 46. I told her that in old age i need someone to clean my bottom when I am too old and demented to do it myself. I feel this guy has reunited to take care of him in old age - poor girl

[KannikaP]

4 hours ago, webfact said:

Although Terry is not her biological father, he has cared for her since birth, creating a strong bond between them.

He f..ked off back to the USA when the kid was one year old.

[Enoon]

1 hour ago, Namplik said:

 

The American military was not present in Thailand before around 1960. So this mans father was not a soldier? 

 

Not sure why you are talking about "this mans father",

 

Anyway......."Terry, a former American GI, was stationed in Nakhon Phanom, Thailand, 50 years ago during the Vietnam War"

 

That would be 1974 Einstein......plenty of US military in Thailand at that time.

 

 

[chickenslegs]

8 minutes ago, Enoon said:

 

Not sure why you are talking about "this mans father",

 

Anyway......."Terry, a former American GI, was stationed in Nakhon Phanom, Thailand, 50 years ago during the Vietnam War"

 

That would be 1974 Einstein......plenty of US military in Thailand at that time.

 

 

Namplik was referring to a post by thaipo7.

Different father, different child, different era than the topic subject.

[Nick Carter icp]

6 minutes ago, Sticky Rice Balls said:

first words spoken to father from her

 

where u come from?

 

how long u stay thailand?

 

you speak thai?

 

you have thai lady?

 

you buy me iphone...

 

   You only think that because that is what all Thai ladies say to you .

Not all Thai ladies are like that , just the ones  who make a living from felangs 

[scorecard]

3 hours ago, Patong2021 said:

I genuinely do not understand. How is he the father?

 

Terry, met Kanjana Milkewicz's mother, Supaporn, now 73 years old

Supaporn was pregnant by another American soldier who refused to acknowledge the child.

Terry,  took care of Supaporn during her pregnancy and continued to support her and Kanjana until she was one year old.

Terry then returned to his home country, and Kanjana and her mother lost contact with him. 

Now 48 years later he shows up.

 

Reads to me like Mr. Milkewicz is the father not Terry.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Perhaps you should read the story again.

All concerned are ware he birth father was another man who basically abandoned her. 

And in the ces the American just arrived stepped in to support her for.

That brought on the 'father' concept.

 

 

[scorecard]

12 minutes ago, Nick Carter icp said:

 

   You only think that because that is what all Thai ladies say to you .

Not all Thai ladies are like that , just the ones  who make a living from felangs 

Very very boring comment.

[Nick Carter icp]

5 minutes ago, scorecard said:

Very very boring comment.

 

   I know, its gets repetitive keep reading the same stereotypes  all the time , but at least he's stopped referring to himself as hansum man 

[newbee2022]

Which one is the daughter on the photo?

On the left?

[DogNo1]

Abandoned children of Americans who were left in Vietnam were called “Buoi Doi,” the Dust of Life.  The US brought many of them to America under the Orderly Departure Program in the 70’s.  A song about them was included in the musical Miss Saigon.  I don’t know whether Thai children were included in the program.

[BangkokReady]

4 hours ago, KannikaP said:

He f..ked off back to the USA when the kid was one year old.

 

I'm surprised the girl even remembers him.

[Enoon]

 

7 hours ago, Namplik said:

 

The American military was not present in Thailand before around 1960. So this mans father was not a soldier? 

 

It certainly was......initially "informally". 

 

1950:

"The US Department of the Air Force has for sometime desired to negotiate a military air agreement with Thailand for aviation rights to provide for necessary flights. At present, however, there is an informal arrangement whereby US military air needs are met on an “ad hoc” basis, and it is present policy to delay formalizing the agreement in order to avoid jeopardizing the present satisfactory informal arrangements and to save Thailand from the multiple difficulties which would arise if other nations—possibly less friendly than the US—sought similar air rights."

https://history.state.gov/historicaldocuments/frus1950v06/d858

 

Doubtless Korat Air Base was one location meeting the needs of the USAF.

 

But later not so informally:

 

Military Assistance Advisory Group was established in Thailand in 1950:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Military_Assistance_Advisory_Group

 

Subsequently, by 1955, the US had spent $140.9 million on material and $2.8 million on training:

https://history.state.gov/historicaldocuments/frus1955-57v22/d479

 

Difficult to imagine that training to the levels achieved/anticipated would not have meant keeping a fair few US military personnel in the country.

 

 

 

[Patong2021]

5 hours ago, scorecard said:

Perhaps you should read the story again.

All concerned are ware he birth father was another man who basically abandoned her. 

And in the ces the American just arrived stepped in to support her for.

That brought on the 'father' concept.

 

Thank you for taking the time to offer an explanation. Technically  then, he is not the father. He was just a caregiver who acted as a father figure for 1 year. Admirable and all that, but in the absence of an adoption he is not the father, nor should he be called a father.