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someone you should know |
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Joe Love |
By Erica Johnson |
 A
South Dakota man is connecting families from across the
world.
Joe Love lives in Elk Point, but for many years now he has
been working with Amer-Asians who never met their fathers.
Amer-Asian means a person who was born in Asia to a U.S.
military father and an Asian mother.
What Joe love does to help connect these families makes him
someone you should know.
Joe Love says, “There they are, sitting on the couch. That's
what it’s all about.”
Joe Love has made a name for himself as a people finder.
He helps people now living in America, but born in Vietnam,
connect with a father they've never known.
It's an almost impossible job.
“Any information they have, I will take.”
The children may only have a name, a copy of old paperwork,
or a photocopy of a dog tag.
That's when Love starts piecing together the few clues he
has.
“If he went into the military when he was 18 years old, when
he came out of the military he probably went back home.”
Love makes calls to lawyers, senators, even the Pentagon to
track down these soldiers who became fathers while they were
stationed in Vietnam.
He is retired and now works part time at Jag Computers in
Vermillion.
It gives him more time to make a dream come true.
“That's what they call it. They call it the dream.”
Love gives the fathers a choice. If they want to meet their
children, he connects them. If they don't, he leaves them
alone.
And if he's not interested in what I have to ask him, the
matter is closed and will never be brought up again.
Love has found hundreds of these Vietnam soldiers.
He helps people who long to know their history, their
family.
He doesn't take money, but his reason for doing this job is
really quite human.
“It's an atonement for things I've done, things I haven't
done, and things I've said; and things I haven't said.”
But the one thing he rarely says is I can't help you.
Love says his success rate of connecting fathers with their
children is around one third.
Another third don't want to meet with their kids.
The other third have passed away. |
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