Loung Ung Chapter Summary

Loung Ung-the author- is an average middle-class five year old. She has three older brothers, two older sisters and a younger sister. Her parents “ma” and “pa” have been married since they were teenagers. On April 17, 1975 the Ung’s life style would be changed for the rest of their lives, when the Khmer Rouge soldiers arrive in the family’s village. The soldiers quickly move all the families out of the village telling them to pack very little. Loung soon finds herself on an overcrowded truck with many families learning she will never be returning home.
At the first Military check point families are told to get off the trucks and can’t get back on until they are asked a series of question and the soldiers go through their belongings. The families are then told if they have worked within the military that they would have to leave there families and work for them, later they get shot in the head. Since pa is former Military and doesn’t want to leave his family he denies it but knows he is taking a big risk. Eight days after being invaded the Khmer Rouge soldiers had won the war and removed the old chief. Families now have to ask permission for the
The Ung family is no longer safe and has to constantly keep moving so that surrounding villagers will not find out pa’s identity and kill him. Pa traded gold to get his family on the list to go to a certain village. His first wish on leaving soon was commanded, as for being able to go where he wanted was not and the family was dropped off in the middle of nowhere. Trust is no longer an option for anyone. This chapter also introduces the “true” side of the soldiers. They are very demanding and mean, they kill without any notice and sometimes without a purpose. The soldiers take girls and marry them, leaving them to never return to their