Carried Away

Growing up during the Vietnam War, Ross Meador was profoundly moved by the suffering of the Vietnamese people, particularly the plight of war orphans. At just 19 years old, armed with a one-way ticket from a small group called Friends of Children of Viet Nam (FCVN), he traveled alone to Saigon, eager to make a difference. By the time he was evacuated from the roof of the US Embassy in Saigon on April 30, 1975, Ross and FCVN had delivered food and supplies to orphanages throughout South Viet Nam. They also found families for hundreds of orphans, most of whom were evacuated in Operation Babylift. After leaving Viet Nam, Ross aided orphans in South Korea and Calcutta (Kolcata), India. Later he attended law school at UC Berkeley and spent his legal career practicing international law. When not traveling, Ross lives in Southern California, close to his three children, Amy, Leah, and Daniel. In 2003, Friends of Children of Vietnam was nominated by Congressman Tom Tancredo for the Presidential Medal of Freedom, our nation’s highest civilian award. In 2005, the group was nominated for a second time by Senator Diane Feinstein. The same year, Ross was awarded the Heather Constance Noone Memorial Award for "Extraordinary Actions on Behalf of the Vietnam Babylift."