Love Over Pho Meet the Nguyen Family

Photo Credit: Karen Presecan Photography

When you meet Louie Anne and Khanh Nguyen you can feel the love they have for each other from across the room. Louie Anne was living in Okinawa, Japan in December of 2013, as the daughter of a retired Navy veteran, while Khanh was stationed there with the Marine Corps. A mutual friend invited them for some pho and as they say, the rest is history.

They were married March 10th of 2017, and Louie Anne embarked on the journey of the Marine Corps spouse.

They have been stationed all over the east coast, and now as Khanh is getting ready for retirement from Marine Corps Base Quantico, they have decided to call Embrey Mill home, for good.

Their family has since grown from their days in Okinawa. They have two daughters under 5, Amelia and Evelyn. One of their favorite duty stations was in Beaufort, South Carolina, while Khanh was on drill instructor duty. Though his hours were long and strenuous, it was where they started their family and where they grew the foundation as a married couple.

Military life has many challenges with the constant changes. In the Marine Corps there is a saying, “adapt and overcome.” This applies not only to the Marine but to the whole family.

Louie Anne credits having good communication as a survival tactic for this lifestyle. Not only good communication, but the right type of communication.

“I learned to be a good listener, but I also made sure to ask, how can I help? Even if I cannot do anything to help regarding work, I want him to know that I am there to be his strength when he needs it.”

Louie Anne was born in the Philippines. Her family immigrated to California when she was four years old when her father joined the Navy. As a military child she has traveled and lived all over the world. Khanh was born in Kansas and the first in his Vietnamese family to be born in the United States. His family were refugees who were taken in by Catholic Missionaries after the fall of Saigon.

Diversity and education are very important to Louie Anne and Khanh. They are both active members in the Asian community in business, political, and professional development.

Louie Anne is the treasurer of the Philippine American Chamber of Commerce and the National Federation of Filipino American Association. Recently this organization contributed to the lobbying efforts to name a Naval Warship after a Filipino sailor. According to the U. S. Navy press release, the Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyer will be named the USS Telesforo Trinidad, the only Filipino to be awarded the Medal of Honor.

Khanh was a director for the most recent national leadership convention hosted by the National Association of Asian American Professionals in Washington D.C. He is also the Senior Enlisted Advisor for the Vietnamese American Uniform Service Association. Aside from scholarship programs, a big part of this organization is to mentor other Vietnamese Americans in the uniform services.

Louie Anne was academically trained in International Relations and Sustainability, and she is the owner of The Sake Mom LLC.

The Nguyen family have decided to make Stafford home because they love all the amenities it has to offer for their growing family. One of their favorite places they love to take their daughters is Porter Library for their children’s program and collection. They are frequent visitors of their pool and playgrounds. Their most favorite part of their neighborhood is still being a part of a diverse community and especially being around other military families.

In a way that is how The Sake Mom came to be. Sake is a Japanese alcoholic drink made from fermented rice. It’s almost full circle, how the Nguyens met in Japan and now Louie Anne gets to educate her local community on Japanese drinks and culture.

Louie Anne is a sake sommelier and hosts private and corporate sake tastings. One big accomplishment was being invited to host an event tasting at the Embassy of Japan in Washington, D.C. She is an educator with the Sake Sommelier Association and will be teaching members of the restaurant industry on how to bring and pair sake in their establishment.

Her brand is about “sharing sake love.” She explains the history of sake, to include the brewing methods and educates her customers on how to pair with foods and desserts.

“When I do my sake pairings, I usually ask what kind of food the customer will have and then I’ll provide them a list of my recommended sake list to go with their food, there is a sake for every kind of cuisine and mood.”

Though retirement can be intimidating, Khanh feels more excited that he will have more time to dedicate to his wife’s growing business and pursue his related entrepreneurial interests.

“I feel super proud, because she’s the one with the college degree and I basically asked her to sacrifice her career so that I can finish mine. She’s a smart, strong-willed woman and now I am retiring because it’s her turn and her resiliency inspires me; her entrepreneurial spirit is not only amazing for me to see but for our daughters to see and be a part off. “

When Louie Anne and Khanh aren’t running their business, you can find Khanh playing soccer with the Stafford adult league, and you can find both on the dance floor with a karaoke microphone. Amelia and Evelyn can be found drawing dinosaurs and dragons in their neighborhood.

They love to travel and spend many weekends camping and exploring Virginia’s state parks. They plan on returning to the Philippines and Vietnam this holiday season to show their girls their extended family and reconnect with their heritage. They also hope to do a quick stop in Japan to visit sake breweries.

 In Japan there is an expression called, “Natsukashii,” which roughly translates as a deep fondness, and this is the feeling that strikes the Nguyen family whenever they think of “home,” which is what Embrey Mills is to them. Whenever a neighbor needs assistance, the Nguyen’s are there for them as their neighbors are for the Nguyens.

Thank goodness for Pho.