Bau Thi Green

Bau Thi Green, age 74, passed away at her home near Raeford, North Carolina on Saturday morning, April 6, 2024. 

Bau was born Nguyen Thi Bau on January 10, 1950, in Qhi Nhon, Vietnam, to mother Nguyen Thi Du and father Nguyen Chau.  As the first of twelve children, Bau devoted much effort to the welfare of her parents and siblings.   After education in the competitive public school system of her native country, Bau worked at U.S. Army Special Forces bases in Kontum and Pleiku. 

Bau married in Pleiku and gave birth to son, Dean Wayne Sturch on January 2, 1969.  Bau and Dean soon emigrated to the United States, and she acquired naturalized U.S. citizenship.   Later divorced and working at the Fort Bragg Officers’ Club, Bau met her future husband for what would become almost 44 years of married life.  Bau and Captain John Green were married at the John F Kennedy Chapel on Fort Bragg, now Fort Liberty on June 14, 1980.  She and Dean accompanied John on military assignments in North Carolina, California, and Virginia.   The couple later lived in Stuttgart, Germany and Augusta, Georgia.  John’s son, Adam Clare Green was with them for several periods during the earlier years.   John’s father, Melvin Clare Green also made many extended visits to their homes.   Bau greatly enjoyed taking her beloved father-in-law fishing while in Monterey, California and Norfolk, Virginia.  Bau and John’s son, Phillip Nguyen Green was born on January 21, 1983.  Sadly, Phillip was stricken with childhood cancer and passed away at Fort Belvoir, Virginia on March 20, 1986.  After multiple periods of residence in the Fort Bragg and Fayetteville area, Bau and John decided to settle there after his retirement from active military duty. 

Bau located a four-acre tract of wooded land in Hoke County on which their retirement home was built.  John used to joke that he had to cut down more than 200 trees to clear the homesite, and Bau then planted 300 trees in their place. (It was not much of an exaggeration).  

An avid gardener when she wasn’t working as a cosmetologist and barber, Bau dearly loved to look at, tend to and photograph her indoor and outdoor flowers, flowering shrubs and banana and other fruit trees.  Bau also enjoyed accompanying John to motorcycle events around the country, often camping in their recreational vehicle.  The arrival of granddaughters added immensely to Bau’s joy at living in her later years, as did the pleasure of gathering the family for holiday meals.

 Bau was preceded in death by her parents and son, Phillip.  She is survived by her husband, Colonel (ret) John Clare Green, her son, Master Sergeant (ret) Dean and wife, Mirasol Sturch, her stepson, Adam and step granddaughters, Samantha Ann and Madeline Claire Green. 

Graveside service and interment will be at Grandview Cemetery in Quimby, Iowa.

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