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Thaler, who left over a year ago, spent the year in Vietnam helping farmers understand the needs and responsibilities of operating a large swine production facility.

“Their swine industry is going through a transition from many backyard farms to larger, more modern farms, and I thought I could help them develop their manure management program to safeguard their environment,� Thaler wrote in a correspondence from Vietnam late last month.

The Fulbright Scholarship is an international education exchange grant dedicated to students, professors and professionals exchanging information and enhancing the knowledge base around the world.

After growing up on a farm in Wagner, South Dakota, Thaler’s path to swine was motivated by his family’s diversified farm with several different animals and also by the lack of jobs.

“I couldn’t go back to the family farm because at that time, both my parents and grandparents were living on the farm and it wasn’t big enough to support three families,� he said.

Thaler graduated from SDSU in 1982, at the height of an agricultural depression. Because of this, he was asked by Dr. Rick Wahlstrom of SDSU to continue his education and get a master’s degree in swine nutrition.

Thaler went on to receive his PhD from Kansas State University. The higher degree opened the door to university extension work in Kansas, which eventually lead him back to SDSU Extension in 1988, where he has been ever since.

Ultimately, his wife, Karen, pushed him to explore the idea of the Fulbright Scholarship as her brother, Dr. Tim Hanks, a chemistry professor at Furman University in South Carolina, was awarded a Fulbright Scholarship nearly four years ago.

The Thalers have three children, Allyse, Sarah and Noah, as well as three grandchildren, Charleigh, Hunter and Brett. Thaler says his No. 1 priority now that he is home is to hug his children, his grandchildren and his parents.

Although Vietnam’s agriculture sector is growing and its livestock industry has begun turning toward a more modern approach, Thaler’s motivation to travel there comes from a more personal interest in the country.

“I was born in 1960 so the war was a part of my early years growing up,� Thaler said. “Listening to Dr. Chuck Woodard, a Vietnam veteran and distinguished professor, as he visited with a group of SDSU students in 2015 about his personal experiences was humbling, and then I knew I had to go.�

Thaler had also previously worked with Vietnam representatives through the U.S. Soybean Export Council and the U.S. Grains Council during their efforts in 2009. The goals was to help the country start several programs based on its growing livestock industry.

During his trip, Thaler said he was taken aback by just how welcoming the people were to his presence and that of the United States. He said it was rewarding to see there was no ill-will for Americans due to the Vietnam War and that they have all moved on from the troubled history between the two countries.

“Vietnam and Southeast Asia are growing both in population and economically, and most countries there want closer relationships with the U.S.,� Thaler said. “They are some of the most vibrant economies in the world, and we need to work at developing closer ties with them.�

Thaler’s trip to Vietnam wasn’t without sacrifice, however, as he and his wife missed the birth of their second grandson, Hunter, this past April. In addition, Thaler recalled several interactions with veterans of the Vietnam War that were still shaken by the events. He said he’d never forget one specific interaction with a young man from southern Vietnam who asked him why the U.S. abandoned his people.

Overall, Thaler said his trip was immensely successful and that he can’t wait to get back to sharing what he learned there. However, that doesn’t mean that he isn’t excited to come back to several homey activities he had to leave for the past year. Thaler said he hopes to get on the grill soon and to drive his pickup.

The hidden surprise of being in Vietnam for Thaler was becoming even closer with his wife of 31 years.

“I think we had gotten into a little rut focusing on work, and the last four months have helped us both realize that,� Thaler said. “I’ve enjoyed the extra time with her.�

In his last piece of knowledge before coming home from his trip, Thaler said that he encourages anyone skeptical of returning to or visiting Vietnam to overcome those doubts.

“I’d encourage Vietnam veterans to return to Vietnam,� Thaler said. “We heard several stories of U.S. and North Vietnamese/Viet Cong soldiers meeting unexpectedly at battlefields and hugging each other, crying, and treating each other like brothers.�