Hung Cao is stepping in as the interim Navy Secretary after the Pentagon announced the departure of John Phelan. While an official cause of Phelan's departure was not given, Reuters reported citing a source that he had been fired.
Cao is a 25-year Navy veteran who served in combat zones. He is married to wife April Lakata, a writer who has devoted herself to encouraging families in faith as they strive daily to strengthen their relationships in parenthood and marriage.
April Lakata was born and raised in Northern Virginia. She has been a contributing author to the award-winning book, Faith Deployed…Again, and has also been published in the Focus on the Family's Thriving Family Magazine.
Cao and April have five children, among whom one is Grace. Cao had put up a post at the time of her marriage last year. “When your little girl is not a little girl anymore. Congratulations to my Daughter Grace and my new son-in-law Connor,” he had commented.
Cao's son Gabriel also joined the Navy, following his father's footsteps. Cao wrote on LinkedIn “To my beloved son in whom I am well pleased and his 1199 classmates: ‘On the strength of one link in the cable, dependeth the might of the chain. Who knows when thou mayest be tested? So live that thou bearest the strain!’ Go Navy!!! 1996 + 30.”
Cao and April's other kids are Claire, Evelyn, and Liam. Cao's parents are Quan Cao and Ngoc-Tram Nguyen. The former was Assistant to the Deputy Prime Minister in charge of Economic Development in Vietnam, before their family moved to the US after the war.
