Who is Viet from Catfish and Mandala: A Two-wheeled Voyage Through the Landscape and Memory of Vietnam and what is their importance?

Viet was Andrew's uncle. He set aside time to spend with Andrew during his return to Saigon. Of all of his uncles, Andrew found Viet to be the most likeable. He was also the only member of the family to believe that Andrew could bicycle all the way to Hanoi. Viet was a chemist and had started a bottled soft drink business. He was driven into bankruptcy by Coca-Cola and Pepsi.