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Vietnamese workers and sailors from USS Vandegrift dig a foundation for a new school building at Doi Lau Hamlet Kindergarten. The new building will house almost 400 children at the school.
Photo by Ca Van Tran of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam |
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U.S. Navy sailors help paint a school in Ho Chi Minh City.
Photo by PH3(AW) Gary B. Granger, USN |
Following a welcoming and groundbreaking ceremony in Can Gio, a rural district outside Ho Chi Minh City, U.S sailors began digging a foundation for a new kindergarten. The new building will help accommodate the nearly 400 students, learning in overcrowded classrooms. After several hours of digging, the sailors enjoyed a meal of crab, boiled shrimp, fried squid, boiled corn, homemade bread, and cold beverages. U.S. Navy IC3 Brian Ondich said the Vietnamese really went out of their way to make the sailors feel welcome. “It’s a great feeling to know that even though we are thousands of miles from home, we still get treated as if we are part of their family.”
Other Vandegrift sailors helped paint a school and brought donated toys, sewing machines, and medical supplies to an orphanage of 300 children through Project Handclasp. “I’m happy to see them here,” said 14-year-old Mai Thi Kim Loan, as she was presented with a Frisbee, noting that she had never seen such a toy before.
Deputy Director of the orphanage Thi Kim Thoa also was enthusiastic about the goodwill visit. “You can see the Americans [sailors] love the kids. Hopefully, after this visit, relations between the two countries will be built on a more solid foundation,” she said.
While in port, the USS Vandegrift hosted Vietnamese military, political, and foreign business leaders, as well as the international diplomatic corps for tours and an evening reception. U.S. Ambassador Raymond F. Burghardt accompanied the ship for a four-hour transit from the entrance of the Saigon River at Vung Tau to downtown Ho Chi Minh City.
Commenting on the USS Vandegrift’s visit, Col. Nguyen Quang Bieu of the Ministry of Defense said, “I think this is a good sign to promote the relationship between Vietnam and the U.S.”
Ambassador Burghardt agreed, saying, “The visit is part of both countries’ efforts to promote mutual understanding and to put to rest the suspicions lingering from the conflict between our two countries in the past. This visit shows that old adversaries can become friends.”
