SAIGON
KIDS
NEWSLETTER
February
2004
Hi Everyone!
Hope this winter is treating you
kindly. I have received some very interesting Alumni News that is included in
this newsletter.
Additionally, our big news is the
SAIGON KIDS Reunion scheduled for this July.
Much time and effort has gone into the planning of the event. In order for the Reunion Activities to be most enjoyable, we need a large
turnout. We are at half that figure currently. More folks equate to a FREE
party room suite courtesy of the hotel and a livelier dinner/dance.
Check out www.saigonkids.com
"Reunion 2004" for a list of who is coming.
If you are looking for the name(s) of
your special friend(s) and don't see them listed, it is probably because they
too are looking for your name. Why not contact them directly and work out a GO
TO REUNION PLAN. "Where are they" on
our site includes an up-to-date email address list.
If you are still sitting back and
saying "maybe I will just wait until the next reunion" - we are
informing all that Frank Stoddard
& I are retiring as official Saigon Kid
organizers effective this August. Sadly, this may be our last Reunion.
Below is the Reunion
Info. Details are also posted on our website. www.saigonkids.com
The SAIGON KIDS REUNION
DATE Thursday, July 29, 2004 through
Sunday, August 1, 2004
LOCATION Gaylord Opryland Resort and
Convention Center, Nashville, Tennessee
RESERVATIONS
Please phone 615-883-2211 for
reservations. Our group code is X-VNHS Saigon
Kids.
The Hotel has been fully booked the
past two years in July so please reserve your room NOW.
ACTIVITIES
THURSDAY 5pm - we will meet at the
DELTA LOUNGE for DRINKS (cash bar & snacks). The Lounge is on the property
and overlooks the Delta
River. It features live
music.
FRIDAY 10am will
be the "OLD TEENAGERS" SOFTBALL GAME. Everyone is invited to play.
Shuttle service to and from the park
will be provided.
After the game, enjoy a Nashville style BARBEQUE
LUNCH at the park.
FRIDAY evening enjoy The PADDLE-WHEEL
RIVER CRUISE on the GENERAL JACKSON SHOWBOAT down the Cumberland
River. Included is a gourmet Dinner and an amazing Musical Show.
Shuttle Service is provided to and from boat.
SATURDAY play some golf. Relax at the
pool. Hang out at the Party Room. Popular Sightseeing Attractions include the
Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum, Ryman Auditorium, Frist
Center for the Visual Arts, Belle
Meade Plantation,
and The Hermitage. The hotel also has a number of interesting bus tours. Please
call for information at 615-883-2211. Tee times for groups can be arranged by
calling 615-871-6885.
SATURDAY 7pm is the DINNER DANCE with
a DJ at the hotel. There will be Door Prizes, Music by Request, a wonderful
Southern Style Dinner, Dancing, and a Cash Bar.
SUNDAY meet at Rachel's (on site) at
10AM for a BREAKFAST BUFFET.
A PARTY/GATHERING ROOM has been
reserved. The room will be open 24 hours a day.
ACTIVITY FEE
The Fee is $180. per person. This fee
includes all hosted events listed above.
A $25 DEPOSIT is due NOW. .
Final payment for the activity fee is
due MAY 1, 2004
DOOR PRIZES
Please bring a gift from your
hometown/state to share.
MUSIC
Please email Frank requests for song
selections for our Saigon Kids CD.
stoddard (@) theriver.com
SOUVENIR
We have chosen a Baseball Cap in a
blue Saigon Kids color with our logo for this Reunion's
Souvenir. The caps will be around $12.00 each plus postage.
Please contact Sarah Bush Rogers for ordering
information. kuipokauai (@) verizon.net
ALUMNI NEWS
A friend and I flew to London for a brief
vacation. It's been many years since I've visited England. Lynn, Susan, and I shared
a lovely Thanksgiving vacation with Mom and Dad at Topsail Island, NC. Dad is
now 92 and Mom is 82. Amazing! At Christmas time, Lynn, her husband Bob, and
two of their three children drove to Chapel Hill from Houston for a couple of
days with family here in NC. Then they drove to the Poconos to spend a week
with family there.
Cathie McIntyre - cathieannmc
(@) hotmail.com
I am now sitting in the hotel on top
of the mountain in Irbel - looking out over a fog bank that disguises even the
closest landscape. I'm only here for two days and then heading back to Mosul, but wanted to
check in and update you on the 'time of my life.' I arrived in Kuwait on Jan
14, after a week-long training in DC that included taking care of your
neighbor's evisceration, treating protruding bones, driving through dangerous
situations (which, let me add, I received high praises for my well-honed skills
which I perfected in Togo), firing AK-47s and sub-guns (which, although I did
not receive any accolades, I was told in no uncertain terms that if I ever had
to pick up a gun, somebody was sure to get hurt), identifying IEDs (improvised
exploding devices) which I kept referring to in class as IUDs (which have also
been known to cause unexpected results), and dealing with undue stress. In Kuwait we
received our flak jackets, helmets, BDUs (see, I'm learning all the proper
acronyms), combat boots (which I absolutely love as they have taken all the
worry out of accessorizing handbags and matching shoes) and yet another
security briefing. They marched us out to the runway at 0-dark-hundred and we
waited for a
C130 to take us into Baghdad. Now, you must remember that I am the
person who drinks bottles of Nyquil
to calm my nerves for commercial flights - well, nothing would have helped this
flight. About 10 minutes of out Baghdad
the pilots began rocking and rolling and banking in order to miss any rocket
fire. Needless to say, several passengers were missing their stomachs by the
time we landed, but Not I - I didn't embarrass myself - not yet, anyway. Then,
whoosh - the plane went straight down and we landed before anyone even knew we
were on the ground. In Baghdad
we were told to wear all our paraphernalia as the drive into the city was the
most dangerous part of the journey. I slept so I don't remember seeing any of
the city of Baghdad
itself. (You try staying awake with a helmet on your head and 40 pounds of
plates on your shoulders and
chests. The weight put me to sleep.
(Plus I think all the coffee I had at Starbucks in Kuwait finally wore off.) At
Saddam's Palace I was placed into the 'holding cell' - Saddam's chapel where
the bunk beds were set up. I spent three nights sleeping (or NOT sleeping, that
is) in the same room with about 75 other people, 95% men who snored and made
other body noises that we won't discuss here. What a symphony. I spent two days
doing my check-in and walked at least ten miles each day and only covered half
the palace. I found the gold toilet! The energy and enthusiasm level of that
place is a little overwhelming. It's so alive that you almost have to jump out
of the way of the energy flow or you'll get knocked over in the corridors. The
people are on a constant high, work 15-16 hours a day, and like the Eveready
bunny, just keep going. I was using the computer when the car bomb went off on
Sunday morning. The place came alive - but I wasn't about to leave the computer
as I had already waited in line for 40 minutes to get to a keyboard. About 25
staff members were killed at the front gate, so that day was somber, but the
work never missed a tick. The second morning I was again awakened by mortars
falling within the compound, put the pillow over my head and sighed - Da mortar
de merrier
- and went back to sleep. Guess I am
acclimated. As of last night we were made to move out of the hotel (I think it
was officially condemned but nobody will say that outright) and into trailers.
Did I say trailer? HA! It is a shipping container with a door on one end. I'm
sure that if you look close enough you will see the MAERSK under the fresh coat
of paint. Now I have to shower with 60 men - those poor guys
- first they get assigned to Iraq and then
they get a woman in the trailer park who is 56 years old and overweight! I am
told that they are making up a shower schedule to give me a little 'time of my
own' - let's be honest here - they are doing it to protect themselves from
something they may not want or be willing to see.
So, let's sum it up - I am the deputy
coordinator for the province of Nineveh, I live in a shipping container, I wear
combat boots to receptions and flack jackets and helmets to city council
meetings, and have to take showers according to other people's maneuver
schedule. I feel that if I am late for my shower I could case chaos in the
day's activities and put a halt to the transition. Cindy Gregg - 8th Grade Saigon 1961 - cindygregg (@) hotmail.com
I'm still hale and hearty as I
approach 85 in June.
Joe Drachnik - jbdrac (@)
att.net
I did a live radio interview with
Radio Kerry www.radiokerry.ie in Ireland. I'll talked about my long-distance
commute between my home in the West of Ireland
and my work here in Washington.
Steve Johnson - sjohnson (@)
hirestrategy.com
Well folks, we in the East Coast are
praying for some warm weather!! We are used to a little snow (even a lot of
snow), but usually followed by a heat wave that melts it away in a day or so.
This year it is not to be ...
So, to use that weather index as an
excuse, we are moving south! By this time next year, Roxanne, Claire and I will
be in Sunny New Smyrna Beach,
Florida figuring what to do with
semi-retirement. We already have a house there and will be putting the one in
VA up for sale in the Spring (if it ever arrives)!
During the past few months I have
been in touch with a few foreign (Saigon Expatriates) friends of ours that most
of you will remember from Saigon. Aside from Michele Viroly (who is also burrrring in Canada) and
Françoise Farnarier, I have connected with Philippe Rault and Claude
(Arcache) Rubiro. Both their e-mail
addresses are on the website and I have been encouraging both to attend the
Reunion ... though it is a long distance to come for just a Reunion.
Claude (BTW: if any of you have an old picture of her in Saigon, both she and I
would appreciate it since she lost all of her pictures in the Cambodia
evacuation and I in Iran) has a daughter that attends John Hopkins University.
Philippe has set up a website in France
for Saigon expatriates. You are encouraged to
sign in and leave a message or two and brush up on your French. The website URL
is: http://www.lesanciensdesaigon.fr.st
. If any of you remember
Jacque, a Vietnamese who was always around Cerc Sportif and had a Lambretta
that everyone used, he has been found in the mid-west and I hope to connect
with him soon.
Looking forward to seeing you at the Reunion in TN, ... and Ruth, I promise to bring the
pictures you gave me!! I have not forgotten, I just cannot find them ... now.
Best ... Roy
McDonald - rmcdonal@sesi.com
Bob and I are expecting our first
granddaughter, Emily on Feb. 19th and will visit her in March over my spring
break. We are both looking forward to seeing everyone in Nashville in July. Bobby is scheduled to
graduate from TX A&M in May and he is our youngest so we are happy for him
and us. Rodeo begins in 2 weeks and that is a fun time for us here in Houston." Nothing
extra newsy here but life is good and we are happy.
Lynn McIntyre Riley - lynn.riley (@)
cfisd.net
This has been a busy year...another
return trip to Southeast Asia (went to Thailand and Laos in 2000)...This time
we flew to Bangkok, and from
there directly to my beloved Luang
Prabang, Laos. Spent two weeks
there, and did my ESL practicum with
Buddhist monks and Lao high school students. Then a boat trip up the Nam Ou
river to Nong Kiaw and a short drive to Nam Bac, where on November 8 1966 my
two brothers, Steven and Alain were shot. Steven did not survive....and from
that day on, my life was never the same...
Today Nam Bac is a beautiful and very
peaceful valley. Standing on that little airstrip, which is now overgrown with
grass and weeds was a very emotional moment for me....I looked around, and
wondered what it had all been about, and could feel Steven's presence there...the
healing continues after all these years...
From Nam Bac, we drove to Oudomxai in
northern Laos where we spent the night, and then the next day, the long bumpy
but gorgeous drive to China! It was pretty neat to just walk across the border
into China.
and then another long and beautiful drive to Jinghong...Spent a few days there,
and then on to Lijiang--one of the most beautiful places I've ever been
to--besides Luang Prabang--a real Shangri La! From Lijiang we went on to Kunming...bustling, vibrant,
warm and friendly.everywhere we went people wanted to talk to us, and have
their picture taken with us. From Kunming, we flew into Hanoi....it was very
strange landing there, but very quickly we found that people couldn't have been
nicer and more welcoming, and we fell in love with this lovely and very busy
city! Enjoyed the water puppets, walking around the night market, the lake, and
even got to see the premiere of "The Quiet American" before it had
come out in the U.S.
It was a strange feeling to see it there...we spent a day on Halong Bay, one of
the loveliest places I've ever seen, and just enjoyed talking to people
everywhere we went.
From Hanoi, we flew down to Saigon/HCMCity...I
felt at home pretty quickly...we stayed across from the Majestic by the river,
and enjoyed our week there. Found my old house, and had a wonderful time
meeting the owners who took me all around, and then invited me to come back and
stay with them! It was a strange feeling to see a picture of the owner shaking
hands with Ho Chi Minh in my parents' old bedroom... The Cercle Sportif looked
about the same, so did the Rex, the market, the post office and Cathedral, the
Continental, Le Loi and TuDo...A lot of new little buildings, and life moves at
a fast pace here..the food is still wonderful and everywhere we went, we were
met with smiling and welcoming faces...We spent Tet in Saigon,
and enjoyed the fireworks on the river and the celebrations everywhere.
Saigon is known for its pickpockets,
and sure enough...the day before our departure, my friend's passport was stolen
while we were riding in a cyclo, and it was Tet...so, the consulate was closed
and all of Saigon was shutting down as
everyone was going home. We were able to push our trip back by a week (oh, how
awful!!!.....) and drove out to Phan Thiet for a fabulous 5 days on the South China Sea.....we made some great friends, and had a
wonderful time there and then the passport was ready, and it was time to
leave....
I would go back in a minute....and I
will go back....
On another note, I am back working at
the Washington International
School in Washington
D.C., teaching the French immersion Pre
Kindergarten, and trying to figure out how to get back to Laos or Vietnam this summer. All is
well...my two daughters, Paloma and Karina, are fine and so are my two
wonderful grandsons, Benjamin and Tristan.
Be well..and a belated Chuc Mung Nam Muoi... I
have a little photo album of my trip to Vietnam and Laos on the Internet on
"ofoto.com", if you would like to view it, send me an email and I
will send you an invitation so that you can access it.
Marie (Perry) Wright - rightly03 (@)
msn.com
A shining star left us last
week...Bill Federer succumbed to cancer and died very suddenly after a valiant
fight that went on for more than a year. He leaves behind 3 children, Amber,
Kristen, Billy and a grandson, Cosmo. We had reconnected when he had just
successfully fought his first bout with lung cancer. He came to see me here in Falls Church and met my
family and we stayed in close touch from then on. He had a lovely girlfriend,
Taji, and we became close too. They were to be married two days after he
died......Bill had so much strength and courage. He was determined to lick this
after all he had been through in his life. He still had that wonderful smile,
and was such a good man....he will be missed terribly. Marie (Perry) Wright -
rightly03 (@) msn.com
TAKE CARE !
Please make your Reunion
Reservations NOW. If you have sent in a deposit, you still need to make a hotel
reservation and vice versa.
Activity Fee Deposits or Full Fee
checks can be made out to either me
Arlene Zucker Claiborne or C Frank Stoddard.
Arlene Zucker Claiborne
25 Southgate Ave
Annapolis, MD 21401
alzc (@) aol.com
443-223-4951
C Frank
Stoddard
8166 High Road
Hereford, AZ 85615
stoddard (@) theriver.com
520-378-1977
Please contact Larry Smith if you
have any questions about Nashville driving conditions, their airport or other
Nashville stuff.
Larry Smith
2540 Devon Valley Drive
Nashville, TN 37221
615-646-6951
This has been a FRAZ Production.
Please email, write or phone Frank,
or me with any questions suggestions or additions. Also send us your email
address changes. If you wish to be REMOVED from this mailing list, please type
Remove in the header and email alzc (@) aol.com
*************************************
THANKSGIVING 2003
Hi Everyone!
Happy Thanksgiving and Holiday
Season!!
This is our 5th Thanksgiving
Newsletter. I wish to thank all Saigon
Kids for your emails, phone calls, letters and
postcards.
SPAM PREVENTION POLICY
To thwart spammers from harvesting your email address we
are no longer providing easy clickable email addresses. To email someone on the
list manually enter the address in to your email package removing the spaces
around the (@) sign. Also do not include the ( ) around the @ sign. We hope
this prevents your email address from being targeted by spammers. If you have
any comments please send an email to roy@saigonkids.com
. (I'll be the one exception to this new policy to guide the confused.)
***********NEW SPAM
PREVENTION POLICY***********
We have a big Reunion
planned for next July, and I hope that all of you are
making plans to come and enjoy our wonderful Saigon
family in Nashville
.
SAIGON
KIDS REUNION
Thursday
July 29, 2004 through Sunday
August 1, 2004 , Nashville
, Tennessee
Hotel and Activity Information is
detailed at the end of this newsletter. This information also appears on our
web site http://www.saigonkids.com
WEDDINGS and ENGAGEMENTS
I have some newsletter news. I'm
getting married on Nov 8,2003
to John Humphrey, a great person. He lives in Napa -
but I'm going to work another year here in Santa
Rosa ,
then move to Napa
with him. Meanwhile, we'll be
remodeling his house. Loved FRANK and Sue STODDARD's visit this
summer. What great friends you all are to me.
JANIE DUTHIE Walsh
duthiejw (@) pacbell.net
Been a long time since I've shared
what I'm up to with our Saigon
Kids, so here goes. As you know, I've been living here in Atlanta since
the 1970s, after spending two years in the Army following graduation at the University
of Arizona
. Since arriving, I've been the
managing editor of a couple of daily newspapers, spent 13 years in corporate
communication roles at The Coca-Cola Company and then seven years as manager of
executive communication at The Home Depot. Last year I started my own company,
Calibrated Performance Solutions, which helps companies and organizations
improve their corporate communication activities. I'm happy to say that
beginning the week of November 10 my new interactive website will be live. So,
log on to www.calibratedcomm.com.
Any feedback would be very much appreciated.
On a personal note, my two daughters
are blossoming. Sheridan, 16, is driving and looking toward college. Madison,
14, is an expert bass musician and can't wait to jump into high school next
year. And, to wrap this up, after dating a wonderful woman for nearly two
years, I hope to be engaged by the time you read this! Best to all, and see you
at the reunion next summer. My brother RICHARD will be coming through Atlanta
just beforehand, so we'll all truck up
there together. If any Saigon Kids
pass through Atlanta
, please look me up!
DAVID HENRY
dwhwriter (@) aol.com
Tel. 770-977-2357 2391 Parkside Walk, Marietta
, GA
30062
MORE ALUMNI NEWS
Did your ears burn, ARLENE? LARRY
& Bonnie SMITH and DONNA of Nashville, Tenn. spent Sat. and Sunday
afternoon, August 3l, 2003 & Sept. l, 2003 with us while we were there on a
military reunion. All we talked about
was Saigon
, Vietnam
and all of you people that were there
and your activities. It was so nice getting together with them.
CHARLOTTE & NATE BUSH (The Bush
girls parents)
charbush3 (@) webtv.net
To the Saigon
Kids: At 84 years, I'm probably your oldest Kid, but I'm
still feisty. Happily retired (from the US
Navy and from Law) in Sacramento
, CA
. I fill my days with yard
maintenance, woodworking, golf and erasing spam on my computer. Warm regards to anyone who might remember me
as Chief Navy Section in 1973.
JOE DRACHNIK
JBDRAC (@) att.net
Check out my new site - http://members.cox.net/rural
It has a link to your site. Some
of the old group might find it interesting.
GEORGE MELVIN
gmelv (@) cox.net
JANIE SHEPPARD reports: that having
unretired, I am working with a law firm in Ukiah, Ca., specializing in Indian
law. I work 3 and a half days a week, more or less, and enjoy the flexibility
of working less and enjoying life more.
As part of that enjoyment, I am part
of a rather large contingent of people in Mendocino
County
trying to get a county ordinance enacted
that would ban the growing genetically modified (GMOs) crops in the County. So
far, we believe we have collected enough signatures to get our initiative on
the ballot in March. The good folks at Monsanto and the other big corporations
haven’t swooped down on us yet, but we expect them to. In preparation, we are
getting ourselves educated to present our side of the story. Fortunately, there
are some very good experts willing to help.
Just for fun, I wrote a little article
for our local alternative newspaper, The Bullhorn, on the original grantee of
the Mexican land grant in which Ukiah sits. I enjoyed doing all the research
into the Mexican land grants and the history surrounding them. Of course, the
grantee had to sell his grant to pay for the lawyers who preserved his other
grant in Napa
Valley
. Many of the grantees lost title
through the nefarious workings of both the Commission that was set up by
Congress to "clear titles," and our Supreme Court.
Now I am working on another article on
the Indians of Northern California
who almost lost everything through more nefarious workings
of the Congress and the Bureau of Indian Affairs. Two of the lawyers with whom
I work, as well as another lawyer in Ukiah, were instrumental in saving the
little reservations so I am telling the story through interviews with the
lawyers. (How convenient, huh.)
My partner, Bill Radtkey, and I
continue to bicycle around Northern California
, although having added a dog to our family, our bicycling
is somewhat curtailed. If two-lane freeways and slow internet connections
remain obstacles to population growth, the area will remain bicycle
friendly–except for the hills. Not the Rockies
, but steep nevertheless. We try to keep our legs strong
during the rainy season by taking early–5:54 am– spin classes at our local
health club.
And, we enjoy the wine. It’s fabulous.
mjshepp (@) pacbell.net
KAREN NOVICK Maru, eighth grade class
of 61, wishes everyone an interesting December. I'm making my month
amusing by doing Shamanic training hoping to find my power animals (which
appear to be lost). Another fun December activity will be seeing my sons, ages
22 and 23, who I annoy considerably but who I adore. I'll be paying for all
this by finishing up the fall semester at the University
of Connecticut
(where I teach Marketing to MBAs).
KarenMaru
(@) aol.com
Hello, Saigon
brats -- Best wishes for the holidays to all of you.
My (increasingly sweet) husband Patrick and I have lots of travel plans for
this year -- to Washington & Oregon to visit friends & our darling
granddaughter (see attachment) in November; to Hawaii in December -- at
the Hale Koa military Hotel --; to Spain in June; and to Colorado in the
summer for a Stann family reunion. I'm working my way toward retirement
slowly by taking my last four years as college professor at half time.
Even that is a real adjustment after being a major workaholic all my
life. (How dumb was that???)
Right now I'm trying to organize a mini reunion with LINDA PEI and JANIE
DUTHIE in San Francisco
for November. Hope to see lots
of you in Nashville
!
Lots of Gecko love, SUSIE STANN PS: I hope this time BOTH VENY
& DINI will make it to Nashville
. It's a very American city
and will give you "girls" a true picture of the genteel American South.
Please come!
StannSusan (@) fhda.edu
Excited to be building my house up in
the mountains, behind the Sleeping Giant Ridge in Kauai
. Three bedrooms so even more room for visits from all
my ' Saigon
Kids' and family.
My wish is for all to have a lovely
holiday season.
Mele Kalikimaka!
SARAH BUSH Rogers
kuipokauai (@) verizon.net
JIM COOPER (ACS 1962-1965) - I
just retired after 30 years in the Navy, the vast majority spent in the Pacific
flying P-3 Orion patrol planes. My final assignment was head of the Navy
ROTC program at the University
of Kansas
, the same unit from which I was
commissioned. I was fortunate enough to simultaneously start work at the KU
Medical Center (administration, not surgery!). My wife Sandy and I live
in Lawrence
. Our son Stewart is attending Johnson
County
Community College
, studying automotive technology, and
our daughter, Veronica, started at KU in the NROTC program this year. Thanks!
Jim C
jscooper (@) ku.edu
Had a wonderful time visiting VICKI G.
FRASER in Mendocino in May. She is almost halfway through her fabulous California
rug. It was really cool to tie a
few knots myself and to hear her stories of all the different symbols contained
in the rug. We had a picnic under towering redwoods, ate fine seafood,
saw the art center. While in California
, I also hung out in delicious hot springs
and got to experience my first
earthquake! Spent a week in June in Troncones, near Zihuatenejo
, Mexico
(north of Acapulco
on the pacific coast) - lazy days
in the pool, water coloring under the veranda, fried shrimp on the beach under
palapas. Just hung my latest photo show. Quite a warm and successful
reception. I am pleased. Hi to STEVE JOHNSON. Where are you now?
Will you email me please? BOBBIE, sweetie, how are you?
BROOKS TOLAND Kasson
brookskasson (@)
Earthlink.net
I just want to thank you for all your
efforts concerning the Saigonkids website. I don't know how long you have
been doing it, but I do know that it takes a real commitment to keep it
going. Since I have never read one of the newsletters before, I
think that I will just write that it's great to finally be in touch with
so many of the Saigon people again after all these years. I am now a
history professor at Wichita
State
University
in Wichita , KS ,
and when I lecture to my students about the Viet-Nam War,
I am able to provide some stories and information they would never read
about in any textbook! I have also been married to Jeff Berven for
33 years and have twin sons, Christopher and Jeremy, age 22 who will both
be graduating from their respective universities in May. I'm hoping to make it
to the reunion next summer (I promise that the deposit will soon be
in the mail) and wish everyone a joyous holiday season followed by
a 2004 that is filled with hope and friendship.
With warmest regards,
MARY LOU POUDRE' Berven
mlboj (@) earthlink.net
I started a new job with Durham Public
Schools, where I manage a U.S.
history grant. I continue to
teach part-time at NC Wesleyan
College
. LYNN and I will share Thanksgiving
at Topsail Island, NC, with SUSAN and family and Mom and Dad. We look
forward to some strolls on the beach and a traditional turkey feast in our
beach rental house.
CATHIE MCINTYRE
cmcintyre (@) ncwc.edu
Just a note to say hello and to say
that Tom and I summitted 7 peaks this summer getting ready for the big fourteen
thousand peak mountain in Colorado, Long's Peak. We successfully accomplished
it after 11 grueling hours round trip. It was definitely a once in a lifetime
experience. Now we are getting ready for ski season and hoping for some snow
since we are in a drought! Visited with mom and dad this summer in Indiana
and hope to meet SARAH and BARBARA in Portland
, Oregon
in January. Tried to make a connection with BROOKS TOLAND
Kasson this fall in Taos
, New Mexico
but didn't work out. Maybe next time
she travels through to Taos
. She did send me a photograph
of her work and it looked New Mexican to me. There is so much to
photograph in this part of the country. Hope all is well with you and enjoy the
winter. Love,
CANDY BUSH
cbushrn (@) yahoo.com
For those of you who are in the area
and are looking for some excitement next Thursday evening, I'm giving a talk on
my new work at The Shed Gallery at 7:00pm
. It would be great to see you there.
Sorry Richard for not getting this
info out earlier. (Talk was on 11/13 in Newport
Beach , CA
)
RICHARD TURNER
turner (@) chapman.edu
We'll spend the holidays with all of
our children and grandchildren in the Poconos in Pa.
We'll have our first
celebration with my parents, CATHIE and SUSAN and family in Chapel Hill , NC on
12/21/03 .
I'm still loving being an elementary school nurse and moved to a school in the
same district that is only 12 mins from home.
Bob and I are happy about Bobby's upcoming TX A&M
University
graduation in May. Our first
granddaughter is due the end of Feb. so we're looking forward to spending
spring break with Emily and her brothers Chris and Will. I am really
looking forward to seeing many of you the last weekend in July! I wish
all of you a blessed holiday season and a new year filled with health and
happiness.
LYNN
MCINTYRE Riley
LYNN.RILEY (@) cfisd.net
"Beannachtai agus sonas um
Nollaig agu Athbhliain faoi mhaise" "Christmas blessings and every
good wish for the New Year"
Hi, All: I'm busy with my writing,
editing and consulting work in Ireland, and make regular visits to London, where
I have an office. On Sundays, I minister to the congregation of the Princes
Street
Unitarian
Church
in Cork
City
, which dates from 1717. My wife,
Penny, is a published poet and writer on Celtic spirituality, and this year
made pilgrimages to a number of sacred sites in Ireland, England and Wales, as
well as taking part in a week-long event in October in Swansea, Wales, marking
the 50th anniversary of the death of Dylan Thomas. We would be
happy to welcome Saigon kids
and their families who may be visiting Ireland
during the coming year. STEPHEN
JOHNSON
Tara Farm Kenmare, County Kerry
Ireland smjohnson (@) eircom.net
011-353-86-192-9439
Dear Saigon Newsletter Genies: Just a
quick note to include notes on some new folks: In my first month with a new
real estate firm in Hilo on the Big Island of Hawaii, I sat adjacent to a
wonderful woman who kindly showed me the ropes as I settled in. IDA PRANGE and
I talked about our lives in between sales, clients, and computer
challenges, and after I thought I'd gotten to know her, an idle comment about
moving quite a bit started a whole new conversation. While a client and others
in the office rushed by, we realized that my mother and I had left Saigon just
a month before Ida and her family had arrived! We compared American Community
School notes, and exchanged memories, hers of an elementary school romance,
mine of people I knew and still wonder about, the feel and smell of the streets
of Saigon, my joy at my intended visit in Spring 2004. When we were at lunch a
couple of weeks later, her sister SARAH stopped by and broke into the school
song, singing it start to finish in a sweet, clear voice! The connections are
everywhere... and what a delight to find one right here in Hilo
. Welcome Ida and Sarah to the Saigon Kids,
and a warm aloha to all of you.
Deborah Oakley-Melvin (aka DEBBY
MELVIN, 4th grade ACS student who lived on Ngo Dinh Khoi and Le Pasteur in 1962
and 1963) And a note to those who have any advice for a Saigon visit, please
e-mail me at deboakleymelvin (@) aol.com
or deb (@) hawaiislandrealty.com
Hi everyone -Just want to send warm
wishes to all of my friends especially those from our Arizona reunion since
that's the only time I have seen everyone! And to all of my other friends from Saigon
days '61-'62, I hope to see everyone in Tennessee
. A special hello to SARAH and her
family and RUTH. Time is going by and I'm not keeping up with my well wishes to
all of the people I care about-forgive me. Ruth and I are spending a lot of
time going to Florida
to help with our parents. Mother is 91
today and Ruth is there giving her a birthday party. Dad is going on 92 and is
being the ever tough "Colonel" to deal with. Boy, are we lucky he
didn't find out about all of our parties in Saigon
! As I raise a 16 yr. old daughter now I wonder what
it would be like to be with her in Saigon
. What do you think girls??? I'm still busy working for the
National Wildlife Federation producing the merchandise catalogs. I'm really
thinking about cutting back real soon. My husband, Joe, is still with Unisys
and busier than ever. Our older daughter Shannon
is living at home but we see a wedding coming up in a
couple of years. Her boyfriend is a first year law student so I think it will
be awhile-but I have hope! The girls keep us busy with their activities in the
horses. Emily is in the Loudoun Hunt club and fox hunts on the weekends. They
are also training a new large, black thoroughbred named Major Attraction. He
will be the new show horse for both of them. Our other horse is 22 now and
semi-retired after many years of taking them to Championships in Hunter shows.
So we will have a busy season ahead. My stepson Mike has come through a
miserable year of tongue cancer treatments. We are happy to say he is doing
very well. The power of prayer!! Hope everyone is well and Happy Thanksgiving.
Love,
MARY ANN (MATTESON) Smith
smithma (@) nwf.org
I'm so excited to visit Nashville
with an adventuresome group! Finally,
a chance to wear my red cowboy boots! It has been so difficult to live without
Terry's wit and insight. This reunion timing is great because I'm so
ready to lock arms with the Saigon
Kids and laugh, listen and learn! I visited SARAH
BUSH Rogers
in Kauai
; easy to see why she loves it there as it has an exotic
foreign flavor. After a year of isolation, I'm afraid I acted like an
unleashed puppy but Sarah's soft graciousness was a good counter-balance.
Some call me a lady of leisure now; a better description would be 'slug'.
Glad I still have a few months to drum up some good stories to share with you
in Nashville
. Thank you all for the support
you've given me; your kindness really made a difference. Love from your Oregon
representative,
JERILYNN COLEMAN
jerilynn (@) solidnet.com
Not a lot to report out
here in So. Cal
. The fires have died
down and soon we'll have the mudslides, followed by riots in the spring. But
that's the price you pay to live in "God's Country." Happy Holidays
everyone! See you in Nashville
, where I have
dibs on playing 1st base.
Just in case anyone
was interested here's the weather report for SAIGON
that I just got off the SaigonKids. Com
web site..... An enduring memory of TERRY COLEMAN.
Updated: 12:00 PM ICT
on November 08, 2003
Observed at Ho Chi Minh , Viet Nam
.....er, make that SAIGON if you don't mind. Temperature 90 °F / 32
°C HeatIndex 103 °F / 40
°C Humidity 66% Dew Point 77 °F / 25 °C Wind North at 4 mph / 6.4 km/h Wind Gust - Pressure 29.80 in / 1009 hPa
(Steady) Conditions Scattered
Clouds Visibility - Clouds
(Above Ground Level) Scattered Clouds (SCT) : 1700 ft / 520 m
RICK
SCHUTT
Rfschutt (@) aol.com
SAD NEWS
MARTHA SUZANNE SHAFFER passed away
October 2 in Tucson, Arizona, after being diagnosed with a brain tumor
just one month before.
She had been a senior manager of the University
of Arizona Bookstore
where she worked for twenty years.
Martha was born in the Congo
in 1956 and lived in Saigon from
1960-65. She graduated from the International
School
of Manila
in 1974 and received her Bachelor of
Music Composition from Indiana
University
. She is survived by her parents, Harrison
and Jackie Shaffer or Arvada
, Colorado
, and her brothers, HARRISON of Tucson and
PAUL of Albuquerque
."
HARRISON SHAFFER has been named
Managing Editor of the University of Arizona Press in Tucson, a publisher of
scholarly and general interest books with a focus on the Southwest and the
Mexican border region.
Harrison Shaffer Box 65539
Tucson AZ 85728-5539
520-321-3323 greatowl (@) mindspring.com
AND FROM FRANK
This past June, SUE and I had a very
pleasant trip through California
. We stopped first at JANIE
DUTHIE’s house, which is located in the middle of beautiful wine country, U.S.A.
Sorry guys, but if you visit
Janie’s house now I must warn you that I drank all of her $60.00 wine. We
next ventured down the road to MIKE and Annimieke COOPER’s fabulous “tree house”. They took us on a tour of
the very impressive Stanford
University
campus. By the way, Mike is
quite the gourmet cook. We all met SUSIE (STANN) and her husband Pat
Burke at a fantastic Vietnamese restaurant in Palo Alto
. We concluded the evening in Sunnyvale
by having dessert and a great visit at
the Burke’s very “Feng Shui” home. Sue
and I next drove down to Southern California
for a weeks stay near San
Diego (rough
life!). We were able to meet up with RICK and Cyndi SCHUTT for a
Vietnamese meal in “Little Saigon
”. We could have used Susie Stann’s talent for
ordering food however, for my pick of “shrimp spam on a stick” was not the best
of decisions. Sorry we missed seeing BARBARA BUSH in the Seattle
area (By the way Barb, did you and
William enjoy your stay in Sue’s and my old territory… Gallatin
Valley
?) Also we were sorry that we
were not able to see RICHARD TURNER. We missed your email, not getting it until
we were back home. Last month RUTHIE (MATTESON) Blackmore flew in to Tucson
for a conference. Sue and I were
able to link up with her and we met RICHARD and Sharon HENRY for a very
pleasant Mexican dinner. We topped off the evening with a visit at the
Henry’s fabulous home in the foothills of Tucson
.
When in California
, Rick gave me several 33 1/3 albums
(my son calls them “Vinyls ”), which brought my collection to over 700. Yes, we
play them all the time. In fact yesterday my mind drifted back to
“yesterdays” upon looking at one of my older records with the “purple colored
circle stamp” on the back states “US Navy Exchange, 8-0 $2.25”.
Yes, I bought that one in Saigon ,
which brings me to the “2004 REUNION
STUFF”. Please send music requests. If you
would like to dedicate a particular song to someone, please let me know.
If you wish to explain why a song is important, that would be fun. If you
want a song, but wish to remain anonymous (sensitive people), that will be
honored. Please send me what you want….any song, any era, for any person,
for any age …we’ll try to meet your request. By the way I really would
like to see some of you “young” folks at the reunion (1962-1965). I see
emails, I hear about your stories, I look at your pictures in the Gecko, but I
would really like to meet you in person.
Let’s have the best and biggest reunion ever!
FRANK STODDARD
stoddard (@) theriver.com
SAIGON
KIDS REUNION
INFORMATION
DATE: Thursday,
July 29, 2004 through Sunday,
August 1, 2004
LOCATION: Gaylord Opryland Resort and
Convention Center, Nashville
, Tennessee
RESORT, ROOMS & RESERVATIONS
Gaylord
Opryland - http://www.gaylordhotels.com/gaylordopryland
SAIGON
KIDS
have contracted a block of rooms for the Reunion
.
You can choose a Traditional Style Room or a Premium Room (private balcony).
Room rate is good 3 days prior and 3 days after our event on a space available
basis.
Room Rate: Traditional - $145.
plus tax ; Premium - $170. plus tax
Please phone 615-883-2211 for
reservations. Our group code is X-VNHS.
The Hotel has been fully booked
the past two years in July so please reserve your room as soon as you can.
ACTIVITIES
We reserved a PARTY/GATHERING
ROOM. The room will be open 24 hours a day.
THURSDAY 5pm
-
we will meet at the DELTA LOUNGE for DRINKS (cash bar & snacks). The Lounge
is on the property and overlooks the Delta
River
. It features live music.
FRIDAY 10am will be the
"OLD TEENAGERS" SOFTBALL GAME. Everyone is invited to play.
Shuttle service to and from the
park will be provided.
After the game, enjoy a Nashville
style BARBEQUE LUNCH at the park.
FRIDAY evening enjoy The
PADDLE-WHEEL RIVER CRUISE on the GENERAL JACKSON SHOWBOAT down the Cumberland River .
Included is a gourmet Dinner and an amazing Musical Show. Shuttle Service is
provided to and from boat.
SATURDAY play some golf. Relax at the pool. Hang out at the Party
Room. Popular Sightseeing Attractions include the Country Music Hall of Fame
and Museum, Ryman Auditorium, Frist
Center
for the Visual Arts, Belle Meade Plantation
, and The Hermitage. The hotel also has a number of interesting bus
tours including homes of country legends combined with other attractions.
Please call for information at 615-883-2211. Tee times for groups can be
arranged by calling 615-871-6885.
SATURDAY 7pm
is
the DINNER DANCE with a DJ at the hotel. There will be Door Prizes, Music by
Request, a wonderful Southern Style Dinner, Dancing, and a Cash Bar.
SUNDAY meet at Rachel's (on
site) at 10AM for a
BREAKFAST BUFFET.
ACTIVITY FEE
The Fee will again be $180. per
person. This fee includes all hosted events listed above, the Party Room, and
Shuttle Service to events.
A $25 DEPOSIT is due NOW. The deposit helps us
with our commitment for planned activities.
Final payment for the activity
fee is due MAY 1, 2004
We will be posting "WHO'S
COMING" in early March on the Website as activity deposits or full fees
are received.
Please send an Activity Fee
Deposit check made out to either me
Arlene Zucker Claiborne or C Frank Stoddard.
Arlene Zucker Claiborne
25 Southgate Ave
Annapolis
, MD
21401
alzc (@) aol.com
443-223-4951
C Frank
Stoddard
8166 High Road
Hereford
, AZ
85615
stoddard (@)
theriver.com
520-378-1977
Please contact Larry Smith if
you have any questions about Nashville
driving conditions, their airport or other Nashville
stuff.
Larry Smith
2540 Devon Valley Drive
Nashville
, TN
37221