LA Times Articles-196th Light Infantry Nhi Ha (Neil)


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June 19 Just In Time! (Katie)

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With just a single day remaining before our plane takes off from Vietnam, we are thrilled to share that the additional donation we received last week has lit up the faces of Mr. Vac and his family today! As previously mentioned at the end of a June 14th post , an urge came upon one of our avid blog followers to make a contribution to help the mentally handicapped family. This donation, when combined with what meager amount remained in the 2018 Humanitarian Trip Fund, allowed us to carry out goals that we thought couldn't even be considered until the next trip. If you recall, we discovered an astonishing need in this family's life. They're one of the poorest families in the Huong Van Commune, and we found that even the most basic of needs were not met. For a recap, feel free to refer back to these two previous posts: June 7 To the Village! June 11 Mr. Vac These three photos show the needs that we focused on that were deemed top priorities... Their o...
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June 21 Our Final Hours (Katie)

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We avoided our hotel like the plague during our final 24 hours in Vietnam. It was our last chance to soak up as much Vietnamese culture as we could before heading back to Alaska, and we'd be darned if  we were going to spend that time cooped up in our room. The evening before take-off, we took about an hour walk through the streets of Saigon (admittedly, the length was due in part to a couple wrong turns I may have made) and found ourselves back at the Backpacker's District where we enjoyed a couple Saigon beers and I splurged on an $8 60-minute massage. Later, we had dinner at the Ben Thanh Street Food Market, where there was live local music and dozens of individual little food stands with oodles of ready-to-order food options... the choices were almost overwhelming. My Dad and Kira at the Ben Thanh Street Food Market The next morning, as we didn't have to leave for the airport until 3:00pm, we ventured out once more, first meandering through the maze of the B...
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June 22 Lucky Girls (Katie)

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Kira and I are so fortunate to have had the opportunity to join my father for this year’s visit of compassion in Vietnam. It was an eye-opening, educational, and rewarding experience for both of us. Though there are other things I am proud of him for, his humanitarian work in Vietnam is one for which I am most proud. I’m not able to comprehend fully to what extent, but I know that there is always a degree of difficulty in returning to Vietnam after his haunting 1968 experience. It takes a uniquely strong soul to prevail over those memories and emotions and keep returning to create happiness and healing in the sites that held such horror. Last night at our lodging in Anchorage, I walked into the dining room to find Kira telling a child and her mother about the people that her Grandpa helps. She spoke with such obvious pride that I had to smile. She had answers to whatever questions they threw at her as well. This has been a month that she will always remember. I’m gr...
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