On April 19 Brother Michel Hong and I unexpectedly welcomed a special friend, former Boy Scout of the Division Lam Vien, Dalat, who was now Company Commander in charge of security and defense in Xuan Loc. He recalled, "Right after the Division of bo doi capitulated after having received two CBU bombs, the Parachute Brigade of South Vietnam won and controlled all the area of Xuan Loc, and relayed to Company Brigadier Cuong to clean up the battlefield. While Cuong gathered all officers of the Company Brigade to initiate the Plan, he received an order by telecommunication to "immediately leave for Ba Ria and abandon every operation plan in Xuan Loc." Greatly surprised, Cuong, who realized that on the battlefield every order is top secret, couldn’t shout too loudly: "What?" And with that, the top secret order become more or less unveiled. Thus, the consequence of such a semi-revelation created chaos among the officers themselves. Some hastened to leave the meeting room. Others followed. Cuong couldn’t stop it. Instead of overcoming the situation with "military discipline," Cuong was resigned to the circumstances of "family customs." He needed to move all soldiers’ families to Ba Ria. Arriving in Ba Ria, Cuong lost contact with the Head Quarter; there was no response by any means. In this situation, the Company Brigade, like "the snake without head," didn’t know what to do and how to act. "Should I use military discipline? No way! Nobody listened to me." Sauve qui peut is the only thing he could go. He was still single. It was much easier for him to escape to Saigon, but he remembered that at Thu Duc there were two of his close friends. He stopped by LaSalle Mossard to meet Brothers Michel and Valery."
***
On April 21, 1975,
President Nguyen Van Thieu made a very important and historic speech related to the following topics:- the progress of the war in Vietnam, which was considered as
the front-line between two ideologies: Capitalism and Communism;
- the progress and the trick of the Vietnamized War by the U.S. Administration;
- the increasing pressure to sign the Treaty of Paris. This was a way by which
the U.S. Army "can give up the war and leave Vietnam in honor," thus to abandon
their friends who had been side by side, fighting as a combat outpost for
freedom and democracy;
- to be a friend of the U.S. Government was very difficult, but to be its enemy,
nothing was easier.
"Now it’s time for me to resign as President of the Republic of Vietnam and to transfer leadership to Mr. Vice President Tran Van Huong, so that at no time, is our country without a President."
After President Nguyen Van Thieu had finished his speech, three of us were engulfed as in a dream or rather a nightmare. I recalled a passage from The Ambassador, 1965, by Morris West. [
Morris (Langlo) West (1916-1999) - wrote also under the pseudonyms Michael East and Julian Morris. The Australian writer West’s books have been called "religious thrillers" - they combined religion and political intrigue with an international setting and topical subjects. The author was, for a number of years, a member of The Christian Brothers before starting his career as a writer. Morris West was born in Melbourne as the oldest of six children. He studied at St. Mary’s College, St. Kilda, Victoria, and at the University of Melbourne, receiving his B.A. in 1937. West’s aim was to become a Christian Brother, and for several years he was a member of this Order. From 1933 he taught in New South Wales and Tasmania, but left the Order before taking his final vows.]... On the night of October 31, 1963, Cabot Lodge, US.
Ambassador to Vietnam, felt it difficult to sleep. He called by his private and
direct line to President Ngo Dinh Diem: "It’s too late, now, but may I come to
Independence Palace to meet with you, just for a cup of tea?" It’s late, indeed,
but President Diem is still working. He replied: "Of course! please come!" Less
than 5 minutes later, Cabot Lodge was at the front door of President Diem’s
private residence. Face to face, they drank tea, speaking about anything under
the sky and on earth, but never mentioning politics. President Diem smoked a
lot. One says that his hands were never empty, holding a cigarette after
cigarette. Both men really enjoyed time relaxing together. Midnight passed.
Cabot Lodge left and President Diem accompanied him to the front door.
On the last step down at the front door, Cabot Lodge looked
at President Diem straight in his eyes for a few seconds and then said, "Mr.
President, I’ve a little story to tell you." Without waiting for President
Diem’s reaction, he continued, "I’ve nurtured a turtle-dove for three years.
I’ve carefully looked after it, and fed it carefully. I’ve been waiting for its
first coo-coo, but I am disappointed. I’m thinking of three ways to deal with
this problem:
1. just continue feeding it, take more care for it, and wait
until it can coo-coo;
2. in person teach it how to coo-coo, or hire some expert to
teach it how to coo-coo;
3. talk to it: "I’ve nurtured you, taking care of you. Nobody
can do it better, but you don’t know how or don’t want to coo-coo. Thus, I chuck
you away.
Mr. President, if you were this turtle-dove’s master, what
would you do?"
President Diem smiled, raised his right hand and shook Cabot
Lodge’s hand. Cabot Lodge went out, and it was night.
There was a Coup d’Etat at noon of the same day. President
Diem and his younger brother Nhu were killed on the morning of the next day.
***
On that night, Cuong left for Ba Ria. "I have to be with my ‘comrades.’ I must live Military Brotherhood!"
The next morning, Brothers Econome, Michel, and I brought supply food and rice to Vung Tau for the Juniors. I met some Brothers there. They had been all ready to go. Some Brothers even invited me and Michel to join them.
Brother Hubert wanted to stay in Vung Tau to help Brother Colomban Dao, Director, in taking care of the Juniors.
***
Newly "assigned" President Tran Van Huong tried to reorganize the Cabinets and Chambers so that "if possible, the South government could deal with the actual situation which seemed hopeless." There had been rumors from the French Embassy that South Vietnam would be divided into two: the 13th to the 17th parallels would belong to the Front of the Liberation of South Vietnam, and the second part would belong to the Republic of South Vietnam. The French would replace the United States as a "new ally" and that there would be a "Neutral Nation." The Opposition Party within the Republic of South Vietnam - which had been considered as the "Third Party" - appeared more and more active, even more aggressive on behalf of the so-called Front of the Liberation which was in reality a puppet of the North.
Brother Felicien, former Auxiliary Visitor and a French citizen nobody knows how or when, used to say "Ce n’est pas dans le plan! - it’s not in the plan! - every time he heard on the BBC radio announcing that such and such a city within the "second part" was lost under the communist armies. For him, the "political solution of the 13th parallel" was the unique way to end the escalating war!
***
On April 23, 1975
, Brother Paul Trung passed away after more than six months of suffering eye cancer. His casket was in state at the parlor of LaSalle Taberd School. It was sad to see a Brother whose whole life had been committed to educating young people, living with and for them all day long, now lying dead. None of these kids, little kids who normally run and played around him laughing, were now crying... Indeed, Taberd School had been closed the day after the bombing at Independence Palace by a rebel pilot.There was a moment I stood alone nearby the casket looking at Brother Paul, and memories of years when I had been his student came to my mind. I had moved after my 7th grade from the Junioriate in Hue to the Petit-Novitiate at Mont La Salle in Nha Trang in 1960. Brother Paul had accomplished his three years of Scholasticate in Dalat and was assigned to Mont La Salle as teacher. He was in charge of my class of Quatrième of French Program (equivalent to the 8th grade). French had been my "native" language. English was the second language and Vietnamese the third! Brother Paul was my teacher of French and English languages.
. As for French language, people from the Center of Vietnam have trouble in pronouncing J, CH in French. So did I. Brother Paul had spent much free time teaching me how to pronounce Je, Joie, Joyeux, Jouer (I, Joy, Joyful, Play), etc... and CHeval, saCHant, CHasser (Horse, Knowing, Hunt), etc... Many times I could not correctly pronounce these words. When I noticed that Brother had shown sadness, slightly shaking his head, I felt tears rolling down my cheeks. Seeing my uncomfortable attitude, Brother Paul used to comfort me again, smilingly encouraging me to repeat and repeat the pronunciation after him. After more than 2 years practicing with him, I could at last correctly pronounce these "weird" words!
. The English language had been weirder: How to pronounce? Moreover, where to put the accent? We just learned a few American vocabularies and short sentences, like "Hello! Yes! Good Morning! Thank You! My name is..., I’m fine thank you, and you?"... One time, Brother Paul invited the Director of the American-Vietnamese Association, who is "100% White American," to visit Mont La Salle, and eventually coming to our class. To the very first greetings, we could easily answer, but to the following question, we were satisfied answering: "Yes! Yes!..." no need to understand! Looking at the board where the names of the States of America had been written, the Director pointed to me, and then asked me to read. I was really embarrassed. Brother Paul was smiling to me and kind of encouraging "go ahead!" I had tried to read, so far so good, but at the word MASSACHUSSETS, I was confused, thinking, "It’s a too long word! how do I read it? where do I put the accent?" I looked at Brother Paul who, in reply, smiled and sort of opened his lips to help me remember how to pronounce the word. But, how could I recognize his voice? I made an effort reading it: "Ma-cha-chụ-chệt." Everyone laughed. The Director looked at me, weirdly surprised!...
"Thank you! Thank you my dear Brother and Teacher!" I said to him lying in the casket. "I owe you so much! You are always my beloved Brother and Teacher! May you rest in peace! RIP."
And his colleagues? - A few people stopped by Taberd. His confreres? - Since all LaSalle schools in the region of Saigon had been closed, some of his confreres moved to Vung Tau, or to Phu Quoc. Others returned home to be with their families. However, one of those who had moved to Vung Tau, Brother Antoine, in spite of risking the traffic back to Vung Tau, thus missing "fleeing overseas at an appropriate time," was successfully back to honor for the last time his beloved Teacher and Confrere. After the funeral mass, he couldn’t get back to Vung Tau. He resigned himself to be with his other confreres staying and living - willy-nilly, under a regime he had attempted to escape. Nevertheless, he attempted one more time to escape - this time with his family and friends at the beginning of 1983. He and all of his relatives and friends were not lucky either. All of them were arrested and put in jail for more than 6 months. He recently passed away at the LaSalle Duc Minh Community, in 2006, after having suffered from lung cancer.
***
On April 25, 1975. Driving to Vung Tau became more and more difficult. The traffic was overwhelmed by tanks and military cars which appeared from nowhere and by numerous people who left their homes in Binh Duong and Bien Hoa to search for refuge in Vung Tau, or even to go straight to Saigon. In such a situation, Brother Michel and I decided to bring the Juniors back to Saigon. It took more than four hours to drive about 50 miles from Thu Duc to Vung Tau.
The feeling of both anxiety and enthusiasm seemed to be present:
. Anxiety because the decision "to go" was made for the Brothers who wished "to go" by contributing money (100,000 VNCH dong) that the District gave to each Brother previously. This amount of money was to buy an appropriate boat for this purpose.
. Enthusiasm because the Brothers who had wished "to go" might feel "the hour has come to be freed."
The Juniors listened to this news and became more anxious themselves. They didn’t have any information about their families, but if they wished, could they go, too? The staff of the Junioriate Community had a short meeting, and they agreed to bring the Juniors back to LaSalle Mossard Thu Duc, or eventually to Saigon at LaSalle Duc Minh. I drove them all to LaSalle Duc Minh. Some Juniors asked me, "Why don’t we go?" I smiled and then replied, "Do you want to join your family on the high seas? Nobody knows where they are now. Perhaps they really are on the high seas, but maybe they are still waiting for you... Don’t worry. We Brothers will be with you, and we’ll take care of you until good news arrives from your families."
Brother Colomban, Director, and Brother Hubert, Econome, stayed with them at LaSalle Duc Minh. Brother Michel Hong and I returned to LaSalle Mossard Thu Duc.