After April 30, 1975, because no Brother nor former teachers showed up at school, La Salle Van Coi was automatically "offered" to the new government.

Nobody knew the reason why Brother Samuel Thònh missed the overseas boat on April 29, 1975. But Brother Lucien, Visitor, suggested that he stay there to care for the property, especially to show the ownership of this private property.

When South Vietnam had been "liberated," many private properties, especially those of "rebellious people who had fled overseas following the heels of capitalist American feet" were confiscated. The La Salle Van Thien was located in a wonderful location at the seashore in Vung Tau. For nearly two years before the event of ‘75, Brother Bruno, then Visitor, had the idea to remodel the building in order to transform it into a center for gatherings or meetings on the international level. The remodeling should had been completed, but then the ‘75 event occurred. However, the building was used as a temporary refuge for the Brothers, the La Salle Sisters and Brother Phong’s family for over two weeks.

Brother Samuel Thinh, then in his sixties, had to battle many challenging events from the new government:

. Sometimes his safety was threatened because he lived alone on a large property;

. Sometimes he was menaced; some other times he was provoked by the officials to trade this large property for another that would fit the family-register of one member;

. Another time, he was requested that he transfer his family-register to Ho Chi Minh City to join his confreres at La Salle Mai Thon Retreat House.

In the end after consultation with Brother Visitor, Brother Samuel was forced to sign the legal documents to transfer the La Salle Van Thien property in exchange for the integration onto La Salle Mai Thon Retreat House. He died on the night of May 25, 1989, in company with 4 of his confreres, Brothers Ameùdeùe Minh, Meùdard Thien, Chrysologue Le, and Leùonard Luu, during the horrific event that happened when the building dramatically sunk deep at the bottom of the river.

La Salle Nghia Thuc in Chanh Hung , totally free of tuitions, was founded when Brother Superior General Nicet Joseph cut the inauguration ribbon in the presence of several personalities civic and of the church as well on June 12, 1962. Brothers Andreù Tuyeân and Alphonse were volunterring to administer this school.

Brother Andreù Tuyen had attended several pedagogical and psychological sessions on "Street Boys" in Paris. Brother Alphonse Dien, also, had studied in Paris for many years on these matters. Both of them were experts in dealing with these kinds of disadvantaged young person. The participation of young Brothers who were in the Scholasticate at Mai Thon, and had done very well in teaching and administering the La Salle Nghóa Thuïc School. (In Vietnamese Nghia Thuc means totally free of tuitions). Later, since nineteen nineties, people called this "Lop Tinh Thuong or Class of Love".

A few days after April 30, Brother Alphonse returned home in Lai Thieu, his native village, in accordance with the new kind of Diaspora Community. By the end of ‘75, Brother Alphonse disappeared. Several months had passed without any news from him; even his family did not know where he had gone. One day a sick priest had been released from prison, He brought a pair of bottes de saut (military shoes), claiming that they belonged to Brother Alphonse, who had died in prison, after being affected by dysentery, three months earlier.

Brother Andreù continued to welcome these "street boys," but not without difficulty with the local officials. But, the problem was "how to survive, without any help and assistance from anyone" The District had tried to do its best to support this school up to the end of the Complementary Summer Session. The District "transferred" to - not offered to - the local authorities this school for the educational purposes on October 31, 1975. Even though leaving the Congregation, Mr. Andreù did not give up his ideal of serving poor people. He continued to teach at this school as an ordinary lay teacher.

La Salle Hien Vuong and La Salle Nghia Thuc Nguyen Thong were in reality one school within the same property. La Salle Hien Vuong was a high school, and La Salle Nguyen Thong was an elementary school for poor people. La Salle Hien Vuong had been founded in 1956.

There were three communities within the property of La Salle Hien Vuong: The Community of La Salle Hien Vuong School, the Community of the Gratuitous Boarding School for the Blind, and the Community of La Salle Nguyen Thong School. There was a printing factory and a small house which had been leased to the famous composer Hai Linh. The benefit from the printing factory and the leasing were the only financial resources for the boarders who were blind.

Brother Girard Nhon, who had studied psychology and "Braille language" for blind people in the United States, was an expert in administering the program for the blind. In addition, he was very talented in music and various musical instruments, e.g. the flute, mandolin, organ, etc. therefore, he was successful in teaching and in activities for the blind. After the event of ‘75, Brother Girard had led all blind students and their families to Cau Xang where they cultivated pineapples and other fruit trees for their daily living; thus, they could become self-sufficient. Finally one day - nobody knew by what boat - Brother Girard made it to Australia. He was welcomed by the Brothers in Sydney. He then joined the Vietnamese Brothers at Noumea in New Caledonia.

Because the new government had taken over both the La Salle Hien Vuong and La Salle Nguyen Thong Schools, the remaining two communities were combined into one, and the Brothers had to move to an area called "convent area," reserved for them on the side of the Nguyen Thong Street. Three years later, the Superiors were more or less forced to "re-arrange the personnel" in the District, especially at the Nguyen Thong Community. The Brothers at this community had to be dispersed. A Brother joined the Mai Thon Retreat House. Another joined the Provincialate Community, and two others joined the Taberd Community. From then on, there were no more "black robes and white Rabat" living or working at La Salle Hien Vuong property.

***

La Salle Mai Thon School, Elementary School, was founded in 1973.

The District had relied on the La Salle Sisters to administer this school. The main goal of La Salle Sisters’ founder, Brother Bernard, then Visitor, was to "collaborate with the Christian Brothers, especially in administering the elementary schools while the Brothers would be more available for the Junior and High Schools." When some Old Brothers and Scholastic Brothers had moved to Vung Tau "to avoid bombs or rockets," Brother Bernard brought some La Salle Sisters to Vung Tau, too. These Sisters then successfully fled overseas, were welcomed in the San Francisco District, and then resettled in Fresno.

In these turbulent moments, none of the Sisters who stayed home in Vietnam had thought of returning to the school; therefore, it was "offered," without any condition, to the new government. Legal documents, signed on September 7, 1975, confirmed such an "offering." It could be noted that the garage at this school had been so mediocre that nobody wanted it. Brother Ephrem, Econome and Manager of the Mai Thon Retreat House for over two years, left the Congregation [for personal reasons], and requested to use this miserable garage for his family.

***

A week after April 30, 1975, La Salle Taberd was chosen as a center for the high ranking Officers of former Saigon in order to undergo the "brain washing" which had been called now "re-education." The Military Administration Committee of Ho Chi Minh City (former Saigon) transferred the use of La Salle Taberd School to the Education Service. In combination with other Services, the Education Service forced the Brothers to concede any academic facilities, i.e. classrooms, laboratories, hall rooms, etc. to the new administrator and staff. Henceforth, the Brothers were gathered at the top floor of the building along Hai Ba Trung Street, where as they used to live as a Taberd Community. Brother Visitor could only keep the old office of Brother Econome for the Provincialate Community. The rooms of former chaplains and rooms for storage purposes, along the Nguyen Du street, i.e. annexed to the front gate of Taberd School, the new administrator "borrowed" them for his family and staff. Later, these rooms were leased and even sold, without any consent of Brother Visitor.

***

La Salle Taberd School had two other properties. One was for the staff and faculty. After the event of April 30, the District agreed to grant the families who had been living in these houses the necessary documents of ownership.

The other was the La Salle Thanh My, founded in 1973, exclusively for poor students and for social works, in memory of the 100th Anniversary of La Salle Taberd School.

After ‘75, although the school had been "transferred" to the new education administrator on October 16, 1975, there was an area composed of 2 bedrooms within the school building and large land for agriculture, called "convent area." Brother Alain, Director of the "convent area," had occupied these 2 bedrooms and continued to manage this area until 1990. He lived at the La Salle Retreat House Mai Thon for more than 10 years and passed away in Mai Thon on May 16, 2001.

Some Brothers and their families shared the remaining land which was divided into several lots.

***

On the beginning of November 1975, Brother Michel and I were asked to show, in detail on a map, the whole property of La Salle Mossard in Thu Duc, i.e. to be clear and give concrete annotations about "which lot belongs to the school and its activities," "which part belongs to the convent," and "which lot belongs to the Junioriate."

A few days before the new school year 75-76 was to begin, Ms. Huyen, a teacher from "zone A" (from the North), had been sent to La Salle Mossard School with the mission of "being familiar with the administration system for the schools in the South." Her body was like an Indian taro, "typical woman bo doi," as people from the South compared the shape body of ladies from Ha Noi, in general from the North. She asked, "How is it that the high schools in the South are so large and well organized?" The manner in which the school was administered, the way the teachers treated each other, and the behavior of the students in the South really amazed her. She seemed ashamed, and more or less had an inferiority complex. She confided to some Brothers, "I’m really amazed seeing what you, the teachers in the South, have done. It’s totally in contrast with what I have heard and seen when I was in the North, running a high school in Hanoi."

After signing the documents of "the transition of the school to the new government," the name of La Salle Mossard School was changed into "Junior&High School of Thu Duc".

During the first week of January 1976, the Education Service ordered that "the school located in the former La Salle Mossard School be reserved for the party members who had spent time in fighting the capitalist USA, and its puppet government of the South, and who, therefore, didn’t have the opportunity to get any necessary diploma for junior or high school. This school will be named Complementary Academic&Agricultural School."

The Junior&High School of Thu Duc had to be transferred to Duc Minh School in Tu Duc Village, on Nguyen Du Street. Mr. La The Dung, "sub-PhD. in Math," from the North, had been assigned by the party as principal, and Ms. Huyen was vice-principal of the school.

The administration of the Junior&High School of Thu Duc appointed me to announce to the students of the whole school and the staff such an order of the Education Service. I did it on Friday January 9, 1976, just with a very short sentence, "On Monday, January 12, 1976, do not come back to La Salle Mossard School because there is no more La Salle Mossard!"

I had foreseen the reaction of students, not only because of the heartbroken tone in the way I had spoken to them, but also because of their sympathy for the La Salle Mossard School and, moreover, because of the disgust for the new government that their parents and relatives and friends might have inbred on them. Indeed, that evening, many of the 9th to 12th grade students solicited a favor to "be at La Salle Mossard School for one last over-night," chatting, and singing the song that one of the 12th graders had composed, immediately inspired from "There is no more La Salle Mossard." The song reflected nostalgia and hope for a more peaceful and happy day in returning to LA SAN.

On the next morning, Brother Michel and I, with some students and employees at the "former" La Salle Mossard School, had to clean up the classrooms, especially to hide the photos of Uncle Ho which had been scratched or filled with dirty things.

There is no more LASAN School in Thu Duc.