On April 15

On April 15, 1975, the Junioriate at La Salle Mosard Thu Duc was officially closed.

Some Juniors had accompanied their families in fleeing overseas a few days before or on the events of April 30. Some others accompanied their families in fleeing overseas weeks or months or even years afterwards. Many of them tried to get in contact with each other, especially those whose families had been resettled in Orange County of California. In this way, they formed a small group - fewer than twenty of them. They wished and tried, as often as every week-end, to get together for a drink, and eventually for two or three camping trips or for just a picnic day. It seemed to be a good idea relaxing and getting along to comfort or to help each other’s psychology and mind on the very first days or months far way from their homeland and families. Indeed, by having opportunity to share and to consolidate the spirit which each one had received at his high school years at La Salle Schools in Vietnam a few months or years earlier, everyone felt consoled and more attached one to another, especially to the spirit that they all were proudly calling LASAN SPIRIT.

Such a group got gradually more members - former Juniors at La Salle Thu Duc or their classmates, and their former Teachers and Brothers, too - not just within the Santa Ana City or Orange County, but from any other cities or States, even from other countries in Europe and Australia. When I had come to Palawan Refugee Center, they sent me news of their activities. We have kept contact since then. A team of four or five members among them, all from the city of Santa Ana, had published a newsletter - monthly first, then quarterly - which was so cordially appreciated that the publisher team decided to publish twice or year a little booklet. The cover of such a bulletin was designed by Mr. Peter Nguyen from New Jersey. Everyone was invited to write articles or share any topic, usually memories and fun stories recalling the years at the La Salle Schools in Vietnam before 1975.

One can say that the LASAN SPIRIT Group had been like a catalyst, or kind of precursor, for promoting further rallies (Cf. page 176,) and creating different local Associations of La Salle Alumni or local La Salle Families or Groups.

Following rallies or gatherings from different local cities or States, there were more former students at the La Salle Schools in Vietnam, like Taberd Saigon or Ba Ninh Nha Trang or Duc Minh Tan Dinh, etc. who were in contact with each other and gradually formed small groups from the same classes at the same school.
There also were some La Salle Vietnam former students who, although from different La Salle Schools but working at the same factory or company or on the same kind of work, e.g. electronic, computer programming... came to know each other’s “La Salle Identity.” They agreed to enlarge the club circle to form a group, called LaSan-Net Group. The pioneers to start up the email-group were Nguyen Hoang Truc, former Taberd student, and Phan Anh, Donald Dong, Hai Tri, Henry Cao, etc. who positively and enthusiastically seconded Truc’s work. I must hereby thank Mr. Tin Le, administrator of the web saigon.com, who, although not a La Salle student, welcomed the group and offered to provide it with room at his web-server for email purpose. He also kindly offered any facility for the first website vietedu which became the future web lasan.org.

From 1995, Lasan-Net group annually supported the LASAN education mission at Xoùm Hueá elementary school in Taân Cang. Shown on the left is a copy of a thank-you letter to the “Lasan-netters” of the Xoùm Hueá School representative. Beginning 1999-2000 school year, the local government “thanked” (i.e. took over the administration at the school) and expelled Brother Dositheùe Nghò who earlier had been principal and zealous administrator for more than ten years. Moreover, the Lasan-Net group continued annually supporting the La Salle Education Mission in Vietnam, and eventually contributed to many projects of the La Salle District of Saigon “for the good of youth, especially of poor children.”

Lasallian Alumni Association
Virginia&Washington DC

Alphonse Tran Vu Thanh, an ex-Brother and friend of mine since the Petit-Novitiate at Mont La Salle in Nha Trang, was founder and zealous president of the Lasallian Alumni Association. Its goal is summarized as follows:
1. Creating and consolidating inter-relations between La Salle Vietnam former students and friends in the area of Virginia and Washington DC with the purpose of mutually supporting each other on his/her adaptation to new culture and life-style in the United States;
2. Maintaining Vietnamese Tradition while acculturating into the American-style of life and culture for the second, third... generations; by soliciting young Vietnamese people to attend Vietnamese language classes AND to get high scores at the American schools.
3. Supporting the Education Mission of the La Salle Brothers in Vietnam, and financially assisting Old Brothers at Mai Thon Retreat House.

Public Founding Ceremony of
The Southern California La Salle Alumni

The Southern California La Salle Alumni were at last able to make formarl appearance during a rally of former La Salle Vietnam students at Grand Garden Restaurant on Sunday, February 17, 2002. Present at the rally were nearly all representatives of the La Salle Schools from North before 1954 to South Vietnam before 1975. Most of our “older brothers” who are in their 70’s or older had attended the La Salle Schools in Hanoi - Puginier School, in Nam Dinh - Saint Thomas d’Aquin School, in Hai Phong or Hue - Pellerin School.

The rally numbered more than two hundred, gathering, one can say, three generations of the “La Salle Vietnam Family.” Present to the “Coming into Sight of the Southern California La Salle Alumni” were Brothers Cosmas Tuan and Valery An who came from San Jose for the purpose. Although the celebration of the public announcement of the Alumni was rather simple but moving and meaningful, it has promised many activities both enthusiastic and optimistic in future for nurturing and developing the LASAN SPIRIT overseas while maintaining close relations with the La Salle Brothers and Friends in Vietnam. In fact, those who still remain in Vietnam despite the socio-political and economic difficulty in their life, are the only ones who really sacrifice and commit themselves to the service of education for poor people, adults and young alike.

Thanks to the initiative of Mr. Nguyen Ngoc Khoi, a rally gathering three generations of La Salle Vietnam former students had been very well organized at the Four Miles Square Park in Fountain Valley, for:
* First, congratulating, celebrating and thanking the older brothers - above eighty years old - for their good example inspiring “good students of the La Salle Education System,” for their continued commitment to the service of education - even after the events of 1975, and overall for their zeal urging their children and grand-children and grand-grand-children... to “Forget NOT how great the La Salle Education System has been, in terms of bringing to Vietnamese people so many good things for more than one hundred years.”
* Second, continuing to “Light, always and forever, the Lasallian Fire of Education in Vietnam.”

Notre Association a pour buts de :
1- Renouer et développer les relations amicales entre les anciens eùleøves des écoles des Frères Lasalliens de l’Asie du Sud-Est,
2- Promouvoir l’entraide sociale et réaliser des actions humanitaires ,
3- Favoriser les échanges culturels internationaux...

The Goals of the Association are for:
1- Renewing and developing communication between La Salle Students in South-East of Asia;
2- Promoting inter-assistance and help in charitable and social fields;
3- Soliciting multicultural inter-change between countries and traditions.
One of many social works that FALAISE has done is building up several solid concrete bridges, and replacing the old “monkey bridges” across creeks or small irrigation canals. Mr. Nguyen Van Cong, a civil engineer for bridges and roads, has solicited many benefactors to contribute to such projects and successfully built several bridges at the West area of Vietnam. This has been really realistic and helpful to poor people, especially to petty mall traders and young children going to school.

Excerpt from a letter of
Brother NICET LIEM,
Director and Administrator. of the Vietnamese Schools
...
Starting 1987, five years after the Group of Vietnamese Culture and Schools in Sydney had been founded, we had undertaken many projects in subsidizing poor students at the refugee camps in Malaysia, Hong Kong and Thailand. At the beginning of 1992, we started projects sponsoring poor children in Vietnam for attending schools in isolated areas. Since then, hundreds of poor children have been able to go to school.

Later, after certain catastrophes like flood or severe typhoon, our Group of Culture and Schools came to the assistance of the victims of such disasters by financial aid and/or food supplies collected from our young students. It’s a good opportunity to teach our young students about sharing what they can, even sacrifice themselves a little, for other disadvantaged friends of their age. The positive and enthusiastic result of such campaigns has been that they enjoyed knowing that their friends can have “something” for their Christmas Tree, or for the Celebration of Lunar New Year. A particularly enthusiastic and moving event I am proud of recalling is that, for rescuing and helping poor people - victims of the ravaging and destroying flood at the end of 1999, and providing poor with scholarships afterwards - we had been able to collect an amount of AU$20,000. I was thinking of extending our social and charitable works, not only from adults, i.e. parents and friends, but essentially from our student body, in behalf of a Scholarship Fund for poor children in the isolated areas, from North to South Vietnam.

Rally of the La Salle Vietnam Family
in, Saigon - Vietnam, August 8, 2008

Summary of the steps leading to the Rally of the La Salle Vietnam Family in Saigon on August 8, 2008
by Huynh Phu Cuong, Lasanhoingo.com web-master.

June 1, 2006. Dear Brother An and Newly Elected President of Southern California La Salle Vietnam Family, Michel Quaân:
Representing the Lasan Vancouver Canada Family, I congratulate and welcome the LaSan Southern California Family’s New Administration Board and New President. I hope that someday, as soon as possible, California and Vancouver will have an opportunity to gather some place. It’d be terrific!

June 2, 2006. I suggest that Brother An “lead the ship”, gather Representatives of many La Salle Vietnam Groups of Families around the country and around the world. And for the rest, i.e. the proceeding for a rally of La Salle Vietnam former Students, please rely on us. Of course, we’ll work under your leadership. What do you think about that idea, you guys, from other La Salle Groups or Families?
Nguyen Quang Bình, Lasan Canada.

June 4, 2006. Hope to meet Brothers and friends gathering at the Rally of La Salle Vietnam Alumni...
Tran van Thanh - Lasan Vancouver

June 4, 2006. Falaise is honored and proud of being invited to the Rally of La Salle Vietnam Family in 2008. Ce sera un projet “Giga(n)...[10 puissance 9)] tesk“ de Falaise ! We will have a meeting of the Falaise Administration Members to discuss on this Project. We will inform you and anh Bình as soon as possible... Viva La Salle Family!
Nguyen Dai Hung - Falaise Secretary.

June 7, 2006. Very joyful and happy knowing that Brother An encourages every local La Salle Group to be together in contact for a Rally of La Salle Vietnam Alumni in 2008. It’s time to be together, gathering everyone who had attended La Salle Schools in Vietnam before - and after 1975, if any. I suggest that we create a sort of email-group so that everyone could access the group for a kind of forum. Until now, I think that we know each other within a limited circle or club or group, e.g. within Vancouver area, just a small group of five to ten can keep in touch with each other through e-mail facility within that small group. Can we open a forum, by email-group of course, and anyone from Australia to Europe to North America, even to Vietnam, and vice versa, can access the email-group. Let’s call it Lasan-Rally-Email?

Expecting and hoping to know more info about the La Salle Vietnam Rally in 2008.
Tran van Thanh

June 8, 2006. Thanh’s suggestion is quite good and appropriate for such a forum. It would adequately prepare for the Rally of La Salle Vietnam Family projected in 2008. Tomorrow, I’ll be in contact with our friends - La Salle Vietnam former students and friends, in Montreùal. There are many of them living there even before 1975.
Bình.

Wish and Hope, a message Brother An cordially sent to the La Salle Vietnam brothers and sisters everywhere:
...
The La Salle Education System was founded more than one hundred forty years ago in Vietnam, beginning with the arrival of six La Salle French Brothers to Saigon on January 6, 1866.
After more than one hundred years of educational service for young people for the purpose of “becoming a person and succeeding in society,” the La Salle Education Torch which has brought to people and the nation - through many generations - many good things in the field of humanity, morality, social virtues, intelligence and knowledge... continues to shine well all over our country - even though there has been times it seems to be a stamped out fire.
More than thirty years have passed since that day no one of us could forget. It’s a space of time not too short yet not too long that We - the La Salle Brothers, old and younger, former students from previous generations and students from this generation and friends - haven’t had an opportunity to meet one another. That’s why, some of our brothers and sisters - overseas and in Vietnam as well - wish and hope for a D day when we - Teachers, Brothers, Classmates, Schoolmates, and Friends - together could see, meet, shake hands, hug, etc... one another, for the first time in more than thirty years.
I cordially invite everyone to access to lasanhoingo@groupsyahoo.com and enthusiastically participate into the forum, sharing your ideas/opinions and discussing, etc. so that our dream and wish come true for the LA SALLE FAMILY SPIRIT.
I also propose the theme for sharing/discussion at the forum as “LASAN HOI NGO 2008” (La Salle Family Rally 2008.)
..............

Forum of La Salle Vietnam Alumni overseas and in Vietnam.
Some tele-conferences through internet
* On Saturday March 3, 2007, at noon (Saigon time), i.e. 9:00 P.M. (Pacific time for California and Vancouver, Canada) an agenda for the first tele-meeting through internet was set for clarifying date and location, and particularly “Who’s in charge for organizing the La Salle Vietnam Family Rally.” ”Present at the meeting” were, in Vietnam: a group of LASAN, in California: Patrick, Michel and Frere An, in Vancouver: Dr. Bình.
With a moving tone, each one expressed his joy and enthusiasm to be together - even just hearing voices, and hope that D day comes true, as soon as possible, so that many LASAN can meet with each other and that the La Salle Spirit shine more and more brightly for the good of our future generation in Vietnam. At the end, the ad hoc staff or the La Salle Rally Organizer Team decided: “The LASAN team in Vietnam will accept duty of preparing, promoting and inviting La Salle Vietnam former students and friends around the world to the Rally set on August 8, 2008.”
* On Sunday April 1, 2007,the second tele-conference was set at the same as the previous. The agenda for this time was “For What and How to organize the La Salle Vietnam Alumni Rally?” Any organization needs money to proceed, thus the problem of fund raising was discussed, frankly but concretely and realistically to the actual economic circumstances. At this point, LASAN Organizer Team gratefully recognized the substantial contribution of “Uncle John Ngo Cong Duc” who from the start generously covered every expenditures for mini-meetings and/or general meetings, and moreover advanced a big amount of money for the D day. Unfortunately, “Uncle John Ngo Cong Duc” passed away on June 22, 2007. He was like Moses who endured so many challenges in leading Israeli people to the Promised Land but who could only see it from afar before dying. May he rest in peace!
* On Sunday September 9, 2007, the third and the last tele-conference was set for final decision on date, location, program, and advertisement i.e. propagating news about the La Salle Vietnam Family Rally to as many La Salle Vietnam former students and friends - overseas and especially in Vietnam - as possible. Following is the final decision of this tele-conference: The La Salle Vietnam Alumni Rally is set on August 8, 2008 at Mai Thon, Saigon. Every La Salle Vietnam former student and friend is welcome!

D Day, August 8, 2008. Although very busy with his job, the Head of LASAN Organizer Team, Dr. Chi, spent much time intensively preparing for the La Salle Vietnam Family Rally at Mai Thon. The LASAN Organizer Team had worked hard for the first La Salle Vietnam Alumni Rally of this kind.
August 8, 2008 came, at last. More than six hundred LASAN gathered around their Teacher-Brothers, Classmates, Schoolmates, and Friends at Mai Thon, the only property -although “reduced” from ten hectares to nearly three hectares- which belongs to the La Salle District of Saigon.