ee The Vietnamese woman’s face brightened as she heard her own language spoken by the couple. The young man was trying to find her an American sponsor, a new home and employment. The young woman was helping her to ocate lost family and friends. She had found friends among strangers. The couple, Dennis and Judy Bevan Wood have been working | SHARED For three years Dennis worked with the USAID in DaNang. Nineteen months Judy and their two children, Alan, 8, and Karena, 314, lived in Bangkok where Den- nis could visit every six weeks. The last eighteen months the family was together in DaNang. They were contented in their with the refugees at Fort Chaffee, assignment. DaNang was on the sea coast and had _ white beaches.Sea breezes hel to combat the hot. humid climate. Arkansas, since the downfall of South Vietnam. Dennis, 1961-62 studentbody president at Weber State Corea’, had been working in DaNang for namese in developing their land. An intensive project similar to the American CCC projects of the depression resulted in 2 million ternational trees planted in a _ reforesting project as well as 18,000 acres of land reclaimed from the sea by the United States Agency for InDevelopment (USAID) until those fateful days in March that changed all their lives. Judy had taught English in a junior college and at a girl’s high school. Their work in DaNang gave the couple special insight and ability in working with the Vietnamese In Arkansas. Often, in her volunteer work, Judy was able to help reunite families and friends because of her familiarity with their language and names. The couple will be moving to Washington, D.C., to receive training for a new assignment overseas, this time possibly in Afghanistan, but they have a dee love for the Vietnamese people and shared memories that unite them in a unique way. Dennis was assisting the Viet- dams. Community projects included the building of roads and widening them for the use of public vehicles. The communities provided materials and the project provided the labor. Judy enjoyed her teaching of English. They had a comfortable home filled with momentos collected both in Vietnam and their former assignment in India. and were at graduates. least Many college had advanced degrees from France, America or Europe. Among them were civil engineers, doctors, principals, business administrators, draftsmen and architects. The Vietnamese Mayor was also a Colonel and it was his job to see that DaNang was secure. Troops which were around the city, was about the size of Brigham City with a population of 500,000. In one week after the advance of the North Vietnamese the population had swollen to one and a half million people. Panic-stricken people flooded into DaNang, pushing, pulling and carrying their possessions. An ancestor worshipping people, the Vietnamese carried pictures of honored ancestors under their arms and gripped an electric fan in their hands. The electric fan was a sign of prestige. Some even pushed refrigerators past the Wood’s home. Honda's with crates strapped on and sometimes as many as Six to In the eight people riding a single machine, weaved in and out on the congested road. their friends were Vietnamese while others were French, German, British, Polish and Hungarian. Most of the Viet- with goods. There was chaos. The yard were tropical fruit trees. Socially there was a mingling of ideas and languages. Some of namese were trilingual, speaking Vietnamese, French and English (Board Candidates Couthiued) Trucks came swaying by loaded people were distraught and emotional. War had been waging for thirty years. Many of their families had been killed and maimed during that period. The Vietnamese came from the north, south and west into DaNang, often spending life savings to do so. There they faced ZIMMERMAN FROERER hy CRAYNOR DaNang was a gracious, dignified woman principal of a high school. Her husband had been captured he ~~ e— ae the sea with no place to go. Not enough planes or boats. Fighting and mobbing broke out for precious spots aboard. “Tt was a heartbreaking experience to .see the people’s misery,” said Judy, ‘“‘knowing that you would be able to leave but many of them would not.” It was a conflict of emotions — relief and grief —for those friends who, had become close friends over three years of association. One of those who did not get out of te le NATHAN ZIMMERMAN Graduated from WSC 1973, president of Chi Epsilon Phi fraternity, Served LDS mission, employed with Thiokol Chemical, member Ogden Jaycees, active in church activities. during the Tet offensive in 1968. She had two children in the United States children GLORIA RUSSELL FROERER ROSASCHI Women’s Environ, Great Salt Lake Minerals and Chemicals Crop. President LaDianaeda Sorority, member IntraFraternal Council, Secretary Westerner’s Riding Club. Married to Gage Froerer. No children. SOMMERS from WSC CRAYNOR in 1961 her Saigon other before two the HENDRICKSON Candidates For Second Vice President Associated Dean of Students Office and CAROLYN to sent crisis but she was still in DaNang after it was taken over. Graduated from WSC 1973, has worked for 3M company in Washington, D.C., _ Graduated and KAY DR. NEAL Graduated from Nebraska State Teacher’s College and Minesota University. Graduated from WSC 1964. Taught school in Weber County Schools for 25 years. Was Special Education teacher for 12 years, has taught in Iowa and Colorado, Actively involved at Golden Hour Center, has 1 daughter. with an Associate degree, received her B.S. degree in education in 1965, was an officer in Otyokwa social club, has_ taught elementary school. Has served on the Wasatch School and Ogden City P.T.A. councils, president of the South Ogden KAnns, Vice President of Camenae Service Club. Is active in LDS Church, has been primary president, active in Cub Scouting, married to Dennis B. Craynor, they have three children. DEBRA K. ROSASCHI Received a BA degree in Sociology from Weber State College. Was listed in Who’s Who Among Students in American Colleges and Universities at Weber State college in 73-74. Foirmer student probation officer for state of Utah, Resident assistant at Weber State College Dormitories, presently probation officer state of Utah probation and parole section. DAVID 0. HENDRICKSON Graduated from Weber State College in 1958. Was President of Excelsior. Served an LDS mission after which he attended BYU and graduated in 1962 with a B.S. degree. He graduated with honors from the University of Washington in 1966. Is active in church and civic organizations. Is chief of Dental Surgery at McKay-Dee Hospital. Married to former Sharon Housley. THOMAS C. WEBBER Attended WSC, was member of the ski team, chairman of homecoming in 1964. His major was business. Attended Brigham Young University. Is a partner in Webber Real Estate. Served LDS New Zealand Mission, is active in LDS church, married to Linda Tesch. Father of six children. Member of the Weber State College Alumni Association. Everything There was happened eo VIETNAMESE PLIGHT ——~_ ALUMNUS so fast. a threat for only one week. Dennis and Judy had all of their old paintings, carvings, furniture, Italian linen, ivory napkin rings and salt an pepper shakers and other items of sentimental value which exceeded their monetary value, packed. They were all in boxes and labeled as to contents. The night before Judy was to leave she felt a strange vibration through the house. She asked Dennis what it was, and he told her it was tanks. For the first time they were rolling down the street by their house and for the first time the threat became real. Early in the morning of March 26, 1975, Dennis took Judy and young Dennis to the airport to fly from DaNang to Saigon and then home via Bangkok, Taiwan, and Japan. He thought he would be there another three weeks helping with evacuations. At the last moment Dennis threw his suitcase and camera in the trunk of the car. It was all he got out of DaNang with. None of them were ever to see their home again. Judy and her son left one day and it was necessary that Dennis leave the next day. ‘““At least I made it convenient for the looters,” Judy said, ‘““They didn’t even have to tear open the -boxes to find out what was in them.”’ Judy flew out of DaNang to Saigon with 120 other women and children, most of them_ Vietnamese families of men who worked for the American Con- sulate. The carry 37. Chaos plane slowed was down built to air-lift operations. City officials had fled, leaving the people without leadership. To their knowledge only one man who was a government official, military or civilian, stayed behind to assist his people. He was beheaded by the North Vietnamese upon their take-over. There were no_ western correspondents in DaNang. Judy felt that the educated Vietnamese left behind would just gradually disappear as the North namese did not want to Vietsway world opinion with a blood bath. One group of American em- ployees were taken to the airport in a panel truck so the people wouldn’t see who they were and anic further. The plane couldn’t and on the runway however, because the people realized the plane was coming for the truck passengers and crowded onto the runways. The truck moved to the other end and the people stampeded in that direction. Finally the plane had to land on an old airstrip that was seldom used. Another plane had to leave the airport with a third of a load because the people were stampeding the plane and the pilot knew if he didn’t wouldn’t be able to. leave he The Woods are grateful that so many of their Vietnamese friends managed to get out of South Viet- nam and they have found satisfac- tion in helping and working with them in Arkansas.