Geography 101

Some of the places we'll be visiting next month aren't on the typical tourist's itinerary. Actually, some of them aren't even on the maps. With that in mind I thought it might be helpful to provide a quick geographical snapshot. Some of this will be rudimentary for some folks; bear with me.

Vietnam is shaped like a big S. Trace the S from bottom to top, and you'll pretty much have our itinerary.

Ho Chi Minh City (which everyone still calls Saigon) is located at the bottom of the S. It has a population of about 7 million, all of whom, apparently, drive motorscooters. Crossing the street is a lot like the old video game Frogger, in which you dodge the vehicles and try not to go splat.

Hanoi is at the top of the S. It's smaller than Saigon - only about 3 million people - and is the capital city. I look forward to visiting temples, gardens, and the tiny, crowded shopping streets.

We'll be spending the majority of our time in the middle of the S, where you see the cluster of little black dots on the map. From Saigon we'll fly to Da Nang, then cross Hai Van Pass and spend the majority of our time working in Dong Ha. We'll also spend some time touring in Hue before we fly north to Hanoi. These areas were the northernmost provinces of South Vietnam, and many of the place names will be familiar to US veterans who served there.

For those of you who are data-junkies, you can get lots of factual details about Vietnam at http://www.atlapedia.com/online/countries/vietnam.htm. If you're more interested in a contemporary portrait of the country and its people, try the book Vietnam, Now by David Lamb. Or check back here from time to time, and I'll do my best to tell you all about it.

So What is PeaceTrees Vietnam, Anyway?

It's a lot more than a tree-planting organization.

PeaceTrees Vietnam (PTVN) is a Bainbridge Island-based non-profit organization "dedicated to reversing the legacy of war by working alongside the Vietnamese people to build the capacity for a safe and healthy future for the children and families of Quang Tri Province" (whew! that's a long one!). They do this by...

- Sponsoring land mine and unexploded ordnance (UXO) clearance, which is done by professional teams to UN standards. The UXO team leader's name is -- and I am not making this up -- Major Bang. He's pictured here with a 60mm mortar and other UXO that has been collected in a Quang Tri field.

- Providing medical and economic assistance to accident victims and their families

- Offering land mine risk awareness training for children

- Sending twice-yearly citizen diplomacy delegations to build friendships with the Vietnamese people

- Sponsoring community and environmental restoration projects such as building homes.. and planting trees. These are the types of projects our volunteer team will be doing.

PeaceTrees' work is done in Quang Tri province, which was the northernmost province of the old South Vietnam. Quang Tri is slightly smaller than Seattle's King County, yet more ordnance (mines, bombs, shells, etc.) was used there during the Vietnam War than in all of Europe during World War II -- about 15 million pieces. Given that roughly 10% doesn't detonate (a US Department of Defense statistic), it's easy to see why UXO remains a serious, life-threatening problem in Quang Tri. Children, farmers, and the poor (particularly those who try to make a living as scrap-metal dealers) are at the greatest risk. This is what PeaceTrees is working to change.

In the eleven years since PTVN was established...

- 370 acres have been cleared of more than 13,500 explosive items
- 13,000 children have received mine risk education training
- 600 accident survivors and families have received assistance
- 30,000 indigenous trees have been planted on UXO-cleared land
- a former battlefield has been transformed into a village of 100 homes

This March we'll be adding the David Warner Kindergarten to the list of completed projects. Not bad for a local grass-roots non-profit, is it?

A few final notes. The organization was founded in 1995 by Danaan Parry and Jerilyn Brusseau. Jerilyn is a Seattle native who, like me, lost a brother in Vietnam. She is also the creator of the Cinnabon recipe -- for this reason alone, I suspect many people consider her a goddess. But her work with PTVN is what puts her on my "hero" list. To Jerilyn and those who work with you at PeaceTrees, my heartfelt thanks.

David Warner Kindergarten Dedication

With the help of many amazing family members, co-workers and friends, a two-year fund-raising effort through PeaceTrees has been successful: the David Warner Kindergarten is now a reality.

The school is located in the tiny mountain village of A Xing, Quang Tri Province; it's not far from Khe Sanh and close to the Laotian border. The ethnic minority population makes a meagre living through farming; the average monthly income for a family is under $6 USD. Having a school for their 30-35 kindergarten-aged children not only helps the kids start their education; it also allows the parents more opportunity to work while the kids are in school.

Construction on the school began late last summer, after the site was cleared by a PeaceTrees- sponsored EOD (explosive ordanance disposal) team. Six pieces of ordnance were removed from the small plot of land. The building itself was completed in the autumn and the village children are now attending classes. Our PeaceTrees delegation will meet the children and plant trees on the school grounds during our March visit. I'm using a "Sing 'n Learn Vietnamese" CD to try to master (massacre?) a couple of Vietnamese children's songs; I look forward to singing a lively verse or two of "The Cat Who Climbed the Betel Tree" with the kids -- or at least giving them something to laugh at. Meo, meo, meo!

The kindergarten will be dedicated on March 22, which would have been my brother's 61st birthday. For my part, I am overjoyed that David's name will be inscribed not just on the Vietnam Veterans' Memorial Wall, but on a building where a new generation is learning, laughing, growing – a place of potential, possibility, and hope. The dedication plaque will read:

The David Warner Kindergarten
Dedicated March 22, 2007

A gift to the children of A Xing
honoring the life and service of David Howard Warner
from his family and friends

If we are to have real peace, we must begin with the children.
– Gandhi

Built in partnership with PeaceTrees Vietnam
Peace – Friendship – Renewal

To every one of the amazing donors who made the kindergarten a reality, thank you, from the bottom of my heart. Your compassion is touching lives... it has certainly touched mine.

Thirty-nine Years, Three Weeks and Counting

The journey started a long time ago.

In 1968 my brother David was killed while serving in Vietnam. Several years ago I began researching Dave’s time in the service and learned that his former Commanding Officer, Chuck Meadows, is now a retired Marine Colonel living on Bainbridge Island, just a 40-minute boat ride from Seattle. Now really, what are the odds of THAT?

After exchanging several emails Chuck and I, along with my husband Jeff, met for dinner in late spring of 2004. It was an amazing evening. Chuck shared stories, photos, maps and memorabilia to give us a picture of what the Marines of Golf Company, 2nd Battalion, 5th Marines were doing in Vietnam in 1967-68. In particular, he talked about their experiences in the Battle of Hue City where Dave last served (military history buffs will know this is a Very Big Deal). During the course of the evening we also learned that Chuck was Executive Director, and is now Board President, of a non-profit organization called PeaceTrees Vietnam.

In 2005 I had the privilege of traveling to Vietnam as part of a PeaceTrees citizen diplomacy delegation. It was humbling and deeply rewarding to travel in David’s footsteps with the same commanding officer after thirty-seven years, but on a very different mission. Our group of twenty-three people spent two weeks visiting PeaceTrees-sponsored projects. PeaceTrees’ core values of peace, friendship and renewal were at the heart of the trip. We were eagerly welcomed and warmly received by our Vietnamese hosts, and we planted more than 2,000 trees, along with seeds of friendship and understanding.

This March I will be returning for my second trip with Chuck Meadows and PeaceTrees volunteers. This trip is a special one for me because we’ll be dedicating the David Warner Kindergarten in the tiny mountain village of A Xing. Joining us on the trip will be the little sister of another one of Chuck’s Golf 2/5 Marines, Cindy Humphrey; and a good friend and veteran who served in Hue City, Bruce Gant. Together with thirteen others we will immerse ourselves in the beauty and grace of Vietnam, celebrate friendships, roll up our sleeves and work.

Let the journey continue!