Saigon Kids and American Community School » Alice (Ahlgren) Blackburn

Double Seven Day

aliceahlgren — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 19:29:12 +0000

Do you guys remember that today is the holiday on which the Vietnamese commemorated the day the President took office on July 7, 1954. Hence Double Seven Day – the seventh day of the seventh month. Every building in Saigon from the large government houses to the little thatch huts flew the Vietnamese [...]

Mile Stones …

Admin — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 23:28:52 +0000

It seems our Blog has passed some mile stones.

Alice made the “1200-th” Comment a couple days ago. Art made the 1201-st Comment today.

This Post is the 300th post since we started our Blog a little over a year ago (April 21, 2008).

Way to go Saigon Kids. Keep those Posts and Comment of your Saigon [...]

A Christmas Carol – 1963

aliceahlgren — Wed, 17 Dec 2008 23:45:32 +0000

Caroling was a big event on Christmas Eve for a lot of the ACHS kids. We met at the Kinh Do and then hopped on buses. I have forgotten where all we went ( I was reminded recently that in 1962 we went to the ambassador’s house and he invited us in to [...]

A Home for the Holidays

aliceahlgren — Wed, 10 Dec 2008 20:35:30 +0000

Today, December 10, is the anniversary of my family’s arrival in Saigon (sorry I missed your inaugural blog post, Bob). It was 1962 and I was 14 years old and thrilled to finally have a “home” again. We had been living a pretty nomadic existence for most of that year – compliments of [...]

CLOD Removal – End of an Era

aliceahlgren — Mon, 17 Nov 2008 21:32:30 +0000

Well, once the CLODs were all deported… and Vietnamese-American relationships were “normalized”…things got very proper in Saigon. A new high school wing – Kennedy Hall – was dedicated in January 1964. Upon the completion of this 3-story!!!! building, high school students had to get up at 6:00 AM to get to school. [...]

Do You Remember

aliceahlgren — Tue, 11 Nov 2008 22:10:10 +0000

One of the most important status symbols for the Saigon kids was the length of time one lived in Saigon. So back in 1963, the “Old Timers” used to ask “Do you remember….?

1. When there were dances every week-end?

2. When Heather Harris lost her costume during her presentation of the Indonesian candle dance?

3. [...]

The Quest for ACS Kids – Part II

aliceahlgren — Wed, 29 Oct 2008 19:21:35 +0000

Seems we all feel a special bond to those Saigon years since we keep returning to our Field of Dreams site…so wanted to share with you all a letter I recently came across in a dusty corner…from the Saigon American Community School Alumni Search Committee, dated January 21, 1990.

“Dear ACS’er:

We are now into the second [...]

The Quest for Saigon Kids – Just Go Do It!

aliceahlgren — Fri, 24 Oct 2008 18:16:28 +0000

To all you Saigon Kids….if you are taking the time to read this then take the time TODAY (ok maybe tomorrow too) to scan a picture, post a comment, send an e-mail, google the name of one of the SKs – you have no idea how much that could mean to them!! I have [...]

Saigon Kids Motto: “Kind Words Go A Long Way”

Admin — Tue, 21 Oct 2008 01:36:04 +0000

Motto’s seem to go hand in hand with groups and organizations. Since starting our Blog, I’d been trying to come up with a motto … nothing fitting seemed to come to mind … UNTIL … one day during an email discussion with a Saigon Kid, part of the words in a sentence JUMPED off the [...]

Mrs. Shaffer and The Sounds of Music

aliceahlgren — Mon, 13 Oct 2008 18:21:54 +0000

While we all seem to be suddenly wandering around through our various 60s memories I want to thank Mrs. Harrison Shaffer for her many contributions to those memories. Remember South Pacific, anyone???? and the half dozen or so of us sweeeet young ladies dressed in sailor uniforms singin’ our hearts out to the [...]