all those children Father Crawford helped through Go Vap orphanage?

Many of us remember Father Crawford as the kind Priest who helped us get our ACS *Teenagers* baseball team going. But, one can only guess at how many 1000s of other children he helped through Go Vap orphanage.

The more I learn about him, the more remarkable I find him to have been.

Hardly a week goes by that I don’t receive a very *touching* email from a Saigon Kid telling of their past and present experiences they’ve encountered along their journey of life.

Here is one such story of how Father Crawford helped direct the fate of one newborn baby at Go Vap orphanage.

I am excited to have connected with Saigon Kids, to hear your stories and see if you can help me know my story.

I was born March 4, 1964 in Saigon and was left shortly thereafter at Go Vap Orphanage. Because of the work of Fr. Crawford, a Catholic priest in Saigon, I was connected with my adopted parents.

They were residing in Phomh Penh, Cambodia, my father working at the U.S. Embassy and my mother teaching ESL; and, both actively involved in the local community theater. Father Crawford made monthly visits to Phomh Penh to give an English Mass. My parents had reached out to him regarding their interest in adopting a baby; and, in early 1964 he notified them that a newborn infant had been left at the orphanage.

I have been told that my birth mother, a French-Vietnamese woman apparently died as a result of childbirth and my birth father, “unknown” on the birth certificate, was an American civilian. It may be that they had a relationship of some sort, but we know a liaison took place during a critical time in history of the American-Vietnam War. Protests against the government of Diem were dominating the major cities of South Vietnam, including Saigon and Hue where Buddhist monks were self-immolating in extreme acts of protest.

I spent a very large portion of my childhood in Asia, Cambodia, Thailand, Taiwan and Laos. So although I do not resemble a person of Vietnamese origin, and my parents are Caucasian Americans, I feel a strong connection to the region of my birth. Content and grateful for my circumstances, I am nevertheless becoming more curious about the story of my birth and the circumstances and piece of history that it portrays.

I would love to hear from people who have any personal memories or information about their lives or the lives of people living in Saigon during 1963-1964 and/or would recognize the name Phan Thi Khan (my birth mother) or would have any insight into how I could begin to trace my birth father. I would be most interested in communicating with you.

At the very least I am interested in bringing an image of Saigon at that time alive in order to begin to unravel the mystery of who I am.

Angelique Kenney
(Born: Phan Thi Hoang, March 4, 1964)

When I hear stories such as Angelique’, I can only marvel at the deep compassion and dedication Father Crawford displayed through his tireless work assisting others in Viet-nam and Southeast Asia.

For those of you who are interested Go Vap orphanage is back in full operation today caring for about 200 disabled children ranging from newborns to 18 years of age. Shortly, after the fall of South Viet-nam to North Viet-nam the new government ordered all orphanages to turn over there *Register* – then burned them. Many of the orphanages hand copied the Register (or as much of it as they could) before turning over the originals to the new government. All orphanages where then closed by the new government. The able-bodied orphans where sent to *re-education camps*. The others simply – disappeared. Go Vap was one of the largest orphanages in South Viet-nam having cared for about 30,000 children since its founding in 1874 until 1975. Go Vap was eventually reopened sometime during the 1980s.

If you know of organizations who assist Viet-nam war orphans and their birth parents to reconnect, please leave contact information in the *Comments* section below.

Angelique, I’m sure I speak for all Saigon Kids by saying once again – Welcome! And, thank you for sharing your story with us. Hopefully, you’ll be able to *unravel the mystery* through your Saigon Kids family –

Bob