Mom was 26 yrs old & I was 8 yrs old. In front of BC legislature. Wearing my fave red ruffle neck sweater vest, wide leg jeans; Mom let me wear her red lipstick that day. I'm unhappy about my mismatched Frankenstein orthotic boot - ppl used to stare at/make fun of them/me. It took years for me to be able to wear regular, matching boots.
#Cholon#Saigon#Vietnam
2nd Auntie & my #Matriarch Grandma, visiting Dad's family home. Last photo taken of them, until late 1980s(Mom returned to visit village home). I take after my Matriarch Grandma a lot.
Dad's family home only exists in photos now.
US bombed it & nothing remains.
#Cholon was the 1st #ChineseSettlement established in #Vietnam in 2nd half of 17th century, after the fall of the #MingDynasty in #China, by the people who remained loyal to the fallen emperor and exiled to Vietnam.
Then, later during the 18th century, a 2nd wave of #Chinese immigration arrived to Cholon, as a consequence of the demographic pressure in China.
*My patriarch ancestors fled from China in 18th century & starting rebuilding life in Saigon. This thread is about where we lived.
(3)The #survivors had to rebuild the town and took this opportunity to improve the waterway system by building high embankments and wharves along the river. The settlement then took the name of #TaiNgon (embankment).
It grew and became a bustling center of #commerce. #Chinese merchants started to trade a larger variety of goods such as building materials, opium, alcohol, tobacco.
The only remains of what was our multi-families home in #Cholon were pieces from the original foundation. There were no remains from my Grandpa's incense factory - which was located beside our family's house/compound. Where our home used to be - there's a gas station, water station & some small shops. There's an autobody shop & noodles shop, where Grandpa's incense factory was. I saw both sites when going back to my birthplace in the 90s with my parents.
#VietnameseSkyraiders rent the air with ferocious whines as they dive-bombed sections of the city, notably the #Chinese quarter of #Cholon, which was honeycombed with #VietCong. The planes sent #refugees scattering in all directions and plumes of smoke shooting into sunny skies that mocked the city's agony. In six of #Saigon's nine districts, 24-hour curfews were still in effect, meaning that those districts harbored at least small bands of #guerrillas still operating as units.
Except for #Hué, the most serious city fighting was in #Saigon. Once a gracious, languid island in the midst of war, Saigon last week was a city rimmed by fear. Every half-hour the radio grimly warned: "The Saigon #Cholon area is not considered secure. #Firefights and #sniperFire are expected to continue. Do not travel on foot. All vehicles must have an armed escort."
#TaskForceGibler and #33rdRangers moved north through #Cholon and as they approached the Racetrack they began to take fire from #VietCong in windows and on rooftops of the 2-3 storey row houses lining the road. The #USA#ARVN infantry fanned out into alleys and side-streets to engage VC, while #M113s continued down the road firing on the VC with their machine guns, with the command vehicle being knocked out by an #RPG.
On 4 February the residents of #Cholon were ordered to #evacuate the area and it was declared a Free-fire zone allowing the full weight of #USA & #SVA air and artillery support to be directed against the #VietCong still holding out there.
In face of heavy military and political failures in both zones North & South Viet Nam, and the ever-stronger protest movement against the U.S. #WarOfAggression in Viet Nam by the peoples the world over, #UnitedStates included, #LBJohnson had to declare the limited bombings in North Viet Nam on March 31, 1968.
The University of [#CanTho bombed by #USplanes. #Saigon and its periphery bombed and strafed by U.S. planes. #ChoLon bombed by U.S. planes #Hue bombed by U.S. planes #ApBa hamlet #DaNang province bombed by U.S. planes. #Civilians in Saigon #killed by #USbombs and shells.
Civilians in Cho Lon killed by U.S. bombs and shells.
Toxic gas has also been used in their raids.]
*ChoLon is where my patriarch family lived before we were displaced by bombings & where my Grandpa owned large incense factory.