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I showed my wife the photos I posted above (post #8,846) and she said, "Tell them about Ngoc." Well, during one of my visits to the An Lac Orphanage, I took a photo of this little lady:
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Ngoc (pronounced Nop) was just 8 years old and I noticed she took care of some of the younger children. Without question, she was a very sweet soul. Not long after that, I was transferred to the northern part of South Vietnam to continue my tour of duty and I never returned to the orphanage. When Saigon fell, I remember watching the news and wondering if those kids got out. As it turned out, they did. They were part of "Operation Babylift" and were flown out as the North Vietnamese were encircling Saigon. I won't bore you with how I reconnected with these good people but I'll say it has been a privilege and touched me deeply.

When we had the reunion with the An Lac orphans in Columbus, GS back in 2010, I printed many copies of the pictures I had taken for anyone who wanted them. I set up my display table in one of the rooms set aside for this reunion at the Marriott Hotel. I was on the way back to my room when I spied a familiar-looking young lady in the lobby talking with a group of the now middle-aged orphans. I retrieved the photo and, without a word spoken, I showed it to her. She said, "That's me! I've never seen this! Where did you get it?" I told her it had come from the lens of my Leica M-2R and I introduced myself." A TV reporter captured a bit of the moment and shared the photo:
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For then next few years, during my business travels, I'd stop by Ngoc's and Kathy's (adoptive mom) home and take them to dinner. Then, in the spring of 2017, Kathy called and told me Ngoc had passed. She gave me the funeral details and, of course, I had to be there. I was honored to speak to a packed church about meeting Ngoc in South Vietnam. Many of her friends from the orphanage were there and Kathy asked me to stand with them for a photo:
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Life can certainly have some interesting twists and turns. As we all know, photography is necessary to chronicle those moments.

Mike
 
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Out to Lunch said:
I know the An Lac area quite well. Do you remember where the orphanage was located?
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Yes, sir, it was at 116 Nguyen Dinh Chieu, Tan Dinh, V.N., about 2 or 3 miles from old Presidential Palace. It's a private residence, now. Here's a photo sent to me by the young lady in the white blouse:
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She had to stay behind during Operation Baby Lift because she was over the 12 year-old age limit. Here's a photo over her in 1969:
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Mike
 
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Rangefinder M-P said:
it was at 116 Nguyen Dinh Chieu, Tan Dinh
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Thanks for sharing! In the first photo, the group is standing on the stairs of the Hùng King Temple built during the French colonial era to honor Vietnamese soldiers who died fighting for the French in WWI. It's situated on the grounds of the Saigon Zoo and Botanical Gardens. I found this set of the An Lac Orphanage on Flickr -it appears the photos were taken in 2008:
www.flickr.com

An Lac Orphanage

Mrs Ngai was the Director here. Betty Tisdale helped a lot in this orphanage. The old An-Lac address is 116 Nguyen Dinh Chieu- Tan Dinh- V.N. ( about 2 or 3 miles from old Presidental or Reunification Palace). It is now a private residence but you may still observe the building from...
www.flickr.com www.flickr.com
 
Out to Lunch said:
Thanks for sharing! In the first photo, the group is standing on the stairs of the Hùng King Temple built during the French colonial era to honor Vietnamese soldiers who died fighting for the French in WWI. It's situated on the grounds of the Saigon Zoo and Botanical Gardens. I found this set of the An Lac Orphanage on Flickr -it appears the photos were taken in 2008:
www.flickr.com

An Lac Orphanage

Mrs Ngai was the Director here. Betty Tisdale helped a lot in this orphanage. The old An-Lac address is 116 Nguyen Dinh Chieu- Tan Dinh- V.N. ( about 2 or 3 miles from old Presidental or Reunification Palace). It is now a private residence but you may still observe the building from...
www.flickr.com www.flickr.com
Click to expand...
You are correct about Madame Ngai & Betty Tisdale. When I first visited the orphanage, Betty greeted us at the front gate:
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When the reunion with the An Lac orphans happened in 2010 in Columbus, GA, the sponsors built a replica of that gate:
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On that first visit, I met Madame Ngai. They served us lunch and she showed me how to eat with chopsticks. She passed in Columbus, GA in 1978:
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Betty is gone now, too. It was an honor to have been associated with these fine ladies. They taught me a lot.

Mike
 
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