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Getting to Know You – Again

Call me noisy if you wish, but I am very interested in what everyone has done over the years. After Saigon, some of us finished high school somewhere else, perhaps went to college, got drafted into the military, got married, had kids, etc. I, for one, would ask that each of the Saigon Kids take a bit of time and reveal his or her life. What happened after you left Saigon, right up to today. Is anyone interested? Ken

4 comments to Getting to Know You – Again

  • RandySeely

    Thanks, Ken…good topic! After Saigon, moved to Va. (Dad was stationed at Ft Eustis) and I attended now-defunct Homer Ferguson HS, graduating, with luck in ’65..no, I don’t think my attendance…or lack thereof…had anything to do with its demise). Dad swore me in the USAF in December that year (and presented me my retirement papers 20yrs later). Most of my AF career was spent overseas (Philippines, Thailand, Korea, Greece, Portugal, Italy). Spent first 4 yrs (after tech school) in Security Service (Morse Operator); crosstrained (thank GOD!) into Armed Forces Radio & Tv in 2001 and remained in that blessed career for 30-years (military til 1986, and then til 2001’s WTC tragedy, which had a horrendous impact on corporate radio; they deleted my job and decided to go with syndicated programming…sigh). Since I was then much older and too tired to play silly radio games, I was then sworn in as an Ada County Deputy here in Idaho, where I continue to work today (not for much longer, tho…the clock’s ticking til retirement next year). Still married to my wonderful Sandy, who I married in 1969…3 married sons…6 grandkids (1 more making his debut in August). We love to travel…especially cruises…and enjoying our grandkids. I love jazz and blues, walks in the rain, and mountain sunsets (whoops…wrong website, sorry! 🙂
    In all seriousness, that’s a look at my life since Saigon…let’s hear some more, folks! Thanks to everyone who’s helping to keep this site alive! Best wishes to all…Randy

  • Ken

    OK, I’ll go next since Randy started the ball rolling and I thank him for that.

    After my one year at ACS Saigon, I transferred to a missionary school in Dalat where I managed to graduate in 1963. I then went to a prep school in DC for about four months before returning to Saigon and then headed for the Univ. of Southern Mississippi for two years 1064-66. In 1966, joined the Army and after declining OCS, went back to Viet-Nam as a GI, arriving one week after the Tet offensive. Out of the army in 1969 into a blue uniform of the Titusville Police where I remained for two years. Married a local girl but got divorced in 1975. Started work in the Foreign Service of the State Department in 1971 and with my wife headed to Stockholm, Sweden where our son, Ken Jr., was born. Wife and I split up while in Sweden. After Sweden came postings to Phnom Penh, Cambodia; Hamburg, Germany; Tunis, Tunisia; a Washington, DC assignment but actually spend the tour in Africa filling in for employees going on leave, sick, etc. After the Africa tour, assigned to Niamey, Niger; then Bujumbura, Burundi followed by Guangzhou, China. Got lucky and then went to Prague, Czechoslovakia; Vienna, Austria, Rabat, Morocco and then to Frankfurt, Germany where I finally retired. I met current wife, Gisela, in Hamburg during my tour there and we married in 1981. We now live in north Germany. My son, now 36, is unmarried with no children and lives in Casselberry, Florida.

    I still do some part-time work for the State Department in Frankfurt during the summer months and that results in some travel as well. Plus the money is helpful given prices in Germany. My work is nothing special. I started out doing teletype communications, same thing I did in the army, but later moved into administration except for a brief tour as a computer systems manager. Best overseas tour (after Saigon, of course) was Vienna…just a great city with excellent restaurants, wine, coffee and pastry shops and of course, history and museums. We enjoyed our time there immensely. Also enjoyed Rabat, Morocco as I was playing golf three times a week and the work wasn’t too bad except for all of the high-level visitors from the US (Hillary Clinton twice, Bill once, plus Secretaries of State and Defense).

    My time is now spent helping out my wife in the house, taking care of the yard and of course, riding my beloved motorcycle.

    OK….who’s next? Regards to all – Ken Y.

  • Kathy (Connor) Dobronyi

    My mother, brother Michael, and I were evacuated from Tan Son Nhut on March 10, 1963 along with a number of military dependents. We stayed at an abandoned Nike site in Rehoboth, Massachusetts until my father joined us in November, 1964.

    Moved to Colorado Springs where we remained until my father retired from the Army in 1968 and got a job in Tucson, Arizona where I graduated from high school. Met my husband Roger at the University of Arizona, and we were married in 1970. Two children and a degree later, I became a high school teacher in 1989. With degrees in secondary social studies, special education, English, and drama, I specialized in special ed humanities including Shakespeare.

    Our son went to Denver and was a paramedic with Denver General. He was one of the first EMS responders at Columbine HS. Our daughter went to Columbus, Ohio and is a sign language interpreter. Roger and I moved to Florida to fish after living in Tucson for 35 years.

    I am now a professional storyteller on the “grits” circuit and have a great time telling folks about Florida from back in the day.

  • Maile Doyle

    Hey all, I’ve been out of touch for a while and really appreciate that Bob keeps us connected!

    Anyway, my father returned to the Pentagon in 1963 and I attended W.T. Woodson High School in Farifax, VA graduating in 1965. (Had a nice reunion and some dates with Ken…one of his “lovely ladies” while he was there in prep school)I attended Mary Washington in Fredericksburg for one semester and joined my family in Korea until Dad was reposted to Vietnam and the family returned to VA. Had 2 years at George Mason College, met my husband, Bill, and married him almost 40 years ago, June 28th, 1969.

    We moved to Germany where our daughter, Kelley, was born, then to Virginia for the birth of our son, Kevin. Bill then attended post graduate school at The University of Alabama…Roll Tide!…earning his masters & PhD in civil engineering. We have since lived in Louisville, KY (Bill taught at the Uof L; then he joined Marathon Oil Company and we moved to Findlay, OH; Casper, WY; Houston, TX and back to Findlay. Bill is retired from Marathon and I am retired from United Way. He is teaching full time at the University of Findlay and I am a veteran and a voracious community volunteer. :-)We have 6 grandchildren in Perrysburg, OH and one baby girl on the way any day now in Omaha, NE.

    Life is good and I love seeing everyone here on this site. P.S. I’m also on FaceBook…only way to stay current with the grandkids…lol. So, if you are out there, ask me to be your “friend”

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