Operated by Sisters of St. Paul de Chartres:
Phu My (home for 1500 homeless, including orphans, abandoned children and orphans with polio) 2 miles from Saigon center.
Viet Hoa in Cholon
St. Paul’s Orphanage in Bien Hoa
Orphanage in My Tho
St. Paul’s Orphanage in Vinh Long
St. Enfance Orphanage in Vinh Binh
St. Paul’s Orphanage in Qui Nhon
Sacred Heart/Sacre Coeur in Danang
Orphanage in Hoi An
Kim Long Orphanage in Hue
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Daughters of Charity of St. Vincent de Paul:
Caritas Nutritional Center (nevertheless had abandoned babies) on Tu Xuong St., Saigon
Regina Pacis also on Tu Xuong in Saigon; large vocational school, boarding school and day school, polio unit, and sometimes children from there had no known parents.
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Sisters of Divine Providence: (orphanages in the delta area)
Orphanage at Can Tho (still exists, has been recently completely taken over by government, although Sr. Danielle, present there in 1975, is in a nearby convent. (Sr. Eugenie was responsible, Sr. Eugenie now in retirement center at Culaogieng; Sr. Anicet was also a nurse, then went to assist Montanyards in 1971)
Orphanage in Soc Trang (Soc Trang is also called Khanh Hung) now boarding school for hill tribe children, building still intact, Sr. Marie Marthe and Sr. Sylvie are there, were there from 1967-1975. (Ba Xuyen province)
Orphanage at Sadec (orphanage register is intact at Sadec today)
Orphanage at Rach Gia
Orphanage at Culaogieng, province of An Giang
Orphanage at Bac Lieu
Orphanage at Ba Xuyen
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Good Shepherd Sisters
Orphanage in Vinh Long, and home for unwed mothers (is now a police station, you can see the orphanage from the gate)
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Redemptorist Orphanage aka Dong Chua Cuu The aka Pere Olivier’s Orphanage aka Truong Minh Giang (located on an alley near Truong Minh Giang St. not far from Truong Minh Giang Market)
Pere Olivier died some years ago. There are still Redemptorist Priests there, and the church near the orphanage buildings, now otherwise occupied. Baptismal records are here and could be helpful. Ask for Fr Peter Thuam.
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Dominican Sisters:
The Orphanage of Tan Mai (still in operation, Dominican Sisters still there)
Co nhi Vien Tan Mai just outside of Bien Hoa
St. Rose of Lima in Hoc Mon (orphanage buildings still there, Sisters are very welcoming of adoptees)
Tan Binh Orphange in Cam Ranh; Sr. Mary Lieu (I don’t know the order she belonged to.)
Sao Mai Orphanage, Cam Ranh (also don’t know who ran this orphanage, was Catholic Orphanage, run by Sisters)
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Sancta Maria Orphanage, in Gia Dinh Province near Saigon
Operated by Andre Nguyen Van Vung, Andre’s sister Caroline is married to an Australian man, Bela Venzel and they are now in Australia. Peter Hill is best contact now for Sancta Maria orphanage.
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Hoi Duc Anh Orphanage
Located at the corner of Cong Quynh and Vo Tanh (old street names) in Saigon.
Still exists, looks the same with some additions to kitchen area. Now a boarding school for the Blind. Adoptees are welcome to see the buildings.
Look up Phu Lam Joe Rokus on the web, an army unit helped out a good deal at Hoi Duc Anh and would love to hear from anyone from this orphanage.
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An Lac Orphanage in Saigon
Mme. Ngai was the director, Betty Tisdale, long time supporter of this orphanage. You can find her easily on the web.
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Xom Chieu Orphanage, Saigon
Located at Khanh Ha, Saigon 4. Parish priest in 60’s-70’s was Fr. Joseph Pham van Dau
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China Beach Orphanage, Danang
This was a large Protestant orphanage operated by a group of missionaries.
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Vung Tau Christian Home
Located at Vung Tau, small orphanage run by Mr. and Mrs. Warren
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Sisters of the Congregation Lovers of the Cross
Go Vap Orphanage, (still in operation, no records available)
Was largest orphanage in Vietnam, located in the Go Vap District, of Gia Dinh Province, about 8 miles from central Saigon. Sr. Lucy was director of this orphanage. Some annexes of this orphanage were in Thu Duc, also Gia DInh Province.
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Operated by Catholic Sisters, unknown communities.
Phan Thiet, provincial orphanage, adoptions mainly in France, arranged by direct contact with families or French adoption Organizations or through Mere Ange in Danang. Children would transit in one of our nurseries in Saigon (Hy Vong, New Haven, To Am or Allambie or at Phu My until documents in order.
Thuy Hoa Orphange, children also brought from here in transit and stayed at one of our four nurseries.
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Tu Du , Saigon’s largest Maternity on the corner of Cong Quynh and Hong Thap Tu. Had numbers of babies abandoned each month. A Sister of St. Vincent de Paul would often contact us directly (Rosemary Taylor’s group which became known as FCVN for a few months in 1973, then FFAC, Friends for All Children, also in 1973). Rosemary worked in Vietnam since 1967, the Department of Social Welfare decided we needed a name, especially since we were caring for such large numbers of children.
Sr. Vincent, who was at Tu Du in the 70’s has also been at Tu Du in the past few years, as we have visited her there. I am not certain if she is still there.
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City of Thu Duc in Thu Duc Province.
Benedictine Sisters had a monastery there, have a monastery there today.
Children with no known parents, who were at the Maternity in Thu Duc or left in the area, were taken to the Benedictine Sisters, who had no facility for caring for children. They either took the babies themselves or there were a group of French women who assisted them to take children to Tan Mai in Bien Hoa, St. Paul’s in Bien Hoa, to Caritas, or to us (Hy Vong, New Haven, Allambie, To Am—FFAC)
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Friends For All Children—Rosemary Taylor
Dedicated to children with no known families (98% of children had no known families)
These nurseries had a total of 400+ children at any one time.
Hy Vong—Intensive Care Nursery, Saigon
New Haven—also Intensive Care as well as nursery for babies once they got well
To Am—nursery for sick and well 3 month old infants-toddlers
Allambie—home for some babies, toddlers and mainly children 3-7 years.
Other agencies in Saigon included Holt, Catholic Relief Services (Sister Kateri Kovermann), Pearl Buck Foundation, Okendon Venture (England), International Social Services, Friends of Children of Vietnam (1973-1975). I am sure there were others.
I have information about some of these orphanages, photos of some of the orphanages, additional contact information for some. You can contact me susanmcdo@aol.com. Sr. Susan Carol McDonald
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20 comments:
I was wondering if you might have known my Father as he was a Physician who volunteered at the Orphanage in My Tho.His name was Ralph Leighty and was from Swissvale. If so and you want to contact me you I am at kentleighty@gmail.com.
Thanks
Greetings,
Thank you for taking care of us during the war. I left Vietnam for Canada in February 1974. I've been blessed ever since and will forever be grateful for wonderful people like you. I am thinking of returning to Vietnam to see where I was born and if there is a need, do some volunteer work. I was at the Providence Orphanage in Khanh Hung before I left. I was wondering if you could please help me by giving me any information so I can prepare my trip and places where they would welcome volunteer work. I hope to go next November. Thank you and best regards, Evangeline
Hi,
Thank you for posting this.
I was born in 1965 and adopted in 1966 from Cholon Saigon and am not sure which orphanage I am from. Sister Robert took care of me during the time I was an infant but I have no memories whatsoever but I do have some photographs.
Any chance might know Sister Robert? I would love to know anything about my biological background and of the sister who took care of me. I am assuming that she is passed away and understand the orphanage burned down.
Sincerely,
Laurie Puglia
laura.puglia@att.net is my preferred email address. Thank you again.
Dear Sr. Susan Carol McDonald,
My husband was in Vietnam, Saigon on the air force in 1971-2. He was a Pilot that flew Hueys. He (John Machino) and his gunman (Bill Illingsworth) helped and gave most of their paycheck to a catholic orphanage on the out skirts of Saigon. He said when they first stayed helping this orphanage she only had about 20 kids but when he left she had over 100.
She was about 35ish with dark hair. She stayed dress in nun robes most of time. She only spoke french. She was a really sweet girl. He called her Frankie but he thinks her name was french that started with F. Any help you can give me would be wonderful
Dear Sr. Susan Carol McDonald,
my husband was an orphan in Hoi Duc Anh, he was adopted in 1968. Do you know which congregation was running the orphanage then?
I have pictures taken by a fellow Vietnam veteran in late 1967 and early 1968 of girls at the Sacred Heart orphanage in Danang during his many visits. We have pictures of a girl, about 8-10 years old, whom he wanted to adopt, and she wanted him to adopt her. Sadly, the Tet offensive of 1968 separated them, he was unable to get paperwork started, and then my friend was sent back to the U.S. He has had a hole in his heart for 50 years.
The girl's "nickname" was "Little Pineapple", and we don't know her exact Vietnamese name, though it sounded like "tum" or "toom". We have the list of 1600 orphans, but we have no way to cross reference from the Vietnamese names.
If you were a girl at the orphanage, please contact me, and I will send you pictures of the soldier and the girl. Perhaps you will recognize her and be ab le to help us.
God bless and be with the nuns of the Sacred Heart orphanage and all the children who were there.
Charles Leicht 50 years ago U554828569
PLeasant Prairie, WI 53158 USA
We adopted a girl in 1974, ( born March 1/73, Huynh the Ngoc Chau ) who was abandoned at birth and taken in by Providence Orphanage, Khanh Hung (Ba-Xuyen). Prior to her coming to America, we understand she was last at To Am Nursery, in then called Saigon City.
It was Sister Sylvie Giang-Thi-Huong who signed the adoption release papers and Rosemary J. Taylor notarized the "Release Certificate." Her birth certificate says she was born at Khanh Hung (Ba Xuyen)
I expect to travel to Vietnam in the next several weeks and wish to visit the city of her birth and the Providence Orphanage (if still there). This, as we plan a trip for next spring with our daughter and her husband. I would be pleased to receive any information on current status, etc., on both the Providence Orphanage in Khanh Hung and To Am Nursery in Ho Chi Minh City.
Henry J Wiebe, hank.ripon@gmail.com
I was adopted in 1968 in the Viet Hoa Village. I was named after my mother, Pham Thi Gai, who had me at the famous Tu Du Maternity Hospital. She gave me up in 1966. I was hoping to attach a picture of my adoption papers, but I can't. I remember my father talking about Sr. Robert and everything that people have been posting to their blog about her. I am hoping that my birth mother is still alive and wish to find her. I know its a long shot, but I'm willing to try. You may e-mail me at lcrum30396@aol.com,instead of the lcrum6@gmail.com and I will attach my picture and adoption papers. Thanks for your help. Respectfully, Lien Crum
Hello my name is Noah Douglass. I was adopted in 1974. There is no record of my birth. I was taken care of by a Sister Gene Marie according to my adoption paper work. The Vietnamese government gave me the name Tran Van Hung Phuc on my passport. At age 47 I am finally prepared to learn more about where I am from. My passport state I am from Go Vap Gia S. Vietnam??? I am very interested in finding out if this school is still around? I am planning a trip for the 50th anniversary of the end of the Vietnam war. Is there any way that records might be available that at the time were not?? Any advice and/or direction would be greatly appreciated
I was involved in the blog on this site dated March 16, 2019. I have a few suggestions, but I don't know what you wish to accomplish on your trip. You may contact me at
knobdealer@wi.rr.com
If all you wish to accomplish is to see the orphanage from which you were adopted, it's at the beginning of the home page for this blog. Scroll down and you'll find go vap orphanage in the Saigon district of Gia.
My sister left her son, a baby boy, Vo Nhu Ngoc in the care and custody of Dong Chua Cuu The Church in 1975.
He was born on December 4, 1972, making him about 2.5 years old. He was a mix baby from a White male in his 30s she met in Vung Tau.
She visited him every day. Upon her return, she was told he was evacuated and placed on a plane, the day prior and said had she been there, she would have been able to leave with him. She has been longing a reunion with her son. She still reside in Vietnam. I live in the US and would love to help her reunite them. Any assistance would be greatly appreciated.
Do not give up. I have some suggestions. Please send me an email at knobdealer@wi.rr.com, and I will reply.
I'll see if I can post a larger comment.
Your situation is very complicated, as you don't know if Vo Nhu Ngoc was evacuated to the United States when the war ended 50 years ago early in May. Does your sister have confirmation, or was she separated from him and simply "told" what was supposed to happen. The airfield in Vung Tau was very small and South Vietnam was in chaos. It is unlikely he would've been airlifted by helicopter to a U.S. navy ship offshore. My guess is he may have been trucked with other orphans to Saigon, but with no further plan to get out of Vietnam. When the communists took over, they cleared out the orphanages and dumped children at their ancestral villages listed on orphanage records. This is what happened in Danang at the protestant orphanage with which I am familiar.
Dong Chua Cuu is a multiple location organization. You are blessed in that they have locations in the United States. In Texas the phone number is 713-681-5144. Tell them who you and your mother are and that you are trying to locate your nephew Vo Nhu Ngoc.
There are problems with the American father, if your sister doesn't remember his name. However, I'd suggest you do a DNA test with Ancestry.com Your nephew may be looking to connect. Maybe the father is giving it a try. There could be a relative of a relative of a relative that might open the door.
If you'd like to communicate more with questions or any progress, my email is knobdealer@wi.rr.com. I wish you the best. Vietnam was a beautiful country, but we Americans didn't connect well with the Vietnamese. The end of the war and the refugee situation were our national shame, but I hope you can help your sister fill the emptiness in her heart.
Hello. I recently received some papers after my mother (adopted) passed. I was adopted in July of 1975. She never showed me them while she was alive.
The paper says the directrice, Sr. Rose Marie, gives rights of emigration of myslef (Tran Thi Bich Chau) to Mr. & Mrs. David Stone of Illinois from the orphange of Phu My, Thi Nghe, Saigon. I was born March 27, 1974 in Giadinh to unknown parents.
I'm wondering if the "unknown parents" is an actual fact? I would like to know what their names were or at least one biological parent.
There are so many unanswered questions. Can anyone guide me, please?
Hi, as far as i know it is complicated. If a woman gave birth and the Child for adoption she could only do that when she had permission from the father or when unknown, her own father. So a lot of times parents unknown was written on the certificate to make things easyer. Another thing is, that sometimes children where left at the orphanage and then a name was given by the director of the orphanage. Good luck with your search. Maybe you can try my heritage for a dna match but it is rarely done by vietnamese people
Hello, I have run into many dead ends in my search for my biological mother and father. Did you happen to ever meet Sister Gene Marie at Regina Pacis in Saigon? I have been told when the North Vietnamese got to Saigon, they burned or destroyed many documents at many of the orphanages. It has been nearly impossible to out anything about my birth parents. As far as I know, I was left at the steps of the orphanage and eventually adopted into my family in Oregon in 1974. They chose my birth date for Jan. 1, 1973 but they believe I was about 1 yrs old when I was left there. Thank you
Thank you for this information. I appreciate it.
Hello. I was given some documents and have been trying to look up information. I have not met Sister Gene Marie. My birth name was on my papers but also don't know if that is the name the orphanage gave me. Thank you for reaching out.
The name the government or Regina Pacis gave me was Tran Van Hong Fuc. That was on my visa/passport when I came to America. Through research I heard that Sister Gene Maire passed away within the last few years, however I found out that the Principle Sister Myriam is still alive and may remember or have some possible documents or knowledge about my time there before I was adopted. Do you know Sr. Myiurm?
I was a Special Forces Medic in 1969 and ran several "MedCap" missions from Tra Cu north to a French Orphanage on Song Vam Co Dong. I remember being the only American in the village but had no fear as I was there to give medical aid to all the kids many of whom were orphans of enemy soldiers. After treating the small lumps and bumps of the kids I sat down at the little open air "cafe" overlooking the river and ate a bowl of soup and enjoyed a bottle of 33 brand cool beer. I often think of those kids and offer a small prayer for them and hope they went on to a life free from war.
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