In November of 1965, the 1st Battalion, 3rd Marines entered the Republic of South Vietnam. They occupied an area 8 miles northwest of Danang. Drs. Ed Shahady and Jim Wilkerson served as medical officers for the battalion. The war in Vietnam brought a new aspect into the life of the Medical Officers, Corpsman and Marines of the battalion. They were faced with the problem of winning the confidence of the people for whom they were fighting and protecting their land. The Navy physicians and corpsman became part of the "People to People Program" or “Civic Action Program". One of the biggest aspects of this program was the daily sick call visits to the villages surrounding the Hamlet of Hoa Khanh. Pictured below Dr Shahady during a village sick call.
A team consisting of one Medical officer, 2 Hospital Corpsmen and a Marine (for security) began making sick calls to all the villages in our area. Fifty to 60 people turned out at each stop; some to watch, some for a handout, but m o s t because they were sick. Their bodies were frail, limbs pocked with draining ulcers and abdomens distended from parasites. They told of diseases that had plagued them for years, but no one to help, how half their children died before they were six months old, and epidemics that sounded like cholera, plague and typhoid with great fear. They were grateful the American Doctors, Corpsman and Marines had come to help. There were many sick people to see and the area was too large to make more than one visit a week to a village. We asked the people to return the following week, but most of them did not return. We can make a few guesses as to why they did not return. The most logical reason being that one shot or a few pills did not produce the desired results. We were not able to give then many pills because of the fear that the medication would end up in the hands of the Viet Cong. Many of the infections needed daily care and some of the children were too sick to take oral medications and intravenous treatment and shots were needed. The doctors and corpsman were frustrated that they could only offer limited help
In early December, 1965 a child severely burned, malnourished and near death was brought to village sick call. Emergency treatment was given and the child taken to the civilian Hospital in Danang. The child was denied admission because the hospital was primarily for adults and children if they had a chance to live. With no place to go the mother was given medication and instructions to return daily. The mother and child were never seen again and the child was presumed to have died.
This incident plus the frustrations of trying to provide medical care and not just "Pills for Propaganda" made us realize that some type of in-patient facility was a necessity. So one rainy, muddy, but not cool December evening, the Battalion Medical officers Shahady and Wilkerson made a visit to the Battalion Commander. Through the gracious permission of Lt. Col. R. Dickey an idea was now to become a reality. Within two weeks, their ideal became a reality . An eleven bed canvas covered hospital was opened on Christmas Eve, 1965. In its beginning the Hospital was staffed by the doctors, corpsman and two Vietnamese women. The women were initially hired as interpreters but were trained to provide nursing care. After the first month the language barrier was overcome and both Americans and Vietnamese began to appreciate the customs, needs and emotions of each other.
The initial 11 bed tent hospital is pictured below-exterior and interior. Opened December 1965.
.Hospital December 1965 above There were many shortcomings that hampered the hospital in its infancy, but two principles provided the nucleus for its future growth. The first and most important was the nurse Nguyen- Thi Khang (Gwen), who conveyed the under- standing and loving care to the frightened children and parents . Gwen is pictured above sitting on the floor. A full page is devoted to tell the story of Gwen. Look at the top banner. The other woman was given the name Sandy. The second principle was one which only good medical care could provide. Although some children died, many more who would have, but they returned home as healthy, happy kids . Children were given a medical record number and that usually ended up being their name unless they stayed for over a week or so, Little Eddy pictured here, is an example of the good care. Eddy arrived at the hospital when he was 2 years old weighing less than 15 pounds and so weak that he could hardly move h i s arms and leg s , Eddy is pictured above after one month of care .
At first it was difficult to convince the parents to leave their children with us . Many of the parents would take their children and run with them after the child had been a patient only a few days. The nurses although they spoke very little English in the beginning, were now becoming familiar with us and they were selling our idea to their people. A variety of diseases were treated including various skin diseases, pneumonia's, and malnutrition. Through antibiotics soap and water and nutrition we were highly successful. But as all projects go, we had quickly outgrown our capacity. We had very little room to store the many clothes that had been sent to us from corpsmen and marine families in the United States! Our 11 patient ward was becoming a 15 to 17 patient ward. In.the latter part of March, construction was started on a new addition The wooden frame this time with a tin roof was provided by the Sea Bees of Construction Battalion 1. The corpsmen then went to work, a treatment room, more beds, a nursing station and connecting passageway were built. After much hard work, mostly consisting of midnight requisitioning additional material, we had ourselves a 50 bed hospital. By Mid-April, it was filled to capacity. The hospital (pictured below) was officially named Hoa Khanh Children's Hospital. Hoa Khanh means village of the sweet tolling bell.
Hospital April 1966
Several corpsmen helped with the project. Two that I recall are Ed Manning now a physician assistant in Alaska and Mike Smith in California. Hopefully this website will stimulate interest and I will be able to add more names. Dr’s Shahady and Wilkerson are retired and live in Florida. Most of the medical supplies and equipment that was available for the batallionwas for the use of adults. This made it difficult to provide the Intravenous fluids and medications without pediatric equipment. The medical officers wrote to their internship hospitals, Akron City and Akron Children’s asking for help. The interns and residents from Akron City and Akron General hospital played a basketball game for the benefit of hospital. This resulted in a shipment of pediatric supplies being sent to the hospital. The response was tremendous and started a chain of supplies which continued up until 1976. The charity basketball game continued up until 1976. (see story on the next page of the website)
In October it was time for Drs Shahady and Wilkerson to return home after spending a year away from their families. In September of 1966, Dr. John Karnoupakis of Akron assumed command of the hospital. Under his guidance a new hospital was constructed in a new location at Camp Jay K. Books within the Enclave of the Force Logistic Command . On December l, 19 66, under the direction of Dr. Robert Ault, the new 70 bed facility was opened. Head Nurse Nguyen ' s staff now numbered 30 .
Hospital 1967
The reputation of the hospital spread rapidly and patients arrived from as far away as the Demilitarized zone. Surgical and medical specialists from neighboring medical company and the hospital ship, Repose, lent added support and increased the hospital's capabilities. In the Fall of 19 67, under the leadership of Dr. Sean Fitzgerald, construction began on a new brick building to house 120 patients. Funds were raised from raffles held by the servicemen in Vietnam and writing for support from friends and relatives back home. The actual construction was done by Vietnamese volunteers and craftsmen under the supervision of the Seabees and Marine Corps Engineers. The building was completed in January, 1969, at a cost of $300,000 and dedicated on the 19th of that month .
A statue of two Vietnamese children in front of the new Hospital is pictured below Pictures of the new hospital follow the statue. Completed January 1969
The following information was found on line at http://www.johnkrill.net/vietnam/stories/hospital/index.html
The ever-increasing need for medical care and a growing acceptance of the hospital by the Vietnamese people has inspired the present structure. With the help and supervision of FLC Marines, Navy Sea bees and the donations of many contributors, civilian and military, local Vietnamese have constructed a new 120-bed facility. This building is constructed of brick, handmade by refugees of Hoa Khanh Village, completely lined with ceramic tile, and is valued at $300,000. To insure that free medical care is available to the children in northern I Corps when American forces leave the Republic of Vietnam, the World Relief Commission (WRC), overseas relief arm of the National Association of Evanglicals, is assuming co-sponsorship with the Marine Force Logistic Command. The WRC, working in half a dozen areas of the world to relieve suffering, will eventually replace all military personnel at the hospital with South Vietnamese and Free World doctors, nurses, aides and technicians. Current Status Report
September 15, 2004:This update comes from Clint Haines of the Amerasian Child Find Network, Inc. I traveled to Vietnam in August 2004 and the hospital is still in use but is now being used to house people with mental disorders. It also maintains it's orginial name. It appears that the buildings that were around the hospital were destroyed. Previous Status Report
April 7, 2003: Becky Graninger at World Relief was able to get the latest information on the hospital from a friend in Cambodia, Truc Pham. Truc Pham recently visited the Da Nang area and sent back this report. Editors note: Our newest report seems to contradict this report. The one item in this report that I was in dought of was the mention of a church next to the hospital. I have no remembrence of any church next to the hospital. Maybe they build one later but not in '69. Regarding the World Relief Hoa Khanh Children's Hospital in Da Nang. Last month in my trip to Vietnam the Lord led me to meet with just the man I needed to find out about the status of that hospital - the Rev. Le Cao Quy, who was the hospital administrative director at the time it was in operation some 30 years ago. From Rev. Quy I learned that the hospital was confiscated by the government shortly after the take over of the south in 1975. It was then run for only a few months. Afterward it was turned into a warehouse of some kind (government distribution center?). The last few years it has became a government guest house. It was very sad to hear that in January of '03 the facility was demolished. According to Rev. Quy, the land which is about 2,000 square meters, is valued around $4 million US dollars! He does not know what the government plans for this property. Rev. Quy is the pastor of the Tan An church which is adjacent to the former Hoa Khanh Hospital. As a former hospital director it was very difficult for him to watch the deterioration of the hospital and now totally demolished.
Charles Spear spent one year as a corpsman at Hoa Khanh. He continued his career in the Navy and now is a retired commander. His recollection of his time with multiple pictures can be discovered by click here