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PREFACE AND ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

Hardly a day goes by that we do not hear of the war in Vietnam and the debate that it has brought forth throughout the world. The things we hear little about, however, are the people, their heritage, and their daily life.

Before I went to Vietnam, I searched the public libraries for information and found very little available. This book is a result of that frustration. I hope that it will be of use to others, especially to students who are asked to write term papers on the country.

After studying Vietnam and its people first-hand for two years, I have attempted to choose a sampling of things which I hope will help the reader to understand the people of that country better. It is impossible to include everything of importance that I gathered in my research in a book of this nature; therefore, for the avid student of Vietnam, a selected list of references are included in the Appendices.

Limited information is included on North Vietnam today and many statistics quoted are for South Vietnam only. The majority of the information about customs and culture applies to all Vietnamese living on both sides of the 17th parallel. The government of North Vietnam did not reply to my queries on the country, and little printed documentation can be found about it in the free world.

Numerous people have helped me obtain information for this book. First of all, I would like to thank all of those people in Vietnam who were so anxious to see that their country be known to others in lands far away. They include my students in Vietnam, the Vietnamese librarians, Vietnamese personnel working for the United States Information Service, employees of the Vietnamese Ministry of Information, especially Mr. Doan Bich, and our foster daughter, Miss Hau Dinh Cam, who worked very hard typing borrowed copies of single documents, before and after translations, and for illustrating this book.

Next, my thanks is extended to Americans who encouraged me in my efforts and who made comprehensive statistics available to me from official U.S. agencies in Vietnam. Whenever I travelled outside of Saigon, there were numerous Americans in the armed services and other officials agencies who went out of their way to introduce me to Vietnamese who were knowledgeable about the area and its customs.

Appreciation is also extended to Major Grace Johancen, Public Information Officer, Fort Lee, Virginia, for her valuable proof-reading and editorial assistance which was freely given in her off-duty hours.

A special thanks goes to the numerous missionaries stationed in Vietnam, who have perhaps the best understanding of the people and their customs of any foreigners living there.

Last, but not least, I would like to thank my husband and my children for their interest and proddings, without which I might have given up on numerous perplexing occasions. For my children, I am grateful for their innate curiosity and their facility for getting me into numerous conversations with the Vietnamese. To my husband, Roy, goes a special thanks for never holding me back even when some of the things I did in Vietnam might have seemed to be a little crazy or even dangerous. I am thankful for his unselfishness and understanding.

I am also grateful to the United States Army who sent my husband to Vietnam and later allowed the children and me to join him. What at first seemed to be a disappointment (we had orders to go to Arizona which were cancelled) turned out to be one of the most interesting and challenging experiences in our life and one that we will never forget.

Ann Caddell Crawford

Fort Lee, Virginia