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JULY 9, 1955. THE BULLETIN OF THE CATHOLIC LAYMEN’S ASSOCIATION OF GEORGIA FIFTEEN Best Wishes •s&SR ROSENBERG'S ALBANY, GEORGIA DODGE Job-Rated TRUCKS DODGE PASSENGER CARS PLYMOUTH PASSENGER CARS Telephone HE. 2-2393 H & M MOTORS, Inc. 200 SPRINGS ROAD ALBANY, GEORGIA Wonderful Faith Of Vietnamese Refugees Impresses Navy Men By Father Patrick O'Connor . Society of St. Columban (Correspondent, N.C.W.C. News Service) SAIGON, Vietnam — The en gine of prayer throbbed mightily in every U. S. Navy ship carry ing Vietnamese refugees south. Thousands of Catholic peas ants would chant their prayers together on deck during Mass, weekdays and Sundays alike. In compartments below decks, they gathered in groups, by parishes or families, to say the rosary. “It was wonderful in the even ings to hear the prayers and hymns wafted up the ladder wells,” Father (Lt.) Dennis C. Kane, O. P., of Dorchester, Mass., chaplain of the USNS General Brewster, said. “When the refu gees prayed aloud at Mass on the open deck, you’d see the crew standing on the bridges and watching themf. Our men admir ed them for their great faith.” The Brewster (home port, San Francisco) took it first refugees aboard on September 16 and its last on May 14, when nine adults and one infant were taken aboard off the coast. It was one of some 40 ships of Military Sea Transportation Service that helped in the Vietnam “Passage to Freedom.” The U. S. Navy sent ships for this operation at the urgent re quest of the Vietnamese govern ment. Some of these vessels car ried as many as 5,000 refugees on one trip. In all, 293,000 civili an refugees and 19,000 troops traveled on the American ships, out of a grand total of 790,000, of whom 608,000 were civilians. Father Kane’s experience was typical of what all the chap lains witnessed. “For Mass, the refugees would pack the deck so tightly that I could hardly stir at the altar,” he said. “Their reverence at Mass was very remarkable.” A priest in navy khaki was a novelty to the people. But when Father Kane donned his white Dominican habit and the Mass vestments, they knew him as a real “Cha” (Father). Many of them came from provinces evan gelized by the Dominicans in North Vietnam. Father Kane, former professor in Villa Madon na College, Covington, Ky., one of four brothers, all Dominican priests, felt that these refugees had a special claim on him. The majority came aboard poorly dressed; some were dirty and bedraggled. “I reminded the crew that these people were not tramps,” the priest said. “They never beg ged from, 1 me. Some of them had given up comfortable homes. But they had to struggle through muddy rice-paddies and wade across rivers, to escape the Viet- minh. When they got a chance to wash aboard ship, they ran for it. I told our guys that the (refugees were like GI’s after combat, muddy dirty and ex hausted.” The sailors respected the refu gees. “They noticed the deep affec tion between parents and chil dren,” Father Kane remarked. “Another thing was their endur ance. A sailor went to help a woman with a load she had been carrying on her head. He could hardly lift it!” The children quickly made friends with the crew. “They’d love you to play with them,” the chaplain said. “And just for a simple caramel they’d be so grateful.” The ship’s store ran out of candy. The sailors had bought it all up to give to the children. “The crew was terrific,” Fath er Kane said. “They got a big kick out of buying candy and cokes for the kids. You’d see Captain Harrington, too, going around, handing out candy.” A Vietnamese team comprising a priest, interpreters, nurses and social workers was assigned to each U.S. ship. The Brewster car ried a Buddhist bonze, too. But as the refugees were 80 to 85 per cent Catholic and Buddhists rarely hold services outside their temples, the bonze had time on his hands. Father John An-Hoa, young refugees, described the passeng ers as pleased and grateful”’ Vietminh propagandists had told them that Americans would mistreat them. They hadn’t be lieved it but some had come with misgivings. “The moment they set foot on an American ship, they realized that everything the Vietminh said was false,” said the priest. From the start the refugees were grateful. Last November one of their priests wrote to the then skipper _ of the Brewster, Captain Swanson, his officers and crew: “My people and I are most humble and grateful . . . Mav God bless you and be with you always.” The time to be hapy is now. The place to be hapy is herb. The way to be happy is to make Vietnamese priest who made j other people happy.—R. G. Iri more than ten voyages with! gersoll. ALBANY BEVERAGE COMPANY 610 N. Washington Street Albany, Georgia WHOLESALE DEALERS IN ANHEUSER-BUSCH BEERS BUDWEISER • AMERICA’S SOCIAL COMPANION ROBERT L. JOINER, Office Manager MARK S. HALL, Livestock Buyer DAN L. BROOKS, Mgr. and Livestock Buyer W. M. STORY, Owner and Livestock Buyer Union Stock Yards BUY AND SELL DAILY BONDED UNDER U. S. GOVERNMENT REGULATIONS THE LARGEST AUCTION MARKET IN GEORGIA Auction Every Wednesday ALBANY GEORGIA Phones HE 27919 ALBANY, GEORGIA Phones HE 2-7011 Daily Cash Market for Hogs and Cattle W. OLIVER BOWLES, Yard Manager J. W. PATTERSON Asst. Yard Manager SAM BYRD, Manager Hog Barn J. W. (Buddy) CLARK, Auctioneer RAY FOUCHE, Transportation CECIL CAMERON — Order Buyers — B. J. NIXON