Note to Readers
July marks a new life in Saigon for a family in 1974
Hello all,
I hope this post finds you well and enjoying some summer moments. I’m writing to update you as to the focus of Stories of Vietnam. Over the last two years, in 128 posts, I’ve featured a variety of stories, many of them, happily, from guest writers.
My goal was always to bring you a vital personal connection to the wide and deep—and often devastating—effect that the Vietnam Era has had on our American experience.
In the posts that I authored, I often referred to my parents’ letters, for they are an invaluable source of information about my family’s time in Saigon (July 1974-April 1975). [My parents: James E. Welch (CIA) and Nancy L. Rabdau Welch.]
After the April 30th 50th anniversary of the Fall of Saigon, I began to look for a new focus for this newsletter, and have decided to fully share the words that only I have had access to—those written by my mother in her missives home.
In the coming months, I will publish the full letters that she wrote (usually once a month) to share her unfiltered observations of daily life as well as her occasional comments on the bigger political and military realities of the day.
As I’ve often said, she provides a startling contrast: descriptions of fun family outings juxtaposed with heightening tensions, routine doctor’s appointments amidst the threat of incoming armies, written reassurances blended with reports of recent bombings.
I’m grateful to my grandparents (James and Mildred Owen Rabdau) for saving all of my mother’s letters.
I do hope you’ll enjoy them, and please do share any stories or memories they might spark.
Most sincerely,
Kat Fitzpatrick
P.S. I’d like to thank my long-time friend Anne-Marie B. for requesting more in-depth perspectives from my mother—they helped inspire this coming series. ♡
Read the Whole Story
Yay! 💜
Kat, really looking forward to it. This will be special and revealing, as it is probably this first look to many of mom's letters to her parents. Thanks so much for all the effort!