Friendship Village and Kindergarten Dedication

Former battleground dedicated as PeaceTrees Friendship Village

Despite squall like rain and sticky red mud there was standing room only at the dedication of the PeaceTrees Vietnam Friendship Village.

On September 19, 2002, in cooperation and friendship with the Dong Ha Town People's Committee, the PeaceTrees Friendship Village was officially dedicated, on the site of the former US Marine Combat Base, in the town of Dong Ha. This land, once a fiery battleground, has been safely cleared of 289 pieces of unexploded ordnance (UXO) and landmines and will provide homes and a fresh start, including micro-credit loans, for 100 families whose lives have been shaped by the aftermath of war.

Several Seattle and Los Angeles area supporters, including two Vietnam War veterans, involved in sponsoring the PeaceTrees Friendship Village traveled to Quang Tri Province for the ceremonies. Karl Ege, General Counsel of the Frank Russell Company, Tacoma Washington, who served on the Dong Ha Combat Base as a USMC Captain, helped dedicate the Village Kindergarten in honor of two members of his 1965 Princeton Graduating Class, who gave their lives in combat in Quang Tri Province. Karl and his Princeton classmates have long wished to honor their fallen comrades with a permanent memorial.

Steve Kelsey and David Spencer Hackett, both US Marine Corps infantry lieutenants, two of Princeton '65's most illustrious and talented graduates, were stationed at the Dong Ha Combat Base during their tours of duty. The PeaceTrees Village Kindergarten was named in their honor and was funded by their Princeton classmates.

"This time I'll leave Vietnam with a much more positive feeling than the last time I left," said Karl Ege. "It's an opportunity to do something positive for a society that I did not contribute positively to before."

100 homes for 650 residents have been completed in the village, along with a kindergarten, community hall, roads and electrical and water supplies. Some families will have their own home for the first time since the war. The total project cost is $385,000, of which PeaceTrees Vietnam is still working to raise $12,000.

A representative from Nike attended the event and donated 26 soccer balls and dozens of shirts to the Village. Following the dedication the PeaceTrees Vietnam delegation helped move several residents into their new homes and then planted trees in the kindergarten.

 
"When we first came here, this land was barren, dangerous and useless," Jerilyn Brusseau, co-founder of PeaceTrees, said after
the village was dedicated Thursday. "It shows that ordinary people can work together to reverse the consequences of war.