Members of the Marine Corps Basic Class 6-67 donated over $40,000 to build the Mac Dinh Chi Primary School, a nine-room facility located in Quang Nam Province. The school dedication ceremony was held in February 2006 and many members of the class returned to Vietnam, some for the first time since the Vietnam War, to dedicate the school. The Class is now also supporting a library to be built at the school.

 

The article below was originally published in EMW's Reach Vietnam magazine Spring 2006 edition.

Marines Return to Build School and Basketball Courts in Honor of Servicemen

Many officers of the U.S. Marine Basic Class 6-67 who graduated in June of 1967 as the United States’ role in the Vietnam War was escalating were stationed in Danang in central Vietnam. The Class lost over half of its class in the war – one of the highest casualty rates of any Marine class since the Korean War. In late 2004, officers of the Marine Basic Class 6-67 began to actively seek funding to build a small school in Vietnam to honor officers of the class.

The idea to build a school for poor children in Vietnam was conceived by a group of the Marines, their spouses, family, and friends. After receiving lead gifts from John Wells, Richard Wilkerson, Anthony B. Joseph, and Steve Colwell, many individuals and organizations responded with open hearts and a great deal of generosity. The Marine Basic Class 6-67 raised over $40,000 to help build a nine-room primary school in Binh An commune of Thang Binh District in Quang Nam Province.

On February 22, 2006, the Mac Dinh Chi Primary School Opening Ceremony brought together Marine Basic Class colleagues, friends and family members, local and provincial Vietnamese public officials and community leaders, and over 150 students who will attend the school. The new school replaces a dilapidated building with molding walls that posed major health hazards to the students. The old school building was overcrowded and could only provide half-day instruction. With the new nine-room school building, all students may receive full-day instruction, thereby increasing the opportunity for a better education.

With the generosity of Andrea and Terrence McCreanor, the children of the Mac Dinh Chi Primary School will also be able to enjoy playing basketball on brand new courts. The McCreanors built the basketball courts in honor of 1st Lieutenant Harry “Hank” Cheadle, a member of the Marine Basic Class who died 22 days after he arrived in Vietnam. “Hank’s Courts” introduces a generation of young Vietnamese children in Binh An commune to basketball in honor of Hank, a basketball State Champion player. EMW’s Country Director Mark Conroy plans to bring a member of the University of Danang’s Athletic Department to coach the young kids on how to play basketball. Dorothy Lemmey of Ohio, Cheadle’s widow, attended the opening ceremony and played with the young students of Mac Dinh Chi School. Dorothy said, “Hank would have been so happy to see this beautiful school and know that we helped the Vietnamese people…it was so wonderful to see the young children’s faces and watch them play…Hank would have loved this…”

East Meets West is honored to partner with the Marine Basic Class 6-67 to honor the men and women of our military services by helping generations of young Vietnamese school children. •

 

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