From:  Chi Mai VO

     Date:  September 23, 2013

Subject:  Thank You!

Dear Mr White,

Thank you for your prompt reply!  Too bad that you didn't have any photos of street scenes in the vicinity of Tour D'ivoire or across your Plaza Hotel.  I really do appreciate your efforts though and thank you all the same.

Please keep up the good work and take care!

Thanh that cam on,

Chi-Mai from Montreal, Canada.

    From:  Ken Kalish

     Date:  September 22, 2013

Subject:  Thank You!

The sign and her note say it was an auto parts store.  Lambretta is in the lower left of the sign.

Ken


    From:  Bob Nelson

     Date:  September 22, 2013

Subject:  Thank You!

What was her Dad's Shop?

Bob


    From:  Rick Fredericksen

     Date:  September 24, 2013

Subject:  Thank You!

With this info, can it be known the status of the Plaza today?

Rick F


    From:  Chi Mai VO

     Date:  September 22, 2013

Subject:  Thank You!

First of all, let me thank you all for your kindness and helpful efforts to track back my father’s shop on Tran Hung Dao St., Saigon!

You’re absolutely right, Tran Hung Dao Street (called Tran Hung Dao Boulevard, actually) is a very long street and can go way to former Cholon District, or Chinatown.

My father’s address was: 10, Bd Tran Hung Dao, Quan 1 (District 1), Saigon, at a stone’s throw from the "Tour d’Ivoire" (Ivory Tower) which was, I believe, a night club located at the corner of Bui Vie^n, Nguyen Thai Hoc and Tran Hung Dao St.  Actually, Tour D'Ivoire was also known under "Mui Tau" or "Bow of the ship" as you could figure it out from its location.

The Plaza BEQ was also not far from my father’s, but on the other side of the street.

If I try to pin the address "10, Tran Hung Dao St."  on Google Map, it’ll give me somehow the location on Bui Vien St., instead of Tran Hung Dao.  But all in all, it is correct.

Once again, I’m really amazed to learn the existence of such devoted people like you: kudos, Sirs!

Cheers,

Chi Mai.


    From:  Jim White

     Date:  September 23, 2013

Subject:  Thank You!

The Google Map coordinates for the Plaza Hotel are:  10 46'01.69"N, 106 41'42.00"E   For the Ky Son Annex, they are:   10 45'53.66"N, 106 41'35.00"E For the   Tour D'Ivoire  10°46'3"N   106°41'41"E    (Basically, across the street from the Plaza and a little towards the Saigon Market.)

I lived in both the Plaza and Ky Son Annex in 1970-71 but don't have any street scenes in those areas.  And, unfortunately, Google seems to have only "graphic" street views for Ho Chi Minh City.

Jim White


    From:  Chi Mai VO

     Date:  September 22, 2013

Subject:  Thank You!

First of all, let me thank you all for your kindness and helpful efforts to track back my father’s shop on Tran Hung Dao St., Saigon!

You’re absolutely right, Tran Hung Dao Street (called Tran Hung Dao Boulevard, actually) is a very long street and can go way to former Cholon District, or Chinatown.

My father’s address was: 10, Bd Tran Hung Dao, Quan 1 (District 1), Saigon, at a stone’s throw from the "Tour d’Ivoire" (Ivory Tower) which was, I believe, a night club located at the corner of Bui Vien, Nguyen Thai Hoc and Tran Hung Dao St.  Actually, Tour D'Ivoire was also known under "Mui Ta`u" or "Bow of the ship" as you could figure it out from its location.

The Plaza BEQ was also not far from my father’s, but on the other side of the street.

If I try to pin the address "10, Tran Hung Dao St. " on Google Map, it’ll give me somehow the location on Bui Vien St., instead of Tran Hung Dao. But all in all, it is correct.

Once again, I’m really amazed to learn the existence of such devoted people like you: kudos, Sirs!

Cheers,

Chi Mai.


    From:  Brian Wickham

     Date:  September 22, 2013

Subject:  Thank You!

I received this e-mail the other day and it made me feel quite good inside - speak of karma!  Chi Mai is looking for photos of her father's two shops on Tran Hung Dao St. and ran across my photo on the Web.  I wonder if any of you may have photos of Tran Hung Dao that Chi Mai might like to see?  If so feel free to just send them along at the e-mail address below.

Brian Wickham


    From:  Chi Mai VO

     Date:  September 21, 2013

Subject:  Thank You!

Dear Mr Wichkam,

I was looking at some of your photos from Saigon 1968-1969 - very interesting witness eyes of a past era - when I came across this photo of Tran Hung Dao Street, with a bit of my father’s shop (beginning with VO Th…) on the back right side corner of the picture! <Piece jointe Mail.jpeg>

Without knowing, you’ve made alive a most precious souvenir of Saigon for a lot of members of my family! In 1968, I was only 10 years and a half, but I still keep a lot of memories of this place.  Could you please check in your past pictures if you have any other picture of this Tran Hung Dao Street, so I could have a chance of seeing our shop’s sign: Vo Thanh?  I can still remember there was a big GI’s building in front of my father’s other shop PressingToutaneuf (the 3rd shop, starting from right corner, in the row of automobile parts shops on this portion of Tran Hung Dao street).  Your picture actually was a following of this suite of shops, but further on the right.

Thank you for sharing all these memories, very touching and invaluable for us all, Mr Wickham!

Cam on rat nhieu,

Chi-Mai.


Looking for Her Father's Shop -- Also See "Related to Saigon - 4"

September 2014

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