Letter from Joel M. Halpern to Nettie and Carl Halpern
Description:
Letter from Joel and Barbara Halpern to his parents during their time in Laos with the United States Operations Mission. This letter is in the form of field notes. It begins and ends with a description of the ceremonies ending the Buddhist Lent. These include fireworks, model boats on the rivers, and special lighting in the houses and pagodas. Halpern also describes visiting a wat with Dr. Sorpena, a Phillippine dentist with Operation Brotherhood, then going on to visit a poor village called Nam Bac, which was the base for Operation Brotherhood in the area. He describes a case of a woman delivering a baby; the Operation Brotherhood hospital being built; the many photos he took of timid "Kha" (Khmu') young women; and the well-built wat in the village.
All rights for this image are held by Joel M. Halpern. Requests to publish, redistribute, or replicate this material should be addressed to Special Collections and University Archives, University of Massachusetts Amherst Libraries.
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