50 Years Leadership 62 Reunion in Las Vegas (October 13-October 15).

In 1962, a group of Vietnamese students, after going through a battery of tests won the scholarship to go study in the United States.  There were 30 of us. We were young, filled with enthusiasm and yet apprehended the days ahead , living in a foreign country ,away from home and family. Our departure date for the US  University was August 23^rd 1962.

Our first stop was Washington DC for some orientation. 

To-day, fifty years later, we decided to get together again to celebrate the 50 years anniversary. After many weeks of preparation, the meeting finally took place in Las Vegas, Nevada.  Not all of the members of the group could come for different reasons, we are thankful for those who made the effort to attend this event.

Most of the attendees stay at the Circus Circus Casino hotel, Lien & Trach stayed at the Flamingo. On October 13, Hue who arrived the previous day with her friend Thanh Mai, was ready to receive the arrivals of the participants.  Participants arrived either by car or by plane at different times but we succeeded in getting together thanks to Hue who met the attendees at the reception desk.

Our first meal, a lunch at around 3PM,   took place at the Rock & Rita restaurant inside the Circus Circus Casino, the food was average but we had good discount. The place was very noisy but nothing could beat the noises made by our group.  Everyone talked at the same time. All of us were happy to see the others. 

  The  boy ‘s gang : anh Thinh, anh Trien, anh Dong, anh Trach, anh Nghia , anh Tuan were making jokes at  each other  relating their old time stories.  We were not able to get in touch with anh Lam & chi Thuong even though they arrived quite early in the afternoon .Finally after many phone calls, we succeeded in finding them at the same time as Le Tuyet and anh Chuong  who arrived  last. 

A group picture was taken  in the reception hall of the Circus Circus:

For the evening meal, everyone voted for “steak and lobster” at the Tony Romas downtown inside  the Fremont casino. 

  This gave us a chance to watch the Fremont electronic experience show and the Flightlinez  soaring along the Fremont street on the zip line.
 The theme on October 13 was Don Mclean with American Pie.

Fremont Street Electronic Experience with fighlinez zippers on the zip line

Lien- Mai-Thuong -Dong- Le Chi -Mai -Tuan

Dong-Mai-Nghia-Lam-Thinh

Lam-Thuong-Lien-ThanhMai-LeChi-Hue

Lien-ThanhMai-LeChi-Hue-Mai-Dong-Trach

 Trach had an excellent idea of getting into the restaurant and taking a number. This restaurant  is always full and  have a special deal after 9PM of a delicious dish of steak and lobster.   Ninh and Bruce could not join us, neither could Le Tuyet and anh Chuong who went to the Elton John grand piano show and anh Nghia was also absent.

The meals were good and the men were drinking wine and joking and making lots of noise as always and the girls were telling their stories.  It was a great atmosphere of good humour ,  and friendship. We talked a lot, we laughed a lot and we made fun of one another.

On October 14, the morning breakfast and lunch were free choice. Small groups of people did some sightseeing, others gambled at the casino.  

In the evening, we met at the Circus Circus buffet. Ninh’s daughter, Christina, joined the group and she was very charming, and very helpful  by directing the people at the buffet to setup  tables for such a big group.  Henry , Le Chi ‘s husband , has just arrived and came to join the group. Henry speaks Vietnamese so he was not too lost listening to the Vietnamese chit chat.  Everyone had a good meal but we were tired and needed to go to bed early for the next day outing.

Videos from the trip

Video Lien

Circus Circus Buffet 

Videos anh Trien

Click on the picture to view

  Fremont  Street - Flightlinez                            Fremont Street - We will rock you - Queen

    Fremont Street - The Monsters                              Fremont Street- Concert

  Bellagio Fountains and Casino                         Grand Canyon - West Rim

Grand Canyon Tour - West Rim 

Below is the video on you tube - summary of this event.

October 15 is the Grand Canyon West Rim tour.  Many of us have taken many times the Grand Canyon Tour but very few had seen the West Rim. The pick-up time was around 5 to 6 AM and we started for the tour. We had an excellent tour guide who related not only the history of Las Vegas (http://www.lasvegasnevada.gov/FactsStatistics/history.htm) , the personages that  built Las Vegas,   the changing of the environment and the development of Las Vegas.

This is the summary video on you tube.

Enthusiastic Responses from the trip

Anh Nghia :To all of us from the Leadership 62 group:

Many thanks for the joyous time together: we really appreciated the Moment.  If you think that I was a little detached..I wish.you knew how much I appreciated your company during that short time together.

Have safe return home.

Hue:

Hi All, It was great seeing all of you again.  Hope all of you got home safely.

Anh Tuan :

I share the same sentiments, feelings, experience, and thankfulness. You guys have shown an unforgettable dedication to friendship and fellowship. It was/is a memorable gathering
Anh Lam:

WOW... so wonderful to be together again... most of you I have not seen for 50 years!!! We had a great time! Thanks to ALL, especially the "organizers"...  Let's do it again SOON!!! Le-Chi What a memorable reunion that was long overdue. Great to see all of you, esp. those I had not seen for 50 years. Henry was impressed with the way we interacted with one another, just like a group of old friends. We looked so happy and everyone could not stop talking! Lien and Trach: Trach and  I are just  back from Las Vegas and I felt overwhelmed by the thank- you notes from  anh Nghia, anh Tuan, anh Lam & Hue to one another.  We know that without the cooperation and the enthusiasm of the group, this trip cannot be successful.  This memorable meeting and the efforts you all made to come to Las Vegas is a living proof that our friendship is eternal and that we are a great group. There are people that we have not met for 50 years but when we were together, everything  seemed  to be like yesterday.   As long as we are still in good health, we will certainly want to do this again.  Many thanks again to all the participants.  We will be in touch Le Tuyet Hello my "old " friends of more than 50 years,I was excited and still am delighted by the warm atmosphere of our 3 day-reunion in Las Vegas.Although I had not reconnected with some of you since 1962,my memories are so vivid and my feelings are overwhelmed.Time has passed, but all of you act youthful, sound funny and look heathly good.Thanks again for including me as your group    Thanks to everyone who had put efforts to make the reunion so meaningful and enjoyable.Chuong is sending his warm greetings to each one of you Ninh suggested  another meeting soon...