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WHITE.TXT p19

Freemasonry In
Vietnam

by Mark E. White  MPS

In an area not much larger than the
state of New Mexico, Vietnam holds a
population greater than California, New
York, and Pennsylvania combined. For
most of its two thousand years existance
it has been ruled by the occupation forces
of China, France, or Japan.

French missionaries, following spice
and silk traders, arrived in Vietnam as
early as the 16th century. In the ensuing
years thousands of Vietnamese were
converted to the Christianity of Catho-
lics. By the second half of the l9th cen-
tury, The Grand Orient of France estab-
lished the first Craft Lodge in Vietnam.
La Fraternite'Tonkinois (The Tonkinese
Brotherhood), was established at Hanoi
on September 9, 1886, to be followed by
Le Reveil de l'Orient (Awakening in the
East) on November 10, 1886, at Saigon,
and L'Etoile du Tonkin (The Star of Ton-
kin), onJuly 21, 1892, at Haiphong. A
fourth Lodge, Les Fervents du Progres
(The Enthusiasts of Progress) would be
established on April 16, 1913, at Saigon.
Later it was to merge with Le Re'veil de
l'Orient. Cambodia's first Lodge,
L'Avenir Khmer (Future Khmer), was
established in 1906, at Phomn Phen.

The Grand Lodge of France estab-
lished two Craft Lodges of their own in
Vietnam. La Ruche de l'Orient (Beehive
of the Orient) #401, at Saigon, on June
19, 1908, and the Lodge Les'Ecossais du
Tonkin (The Scots of Tonkin) #442, at
Hanoi, on March 3, 1912. Laos too, had
a Masonic Lodge; Lodge Lanexang So-
lakoklan #1632, established at S.C.
Vietaine.

With the defeat of the French at Dien
Bien Phu, in 1954, and the eventual
withdrawal of French military forces
from Vietnam, all Masonic Lodges in
Indo-China would go into darkness. Al-
though Freemasonry did not cease to
exist, it never again enjoyed the height of
influence it possessed during the French
occupation.

American military advisors began ar-
riving in Vietnam in 1955-56 during the
Eisenhower administration. American
military and civilian personnel wanting
to join the Craft were referred to Biak-
Na-Bato Lodge #7, F. & A.M., at Ma-
nila, Philippines. For many years Ma-
sons wishing to join the York and Scottish
Rites, or the Shrine, had to travel to
Manila in order to join these appendant
bodies. However, Brethren were also vis-
ited in-country by degree conferring
teams from Okinawa.

On December 4, 1966, 37 Master Ma-
sons belonging to 25 different Grand
Lodges, sent a petition to M.W. Ray-
mond E . Wilmarth, Grand Master of the
Grand Lodge ofthe Philippines, request-
ing a dispensation to form a Craft Lodge
at Saigon. On January 4, 1967, M.W.
Manuel Q. Tinio granted this dispen-
sation. The Lodge was approved by
Grand Communication on April 23,
1969, and onJune 6, 1969, M.W. Man-
uel M. Crudo constituted Saigon #188,
F. & A.M., Saigon, Republic of South
Vietnam. With permission to operate
never being granted by the Vietnamese
government, it was decided not to in-
volve the local residents in the Lodge.
Two Vietnamese Nationals eventually
became members however.

Not having a Lodge building, Saigon
#188 met in the homes of the Brethren.
Later it was to assemble in the confer-
ence room of the BMK/BRJ Construc-
tion Company; and finally the Lodge
rented the top floor of a three story apart-
ment building in downtown Saigon.
Here it remained until the fall of the
country in 1975. There is no known re-
cord of this Lodge meeting at the Amer-
ican Embassy as alleged.

The general membership consisted
mostly of American and Filipino workers
employed by the many construction
companies. One personal communica-
tion states this Lodge conferred the de-
grees on five candidates per week, fifty-
two weeks per year, for seven years. It
conferred its last degree on April 19

1975, eight days before the fall of the
country. Other Masonic organizations in
Vietnam included numerous Square and
Compass Clubs, (Gia Pinh Square and
Compass Club, at Ton Son Nhut Air
Base, Da Nang Square and Compass
Club, Na Thrang Square and Compass
Club, Freedom Hall Square and Com-
pass Club of Da Nang, Chu-Lai Square
Club #1187, and also the Hiram Club,
located at Can Tho), along with at least
two Shrine Clubs. These were the Oasis
Shrine Club and the Mekong Delta
Shrine Club, also located at Can Tho.
These Shrine clubs held monthly meet-
ings at the Dai Nam Enlisted Open Mess
until military restrictions forced them to
seek other quarters and they then met at
local restaurants:

The National Sojourners (a Masonic
organization for members with the rank
of Warrant Officer and above) had sev-
eral chapters in-country; Tropic Light-
ning #499, Long Binh #500, and the 4th
Infantry Division #501. Also present in
Vietnam was Saigon #409, Heroes
Camp Captain J. Parker, chartered in
1955, and I Corps Camp Heroes of '76,
chartered in 1966.

At the rate of one province per day
falling to the Viet Cong and the North
Vietnamese Army, the Communist
forces made their final attempt to cap-
ture Saigon in March, 1975. On April
29, 1975, at 22:45, President and Broth-
er Gerald R. Ford commenced "Opera-
tion Frequent Wind," the final depar-
ture of Americans from Saigon.

On April 30, 1975, at 07:53, the Light
of Freemasonry, with the last C H-46
helicopter, carrying the last 11 Marines
away from what was left of the American
Embassy in Saigon, was extinguished.
The records of Saigon #188 went to
Guam. The Lodge eventually moved to
Manila where it currently operates.
Recommended Reading

The Illustratcd History of thc Vietnam War, Brian Beck-
ett, Multimedia Publications (UK) Ltd.

Inside The Green Berets The Story of thc U.S. Army

Special Forccs, Charles M. Simpson, The Berkeley
Publishing Group, 1983 .

The Illustrared History of the Marines, The Vietnam War,

Edwin H. Simmons, Rufus Publishing Com-
pany Inc ., 1987 .

Vietnam Veterans, The Road to Recveryy,
John DelVecchio, New Ames Library, 1985.

Author's note: The writer would like to thank Brother
Thomas B. Teeter, MPS for his help, and, assistance.
To those Brthren taking the time to reflect upon thc past
and prvide  much of the Information for this paper, we
express a special gratefulness


The Philalethes, April, 1991
