US sailors examine villagers' health, fix clinic in landmark Cambodia visit
The Associated Press
SIHANOUKVILLE, Cambodia
American sailors from a U.S. warship checked impoverished villagers' health and painted a clinic in western Cambodia Saturday, during a landmark visit aimed at bolstering the two countries' relations.
The USS Gary, a guided missile frigate with 200 officers and crew, is the first American naval vessel to make a port call in Cambodia in more than 30 years.
Its docking on Friday was hailed by U.S. Ambassador Joseph Mussomeli, who said the visit symbolizes strengthening ties between Cambodia and the United States.
During their second day on land, sailors repaired a clinic in a village near Cambodia's main port city of Sihanoukville, where their ship docked. At a nearby Buddhist pagoda, about 200 villagers — some holding their crying babies — lined up to get their health checked by a team of warship doctors.
Sihanoukville is about 185 kilometers (115 miles) southwest of the capital, Phnom Penh.
"I don't know where they came from," said Kim Phin, an 80-year-old woman who came to have her teeth checked.
"I have never had my teeth looked at, but I am this time after I heard that some sharp-nosed doctors are in my village," she said.
In Onn, 57, said she had come to the pagoda and learned that some "foreign doctors" were offering free checkups.
"I have had a chronic pain in my arms and legs," she said. "I hope that they can cure my illness."
Greeting the crew Friday, Mussomeli called for further normalization of ties between two countries, whose relationship in past years has been rocky — and largely defined by the U.S. war with neighboring Vietnam.
During the war, the U.S. military heavily bombed suspected communist guerrilla strongholds in Cambodia up to 1974.
Eighteen U.S. soldiers were killed fighting Khmer Rouge forces on Koh Tang, a Cambodian island in the Gulf of Thailand, in May 1975. Invading marines fought for three hours trying to rescue the captured crew of the U.S. merchant marine vessel Mayaguez without knowing they had already been released by the Cambodian communists.
The United States then halted military assistance to Cambodia following a 1997 coup, in which Hun Sen grabbed full power after ousting his co-premier, Prince Norodom Ranariddh. Hun Sen remains as prime minister.
But relations have improved recently, with the United States endorsing greater military cooperation.
During his trip to Cambodia in July last year, Adm. William J. Fallon, commander of the U.S. Pacific Command, said the United States could help train Cambodian military personnel and provide them with non-lethal aid such as trucks.
Maj. Lauren Kulinski, a civil affairs coordinator attached to the embassy, said the ship's doctors were set to offer primary health and dental care to about 300 villagers Sunday.
The ship is scheduled to leave Sihanoukville on Tuesday.
American sailors from a U.S. warship checked impoverished villagers' health and painted a clinic in western Cambodia Saturday, during a landmark visit aimed at bolstering the two countries' relations.
The USS Gary, a guided missile frigate with 200 officers and crew, is the first American naval vessel to make a port call in Cambodia in more than 30 years.
Its docking on Friday was hailed by U.S. Ambassador Joseph Mussomeli, who said the visit symbolizes strengthening ties between Cambodia and the United States.
During their second day on land, sailors repaired a clinic in a village near Cambodia's main port city of Sihanoukville, where their ship docked. At a nearby Buddhist pagoda, about 200 villagers — some holding their crying babies — lined up to get their health checked by a team of warship doctors.
Sihanoukville is about 185 kilometers (115 miles) southwest of the capital, Phnom Penh.
"I don't know where they came from," said Kim Phin, an 80-year-old woman who came to have her teeth checked.
"I have never had my teeth looked at, but I am this time after I heard that some sharp-nosed doctors are in my village," she said.
In Onn, 57, said she had come to the pagoda and learned that some "foreign doctors" were offering free checkups.
"I have had a chronic pain in my arms and legs," she said. "I hope that they can cure my illness."
Greeting the crew Friday, Mussomeli called for further normalization of ties between two countries, whose relationship in past years has been rocky — and largely defined by the U.S. war with neighboring Vietnam.
During the war, the U.S. military heavily bombed suspected communist guerrilla strongholds in Cambodia up to 1974.
Eighteen U.S. soldiers were killed fighting Khmer Rouge forces on Koh Tang, a Cambodian island in the Gulf of Thailand, in May 1975. Invading marines fought for three hours trying to rescue the captured crew of the U.S. merchant marine vessel Mayaguez without knowing they had already been released by the Cambodian communists.
The United States then halted military assistance to Cambodia following a 1997 coup, in which Hun Sen grabbed full power after ousting his co-premier, Prince Norodom Ranariddh. Hun Sen remains as prime minister.
But relations have improved recently, with the United States endorsing greater military cooperation.
During his trip to Cambodia in July last year, Adm. William J. Fallon, commander of the U.S. Pacific Command, said the United States could help train Cambodian military personnel and provide them with non-lethal aid such as trucks.
Maj. Lauren Kulinski, a civil affairs coordinator attached to the embassy, said the ship's doctors were set to offer primary health and dental care to about 300 villagers Sunday.
The ship is scheduled to leave Sihanoukville on Tuesday.
6 comments:
;-) We are all coming Abraham. This is called a Blank Slate. hahah..
A lunatic claimed he was 1 2nd coming, he burned down the world kingdom. Then another lunatic claimed he met Gabrilla and so the whole world was almsot wiped out.
They mangled the world society just like they are doing now.
These tall nose and green/blue/hazel eyes are from god, eh? ;-)
Wake up Hun thugs, your many fake Phd can't even save you rown backyard.
Shoot I missed typing my name. hahaha...
;-) We are all coming Abraham. This is called a Blank Slate. hahah..
A lunatic claimed he was 1 2nd coming, he burned down the world kingdom. Then another lunatic claimed he met Gabrilla and so the whole world was almsot wiped out.
They mangled the world society just like they are doing now.
These tall nose and green/blue/hazel eyes are from god, eh? ;-)
Wake up Hun thugs, your many fake Phd can't even save you rown backyard.
hahaha.. I am having problems. I keep mistyping ..
All right folks, I need to get out.
Take care everyone.
;-) We are all coming Abraham. This is called a Blank Slate. hahah..
A lunatic claimed he was a 2nd coming, he burned down the world kingdom. Then another lunatic claimed he met Gabrilla and so the whole world was almsot wiped out.
They mangled the world society just like they are doing now.
These tall nose and green/blue/hazel eyes are from god, eh? ;-)
Wake up Hun thugs, your many fake Phd can't even save your own backyard.
KHMENG WAT KNONG SROK
IT IS A VERY GOOD EXAMPLE FOR ALL OVERSEAS KHMER TO LEARN ABOUT COMPASSION... LESS CRITICS AND MORE ACTIONS!
KMENG WAT KHNONG SROK
Khmeng Wat Knong Srok,
I told you before, your French stinks, your English stinks. I am now telling you again, your French stinks, your English stinks. So quit posting your comments. It stinks.
Damn, finally Moi28's own lies are
attacking him. he's trembling out
of control. He can't write. Mua ha
ha ha .... . Loserssssssssss!!!
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