Invited To Return With Mrs Ky

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31279, 27 January 1967, Page 3

Invited To Return With Mrs Ky

(N.Z. Press Association) AUCKLAND, Jan. 26. For half an hour last night life was golden for Mrs N. A. Rangi, of Te Atatu South, for she had been invited by Mrs Ky to fly to Saigon with her today to visit her husband, who is serving in the Royal New Zealand Artillery there.

Then came disappointment when, after a hurried consultation among New Zealand and Vietnamese officials, she was told it would be impossible to make the travel arrangements in suph a short time. “I didn’t think it could be

true,” said Mrs Rangi afterwards. “I thought I must be dreaming it all.” The story began when Mrs Rangi was invited to attend the mayoral reception for Air Vice-Marshal Ky and his wife last night, along with seven other wives of New Zealand servicemen in Vietnam.

Her husband, Gunner A. J. T. Rangi, is a radio operator attached to the 161st Battery. After the speeches Mrs Rangi was among the hundreds of guests who were Introduced to Mrs Ky. She told her that her husband was in Vietnam and was asked what he did there.

“He’s a gunner in the New Zealand battery,” said Mrs Rangi. “It’s very nice to have your soldiers there helping us,” said Mrs Ky. Then Mrs Ky added: “How would you like to fly back to

Saigon in our ; plane tomorrow morning and meet your husband?”

“Oh, I’d love to,” Mrs Rangi exclaimed. Mrs Ky turned to Mrs McElroy, the wife of the Mayor of Auckland, and asked her if it could be arranged. When the Kys left for their hoted soon afterwards Mrs McElroy referred the request to officials at the reception. Meanwhile, Mrs Rangi waited outside the Town Hall, realising that there might be difficulties which would prevent her going and trying not to raise her hopes too high. Notice Too Short

Finally, the Charge d’Affaires at the New Zealand Embassy in Saigon, Mr A. Q. Pope, who was travelling with the Kys, went to tell her that it would be

quite impossible to arrange the trip at such short notice. There were many formalities to be gone through, including passports and visas, but the main difficulty was the international health regulations.

He said that Mrs Rangi would have to have a series of immunisation injections for about a week before she was allowed to enter Vietnam.

Mr Pope said he had discussed the subject with Dr. Nham, a Vietnamese who was formerly director of the hospital at Qui Nhon where the New Zealand medical team was now working and who was travelling with Air ViceMarshal Ky. “He was quite horrified at the idea of anyone entering Vietnam without the injections and said it could not be permitted,” Mr Pope said.