Serving Through Medicine: Dr. Faustino Bernadett’s Volunteer Mission to Vietnam

Pictured: John A. Hannah (left), administrator of the Agency for International Development, and Dr. Faustino Bernadett, Sr., M.D.

In the spring of 1969, Faustino Bernadett, Sr., M.D., a physician and surgeon based in Chico, California, traveled to South Vietnam as part of a medical relief effort coordinated by the Agency for International Development (AID) and administered by the American Medical Association.

At the time, Dr. Bernadett was 38 years old with a busy medical practice and a full family life. He and his wife, Annetta, were raising seven children, ranging in age from 3 to 14. Despite the responsibilities at home, he accepted what he described as “a true medical and surgical challenge,” committing to a two-month volunteer tour to provide care for Vietnamese civilians affected by the war. He departed on April 2 and returned on June 5, though as his son, Faustino Bernadett, recalled, “In my mind it felt like six months, but in fact, it was only two.”

“The South Vietnamese are suffering in a war in which we are major participants,” he said. “We owe them help. The range of injury and disease is a true medical and surgical challenge.”

Under the AID program, Dr. Bernadett was assigned to civilian hospitals in rural areas. He worked in difficult conditions, limited resources, high patient demand, and a challenging climate. His work contributed to a broader U.S. medical effort prompted by a request from the South Vietnamese government to support its struggling healthcare system. At the time, 700 of Vietnam’s 1,000 doctors were serving in the military, leaving a major gap in civilian care.

Originally from Detroit, Dr. Bernadett earned his medical degree from the University of Michigan before moving to California to practice medicine. His decision to volunteer in Vietnam reflected a strong commitment to his profession and to the well-being of communities in need.