Standing here once was the Junior Military Academy, the boarding school for the sons of the soldiers of the former Republic of South Vietnam. This was a millitary high school, the ages range for junior cadets were from 12 to 18. Most cadets entered school at the age of 12 and will have graduated at the age of 18. Just like any conventional high school, the cadets studied the regular curriculums that any high school students would study. However, the cadets wore military uniform everyday, and one day out of a week, they would be trained on military just like any soldier would. After graduation the cadet would pursue his military career in many branches of the armed forces, most chose to enter the Da Lat Military Academy, Naval Academy or Air Force Academy. The school's purpose was to generate military leaders for the South Vietnamese Armed Forces, and during the years of operation that ended in 1975 - when the Repubic of South Vietnam lost to the communist North - the academy had created so many officers for the South Vietnam military, the highest ranking and most prominent ex-cadet was General Le Van Ty - our big brother.

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Click here to watch a short video on YouTube about this Academy: Cadets marching on Military Day This short video demonstrated some aspects of our lives as cadets. Opening was the march in the then capital of Vietnam, Saigon, dunring the Military Day celebration. On this day, along with different units of South Vietnamese Armed Forces, we converged to SG for the show of forces and to celebrate the birthday of the former military of the Republic of Vietnam. I was one of the lucky cadets who got chosen to be in the march. It took a lot of training for this event. I remember we had to practice marching in front of our quarter for days, and in those days many cadets faced throwing out of the practice because they can't march correctly. Then in the video is an aerial picture of our school. The academy complex consisted of many buildings, but the main three big buildings, two of twhich were used for sleeping quarters and the other for classrooms, are visible in the photograph as the upside down L shape. Then next frame is the main gate of the school. The sign says "Truong Thieu Sinh Quan", it's Vietnamese for Junior Military Academy, and underneath is a welcome banner for the important visitor, a colonel from the military headquarter in Saigon - he happened to be an ex-cadet from this academy.
More information on a former cadet's website