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Peace Corps coming to Vietnam for first time

Posted May 22, 2016 7:00 am

By NANCY BENAC

HANOI, Vietnam (AP) - The Peace Corps is at last coming to Vietnam.

The volunteer organization says that President Barack Obama is expected to announce on Monday that Peace Corps members will be invited to establish operations in Vietnam.

The Peace Corps has been working on gaining entry to Vietnam for years. In 2012, then-Peace Corps Director Aaron Williams made a three-day visit to the country to explore the possibility of an invitation.

The volunteers will focus on teaching English to students, and training Vietnamese colleagues to teach English.

It's a striking turnaround from the years when some young men joined the Peace Corps in an effort to avoid being drafted to serve in Vietnam.

The Peace Corps was established in 1961 by President John F. Kennedy to promote world peace and friendship.

U.S. President Barack Obama arrives on Air Force One at Noi Bai International Airport in Hanoi, Vietnam, Sunday, May 22, 2016. The president is on a weeklong trip to Asia as part of his effort to pay more attention to the region and boost economic and security cooperation. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster) The Associated Press

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