Serving Through Medicine: Faustino Bernadett, Sr., M.D.’s Work in Vietnam

John Hannah (left), Administrator of the Agency for International Development, & Dr. Faustino Bernadett, Sr., M.D.

In the spring of 1969, Dr. Faustino Bernadett, Sr., M.D., Tino Bernadett’s father, participated in a medical relief mission to South Vietnam. The effort was coordinated by the Agency for International Development (AID) and administered by the American Medical Association, aimed at supporting civilian hospitals during a time of significant strain on Vietnam’s healthcare system.

At 38, Dr. Faustino Bernadett, Sr. was living in Chico, California, with his wife, Annetta, and their seven children. While balancing a busy medical practice and a full household, he made the decision to take a temporary leave to contribute his skills abroad. He viewed the opportunity not only as a professional challenge but also as a moral obligation.

“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.” He left on April 2 and returned on June 5. As a child, Faustino remembers feeling like his father was gone much longer, though it was just two months.

Assigned to rural hospitals, he worked under difficult conditions, limited supplies, long hours, and overwhelming need. At the time, approximately 700 of Vietnam’s 1,000 physicians were serving in the military, leaving a significant shortage in civilian medical care. Faustino Bernadett’s father’s work helped bridge that gap, if only briefly.

Born in Detroit, his father earned his medical degree from the University of Michigan before relocating to California to establish his medical practice. He didn’t seek attention or recognition for this trip. For him, volunteering in Vietnam was simply an extension of his professional duty and personal values.

Faustino’s father’s decision to volunteer in Vietnam spoke volumes about his character, he didn’t seek recognition or accolades, just the opportunity to make a difference where it truly mattered. It was a reflection of his deep commitment to medicine and to helping others, even in the most challenging of circumstances.