<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p class="rtecenter"><img alt="" src="/sites/default/files/inline/images/Vietnamese%20lady%20shrimp%20seller-Sept%2024.%202020-Biloxi.jpg" style="height:400px; width:300px" /></p>

<p class="rtecenter"><strong><span style="font-family:georgia,serif">Biloxi Commercial Harbor behind Hard Rock Casino in September 2020</span></strong></p>

<p class="rtecenter">&nbsp;</p>

<p class="rtecenter"><strong><span style="font-size:14px"><span style="font-family:georgia,serif">TIME LINE</span></span></strong></p>

<p class="rtecenter">&nbsp;</p>

<p class="rtecenter"><strong><span style="font-size:14px"><span style="font-family:georgia,serif">1974</span></span></strong></p>

<p><span style="font-family:georgia,serif"><span style="font-size:14px"><strong>Six of 12 Vietnamese refugees who made their home on the Mississippi Coast came to Biloxi in late May from the Eglin AFB Refugee Center.</strong><span style="color:rgb(14, 75, 126)">&nbsp;&nbsp;</span><strong>Vincent and Margaret Sherry sponsored the families and</strong><span style="color:rgb(14, 75, 126)">&nbsp;gave the Vinh family temporary shelter in ther home. &nbsp;The former South Vietnamese airforce officers and pilots and families were:&nbsp;</span><strong>Nguien Quan Vinh</strong><span style="color:rgb(14, 75, 126)">, Tuyet, his spouse, and 18-month old daughter, Van Anh, and&nbsp;</span><strong>Hoang Thanh Nha</strong><span style="color:rgb(14, 75, 126)">, Yen, his wife, and 7-year old, daughter, Nhi. &nbsp;Others expected to arrive were&nbsp;</span><strong>Phan Huu Minh</strong><span style="color:rgb(14, 75, 126)">&nbsp;and his family.(The Daily Herald, May 28, 1975, p. 1)</span></span></span></p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p class="rtecenter"><span style="font-family:georgia,serif"><span style="font-size:14px"><strong><span style="color:#000000">1988</span></strong></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:14px"><span style="font-family:georgia,serif">Biloxi's first Buddhist pagoda opened on December 11, 1988 when Monk Chon Thich greeted fifty people at 1100 East Howard Avenue.[The Hattiesburg American, December 13, 1988, p. 3]</span></span></p>

<p class="rtecenter">&nbsp;</p>

<p class="rtecenter"><span style="font-family:georgia,serif"><span style="font-size:14px"><strong><span style="color:#000000">BUDDHIST</span></strong></span></span></p>

<p class="rtecenter"><strong><span style="font-family:georgia,serif"><span style="font-size:14px">Chua Van Duc</span></span></strong></p>

<p class="rtecenter"><span style="font-family:georgia,serif"><span style="font-size:14px">179 Oak Street</span></span></p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p><span style="font-family:georgia,serif"><span style="font-size:14px"><strong>REFERENCES:</strong></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-family:georgia,serif"><span style="font-size:14px">The Hattiesburg American, 'Birth of a pagoda: Buddhists open temple on Gulf Coast', December&nbsp;13,&nbsp;1988.</span></span></p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p class="rtecenter"><strong><span style="font-family:georgia,serif"><span style="font-size:14px">IMAGES</span></span></strong></p>

<p class="rtecenter">&nbsp;</p>

<p class="rtecenter">1980s</p>

<p class="rtecenter"><img alt="" src="/sites/default/files/inline/images/Vietnamese%20holy%20day-1980s-1.jpeg" style="height:600px; width:436px" /></p>
