Welcome to Peace Corps Thai IX
by
Carol Apacki, Thai IX RPCV

We came from all over the United States, from small towns and large. When we stepped off the plane into the lush beauty of Hawaii in June 1964, we were taking the first steps on a grand adventure: three months of training in Hilo, Hawaii and then, if selected, two years of Peace Corps service in the far-off land of Thailand.

Most of us were fresh out of college—but a few were several years older, including a 70-year-old couple celebrating their 38^th wedding anniversary. There were 88 of us as trainees: 35 women and 53 men. Despite the many unknowns ahead, we were challenged and inspired. We were Thai IX!!

Answering the call of President John F. Kennedy to promote peace and understanding in the world, we were one of the earliest groups to go to Thailand. The Thai government invited Peace Corps volunteers to improve English education throughout Thailand, but particularly in rural areas where few students were able to pass the English exams required for acceptance into universities in Bangkok. Most of us were assigned as English-language teachers. We were pioneers, paving the way for more than 5,000 volunteers who followed.

Bonded together by our demanding and experimental training in Hilo, our group has continued to stay in touch through the years in group letters and reunions every three to five years. Now we are in our 80s and offer this Thai IX website as our group legacy to family, friends, and others with tales, reflections, and photos of our transformative time together as part of this great American experiment known as the Peace Corps.