United States Operations Mission (USOM) rock crusher

Photographer

Halpern, Joel M. (Joel Martin), 1929-

Date

• 1957

Summary

• Although not visible in the photograph, Halpern notes that employees USOM hired from the Philippines were running the equipment. He adds, "A rather strict segregation existed not only in class structure among the Lao and in explicit boundaries between the ethnic groups but also as between classes of foreigners. I was asked to intervene in a situation when a construction tank exploded with serious injuries to workers. I was easily able to summon the French military doctor but he had to await the belated arrival of the Lao hospital administrator who had the keys to the operating room while the badly injured workers writhed in pain.