VHM_0117

Descriptive title

Boatswain's Whistle

Date

c. 1965-1975

Object type(s)

Musical instrument

Tool/Equipment

Material(s)

Metal

Description

Boatswain’s whistle belonging to Republic of Vietnam Navy officer Nguyễn Ngọc Bạch, who served as "Hải quân Trung úy" (Navy First Lieutenant). Whistles of this type were used during formal shipboard honors, including when a commanding officer boarded or left the ship.

Collection

Vietnamese Heritage Museum

Donor(s)

Ngoc Bach Nguyen

Current location

Vietnamese Heritage Museum

Rights description

Object donated to the Vietnamese Heritage Museum by Ngoc Bach Nguyen

Data license

Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International (CC BY-NC-SA 4.0)

Timeline

Boatswain's whistle origin

Pre-1975

1965-1975

Used by Nguyễn Ngọc Bạch during his service in the Republic of Vietnam Navy, c. 1965–1975.
Boatswain's whistle left Vietnam and entered the US

Vietnam

Resettlement

1975

Left Vietnam in 1975 as part of the evacuation of Republic of Vietnam Navy personnel.
Boatswain's whistle change of ownership

United States

After Nguyễn Ngọc Bạch’s death, the whistle remained with his wife.
Boatswain's whistle donated to the Vietnamese Heritage Museum

Garden Grove, CA, USA

October 3, 2025

Donated in Westminster, California by Mrs. Nguyễn Ngọc Bạch, wife of the late Nguyễn Ngọc Bạch, on October 3, 2025.