AFVN-TV Landmark Is New Cafe In Hue

Tano Cafe is the newest chapter in the tragic story of an old residence in Vietnam.

A charming new coffee shop now occupies the old French villa that was the original U.S. television station attacked during the Tet Offensive in Hue, South Vietnam. This photo essay is courtesy of Mark van Treuren, who has been traveling extensively in Southeast Asia.

Mark stands in the patio of Tano Cafe. In 1968, the classic villa was a TV center for the American Forces Vietnam Network and a Vietnamese language sister station. The building was shelled by the Viet Cong but survived the costly offensive, which destroyed much of the imperial capital. Click photos to enlarge.

The villa at #3 Dong Da as seen in the 1960s. AFVNVETS.NET

Van Treuren is a veteran of the American Forces Network himself and is familiar with the terrifying history of this property. The Americans who staffed the facility, and at one time lived in the villa, were surrounded in their nearby quarters and had to flee after a five day standoff. Three broadcasters were killed, five became POWs and only one escaped. Casualties were 100 percent.

Scroll down to read an earlier posting (The Ghosts of Dong Da) which recounts the full history of this fascinating building. Mark says the new cafe opened in June 2018, only a few months after I discovered the place was still standing after decades of postwar reconstruction. Photo at left is the cozy interior on the first floor.


The two-story residence has been repurposed multiple times. It previously was Cafe New York. These photos were taken today (2-12-2019) before Mark left for Hanoi. We both attended the Defense Information School in Indianapolis.


See the full account of the attack on AFVN's Hue TV station is an earlier posting on my blog and titled "TV Station's Final Days."

The photo at right shows the distinctive roof line which can be seen in the original building and was crucial in confirming that we had identified the old broadcast center. The photo below is the vintage-looking menu of items you can enjoy at Tano Cafe today.






Ownership of the villa remains in the hands of local government, which rents the premises to the operators of Tano Cafe. Probably few Vietnamese realize the history of this address, but for American military broadcasters it remains a monument to the men who were killed in Hue, and to those who spent five years in brutal confinement. Thank you Mark for your contribution.

#3 Dong Da in 2019.