Grand Hotel in the heart of Hanoi. Top floor room resonated with slight movement. Staff was top-notch and very accommodating. Pho was best in the world.
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"1975" is a date often used by the Vietnamese to signify the end of an era and a new beginning. It's the end of foreign governments trying to impose their will on Vietnam and the beginning of full independence, The French began an utterly exploitative colonization in the 1870s until 1954 when the Vietnamese defeated the French at Dien Bien Phu. The Americans thought they could dominate where the French failed, but were brought to reality by 1975 when the Vietnamese were not to be denied in their struggle for reunification and threw the Americans out. "Reunification" is used in many memorials and places, such as the old Presidential Palace in HCMC is now a museum called the "Reunification Palace." The word itself connotes a single, unified, independent, country which the lore and national consciousness of Vietnam has never forgotten since 111 B.C. when China conquered them, temporarily. With several revolutions every few hundred years, Vietnam finally threw off the yoke of Chinese hegemony for good in 987 A.D, although Chinese Emperor Kublai Khan tried unsuccessfully to conquer Vietnam in 1247 A.D. Vietnam was the only country to successfully resist Kublai Khan. So, Vietnam's national spirit of independence runs long and deep.
The staff deemed it important to meet the Quy Nhon Public Library Director. He apparently lives in an apartment on site, and, seeing as how it was early morning, one of the staff knocked on his door and apprised him of a visitor. The Director emerged and opened up his office to host this writer. He couldn't have been more gracious, serving tea and talking through the interpreter, Thuy. I offered my regrets that the US had visited war on their small country and that we are beginning to form a peaceful alliance with the people of Vietnam. He waved aside any talk of the past conflict saying that we don't talk about the war. It's behind us and we go forward to a brighter future. He and Thuy spoke of their connection with Saigon University, both having graduated from there.
Headline in English language newspaper states: "Lawyers back AO victims." The column reports about a 20th session of the UN Human Rights Council at which an International Association of Lawyers called for the protection of AO victims. It continued that the US has compensated US veterans with agent orange disease but have ignored the plight of Vietnamese victims. The session asked that the US admit its responsibility because many victims are nearing end of life and urged the Human Rights Council to act immediately.
Mrs. Tran lives alone after raising four children in this rustic house with no screens or windows (see Mrs. Tran by her house on the "Life in Vietnam" page). Her fisherman husband perished at sea 25 years ago. This writer will be returning to Vietnam after being in contact with her family about a way to help. They said their mother could really use a facility to go to the bathroom. She has had to go outside without benefit of even an outhouse for this function. This writer would like to help this family that befriended him in the 2010 trip to see My Lai. Also, the author would like to help the general populace of Viet Nam in any, albeit small, way after the US's misguided intervention in Viet Nam's internal affairs that supported a corrupt regime.
In Hanover, New Hampshire lies Dartmouth College, a reputable institution of higher learning, that among other sterling academic initiatives, houses the famous Orozco mural in the Dartmouth College Library. Jose Orozco, from Mexico, roamed the US during the Depression seeking mural commissions and surprised many by achieving success at Dartmouth. He called this work "The Epic of American Civilization," which he painted on the walls of two large reading rooms in the library's lower level. It was, and still is, considered a radical indictment of North American culture, including its religion and academe. It was especially controversial at the time of its inception in 1932, at a, shall we say, conservative college steeped in tradition. Completed in 1934, Orozco was unapologetic for his message of hypocrisy in the institutions forced on the western hemisphere by the exploitive European colonists, and the firestorm of criticism that it engendered. It is worth making a trip to study this prodigious work of art.  Studying the Orozco Mural in the library's lower-level reading rooms. The Dartmouth College Library is pictured below.  Have not read the book, but watched the two authors answer questions about it on C-Span on 8/7/11. Their premise: all foreign policy and attitudes are influenced by the quagmire the US found itself in in the Vietnam conflict. Marvin Kalb made a very heartfelt comment that the soldiers, airmen, and sailors did not lose the war - the United States lost the war. In other words, the troops fought bravely, but the decision was made politically that it was not worth losing more Americans to continue.
One travelling to Vietnam may get great prices if using sites like Expedia or CheapO Air. For example, have seen a flight from a midwestern city, to Chicago, to Seoul, to Hanoi via Korean Air for 1105 USD.
.Working on this website, vietviews.com, to share traveling experiences in this small Asian nation that would not be denied unification and independence even though they were fighting the most powerful country in the world. Many Americans hold on to myths that we were defeated by the press and did not give it our full measure for victory. Fact is, it was started under false pretenses. Although conducted bravely, it was soon discovered that we were backing a corrupt government in the south that did not represent most of the Vietnamese people. It was a misguided effort to fight communism thinking that China and Vietnam rpepresented unified agression. History shows that Vietnam and China never had common goals seeing as how Vietnam fought the Chinese for centuries to achieve independence, even defeating Kublai Khan who tried to absorb Vietnam into his empire. There was no love lost between the two countries. In the end , the US finally came to its senses realizing that the war was not worth more committment and to continue was not morally right.
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AuthorInfantry soldier in 1969 Vietnam. Two careers: 1st half, Accountant & persnnel.mgr. 2nd half, MA Ed. @ U of Iowa and taught in MS. A writer in retirement. Archives
December 2024
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