Thompson Werk

This summer should prove eventful with my participation in a USM sponsored trip to Vietnam. This May I will be in Vietnam as a part of a program to bring veterans of the war back to the environs of Vietnam for the first time since the cessation of hostilities. It is not often that one gets an opportunity to witness a soldier reconnect with the past, especially those of the Vietnam War. Thus if anything it is this shared experience with a veteran that really makes me eager about going to Vietnam. It would be great to construct a dissertation that adequately infuses the firsthand accounts of inviduals with the the seemingling less human aspects of diplomacy and war planing. Consequently, I hope this trip will provided me with more insight into how to better combine the memories of soldiers with the wider diplomatic and strategic military elements of the Vietnam War. Put another way, the insights of a veteran will hopefully contextualize the strategic and diplomatic repercussion that emerged from events like the Tet Offensive. As such, travel to Vietnam is, for me, like going to the archives.

Another benefit of my participation in the Vietnam program includes expanding my knowledge of the country, which is invaluable to my development as a student of the Vietnam War and American foreign policy in Asia. Immersion in Vietnamese culture allows for a better understanding of the people and their history of the war with the US. Seeing the cultural sites, experiencing the people, and doing so with this particular group, would strengthen my familiarity with the subject.

Over the course of my trip I will certainly photograph as much as possible. Once I return, an assortment of images will be posted online. Maybe if I get lucky I will be able to upload some images with in country.

With this trip to Vietnam practically set in stone, Said will not win, as I will not be a so-called Orientalist. Now to leave you with something more humorous.