Before setting out on my first tour of Saigon, I spoke with Tony. During the Vietnam War, Tony served with the Army of South Vietnam (ARVN) as a translator.  For part of the war, he served with an American tank crew.  During one engagement with the Viet Cong (VC), Tony was gravely wounded in the jaw. Tony credits an anonymous U.S. surgeon for having saved his life, for he believes he would have died waiting at a South Vietnamese hospital. Moreover, Tony says he received many vaccinations and has not been sick since his encounter with American medical care. As a result of the actions of his American comrades and the surgeon, Tony has the utmost respect for Americans and their medicine. After the U.S. began to drastically reduces its military footprint in South Vietnam, a process known as Vietnamization, Tony told me of the biggest decision of his life.  When the war ultimately turned against the South Vietnamese, Tony said his commander informed him that he could either continue fighting or find a way to remain with his family. Knowing that if he staying the field odds where he would never return, he decided to render himself unfit for military service. Tony amputated his index finger on his right hand, thus preventing him from properly operating a rifle. For Tony, this extreme action kept him alive and able to enjoy family life. Tony’s story is one of the most extreme I have ever heard and one that I always remember. Another fascinating facet of Tony is his persistent belief in the Republic of Vietnam. Throughout our time in the Saigon area, he proudly talked about his time in the ARVN and U.S. commendations. For me, Tony is living proof that people truly believed in South Vietnam.

Path at Pete's ambush site - Photo courtesy of Anna Rikki Nelson

30 meters away from VC machine-gun nest at Pete's ambush site - Photo courtesy of Anna Rikki Nelson

Since the program centered on taking back Pete Edwards, a U.S. Army veteran of the Vietnam War, to Vietnam for the first time since the conflict, one of the most significant moments of the trip was seeing the ambush site infamously recounted in David Marnaniss’s They Marched Into Sunlight (Pete signed my copy before the trip ended). North of Lai Khe in Binh Long province, in an area once called the Long Ngyuyen Secret Zone Near, Pete’s life change forever. On a path cutting through acres of rubber trees, near the site of the Michelin rubber plantation, the group came across the area were Pete, then a Second Lieutenant and platoon leader in the 2/28 Black Lions, lost a lot of good men to a VC machine-gun nest. During our time at the site, Pete explained the ambush. After struggling with a number of jammed M-16′s, Pete finally found a functioning weapon and killed the machine-gunner. Later, Pete said he regretted not being able to lead all of his men off the battlefield. This was probably Pete’s most emotional moment of the trip, and one I will never forget. After a few photographs we paid our respects and left flowers.

After leaving the ambush site, the group drove a few miles to a field that was once a thriving U.S. Army base at Lai Khe.  During his first tour, Pete called this base home. After the war ended, the Vietnamese removed all traces of the base. The Vietnamese plowed under what remained of the American base, leaving an open field.  Postwar maps bear no markings for a Ben Cat in Binh Long province.  While the base no longer exists, a few small dwellings and dirt roads remain. Pete pointed out a hut once know for its various “services.” Along a dirt road near the creek, Pete located the site of his tent. Pete remarked that he could still picture the base bustling with men and helicopters.

Pete and Tony at My Tho

During our day at the Mekong Delta, the grouped saw the local Military Assistance Command Vietnam (MACV) command center at My Tho. During Pete’s second tour, he served as an advisor to a South Vietnamese military unit. Since the MACV installation is now a Vietnamese Army base we were unable to tour the facilities or take any photographs. Nevertheless, we walked around the town and saw the areas where Pete had manned checkpoints.

During our time in Saigon, Pete and Tony developed a close bond.  Both men had fought the same enemy and bore the wounds of battle. Before the Saigon portion of our trip ended, Pete gave Tony a Combat Infantryman Badge. A badge identical to one Pete wore throughout the trip.

Before our time in Saigon ended, the group witnessed a meeting of former enemies. At the Vietnamese equivalent of a VFW, Pete met a retired North Vietnamese Army (NVA) colonel and two former members of the VC.  Tony, and ARVN veteran, completed this group. During the war with America, the NVA veteran helped supply and prepare VC cadres for their assault on Saigon during the 1968 Tet Offensive. The NVA veteran not only fought the Americans. Before the American War, he fought with the Viet Minh against the French at Dien Bien Phu.  He spent about eight to ten years in Cambodia fighting the Khmer Rouge and, later, their Chinese allies. This 82-year-old man had participated in the major events that produced the modern nation of Vietnam. Due to his decades of service, the NVA veteran proudly wore a metal that basically allowed him to do whatever he wanted. He gave this medal to Pete.

Five veterans of the Vietnam War. From left to right: ARVN, NVA, U.S. Army, VC, VC.

The two VC veterans were man and wife. During the war, they met and served together at the Cu Chi Tunnels. The wife spent her time as a nurse in the tunnels, where one learned “on the spot.” After telling us about her role in the VC, she serenaded us with patriotic wartime songs. Besides tending to their physical wounds, the nurses sought to lighten the mood and cheer-up wounded soldiers. Speaking of wounds, the nurse’s husband lost his right leg to an American claymore mine. The couple had a son during their tunnel days, so it is safe to say that people tried their best to live fairly normal lives underground.

Despite all their hardships and scars, none of the veterans displayed any ill will or resentment towards one another. It is true when the Vietnamese people tell you that they left their anger and resentment in the past and now is a time for former enemies to move forward as friends. After witnessing Pete’s experiences, I would love nothing more than to participate in another veterans return to Vietnam.

As always, view the photos while you wait for the next post. The next post will discuss the memorialization of Vietnam’s war dead.

The trip began with a long flight from New Orleans to Atlanta to Seoul to Ho Chi Minh City. Arriving in Ho Chi Minh City was everything I anticipated. As the Korean Air jet landed at Tan Son Nhat International Airport, I saw the old U.S. Air Force hangers. Odds are those hangers are full of MiGs and not Thunderchiefs. Later on during the trip I saw similar hangers full of Russian fighter jets at Da Nang and Hanoi. As anticipated, sweating commenced as soon as I existed the airport.

Reunification Palace

Reunification Palace

My first day in Saigon included a visit to the Reunification Palace. As seen in Vietnam War-era news reports, the interior of  Palace retains its green carpets and woodwork. It did not take much to vision Ngo Dinh Diem sitting in one of the rooms with an U.S. official seating by his side. The tour consisted of seeing the main rooms and the extensive network of command facilities. The Palace is complete with offices for the President and the Vice-President, military command rooms, various conference and reception, dinning facilities, living quarters for the President and family, and entertainment (dance floor and theater). Located on the Palace grounds are the two NVA tanks that breached the Palace gates back in 1975. This place is a must see for all scholars and students of the Vietnam War.

Cu Chi Tunnels

One of many Cu Chi Tunnel entrances

The group spent the better part of a day visiting the famous Cu Chi Tunnels. Located approximately 30 miles outside on Saigon near the Saigon River, the Cu Chi Tunnels made the Iron Triangle infamous among American military personnel. During the French and American wars, this sprawling underground network of tunnels housed the living quarters, kitchens, hospitals, command centers, and stockpiles of weaponry for thousands of Viet Minh, and later, Viet Cong (VC) fighters. Entire families lived within the tunnels.  For much of America’s war with Vietnam, U.S. forces never destroyed the Cu Chi Tunnels. U.S. attempts to use dogs to sniff-out VC and tunnel entrances resulted in the lose of many K9s. Today, families of VC Cu Chi Tunnel veterans display to golden German shepherds outside of their homes to tell passersby that their family member survived. It is estimated the while about 280 American soldiers lost their lives at the tunnels, over 50,000 VC combatants died.

Da Nang’s Vietnam War Sites

Da Nang Hangers

Much like the airport at Saigon, Da Nang’s airport still exhibited traces of its time as a U.S. installation. The concrete hangers typical of the Vietnam War, still line a part of the runway. While in Da Nang, I was able to catch a glimpse of a once sprawling American helicopter base. It is hard to visit these former bases since most are now Vietnamese Army barracks and it is illegal to photograph such places. Nevertheless, I was able to snap a few pictures from the highway. As far as military history goes, visiting the China and Red Beaches makes for a nearly complete trip to Da Nang. Consequently I did not hesitate to see the Red Beach were the first detachment of U.S. Marines landed. Also not to be missed was China Beach, where many U.S. personal spent time on R&R.

Hue Citadel

Hue Citadel ruins

My time in Hue began with a tour of the Citadel. Knowing full well that American forces were forbidden from attacking historical treasures, during the 1968 Tet Offensive VC cadres infested the Citadel. After much debate and pressure, the South Vietnamese authorities allowed the U.S. to bomb and use heavy artillery on the Citadel complex. Aside from the massive amount of ordnance dropped on the Citadel, intense fighting occurred within the fortification’s walls. As a result, much of the complex was destroyed. The massive exterior walls remain (with shell holes) and only a handful of buildings survive. Most of the existing buildings are located near the main gate.  An ongoing project of the Vietnamese government is the rebuilding and restoring of the Citadel complex. The endeavor is far from complete.

Khe Sanh

Ever since I signed-up for the Vietnam trip, thoughts of seeing Khe Sanh dominated my thoughts. Honestly, seeing Khe Sanh was both surreal and greatly fulfilling.  Strategically situated on high ground and beautiful green mountains, much of the former Marine base is gone. At present, the base is surrounded by seemingly endless coffee plantations and a small museum complete with disabled American military equipment straddling a dirt runway. However, the Vietnamese are slowly restoring the airstrip, including the runway and bunkers. With the stunning views, eerie war relics, and the biased exhibits – which were of course anticipated – Khe Sanh meet all of my expectations. I am definitely a war geek.

Hanoi Hilton

Hoa Lo Prison Entrance

Perhaps the most infamous site in all of Vietnam, at least for Americans, is the Hanoi Hilton (Hoa Lo Prison). Interesting side note, because Hoa Lo Prison is better known as the Hanoi Hilton, the local Hilton is called the Hanoi Hilton Opera. About half of the original prison remains, with much of the building demolished to clear space for a modern sky-rise building. Contrary to popular belief, most of the prison/museum focuses on the plight of the Viet Minh prisoners and the brutality of the French. Only two rooms are dedicated to the history the American pilots who spent time at the prison. It comes as no surprise that the museum presents an overly positive take on the treatment of American POWS. According to the museum, and official Communist Party history, all of the airmen imprisoned enjoyed good food, health, treatment, and leisure. This take is backed-up through staged Christmas pictures and images of John McCain’s return to Hanoi. What is missing of course are the images of malnourished and beaten prisoners as well as the testimonies of numerous Americans scared by the prison experiences.

Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum

Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum

Touching down in Hanoi was similar to the landings at Saigon and Da Nang. Air force hangers lined the runway, though this time they were not American built. My time in Hanoi coincided with the first of many ongoing demonstrations against the Chinese government. Since the Chinese believe they own the entire South China Sea, their warships cut Vietnamese undersea cables and shot at some fishing boats. Not taking this lightly, some Vietnamese, with permission from the Vietnamese government, protested outside of the Chinese embassy. Unfortunately for us, the Chinese embassy in the center of Hanoi. Consequently, we were unable to visit the military muesum. Fortunately, however, Ho Chi Minh’s mausoleum remained open. Seeing a frozen Uncle Ho required navigating a large and impatient crowed. With numerous well dressed Vietnamese honor guards, order and safe were not an issue.  Ho Chi Minh looks like he did back in 1969, but that is probably because of the layers of make-up used to keep him from looking like a zombie.

Well that is all for now. As mentioned earlier, I will write about other aspects of my Vietnam trip. In the mean time, view the many photos I took.

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.

Traditionally, historians portrary both the First and Second Vietnam Wars as American lead wars against communism.  In The First Vietnam War, editors Mark Atwood Lawrence and Fredrik Logevall provide a collection of articles to argue the origins of the Vietnam Wars lay in the Viet Minh’s fight against French colonial rule.  The collection reminds academia that the Vietnam War was more a product of anti-colonialism, rather than the spread of Soviet communism.  Moreover, the collection illustrates that the conflicts in Vietnam were not domestic, but rather events with international ramifications.  Chapters by Lawrence and John Prados are paramount in addressing how a French problem in Indochina became an American war.

Mark Atwood Lawrence raises one of the more significant arguments in chapter six, where he examines the role Great Britain in encouraging American support for France during the First Vietnam War.  Lawrence argues that Britain and France shared a common interest in preventing the disintegration of their colonial empires, thus both were willing crush colonial uprisings.  Britain did not want the war in Vietnam to encourage rebellion in places like India and Malaya, thus Britain saw a French victory in Indochina as a triumph for all colonial powers.  Since the Second World War had left both Britain and France militarily weak, the US was seen as an invaluable partner in the defense of European colonial empires.  Recognizing America’s dislike for European colonialism, Lawrence maintains that Britain helped recast the war in Vietnam as struggle against the spread of communism.  Lawrence notes that while the British government pressed the US to carry the financial burden of funding the French war, Britain offered meager monetary and military assistance.  Lawrence’s work demonstrates that even after the Second World War, Britain continued its tradition of using other nations to achieve foreign interests.  Ironically, once Britain granted independence to India and other colonies, England lost interest in supporting the war in Vietnam.

In chapter eleven, orthodox scholar John Prados emphasizes Frances reliance on the US for the war in Indochina.  Focusing on Dien Bien Phu, Prados argues that the French changed the reason for being in Vietnam from a war of colonial preservation to a fight against communism.  At the time of Dien Bien Phu, French public support for the war was waning. Conversely, the US became increasingly more involved in Indochina.  For President Dwight D. Eisenhower, the war in Vietnam had indeed become a struggle against international communism.  With the French defeat at Dien Bien Phu, the Eisenhower administration had proof that communism could spread across Southeast Asia.  Moreover, the Eisenhower administration understood that America could not rely on other nations to win the war against communist expansion.  Consequently, Prados argues that with Eisenhower’s “Domino Theory,” America was enamored in the Cold War ideology of fighting communism.

In sum, The First Vietnam War emphasizes the colonial origins of the Vietnam War.  With so much attention placed on how Vietnam became a Cold War battleground, historians failed to adequately discuss place Vietnam in a colonial context.  Consequently, The First Vietnam War is a valuable addition to the discourse on both the Vietnam War and post-Second World War world.

All too often scholars present the Vietnam War as a product of the Cold War, whereby ignoring the conflict’s colonial origins.  In Imaging Vietnam and America, orthodox historian Mark Philip Bradley examines how the Viet Minh and Americans perceived one another.  For the Viet Minh, America’s Founding Fathers expressed an ideology that supported Vietnamese independence.  As a result, Bradley maintains that Viet Minh conceptions of the United States were dominated by the rhetoric of the American Revolution.  Conversely, racial stereotypes shaped America’s opinion of Vietnam.  Noting the link between postcolonial Vietnam and America’s colonial past, Bradley acknowledges a shared desire for liberty.  Additionally, Bradley contends that because of common ideology, war between the two civilizations would seem impossible.  Throughout his work, however, Bradley argues that a common appreciation for self-determinism was insufficient in cementing an alliance between Viet Minh and the U.S..

Most of the historiography contends, that although America backed the Viet Minh during the Japanese occupation of Indochina, over time the U.S. lost interest in the relationship.  Bradley argues that the historiography suggests that America chose to support French claims to Vietnam out of respect, and Cold War interests in Europe, rather than recognize a free Vietnam.  Challenging these arguments, the author addresses the relationship between Vietnam and the U.S. as one founded on misconceptions and suspicions.

Bradley makes use of his strong background in Vietnam studies by demonstrating the relationship between Vietnam and America through Vietnamese primary sources.  Bradley’s mastery of Vietnamese literature allows him to access the underlying attitudes of the Vietnamese, French, and Americans.  For Bradley, the Vietnamese understanding of Americans was rather limited.  In part to isolation and limited media outlets, most Vietnamese understood American purely in the context of men like Thomas Jefferson and George Washington.  Bradley notes that Ho Chi Minh connected with America’s Founding Fathers and used their words to invoke Vietnamese independence.  Moreover, to fuse with American ideology, Ho Chi Minh used portions of America’s Declaration of Independence in his proclamation of a free Vietnamese state.

While most diplomatic histories are topdown studies, Bradley centers on the intangible popular political sentiments.  Consequently, Bradley demonstrates that Orientalism dominated American perceptions of the Vietnamese.  For example, although the CIA noted the determination of the Viet Minh to achieve self rule, in reports, agents emphasized the inferiorities of Asian peoples.  Bradley contends America doubted the ability of Ho Chi Minh to rule without Soviet assistance.  Combined with such stereotypes and the intensification of the Cold War, US policy makers ultimately questioned the Viet Minh’s nationalist ideology.

In sum, Bradley offers a fresh analysis of the relationship between postcolonial Vietnam and America.  In doing so, Bradley advocates that both nations developed faulty perceptions of one another.  Despite some commonalities, ideological and racial stereotypes distorted the mindsets of both the Viet Minh and American policy makers.

J.D. Coleman, Pleiku: The Dawn of Helicopter Warfare in Vietnam (New York: St. Martin’s Press, 1989) – although a narrative, Coleman’s book provides insight into the role of the city of Pleiku as an invaluable component to the defense of South Vietnam. Home to American air mobility and fire power, Pleiku functioned as a logical hub for US Army and ARVN combat operations. Coleman addresses the significance of Pleiku in affording the US the ability to conduct helicopter backed operations against remote NVA and VC units in and near Vietnam’s Central Highlands.

Samuel Zaffiri, Westmoreland: A Biography of General William C. Westmoreland (New York: William Morrow and Company, 1994) - despite being a bit verbose, Zaffiri’s work provides an in depth account of the life of one of America’s more controversial generals. Zaffiri addresses the key moments in Westmoreland’s development as a career Army officer to his bouts with American media over his handling of the war in Vietnam.