In the Spirit of Unity & Healing: I'd like to announce I'm returning to Vietnam

[GalleryGod]

Two poor kids, from New Jersey...my best pal, who served all 77 days at the Siege of KHE SANH and I just got our plane reservations confirmed. I'm scared as hell,DUers, but, we've got each others backs. It'll be a "sweaty moment" when we land in Ho Chi Minh City and I see the Red Star on the pith helmeted airport guard,but,you gotta do what you gotta do.

Through the auspices of translation.com we've exchanged emails with the wonderful warriors we fought against,the PAVN. If you think our country had politcal differences with our leaders? You should hear THEIR tales !? The Round Table of the Lions in Winter (lol) Thank god,my pal,went to language school and is fluent in Vietnamese ! Ha! Otherwise, I fear I'd be ordering Dead Monkey off the menus!

Anyhow...file this under "F.Y.I."
*

Sorry! I have to run off and teach 2 classes-in-a-row ! (wow! heavy schedule,I know. LOL)


* photo by Peter Arnett

[rox63]

1. Godspeed and safe travels to you n/t

[Fredda Weinberg]

2. Practice breathing ... you are master of your mind and will

be embraced by a civilization that's long embraced scholars.

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

3. May wounds be healed

and may you find peace.

[Arkansas Granny]

4. I hope you and your friends have a wonderful trip.

[sinkingfeeling]

5. I think it's wonderful that you're going. As I've said over and over, people everywhere desire the

same things; it's the mad men seeking power, fame, and wealth who screw it up.

[Barack_America]

6. Congratulations. And I hope that seeing the country in a different state...

than what you remember it, helps to bring you healing and closure.

Best wishes.

[donsu]

7. your emotions will be in a jumble, but in the end it will be OK

nt

[beachmom]

8. May the trip bring you much healing, GalleryGod. n/t

[GalleryGod]

9. A Shameless "Kick" for Vets & Non Vets alike

The outpouring of PM's has been over whelming !

Thanks, DU

[Adelante]

10. Best of luck to you in your journey for peace and understanding

:hug:

[babylonsister]

11. Lucky you! I really want to go there,

but I also don't have the memories you do. I hope this trip brings peace to you and your buddy. And I've heard it's changed quite a bit; you might not recognize the place. Happy trails to you!

[aint_no_life_nowhere]

12. Tet (Chinese New Year) is February 6 through 8 this year

I don't know if you know any Vietnamese, but you might learn this phrase if you're in Vietnam during the Tet festival:

Chúc mừng năm mới

It means "I wish you happy new year". The "chúc" is pronounced as though it has a "p" on the end. The "mới", with the little side accent on the "o" is pronounced somewhat like the vowels in the French word "oeil".

[BootinUp]

13. hope you have a great time. nt

[grantcart]

14. I was working for the UN and

visited Vietnam for the first time in 1978. I met with government officials who were obviously long term military commanders who had been rewarded for their long service in the Northern Army and had no technical skill for the positions they held. I had about 4 hours of work to do but in those days Air France came in once a week so I had a lot of time to talk to these guys and they couldn't talk about the technical issues anyway (related to establishing migration/transportation procedures for people fleeing Vietnam).

I was surprised at how interested they were to talk to an American and how there was no personal animosity given that they were heavily bombed, etc. Basically his comment was that they admired the fact that the Americans were willing to die for their beliefs.

There were 4 parties in Vietnam, the North, South, the Americans and the Viet Cong. The party which in many ways suffered the most were the Viet Cong because they suffered before the war and then after the war were not trusted and in many cases persecuted by the new masters from the North.

It seemed odd but the Northerners I met had almost a romantic idea of reconciling with the Americans almost immediately and had a real hatred of the Viet Cong.