The Vietnamese and America

"The American War was a contest between organized modern technology and organized human beings. The human beings won." -Howard Zinn

No one here seems to harbor any ill will towards America.To the Vietnamese, the Americans are just one more world power that tried to control Vietnam in a long series of wars. Over hundreds of years, Vietnam has remained Vietnam, despite the efforts of China, the Mongols, Japan, France, and the US. The vietnamese haven't the time to waste on grudges. They would be pissed at half the world.

I've been asked casually if my father was here during the war. I've been told many times how great my country is. It's as if the war never happened. My landlord is a Hanoi native in his fifties. He spent ten years in Moscow (doing god knows what), so his Russian is way better than his english. Looking in his eyes while he's explaining the phone bill, i can't help but think that if i was standing in front of this man 35 years ago, he would be doing his very best to kill me. But now he's renting out a room to me and fixing my air conditioner.

On the train back from Hue, i communed with the countryside outside the window. The Hueys that once peppered the skies have long since ceded the airspace back to the waterfowl. Staring in to the cool green expanse of the rice fields, i tried to imagine myself as that young GI with the buzzcut and coke-bottle glasses, wading through the elephant grass, M-16 at my hip. I must admit it was difficult. It's just so serene and beautiful. It's hard to imagine anything horrible happening here, ever.

The Vietnamese have fought vigorously for these beautiful shores, the green hills, the quiet valleys. I'd say it was a worthwhile endeavor. Due to the tenacity and iron will of these people, Vietnam will forever remain vietnamese. Get used to it.