Vietnam Trip - Day 4 at the Vietnam War Memorial and Finale

Posted by miel

May 12, 2008

We woke up early, checked out of the hostel and went out for our last day in Vietnam. Of all the places we visited, we left our the War Memorial in Saigon. So we decided to go there. Many would have viewed the memorial as a museum that is laidback. There was nothing special about how they set up and curate their exhibitions there. However, one thing to note about that place is that they do have very good photographs held in their exhibition area. Those photographs taken over the world pinpoints the fact that war is a cruel reminder to us all that we humans are very capable of destruction by every means.

A Plane at the Vietnam War Memorial

The U.S entered Vietnam with more sophisticated weapons of arms. In fact they carried out a usage of Chemical warfare using a chemical agent known as Agent Orange. Many vetarans of war from Vietnam, South Korea and the United States suffered post-war effect syndromes from the usage of Agent Orange. For the Vietnamese, it was an even more sore tragedy: millions of Vietnamese were affected either from health or mutated births. This can be considered as a genocide raised by the United State of America.

It took us like 2 hours to walk through the Museum. We took our time to read through the pictures. Although not much information can be found in English. We can depict how horrible the war for the Vietnamese. Still, the Memorial was not to remember the hatred against the U.S, but a reminder to us all what war can do to our world and the people who live in it. It also depicts the bravery and sheer hope of the Vietnamese, seeking to find their way out of a horror and building a country of what it is currently. And there is something interesting about all this: I hardly see any Vietnamese smoking and drinking at all. Or many I am comparing all of what I seen to a place I had been living in for the past 5 years.

Vietnamese Tank, or holwitzer, not sure which one it is.

This is a sculpture named “Mother” The sculpture was created using metal parts of war metals.

The effects of Agent Orange can be seen at this two specimens of babies.

Agent Orange, the source of Misery for many Vietnamese, a product left behind by the Americans in the Vietnam War

A famale Vietnamese soldier

A Female Vietname Soldier.

We also flipped through a couple of books with messages written by visitors all over the world. We took out some which can be interesting for you blog readers to read:

“Unfortunately things like this are still happening. It is the cycle of life, War & Peace. I don’t think it will ever end. As an American, I’m sad to say that I’m not sorry for what happened. “Evil prevails when good men fail to act”. We had the best of intentions when we entered Vietnam. This is the “Fog of War”. Communism is an evil regime. We tried to stop it. Look at the Soviet Union under Stalin, Cuba under Castro, Cambodia udner Pol Pot. Did we make a mistake? Possibly.” - K.K 4.4.08

“I felt this Museum was a bit one sided, it showed outrosities done by the Americans but not from the Vietnamese, Was is Dreadful but there was bad autrosoties done by both sides.” - Christopher Delaine Smith, Australia.

And some messages left by a PRC national. Perhaps someone translate for me?

Victims of Agent Orange.

Soldiers were baptized prior to war.

A prison cell.

Despite the fact that Vietnam has gone through all these, I am glad to see that at least in South Vietnam, the people are working hard to see that a better future is going to happen. Everyone works hard. Everyone smiles and they are very nice. Vietnam has left me with fond memories. And I also learn that M.A.G is trying hard to make Vietnam a better place to live in by removing all the land mines from the war zones. I hope to see Vietnam become stronger, like the will for change and the will that they have to live.