In Vietnam, We're Sorry For What We've Done

March 28th, 2007 at 05:01pm Barbara Floria Orcutt 332

llen and I hired a guide and a driver today to show us several battlefields and landing zones Allen had been active in south of Danang. In 40 years many of the sites were overgrown and over built with houses and shops and would have been impossible to find without the help of older villagers who had lived through the war.

At our second stop a older man approached our car as the guide studied a map, trying to match old town names with new ones. When our guide asked if he knew of any landmarks from the American war, he said he did and led us to a bunker that was now used as a chicken coop. He also invited us to his home for tea and an opportunity to talk about the war.

Hong is 61 years old and has lived in the village of Xuan Dai all his life. During the war he was in his early 20s, but was just a farmer, not a soldier. Nonetheless, as a result of American action, his father and brother were killed as were his wife's parents. In addition the buildings in his village and all the crops were wiped out by bombs, bulldozers and Agent Orange.

When Allen took his hand and apologized for what the Americans had done, Hong said he and others did not blame the US soldiers, as they were young and had been forced to fight by their military leaders. He said he and others understood the American soldiers were just doing their job. Still he wished he and his people had not suffered so much in body and spirit during those years, as it was made future success and happiness harder to come by.

When we returned to the hotel several hours later the only aircraft in the sky were Vietnam fighter jets doing practice runs up and down the coast of the South China Sea. Below the planes we swam in the warm sea and watched several groups of schoolboys play in the shallows. The truth is, this long-suffering country, devastated by war and environmental destruction is finally experiencing a time of peace and prosperity and we feel honored to bear witness to its recovery.

Today we made and followed through on our Gulf of Tonkin resolution, which was to swim in it.

Barbara

Entry Filed under: Glenwood Springs, Travel, Foreign Policy, Garfield County

1 Comment Add your own

1. infowars.com | April 11th, 2007 at 10:05 am

Yes they had been forced to fight by their military leaders.

In Haig's presence, Kissinger referred pointedly to military men as "dumb, stupid animals to be used" as pawns for foreign policy. Kissinger often took up a post outside the doorway to Haig's office and dressed him down in front of the secretaries for alleged acts of incompetence with which Haig was not even remotely involved. Once when the Air Force was authorized to resume bombing of North Vietnam, the planes did not fly on certain days because of bad weather. Kissinger assailed Haig. He complained bitterly that the generals had been screamin for the limits to be taken off but that now their pilots were afraid to go up in a little fog. The country needed generals who could win battles, Kissinger said, not good briefers like Haig.

On another occasion, when Haig was leaving for a trip to Cambodia to meet with Premier Lon Nol, Kissinger escorted him to a staff car, where reporters and a retinue of aides waited. As Haig bent to get into the automobile, Kissinger stopped him and began polishing the single star on his shoulder. "Al, if you're a good boy, I'll get you another one," he said.

And to think that Kissinger was President Bush's choice to lead the 911 investigations! Talk about the fox guarding the hen house! This Rockefeller stooge has as much compassion for the victims of 911 as he did the victims of the Vietnam War. To these people its all a business deal. Remember that President Kennedy had Kissinger thrown out of the White House and refered to him as being insane! Of course they murdered Kennedy and brought Kissinger back into the White House.

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