The American War

I was born just before the fall of Saigon.

I obviously have no memory of the war in Vietnam, but it’s after effects informed much of the world I grew up in. The malaise of the late Seventies. The subsequent Reagan era that made up the entirety of my adolescence. The movies that helped shape my interest cinema. Apocalypse Now. First Blood. Platoon. The Vietnam War just hung over so much of politics and culture in the late 70s, 80s, and into the early 90s.

Today, we toured a number of monuments to what is understandably referred to here as The American War. First, we made our way to the Reunification Palace, a massive government complex with a long history dating back as far as the 1860s. It was here in 1975 that a North Vietnamese tank crushed the gates of the then-named Independence Palace and signaled the end of the war.

From there, we wandered the halls of the somber War Remnants Museum. The horror on display here cannot be adequately expressed. The exhibit showing the effects of Agent Orange, in painfully graphic detail, is not likely to rush from your memory. The museum is a truly sobering experience and harsh reminder of the real horrors of war.

Later, our guide took us to an inconspicuous home in the heart of Hanoi which had served as safe harbor and arsenal for the Viet Cong in enemy territory. A secret door in the floor reveals a small concrete room below. A stockpile of AK-47s and RPGs. Just seeing it, you understand the futility and tragedy of the whole affair.