The DMZ, Cu Chi tunnels and the Rambonization of the 'American War'

Well, I expected some tanks, guns and tunnels, but what I also found on our numerous Vietnam War (or American War as it is called here--when you've had so many wars throughout your history, you can't very well call every war "Vietnam" now can you?) expeditions was something different altogether. Some of it was informative, some of it tacky à la Disneyland, and some of it just plain sad.

When I say sad I mean two very different things; one the one hand, you have the very visible scars of the American War, both on the landscape and the people. Thousands still bear the effects of the massive air-bombing campaigns that dropped agent orange defoliants and destructive napalm bombs. The results are the children of soldiers and villagers who had the misfortune to live in the effected areas. Deformities, cancers, and mental development problems are just some of the ills that plague an entire generation.

Then there are the government-run factories, where the disabled are "encouraged" to work, producing crafts that the tour companies proudly tout. When you're on one of these Cu Chi tunnel visits, a mandatory stop by all tour companies on their way to the tunnels is one such factory. Walking through the shop, without any opportunity to talk to the workers or put any context to what you witness, is just a quick guilt trip before you are quickly whisked into the gift shop, where marked up products adorne a well light and air conditioned shopping area. Funny, there wasn't any AC in the workers area. And that's what we were allowed to see. I can only imagine what the other parts of the factory looked like. This was gross voyeurism at its worst. The whole sham had an air of "come look at the poor deformed workers." And of course, once the quick peep show made you feel bad, "please take a look in our gift shop to ease your guilt!" Jennie and I weren't impressed.

The other thing that really got to us was the way in which the war, particularly the actions and personification of the Americans, was approached. Our experience, having visited the DMZ (De-Militarized Zone, the once VERY militarized area along the 17th parallel in central Vietnam), various Ho Chi Minh museums (every city has its Uncle Ho museum, and they are pretty much all the same: Uncle Ho is the greatest human being in the history of mankind, if not the history of the solar system, and children loved him), the War Remnants Museum (formerly called the Museum of Chinese and American War Crimes) and the Cu Chi tunnels 60 KM north of Saigo... I mean Ho Chi Minh City, is that the Vietnamese regime has a very selective memory of the events that took place here 40 years ago. No context is ever given to explain images in exhibit displays. Instead petty, if not childish, textboxes accompany images in many museums. I expected some propaganda in a "Communi$t Republic", but some of the stuff has been in real poor taste. Examples include an image of a frightened soldier at the Khe Sanh military base on the day of the famous attack, with the caption: "What is President Johnson thinking now?", or the voice over of a "documentary" at the Cu Chi tunnels explaining how one VC guerrilla was an "American Killing Hero" with over 200 Americans killed. Charming.

Watching movies was is a big part of my life, and one gem stuck with me from the moment my dad and I first watched it; Full Metal Jacket. One line has stuck in my head since that day, and on every war-related visit here: "War is Hell". Maybe that's an obivous statement to some, but I think it holds true, particularly here. The Americans did horrible things during the American War. So did the North Vietnamese. And the VC too. To play revisionist's history and pretend that every Vietnamese was throwing flowers at the "liberation forces" when Saigon fell in 1975, is to do an injustice to those who died; on both sides.

Today at the Cu Chi tunnels, where many died, you can now climb some of the destroyed tanks as your guide exclaims, "you look like Rambo!". You can even shoot your weapon of choice from a shopping list of American War guns. I decided on the AK-47, at 10 bullets for 200,000 Vietnamese Dong (about $12.50). Why? Partly curiousity like most of the other guys there. I do say guys, cause not a woman was to be seen shooting the weapons. Only us dumb guys.

The other reason was something my good friend Trevor calls an "International Regret", which is where you have the chance to do or purchase something while in another country, but don't because it's too much money or not practical, etc. We've all had them. Well, I've tried to avoid as many international regrets on this trip.

I'm glad I tried it, but it really wasn't that much fun. For one, the Vietnamese soldier loading the bullets looked at me as if to say, "You stupid yuppy white guy! How can you spend that much money on 10 bullets when the average Vietnamese makes $80 a month?". Another reason? Well, I never realized just how brutal being in a shooting range is. The sounds. The smell. The general hate-vibe that is felt. It may sound dumb, but firing weapons is a REALLY violent act. Not just the end result, but the very act of shooting is very angry. I may be bitter, but I'm not a violent person.

At any rate, seeing the places I had only read about or seen in the movies was very enriching, just as visiting the beaches in Normandy, or Vimy Ridge in France, or the Dachau concentration camp in Germany had been. But the Vietnam sites left me with a sour taste in my mouth. There's something to be said about the atrocities of war. And I suppose there are two ways to go about telling those stories. Sadly, we only got to see one side. At least we got to look like Rambo for a morning.