Journeys to the Socialist Republic of Vietnam

Book excerpt: This volume reviews my visit to Vietnam, a country with a long and fascinating history. Though relatively small, Vietnam had a large footprint on the world stage, from the time it was an empire and governed by China for over a thousand years through recent times. Though under Chinese occupation for a millennium the embers of independence did not dissipate. At an appropriate time, a revolt expelled the Chinese and Vietnam regained its independence. A resurgent Vietnam after this long quiescent period transformed them into a resilient and hardy people, refusing to allow others to invade and conquer them. Amazingly, three different world powers tried to invade Vietnam and conquer them. And each, in turn, was repelled. The first of these were the Mongolians. The Mongol army was thoroughly defeated and its army was annihilated in the Battle of the Bach Dang River in 1287-1288. The only others who were successful against the Mongols were the Hungarians, far distant from the Far East. Six hundred and sixty-six years later, the French arrived, in a colonial effort to subdue these people. However, the Battle of Dien Bien Phu resulted in French defeat, with the Vietnamese again victorious in defeating an invader. The United States, the greatest superpower in the world, then tried to subdue them by might and force by raining bombs that still litter the countryside. However, the TET Offensive (1968) was so devastating, the United States withdrew from the futile effort at defeating them. How is it possible that the Vietnamese, with about 50 million people (in the north of today's unified country) was able to defeat the greatest powers wielded against them? This is a question to ponder as Vietnam asserts itself as an increasingly powerful economy. My knowledge and awareness of Vietnam were colored by the Vietnam War. As an 18-year-old, I submitted documentation regarding eligibility for the military’s draft system. I received a deferral based on my advanced studies but was acutely aware of the fierce opposition the war engendered on American streets and university campuses. I describe this divisive setting, culminating in young men deciding to evade the draft by emigrating to Canada or other countries. That departure was heart-wrenching, considering that forced exit a permanent closure to American citizenship. President Carter later pardoned these draft-dodgers, allowing them to return home. At the same time, however, those men who heeded the country's call to arms paid the price in injury and death. These veterans were furious at the unfairness of such a pardon. I describe this setting as well as the long-simmering and unresolved debate of American Prisoners of War (POWs) who may have been left behind and not repatriated. A special congressional commission was established to delve into these charges, but among Vietnamese war veterans, the charge and answer remain unresolved decades after the war ended. I describe my stepping on Vietnamese soil, itself a surreal experience, for the first time, but as a civilian. If fate had decreed otherwise, I might have been in the country many years earlier, and certainly not by way of a modern cruise ship, welcomed by song and smile. Vietnam is an amazing country. Its people are like no other on our planet. I share my wonder and respect for these unique people in this volume, trying to capture their presence and their gift of firmest resolve.