Know this blog in no way is meant to slam anyone, who was a part of, or supported. It was written simply based on my observations while visiting the museum.
This month we had the opportunity to visit the Vietnamese war museum. Something I had been looking forward to doing while here. History has always interested me; hearing the stories of what others went through and see the hope, love and perseverance it took for an individual or a country to make it through and grow from the experience.
The day we went was bright, students were supposed to join us, but we ended up only having one come. We all jumped out of the taxi ready for the opportunity, I have been to the Arizona memorial in pearl harbor, and to the U.S.S Missouri battle ship. I knew there would be a heavy quietness while there, the kind of heaviness that perpetuates one into a sort of awe struck silence.
Once inside we spread out and started discovering the museum that is compromised of four floors. The first level was dedicated to thanking nations for their support of Vietnam. The next level dug into the war, one about Agent Orange, another a plight for America to pay a debt for the use of Agent Orange, and more about the reality of war. American or Vietnamese, we can all understand the horrifying affects of war.
I became lost in the sea of pictures feeling pain and anguish as I went from one room to the next. Yes both sides share some level of blame. When war is fought on your home land then the devastation is far greater. Much of the museum paints Americans in a gruesome picture. Something I cannot fully blame them for, between guns, bombs and Agent Orange.
As I walked around the museum I realized how little I truly know about this piece of history. I thought of numerous lessons on the World Wars, our own civil war, glossed over lessons on the Native Americans and of course the current war on terror. I thought back to my east Asian civilization class I took in college and thought about many of the wars between China, Japan, and Korea. But I could hardly come up with anything in relation to the Vietnam war. I have no real information regarding this war except I know it happened. Widespread devastation to a small country in South East Asia and American troops.
Agent orange affected me the most, one of the vehicles used for the war. From what I can gather Agent Orange was what “The U.S. military sprayed… gallons of… on trees and vegetation during the Vietnam War.” (U.S. department of veteran affairs, Oct. 31,2013) “[After the use of Agent orange in the war] It was later revealed to cause serious health issues– including tumors, birth defects, rashes, psychological systems and cancer.” (History.com, 2013)
Agent orange has affected generations of Vietnamese and Americans alike. The elderly sitting in homes, disabled young and old are direct affects of Agent Orange. People I have seen on the street, and met in person. Their stories are heavy, but worthy to be heard. They hold important lessons and reminders for the world to know.
“Those who do not learn History are doomed to repeat it” (Santaya George) America needs to learn and teach its history or we are bound to stumble down the same road again and again.
What wrecked me the most was meeting people affected by the war. It jolted it into reality for me, something that I do not feel like has ever happened. Learning about history in school, it always felt so far away, never something recent.
To meet those affected by a brutal war can flip your world upside down. Things I am still processing and trying to figure out what God wants me to learn thought it all, so with that…
What history do you remember and why is it important for others to know?
