Some of the heaviest and fiercest fighting of the Vietnam War occurred around the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ), the border that once separated North and South Vietnam.
"It was hell," according to Mr. Anh, who fought for South Vietnam/America. He said it was the last place a soldier wanted to be sent, and he said soldiers did everything possible to escape the horror, including staying drunk and high as much as possible to psyche themselves up for combat. Even though soldiers were given anti-malaria pills, Mr. Anh said most refused to take them, hoping to contract the disease to get out of the fight, if for only a few days.
Today, Mr. Anh acted as my guide on a tour of the region. He ought to know the area. Most soldiers served no more than 6 months at the DMZ, but Mr. Anh stayed here for 2 years because of his special skills as the chief scout. His job was so important that he said he was given a poison pill to swallow in case he were captured by the enemy.
Fighting raged all the time near the DMZ, but Mr. Anh said the worst happened at night. That's when up to 40,000 Viet Cong, hiding in Laos, only a 6-minute helicopter ride away, launched rocket attacks, while Viet Cong soldiers slipped across the border along the Ho Chi Minh trail, a network of bicycle paths built throughout the jungle to transport troops and supplies. I have no idea how the United States could have spotted the paths by air, especially at night.
The region was so crucial because of a major American supply route. The Viet Cong always wanted to disrupt it, and the other side needed to protect it.
The excellent day-long tour included a stop at the Vinh Moc tunnels, tunnels the Viet Cong used to transport supplies, meaning they were bigger than the ones I saw previously at Cu Chi, near Ho Chi Minh City, tunnels which were used for fighting. Today, we got to check out all three levels of the tunnels. They were quite impressive.
At times during the tour, Mr. Anh became overwhelmed with emotion, remembering his fallen friends. He said the only reason he's a guide is because he needs the money. After the war, the Communists imprisoned him and seized all his assets and his home, an action which he said played out all over South Vietnam after the war.
Growing up, I read so much about the war. It was something getting to actually visit a few of the major battle sites, places like Khe Sanh and Quang Tri. The battlefields are long gone, but it's not hard to imagine what happened there 40 years ago.
According to Mr. Anh, there's still a lot of bad blood between the North and South. I guess that makes sense. Back in college, I took a Shakespeare course in London. The final day of class the teacher said, "You Americans think World War II happened so long ago, but to us, it feels like it happened yesterday, since it was fought on our soil." I imagine some Vietnamese share the same sentiment.
The DMZ is located about two hours from Hue, which during the 1800s, was the capital of Vietnam at the time of the Nguyen Dynasty. The town itself is pleasant and contains an Imperial City, built on the same principles as the Forbidden Palace in Beijing.
I enjoyed touring it, but after Angkor Wat, everything else seems tame in comparison.
The day before, I spent the night in Hoi An, which 200 years ago was a prosperous port. Today, the town looks more like a Chinese village than a village in Vietnam. It really draws in the tourists.
By the way, for once, I was on the other side of the camera this morning. I was eating on the street when a woman wanted to take my picture. I guess she doesn't see many Americans eating in the local places. Of course, I had to ham it up.
Also, I continue to have people walk up to me on the street wanting to practice their English. I'm happy to help, so actually I'm not traveling. I'm teaching English. My friend, Joanie, is kind enough to do my taxes each year. I'm thinking of asking her if I can write off all my future trips, since they are really working trips. I already know what she'll say. "Mark, no!" Hey, it doesn't hurt to try.
It's hard to believe that my trip is winding down. I have only about a week left. In the next day or so, I'm headed farther north to Hanoi, and then, I'll probably wrap up my trip in Ha Long Bay.
Things are still going great. I would write more, but I am meeting a couple of Americans for dinner. Plus, I am about to throw this computer against the wall because I am having trouble trying to decipher some of the Vietnamese keys.
As always, I'll be in touch.
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