Áo Dài, the traditional Vietnamese dress

Áo Dài is a traditional Vietnamese dress. "Áo" classifies the item as a piece of clothing on the upper part of the body. "Dài" means "long". It is commonly worn by women, though it has been worn by both men and women is history.

Traditionally, the color of the dress is indicative of the age of the wearer. Young girls wear white. As they grow older, but are not married, they wear pastels. Then older, married women wear rich and darker colors.

The Áo Dài is created precisely to fit the person it is made for so that it is flattering. Many shops in Vietnam will take tourists' measurements and the dress will be ready in one day. However, they usually take a few weeks to make high quality ones.

As the country has developed, so has the garment. It has become more than just a traditional dress. It is a symbol for Vietnam and a fashion icon seen in many pageants. More casual versions are often worn to school or work and lace ones can be seen on brides.

As the Áo Dài has become more popular in other countries, it has started to be mass produced. This is resulting in alterations to the design, which changes the look and essence of the traditional dress. However, those who have been to Vietnam and seen the real Áo Dài dresses agree that the traditional design is the most beautiful.

Bridal Áo Dài

Casual Áo Dài 

Áo Dài Pageant

Historical Áo Dài

Dreams- A Poem

This poem is written from the perspective of the wife of a drafted soldier. An occurring theme in books by Tim O’Brien is that innocent people’s lives are uprooted to fight a battle that isn’t their own. The soldiers of the Vietnam War were young men, straight out of college and high school. They had dreams and plans that had to be postponed or forgotten as soon as they received a draft letter. Often times those men would leave behind loved ones, be it family or a significant other. While being on the front line was horrific and brave, what their loved ones endured was not an easy feat either. 

When I was a little girl

I was taught to dream

Prince charming would come find me

A white bride I would gleam

When I grew older

I was taught to plan

My dreams became reality

I found a dashing young man

Then came a letter

All that I knew had changed

They took my prince charming

Forcefully estranged

Worry then controlled me

I dreamt one thing would come true

The war would end and he’d be safe

So we could dream again, as two. 

Four Perspectives

It's 1968. A Viet Cong soldier lays dead on a dirt road surrounded by jungle. The soldier responsible, the lieutenant of the company, a small child in the distance, and a fellow Viet Cong soldier hiding in the bushes are present at the scene.

Lê Thủy Anh (Small Child):

It was always so dark in the tunnels. Whenever the Americans made loud noises above us the ground would shake, cracks would form and dirt would fall. All I have is memory of the tunnels, the cold, damp dark. I never got comfortable underground, these past 7 years have felt like I was suffocating, like I was buried alive with no way out. I always wanted to venture above and breathe in the fresh air, but since there was a war going on it made things difficult.

 I tried to understand what the older men would say about what was happening above us, and since it was always so easy to eavesdrop in these tunnels I heard a great deal of what they were planning. I couldn't make sense of it though, why Vietnam? Why are they even here? From what I could tell, they were the one's destroying our livelihoods, our country, our home. What did we do to offend them?

I was always so curious. I wanted to see what was happening up there. I wanted to help fight.

I crept down the tunnel, holding my breath, following the voices ahead of me. My father had just left with one of his buddies. They were headed for one of the southern entrances, the closest one to our home. I saw a bright light ahead of me, something I've never seen before, and watched them climb up a ladder from the shadows.

Leaning against the wall, I shuffled toward the opening, aware of every sound around me, and slowly climbed up the ladder and pushed open the hidden door.

It was really bright outside, and before I could take in my surroundings I heard a shout in a language I didn't understand. I turned and watched my father get blown off his feet by a power unknown to me that violently shook the ground, throwing me off balance. All I could do was stare, wide-eyed and fall back down the hole, back into the tunnels.

Time stood still. A powerful force hit me and burned through my chest, I started to cry. I wanted to scream.

How dare they take away my father, pillage and kill. Don't they know how it feels? All we want is to get out of this hole. I don't understand. Why did this happen to us?

(Emily Parker)

Jackson Lowe (Soldier responsible):

I pushed myself up and sat on the dirt road. I wiped the sweat off my brow, only to smear mud in its place. My bag had been thrown on the ground and my hands were empty. It took me a moment to realize what I had done.

I remember the explosion, Lieutenant Harrison yelled and we jumped off to the side. Covering our faces, we guarded against the shrapnel and smoke but no barricade could guard against the guilt that began to overwhelm my body.

I could see myself the day before, sitting around the fire playing cards and talking smack about Lieutenant Harrison. Day after day we made the best of where we were and anticipated the day we could return back to our old lives, if we were that lucky. I wasn't a killer; I was just a guy who had been swept up along in somebody else’s battle.

As I stood on that dirt road I tried to convince myself that the man laying in front of me was the enemy. That he wanted me dead and I had to protect my troop and myself. As much as I needed to be able to hate the man lying on the dirt road, in my heart I knew that he was just like me. Like me, he had a family who loved him, a livelihood he was anxious to return to, and a wish for peace. He was just like me except one thing was different. I was alive and he was dead. I had killed him.

(Julia Khoury)

Lieutenant Butch Harrison:

This worthless grunt. Can’t even kill a man without getting leaky. When Lowe finally focused his eyes on the dead gook lying face up in the path, he quickly averted his gaze. Too soft to even look at what he had done. 

This is war and Nam is the enemy. The gooks hide among the bush and conceal themselves in the boonies. Like raving savages they attack from behind. Cowards. America is in a noble war for a noble cause. It is our obligation to protect civilized countries from contamination by the Reds.

Yellow-bellied pansies like Lowe give honorable soldiers a bad name. But more and more frequently the FNGs they send over are getting flaky.

I straightened from my protective crouch at the edge of the trees, briskly brushing the dirt and shrapnel from my fatigues. As I prepared to reassemble my platoon, I scanned the jungle for any remaining VC. Those slants were as rampant as the rats, but they could disappear like phantoms. I placed a hand on Lowe's shoulder to commend him on his first, albeit cowardly, kill. 

“Soldier time to move out.”

I kicked the wasted VC as we continued to hump up the path.  
(Joelle Bruckert-Frisk)

Hoàng Văn Tông (Viet Cong Soldier):
The smoke clears and I see him lying there, his face unrecognizable, and one arm missing. After a few seconds I spot it a few feet down the path. Had it really been only minutes ago that he flashed his famous grin at me? I am frozen for what seems like an eternity as I try to remember what it looked like.

Then I hear voices. My body tenses as a couple of Americans climb through the trees, towards his body. I don’t know what they are saying, but the younger one, no more than 20 years old probably, has a look on his face that I will never forget. A mix of shock and horror. The other man, a little older, has his hand reassuringly placed on his companion’s shoulder. No, he’s thumping him on the back. He’s commending him. They approach the body and the younger man falls silent. My legs ache from crouching but I remain still. If I’m discovered they will surely kill me too.

For a few minutes, the younger man doesn’t say a word. He just stares at his hands, his eyes avoiding the body. Then, the older man pulls him away, throws a kick, and they disappear down the path. I slowly come out from my hiding place, shaking with anger and fear, and face the direction the men went. Suddenly, I become aware of the weapon in my hand. The weapon, that months ago, I had barely been able to pick up without cringing. And now, there’s a part of me that wants to use it, chase after the men that took my friend’s life, and seek revenge. The thought sends a shiver through my body. Instead, I turn around and approach my fallen friend.

I can’t bear to look at his mangled face. Instead I take his hand. I imagine him holding hands with his wife, picking up his little girl, tousling his son’s hair. The calluses and scars show the hard work he’s put towards creating a life for his family. The smooth parts are evidence of all he had left to give. Everything he had taken from him. Is this worth the fighting?

(Emilia Anderson)

Peace Movement

The peace symbol is most often associated with the protests pertaining to the Vietnam War. When the protests first began, they were mainly made up of peace activists and college students who detested the drafting process. However, after the government increased the amount of soldiers sent over to Vietnam, protests began to become more popular with the general public because of this widespread dislike of the war.

The media had a huge influence on the people back home as well. Since a lot of pictures and videos could now be taken overseas, many civilians were exposed to disturbing images of the destruction American troops caused in Vietnam.

 

The most devastating protest during this time was held at Kent State University. When the protestors began to get violent, 4 students got shot and 10 others were wounded by National Guardsmen.  

Concurrently, the hippie movement surfaced into our culture, adding to the protests and preaching peace to all.  Music transformed with this movement, as well as fashion and the mindset many young adults had towards the government.


http://www.history.com/topics/vietnam-war/vietnam-war-protests
http://www.historylearningsite.co.uk/protests_vietnam_war.htm

Loop

Always fighting,
burning, killing
A tape on replay

I remember her face, yet
It's fuzzy, black and white

My instincts take over
I'm one with the land
Hands dirty, stained

Its hard to recall
How had I lived
Before it all went
To hell

Eyes everywhere
Watching
Nowhere to run

Tame turns
Wild
Unraveled mind

Never the same

This original poem is inspired by how war can affect a soldier's mind and change them into someone completely different from who they were before they left.

Found Poem: Attention All Military Personnel

Attention All Military Personnel

You may soon be sent to Vietnam.

The enemy, they say, is everywhere.

The old woman feeding her chicken.

The little boy who trails after the American soldiers.

The washerwoman at the American air base.

It is impossible to tell which are the Viet Cong,

and which are the civilians.

The military is taking no chances.

Your job is to win the people of South Vietnam

Win them to what?

The American way of life?

We can't speak their language

or even pronounce their names.

We don't know anything about their religion

or even what it is.

We never even heard of Vietnam

until Washington decided to run it.

As a soldier you have been trained to obey orders,

but as a human being you must take

responsibility for your own acts.

We hope that you find yourself

unable to tolerate this nightmare war,

and we hope that you will oppose it.

We don't know what kind of risks we are taking

in giving you this.

You won't know what risk you will be taking

in opposing the war.

But whatever you do,

keep your eyes open.

Draw your own conclusions .

Don't be afraid to ask questions,

keep asking.

You might be forced to do some fighting.

You may feel the war is wrong.

Good luck.

     This is a found poem is derived from a pamphlet that was distributed to induction centers, American military bases, and sent to soldiers in Vietnam. The pamphlet's circulation provoked threats of incrimination for treason. The found poem conveys the disapproval many felt for the Vietnam War and the opposition they felt was necessary.

http://www.historyisaweapon.com/defcon1/attentionmilitary.html

   

And Then to Black - PTSD Poem

Flash,
yellow to red.
Green to white, and then,
black.
The sounds ceased.
Vanished.
Viet Cong cloaked in the quiet.
Flash,
back to green.
The traffic began to flow,
American cars and steel buildings.
Not the VC.
The Viet Cong belonged,
to the jungle,
to the war.
Not the here,
not the now.
But there they were,
in the shadows,
in the sounds,
in the streets.
Contaminating,
infiltrating.
The traffic light switched,
back to yellow,
then black.
Eyes shut,
to block out,
the past, in the now.

An original poem written to imitate a possible experience of a Vietnam Veteran suffering from post traumatic stress disorder.

African Americans in the Vietnam War

Between 1961 and 1964, African Americans accounted for more than 20 percent of Army fatalities, even though they represented only 12.6 percent of Army personnel in Vietnam. According to New York Times reporter Sol Stern, "the statistics show that the Negro in the army was more likely than his white buddy to be sent to Vietnam in the first place; once there, he was more likely to wind up in a front-line combat unit; and within the combat unit was more likely than the white to be killed or wounded."(1) African American Vietnam vets who were not killed in Vietnam returned home to encounter persistent racism and widespread unemployment. 

Letter from Rupert Trimmingham,

"Myself and eight other Negro soldiers were on our way from Camp Claiborne, La., to the hospital here at Fort Huachuca, Arizona. ...We could not purchase a cup of coffee at any of the lunchrooms around there... As you know, Old Man Jim Crow rules. But that's not all; 11:30 a.m. about two dozen German prisoners of war, with two American guards, came to the station. They entered the lunchroom, sat at the tables, had their meals served, talked, smoked, in fact had quite a swell time. I stood on the outside looking on... Are we not American soldiers, sworn to fight for and die if need be for this our country?"(2)

Even though they were all fighting for the same country, the African American soldiers were not treated as equals. They could see the injustice of being forced to go to war for a country who did not see them as full citizens.

Haywood T. "The Kid" Kirkland shared his experience as a Black GI in the Vietnam War.

He says,

 “You would see the racialism in the base-camp area. Like rednecks flying rebel flags from their jeeps. I would feel insulted, intimidated. The brothers they was calling quote unquote troublemakers, they would send to the fields. A lot of brothers who had supply clerk or cook MOS [Military Occupational Specialties] when they came over ended up in the field. And when the brothers who was shot came out of the field, most of them got the jobs burning sh-- in these 50-gallon drums. Most of the white dudes got jobs as supply clerks or in the mess hall. “(1)

He goes on to discuss his life after the war, as he struggled to find a place in a society he did not feel welcome in.

The last sentences sums up the feelings many African Americans had towards the war.

 “They killed Dr. [Martin Luther] King just before I came home. I felt used.”(1)  

1. http://www.historyisaweapon.com/defcon1/kirkbloodsvietnam.html
2. http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/features/general-article/warletters-letters/#trimmingham 

Vietnamese Water Puppets: Therapy for Veterans

The Vietnamese art form of water puppetry has expanded in popularity since its humble beginnings in rice paddies and ponds of the Red River Delta region of Vietnam. Traditionally, puppeteers stand waist deep in water, hidden from the audience's view, as they manipulate puppets as large as 36 inches in and out of the water. Shows include music, singing, ornate puppets, and fantastical storylines. Many guided tours of Vietnam include this elaborate and culturally representative display in their itineraries. Water puppet shows can hold a more significant purpose than simply a tourist attraction.

Creative arts therapy is often used to treat people suffering from post traumatic stress disorder because of its ability to connect with victims' nonverbal, kinesthetic and visual memories. For Vietnam war veterans, Vietnamese water puppet shows can be the perfect therapy. These puppet shows allow veterans to experience Vietnam in a medium independent of war, ultimately allowing them to cope with their troubling past encounters.Veteran Joseph Bangert believes Vietnamese water puppet shows have the ability to normalize relations between Vietnam and the United States. He hopes people will be able to "discover that Vietnam is not the name of a war but of a society and a culture."

Credit to http://www.csmonitor.com/1992/0629/29101.html/(page)/2 and
http://www.developmentaltransformations.com/images/james_drama_therapy_in_the_treatment.pdf

Tunnel Rats

To battle against the Vietnamese and the Cu Chi Tunnels, many United States soldiers were trained to go down into the tunnels, often armed with only a flashlight and a pistol, to scout and look for underground enemy troops.
The following video contains standardized procedure when faced with the prospect of scouting a tunnel, and footage of soldiers going inside:

Ron Giles, a Vietnam War veteran, recounts his experience as a Tunnel Rat in an article with a New Jersey newspaper. He states that he volunteered for the job at first because of his small stature and of thinking that it would be a "one-shot deal". Even though tunneling underground didn't happen frequently, he still had to go down there roughly "two to three times a month". Giles described how if he turned down an assignment he "would have lost respect. [And he] would have lost a lot of face" with his company.
The intense anxieties Giles faced while down in the tunnels can be compared to that of a horror film. Many of his experiences still haunt him to this day; "It's kind of like a catharsis," he said. "But the scariness of it, the horror, the trauma, it just never, never leaves you."

Giles' experience and feelings linked with the tunnels can be compared to that of Tim O'Brien's novel The Things They Carried and how the characters were affected by the war. Many recurring themes within the novel can accurately represent Giles' time at war, such as the fear of blushing and the psychological strain war has on soldiers.

 

http://www.warchapter.com/Vietnam_war_Tunnels.html

http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2009/07/vietnam_veterans_to_share_stor.html

Found Poem

A Vietnamese Bidding Farewell to the Remains of an American

From the original Vietnamese poem by Tran Thi My Nhung, translated by Phan Thao Chi

You died in the forest, alone.

The two of us dug this grave for you,

prayed for you to rest in peace.

Is it too late to love each other?

You and I,

once separated by an ocean,

by the color of our skin,

by language.

But destiny bound our lives together.

Between us now, the ocean seems so small.

How close are our two continents.

I believe your American sky

is as blue as the sky above this country.

May you rest forever in the soil of your home.

Original Poem: http://voiceseducation.org/node/399

The original poem was written by Tran Thi My Nhung from the point of view of a Vietnamese person burying an unknown American soldier. My found poem illustrates the theme that despite the cruelty of war, compassion can still be found among those who realize the two sides are not so different from each other.

History of the Cu Chi Tunnels

The Cu Chi tunnels were originally used as a defensive strategy by the Vietnamese to fight the French, who occupied Vietnam during the 1940's. By the time the United States troops came over, the tunnels stretched over 120 miles from Saigon to the Cambodian border. The tunnels sheltered many enemy troops, refugees, food, weapons and many other supplies that were transported throughout the network of tunnels.
The VC (Viet Cong) would utilize these tunnels to spring surprise attacks on the unsuspecting United States military troops and to hide within them to evade aerial bombings from the US.
To keep the United States from infiltrating their underground bases, the tunnels were often booby trapped with explosives, poisonous reptiles and insects and other deadly traps.
Life in the Cu Chi Tunnels was similar to that above the ground; they built homes, factories, hospitals and bomb shelters. There were even some theaters and music halls to provide distractions for the soldiers. However, there were many dangers to living underground. Flooding, poor ventilation, cave ins and snakes often threatened the lives of the VC and North Vietnamese troops who resided down there.
Since the Vietnam War ended, the Cu Chi Tunnels has been kept and preserved as a memorial to the many fallen soldiers and a tourist attraction in Vietnam. The tunnels played a significant role in the war and are an essential part of Vietnam's history.

 

 A schematic of what the tunnels looked like



 

What many entrances looked like

Information provided by:

http://www.history.com/topics/vietnam-war/cu-chi-tunnels


 Pictures provided by:

http://www.warchapter.com/Vietnam_war_Tunnels.html
http://www.foothand.com/cgi-bin/display.cgi?action=0709003048


Culture: Non La

The Non La (Traditional Vietnamese Hat)

The name of the traditional conical hats that were worn in Vietnam is Non La, which means leaf hat. The hat is made from young leaves that have been softened by the dew and flattened either by hand or ironing. It is coated with an oil for protection. The Non La is worn primarily by women, although there are some versions designed for men. A Vietnamese feminine beauty standard is white skin, so the hats are used to protect the skin from the harsh sun and rain. Special conical hats were called Non Bai Tho which means poetical leaf because they were adorned with poetic verses that were only visible when the hat is above your head in the sunlight. Throughout the years, Non La's evolved to the point where there were over 50 versions however the hats are now only worn in agricultural areas. 

Here are some pictures of Non La's being worn during the Vietnam War:

Found Poem: The Beauty of War

"The Beauty of War," is a satirical poem written by Curt Bennett who was a U.S. pilot on active duty in Vietnam. Until the last few stanzas, Bennett conceals the desired message of his poem. With a quick shift from pleasant descriptive diction ("spectacular" and "harmonizes") to a curt statement, Bennett reveals the unmasked reality of war. This poem can be summed up in a short and simple "found poem":

Somehow that and the screams

Of the unseen dying somewhere

Out there, tends to diminish

The beauty and fun of it all.

Although this is an adequate summation of Bennett's thoughts, I suggest a personal read-through of his poem to develop the overall tone.

     

Vietnam War Songs

The Unknown Soldier- The Doors

www.youtube.com/watch?v=6LSCoBk8hgU

This song was in reaction to the Vietnam War and how the conflict was portrayed in American media. Lines such as "Breakfast where the news is read/ Television children fed/ Unborn living, living dead/ Bullets strike the helmet's head"(lyrics) criticize the way news of the war was presented in the living rooms of American people.

Born in the U.S.A. - Bruce Springsteen

www.youtube.com/watch?v=lZD4ezDbbu4

The song deals with the negative effects of the Vietnam War on Americans, but is often misunderstood to be a patriotic or nationalistic anthem. However the tone of the song shows that Springsteen is actually criticizing the loss of a true sense of national pride. The song is said to be a tribute to Springsteen's friends in the Vietnam War, some who did not come back. It also protests the hardships Vietnam veterans faced upon their return home from the war.

Goodnight Saigon- Billy Joel

www.youtube.com/watch?v=j6gZefW4yEA

 This song depicts the attitudes of United States Marines during the Vietnam War. The lyrics of "Goodnight Saigon" are about soldiers in battle bonding together, fighting their fears and trying to figure out how to survive. The use of "we" rather than "I," emphasizes that the soldiers are all in the situation together. There is a part which has multiple voices singing that the soldiers will "all go down together"(lyrics), emphasizing their camaraderie.

19- Paul Hardcastle

www.youtube.com/watch?v=h-HaGvhdGMU

Many people believe the song has an anti-war message, focusing on America's involvement in the Vietnam. Hardcastle was inspired to create the song after watching a Vietnam War documentary and comparing his own life at 19 to those of the soldiers featured. He says, "what struck me was how young the soldiers were: the documentary said their average age was 19. I was out having fun in pubs and clubs when I was 19, not being shoved into jungles and shot at"(6).

Still in Saigon- Charlie Daniels Band

www.youtube.com/watch?v=SOfrnKqk3zw

The song portrays the struggles of an American Vietnam veteran after the war. The story is told ten years after Daniels, as the protagonist, faced being drafted into the Vietnam War. Although he could have escaped to Canada, he believed he was "brought up differently/couldn't break the rules"(lyrics) so he decided he had to serve. The song addresses the emotional toll of war, how it is worsened upon returning home, and dealing with PTSD.  

1.       http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_songs_about_the_Vietnam_War
2.       http://muse.jhu.edu/login?auth=0&type=summary&url=/journals/american_quarterly/v058/58.2cowie.html
3.       http://www.shmoop.com/born-in-the-usa/songwriting.html
4.       http://books.google.com/books?id=HHQqoUcbd8gC&pg=PA107
5.       http://www.allmusic.com/artist/paul-hardcastle-mn0000018513/biography
6.       http://www.theguardian.com/music/2012/sep/24/19-paul-hardcastle-ken-grunbaum
7.       http://www.nytimes.com/1982/04/21/arts/still-in-saigon-climbing.html
8.       http://www.shmoop.com/born-in-the-usa/lyrics.html

Culture: Music in Vietnam

Music in Vietnam
There were some prominent songwriters and composers in Vietnam during the Vietnam war. Some of the artists were so controversial their work was banned from the area and only allowed back in the 2000's when the government was making repairs. As music is is a large part of a culture, listening to the music that was widely listened to in Vietnam during the war is another way to further understand the people we went to war against. Here is a sample of some of the prominent songwriters during the time of the Vietnamese war.

Gia Tài Của Mẹ - Trịnh Công Sơn ca

This song was written by Trinh Cong Son, a Vietnamese composer. It is about the Vietnam war from the perspective of the Vietnamese people. 

Nguyên Thảo - Tình Ca (Phạm Duy)

This song (performed by Nguyen Thao) is called Tình Ca and was written by Pham Duy, one of Vietnam's most prolific songwriters. Pham Duy's work incorporated both traditional and modern styles. This song is about patriotism. All of Pham Duy's work was banned from North Vietnam during the Vietnam War due to his political controversy. 

Found Poem - Coming Home

The following found poem was created based on Eileen Breedlove's poem "Coming Home", which expresses the feelings many soldiers felt after they returned home from the war. This poem can be linked to Tim O'Brien's novel The Things They Carried and the chapter "Speaking of Courage".
Her original poem can be found here:

http://iwvpa.net/breedlovee/coming-home--.php

I don't need an orchestra
Or rockets in the sky
Please don't turn away from me
Look me in the eye

Locked up so deep inside
There are many things that haunt me
Don't tell me to let them go
They're the reasons that I cry

You see, I'm not the same
Part of me has died
I've left many that I love
Behind

For unknown reasons I survived
I'm coming home.
Discharged with no disguise

Combat Fatigues and Canvas Paintings

 The tradition of commissioning artists to document war dates back to early civilization. Evidence of wartime art can be found in Egyptian tombs and Roman mosaics. Now, in the age of instant imagery, this tradition persists because of art's ability to imitate life more accurately than many other forms of documentation. Visual art captures the charged emotions of a situation in a medium that can be universally understood. During the Vietnam War, the United States sent teams of artists to Vietnam to record their experiences as soldier artists. These artists were part of the U.S. Army Vietnam Combat Artists program and their instructions were to "paint what [they saw] in whatever medium" (with some limitations). Artists' renderings of the war ranged from the literal to the abstract. Many of the works of art can now be found in the National Museum of the U.S. Army.

 Gunship - John O. Wehrle

 Landing Zone - John O. Wehrle

 The Lost of the War - Roger A. Blum 

Bog Down - Felix R. Sanchez

 The Innocent - Kenneth J. Scowcroft

Chieu Hoi Mission - Craig L. Stewart

   

Images courtesy of the National Museum of the U.S. Army.

Found Poem: One Fine Day

This found poem embodies the theme of the original poem that war creates horrific violence on days that were otherwise ordinary.

Found Poem: One Fine Day

Stretched, broken

Protecting the earth

As far as the eye could see

Yellow fierceness

Promising soon

Hanging, silence, stillness

Unseen frantic men

In crisis below

Enemy

To kill

The thick morning air

An Umbilical rope

Dragging behind

Holding on for dear life

Certain death

Lost his lifeline

Helpless, grim fascination

Spread his arms out wide

Like Jesus on a cross

Then disappeared

This found poem was written based on the original poem "One Fine Day" by Curt Bennett, which can be found on 

http://www.warpoetry.co.uk/vietnam.htm#ONE FINE DAY 

  

Parallels of Vietnam and Iraq

Phil Klay, a Marine veteran of the Iraq War and author, recently published "Redeployment," a collection of short war stories. In an interview with Jeff Baker of the Oregonian, he answers a few questions regarding his writing and his experiences as a Marine in the Iraq War. When asked about his return to civilian life, Klay replied  it was "both amazing and weird...coming back to the country that ordered you over there only to realize that a lot of Americans are not really paying attention." Iraq is not the first war in American history to receive apathy and selective ignorance from civilians.

As a drafted and generally unfavorable war, soldiers and veterans of the Vietnam War were often treated poorly or ignored during their time at war and upon their return home.This concept of an ignorant society during wartime and how this can negatively affect soldiers is explored in Tim O'Brien's books, The Things They Carried and If I Die in a Combat Zone: Box Me Up and Ship Me Home, fiction and  nonfiction accounts of soldiers' experiences in the Vietnam War. O'Brien illustrates in his novel, The Things They Carried, scenarios similar to Klay's realization that America was "not really paying attention" (Klay) to the Iraq war. Both America's ignorant attitude and a soldier's wounded reaction is demonstrated when a soldier returned from Vietnam contemplates America's interest in the war and concludes "the place could only blink and shrug. It had no memory, therefore no guilt. The taxes got paid and the votes got counted and the agencies of government did their work briskly and politely. It was a brisk polite town. it did not know shit about shit, and did not care to know" (O'Brien).
In recent history, the location of the war may vary from Southeast Asia to the Middle East, but ultimately parallels will be found among the attitudes of the involved parties and war stories will remain true across generations.

Culture: Coconut Custard

Part of understanding a country's culture is experiencing the food. The soldiers in the Vietnam war were trained to call the Vietnamese people "gooks" so they didn't think of them as actual people.  It is much more difficult to destroy people when you know them personally, and that is what the soldiers were trying to avoid. However, it is important to realize that the Vietnamese people had a culture and livelihood just like we did. While ours was affected by the war, theirs was devastated. In hopes to understand Vietnamese people and their culture, I made a recipe that is common cuisine in Vietnam. Coconut Custard is made from ingredients that are part of their agricultural production and is a fairly quick recipe that could be made as a desert or snack on a regular basis or for special occasions. Here is the recipe and my experience cooking and eating it.

Coconut Custard

Ingredients

• 5 eggs
• 1 cup coconut milk
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla

 Add all the ingredients in a medium size bowl and beat until frothy.

Pour into four ramekins. 

Place in steamer over boiling water. 

Steam for about 20 minutes, or until liquid sets. The inside should be fairly solid.

Turn heat off and let it cool. Then put the ramekins in the fridge to chill.

Once they are cool, enjoy! (We had them for our post-run snack)

The recipe was found on http://www.foodbycountry.com.