Saigon

Another quickie, I spent 2 days in Saigon. On the first I saw the War Remnants Museum, more aptly known as the The Museum of American War Crimes. This a gruesome and truly sobering museum which houses many of the weapons used during the war. It displays countless photographs of war atrocities (mostly taken by U.S. Associated Press), agent orange victims, napalm victims, phosphourus bomb victims. On the second floor were explanations for the imperialism of western forces from the time of French colonists up to the ending days of American involvement. It quotes various politicians and government documents detailing the reasons for the war as they relate to resource acquisition and to some extent the prevention of the "domino effect," which theorized that as one country fell to communism, so would neighboring countries until the whole of the democratic and freeworld fell. On the top floor of the museum were news article, photos, and descriptions or the massive protests taking place all over the world to end the gruesome war and grant Vietnam its independence. The last and possibly most sickening portion of the museum, located outside, was a replica of one of the American Prisoners for detention, interigation, and torture of suspected VC. It contained several of the "tiger cages" used as punishment, and described the tortures and disfigurements used.

The following day I visited the Cu Chi tunnels. The guide was involved in the war. He fled the country after his girlfriend and sister were both killed by American bombs. Ironically he fled to America and joined the military. He was careful to mention often that he never killed anyone, but has still never fully forgiven himself for being involved in the war effort. Upon returning to Vietnam he was placed in a communist "re-education camp," where he was made to clear landmines and subjected to the usual brainwashing. While in this prison his mother died and the rest of his family took him for dead and left the country. He has since located them.