Submitted by Stephen Wemple on the 2019 winter session program in Vietnam and Cambodia sponsored by the Department of Finance…
Vietnam was filled with beautiful sites and development. In fact, at times, it was hard to picture how badly in shape this country was less than 50 years ago. Being on a cruise in Ha Long Bay and exploring the waterways of the Makong Delta, sometimes distracted me from the reality of things. In the 20th century, this country went through decades of gruesome and hard-fought war. Having the opportunity to explore the War Remnants Museum in Ho Chi Minh City opened my eyes to this country’s dark history.
Being able to see the Vietnamese perspective of the Vietnam war in the 60’s and 70’s really altered my view of everything. I never realized the extent of the chemical weapons the Americans used on the Vietnamese and how it affected millions of people. The most warped part of everything was how millions of innocent people died and how even generations after the war, people are still deformed because of how Agent Orange defected genes. My whole life, I was blinded to the sickening war tactics used in this foreign country and I am thankful I was able to go to this museum and educate myself further on the war and learn about the Vietnamese perspective. This was certainly one of the most impactful parts of this program.
