March 12 , 2008
Ho Chi Minh City
Overview of Vietnam
I am more fortunate than most. I get to deal one on one with the local businessman. I get to
learn the economics and the personal opinions. The economy of Vietnam is thriving, it started in
1992 when they first opened up to the world and accelerated in 2007 when they
were allowed to join the WTO. The
population of Vietnam is 85 million, compared to China and India with 1.3
billion each. The two major
manufacturing areas are Ho Chi Minh City (5.5 mm people) and Hanoi (2.5 mm
people) . The population is not migratory as is China or India so the
actual manufacturing population base is much smaller and much more restricted
than 85 million implies.
The interior of Vietnam still lacks a transportation
infrastructure to support manufacturing. Rural
roads, poor education and no rail system. Parts
of the interior, particularly the Central Highlands, are still restricted areas
to foreigners.
History
When the war ended in 1975 there was a huge exodus of people, particularly
the talented, from South Vietnam. The
North also imprisoned a large portion of the educated and talented that did not
escape. The void was filled with migrants from North Vietnam…a huge migration
to all parts of the country. They brought government bureaucrats, business
people, merchants and farmers to fill the land.
Today a large part of the population is second and third generation North
Vietnamese. There does not seem to
be any animosity but hard to tell. Everybody
I asked said it “was history”. Interest
in history is probably the same in all cultures…there are about 10 of us.
So they are more interested in the future, in developing a growing
economy.
Ho Chin Minh City
I saw 5 factories. The ones that were run by foreigners were every bit as
good as the factories I use in China. The factories run by Vietnamese catered strictly to the
domestic market.
Macro Economic
They are every bit as concerned about the weakness to the $US.
They are primarily an import economy right now. They
have a large deficit and need exports to finance growth.
Exports are difficult with a weak $US.
Touring HCM
I toured “The War Sights”. Guess
you have to do that and get it out of the way.
There are many other sights worth seeing.
Tunnels of Cu Chi
45 minute taxi ride from Saigon
Didn’t realize it was so close..seems impossibly close…Didn’t go
Locals talk about it as though it was their Gettysberg
Reunification Palace
This was the old Presidential Palace. They
keep it in good condition to use for current affairs of state, but do not use it
other than a museum. The history of
the Fall of Saigon April 75 is well chronicled.
It is presented from the victor’s point of view.
The surprise to me was the number of photo’s and movies they had from
embedded journalists on their side. They
certainly expected to win.
The basement was the war room, the place from which the President commanded
the war. I noted two things.
The map of the Ho Chi Minh trail….how close it was to Pleiku.
The map must have been vintage 1975, so may not have reflected 1968.
The other was how antique the radio and communication equipment was ….
Is that my era?
Souvenir shop…the price of a historic Zippo = $5.00..complete with
inscription
The Ware Remnants Museum
Within walking distance of the Reunification Palace.
It was exactly as presented. All captured military equipment in the
courtyard..packed full of it.
It started out reasonably enough…an indictment against all war.
Presented tragic photos of all word wide conflicts in the last 30
years….the devastation of civilians. It
turned disgustingly one sided after that. Walls
and walls of photo’s of American atrocities.
Disgusting in that many were obviously taken by guys on our side. Why do such things and why document it as if it were
glorious. Mai Lai and other similar
atrocities (did not know there were more but documentation was from US sources)
were displayed.. Lot’s of
pictures of civilian casualties, especially in the North.
Agent Orange and the devastation to the country and the birth defects
were prominent. A
graphic display of “Tiger Cages” RVN
government used them to hold political prisoners….every bit as gruesome as The
Hanoi Hilton. Obviously
no mention of the atrocities from their side.
Weapons of war all over the place. The
victors write history.
No mention of the guys who spent they’re off hours building schools,
hospitals, sanitation facilities or irrigation channels.
Guys teaching construction crafts, sanitary practices, English,
math etc in their off hours….the real heroes of the war.
No mention of the Russian Occupation after 1975 and the rape of the
country side by their Soviet friends. No
mention of the 2 million people who fled on boats in 1975…over 10% of the
population of RVN..and more would have if the could have….why do you supposed
they fled?
The display had two glass cases of “artifacts” donated in apology by two
American GI’s. I should have
copied down their names so I could hunt them down.
The Guest Book also had a number of apologies written by
Americans….next time I will copy down their names.
Feel very self-conscious…am I being stared at?
Souvenir shop.
Reunification Palace has better deals…..Zippos here are $15 for authentic
looking ones and $10 for “newer” looking ones.
Dog tags are $15. Where the hell did they come from? Look authentic.
Attitudes
Mine seems to be the only bad one. I’ll get over it as the War Museum fades into the
background. Lot’s of
Westerners in town. Many Americans
as well as Europeans. The war is history.
The population is so young, so very young…they are two generations
removed…am I that old? They call
it the War of American Invasion…..but to the young kids it has as much meaning
as our Civil War…maybe even less.
Capitalism has won.
March 13, 2008
HCM Airport Flight to Pleiku
Why am I doing this? Brief wave
of emotion. More a feeling of
trying to find the reason why I am going…but I have to.
Guide book says Pleiku now has a minor league soccer team sponsored by
HAGL. Turns out this flight is also
carrying tonight’s opponent. Twin
engine turbo prop, Russian AR-17 according to the emergency guide.. My seat mate
is a young football player…best I can tell from his limited english and body
language ..mostly his body language…this is his first flight……fun kind of
nervous.
Pleiku Day 1
Population = 90,000
We land and I wish him luck. HAGL is also the name of the hotel I am staying
at…….seems HAGL owns much of Pleiku..hotel (chain of them actually) , soccer
team, furniture manufacturing, polished granite manufacturing.
Later learned it is owned by a proud native son....45 years old.
The hotel has a shuttle bus from the airport to the hotel.
Turns out 4 of my fellow travelers are from Florida being hosted by a
young Australian named Dave whose father owns a furniture factory in town.
Dave is a good start on local lore.
Pleiku economy is furniture making, granite stones, coffee, some tea,
some rubber. Asked why
I was here I admitted to being here 40 years earlier.
Kind of a hush. Dave noted
that the local police and military still thought of Americans as subversive,
particularly that they come to incite the local minority tribes.
Not a good feeling for a solo traveler….doesn’t make any sense but I
am prepared for that (things not making any sense).
Property is expensive…..Dave tried to buy a corner lot on a downtown
block for a private residence and the price was $480,000US…looked to be 100
feet on each side of the corner, 3 stories with several narrow shops at street
level.
Checked into the hotel. My host in Saigon had reserved a two bedroom suite
for me on the 10th floor. English is limited at the desk so I figured what the hell…I
deserve it and it can not be that expensive…besides breakfast was free.
Turns out English is not well spoken in Pleiku and they seem to point
different than we do. I got a map, went to my room and studied my options as a solo
traveler.
Went downstairs and asked the desk to help me find a local guide and taxi.
The taxi part was easy but the only guide available today spoke French,
no English. Tomorrow an English
guide is available. Booked a
car and taxi for 8:00 AM in the morning.
Got a taxi for the afternoon. I
pointed to pictures on the map and off we went.
Where did all the churches and pagodas come from?
Went to a big horseshoe shaped lake..Bein Ho..must have been off the East
end of the Holloway runway…where did that come from?
Surrounded by pine forest, smelled like southern Alabama !!
Found 3 young men on the gazebo overlooking the lake.
They called to me in Vietnamese….I am a little apprehensive about
responding…. in China and other parts of Asia
usually means a solicitation of some sort.
One kid is badly deformed….pause for thought..the other two might be
brothers..all look to be mid teens. Turns
out these kids wanted nothing more than to have their picture taken with
me…nothing more than a friendly greeting and a picture.
Drove around some more. Large
industrial parks for granite cutting and furniture making.
Lot’s and lot’s of military….hmmmmmm.
Back to the hotel at 2:30…90 minute tour…..it’s going to be a dull
time until the plane leaves.
Might as well take a walk..can’t get too lost.
I vaguely remember main street from Holloway to Pleiku Airbase..now
called Van Dong Street.
Actually the only thing familiar is the view of the mountains on the
horizon…Kontum Pass. Walk up to
the church in center city. This
must have been where the twin spire church was..blue and white I remember…gone
now…replaced by low roof line structure.
Went inside and said a prayer..felt like the right thing to do.
Continued to walk around, no destination. Traffic is all scooters or small trucks, a few cars and
taxi’s. Seems the entire
population of Pleiku is on a scooter at once
Saw a large statue / memorial, soviet style, to a Montagnard Warrior 1914 to
1988..hmmmm thought they were all on our side.
Didn’t have a pencil ….got a picture but no name.
Seems all the monuments and public sculptures are of the grand pose
Russian style…large bodies, stepping forward,
fist lifted in the air, head raised, chin out.
Walked a nice garden park..a little bit of quite in the motorcycle hum
English is a rarity and I am finding they do not seem to grunt and point the
way we do either…gonna be a long day until the plane leaves….why am I here?
“Hey Mr. Mi !!” Oh no, this
is a solicitation for sure. Old man on a motorscooter….probably just wants to
sell me a ride back. I start to
turn him down, just want to keep walking. But
he tries one more time…..”are you Mr. Mi? You look like Mr. Mi”
I smile and reply “Not Mr.
Mi”. His english takes work to
understand but it is there. He asks
if this is my “first time Pleiku”. I
hestitate……and finally say…”no, here 40 years ago”.
He breaks into a huge grin and says “Me too…Sgt. in Airforce …you
Army?” I agree that I was.
He asked if I was at Camp Holloway.
I concede that point as well. He
says “ Mr. Mi too”
I forgot to leave a donation at the church…need to go back and leave a
donation. After a few words he
invites me to his house for a beer and points across the street.
I start to walk……he says “not safe…get on
scooter”………right, there are better ideas…but I did anyway…..we
scooted across the street and started to dart down an alley (shades of Morocco).
The alley is getting longer…maybe I should not be doing this.
We arrive at his house….how to describe…end of a cul de sac (guess
they can have them there), one room wide, 2-3 rooms deep, two stories. Neat,
clean. Front room is open. He
breaks out a beer for each of us. Brings out a large wad of documents and
continues to talk about how I look like Mr. Mi. I page through the documents. Mr. Mi is Mike Little. He was
an MP in the 504th at Holloway in 1968…this is getting downright
spooky. A current picture of Mr. Mi
shows him to be a tall fellow, bit of a paunch, balding top, white sidewalls,
moustache….all in all a good looking fellow..guess we all look alike now.
Mike was deeply involved in helping the local villages when he was here in
1968. Helped build schools, hospital and the other social efforts we did in the
local villages. He became very
involved and supportive with the
local Montagnards. Not sure when, 1992 I
think, Mike made one of several visits back to Pleiku to establish contact with
his old friends and to continue to help them.
I need to find out more about Mike. Nhung tells me Mike sends money via
Western Union to him (Nhung)
He then gives the money to the local minority people who use it to buy
farmland, tools, trucks for the farm etc.
During our several toasts …remember 33 Beer….I
meet Nhung’s wife, a beautiful lady, his daughter, his son in law and
two of their grandchildren.. As we
talk Nhung offers to guide me around..wherever I want to go tomorrow…we agree
to start at 7:30 AM. He has a
badminton game scheduled so needs to get me back to the hotel.
So we find a helmet that fits me or better said we make a helmet fit me,
hop on his scooter and scooted on back to the hotel….about 10km..walked
farther than I expected……He did say car for tommoro..didn’t he?
There is a church across the street. Cross the street and stop in to drop
off a few bills….stay for mass.
Diner is uneventful. I pass on the weasel, porcupine, deer veins, goat, wild
boar and select the beef in vinegar sauce…..good choice.
Have a few beers in the roof top bar……remembering the skyline Tet 68.
I’m beginning to get a feeling, a vague answer to the question…why am I
here?
Thursday morning Nhung shows up at 7:10 with his grandson…..guess he is as
eager as I am. First stop Camp
Holloway. It’s gone.
Nothing even close. It is
now a large military installation, one of the many in the area.
The village that was across the street is gone, nothing but a dirt lot.
There is a billboard showing the multi-use development plan for it,,
retail, light manufacturing and residential mixed in a park like setting…..I
look around for Donald Trump…..don’t see him.
Just to the north of what was the Holloway entrance is a large fenced in
memorial….these are Victory Memorials and I will soon learn they are all over
the place. Also built in the grand
Russian style. This
particular one is dedicated to the VC.
In the center is a large mausoleum looking building with a tall spire.
On the right side is a statue of a VC with a Montagnard man (loin cloth
and cross bow). On the left is a similar statue with a female Montagnard
soldier. I am getting the
feeling that history is being rewritten here….need to figure this out. Some
old guy drops his watering hose and
walks towards me from inside the fenced in grounds.
Nhung introduces me to him through the fence….he is wearing a military
jacket…..he says he was VC and now has this job “from the government”.
I look into his eyes…I see an old man who waters gardens for a
living….wonder what he sees?
Next stop Kontum population about 40,000…..we drive towards Kontum…I can
see the mountains on the horizon…..We go through Kontum Pass…Chup Pao pass
Nhung tells me……good lord…even now it’s a bit scary…..
Capitalism wins….many shacks have satellite dishes …..shanties to villas
…dishes are all over.
I open the window a few times to take pictures….I remember the heat…the
dry heat.
During the drive I learn a little of recent history.
The Americans left in 73. The
North Vietnamese started their final push in early 75 and over ran Dak To,
Kontum, and Pleiku in quick succession. They
felt that these areas were particularly loyal to the South Vietnam government
and were particularly vengeful…they literally destroyed all 3 towns I am told.
Many people fled abandoning farms and homes.
Over time settlers from North Vietnam came and resettled the area.
Much of the population today is 2nd and 3rd generation North
Vietnamese. The Russians came in
1975 and stayed for 10 years. There
is little “appreciation” for their occupation.
They built a large hydroelectric project, built some roads and most of
all taught them to build huge imposing victory memorials. The 100 ft kind ,
soldier taking a big stride, arm raised, head up, chin out etc….got tired of
seeing them after awhile. In return
the Russians took..stripped…a large portion of the hardwood forests around the
area. PO’d the locals because
they left the land bare to erosion and did not replant.
In 1985 the Vietnam government slowly began to open up to the Western
Economy. In 1992 they made a more significant effort. In 2007 they joined the
WTO and have high expectations of a growing economy. The current economy in the Pleiku – Kontum area is
Coffee, furniture making, polished granite stone, some tea, some rubber.
Dak To seems to be scrub farming..Nhung says land is not good for
anything in Dak To area.
We passed through Kontum, now a bustling city of 40,000 people.…they only
thing for sure is that they all seem to be on scooters at the same time.
We will stop on the way back.
Now on Hwy 14 to Dak To. I
recognize the skyline, the mountains but nothing at road level looks
familiar…looks like the villages I see all over Asia. One room wide store
fronts, living in back or upstairs.
Dak To….hmmmmm..double lane boulevard with landscaped median..with street
lights…let’s back up ..look at the map again….Dak To?
We stop at city center, another damn Victory memorial.
This one a little different than the others. Has a 3-panel mural
describing the battle and the celebration afterwards.
I get a definite sense of propaganda. I
have seen an awful lot of statues and memorials showing Mountagnard warriors
fighting side by side the NVA / VC. The
mural shows the minority tribes celebrating the NVA victory.
Mr. Nhung gives me the feeling there is more to the story…but we do not
talk about it. Should have followed
up.
We drove out to where Dak To airfield used to be.
It is maybe 50 yards off the current highway.
Strange place. I found remnants
of the asphalt ramps. They are
currently grading and leveling the airstrip but there are no access roads. Knelt
and said a prayer…several
Mr. Nhuang pointed out some markers that marked the Ho Chi Minh trail.
This being a pit stop, I did the appropriate thing.
I learned that they have marked the HCM trail with small stone markers
throughout the country. The HCM
trail passed about 500 meters north of Dak To airfield. They felt if they stayed
close enough we would think that it was regular commercial traffic.
I later learned (Smithsonian Magazine..March Issue) that Vietnam is
converting the HCM trail to the HCM Highway.
They are paving the route to promote commerce and putting up
commemorative markers. I
think the HCM trail is now paved from Hanoi to Kontum.
Maybe we can get them to rename it Route 66
Back to Kontum. Nhung has been
talking about “The Wooden
Church” all morning..time to see it. Built
in 1913. A beautiful building…turns out it was only 3-4 blocks from
the airfield….never saw it 40 years ago.
Behind the church is an orphanage. Nhung’s friend, John Le Van Ho, is
“the English Teacher” at the orphanage.
Met a British guy, Frank Tee, who is supporting the orphanage
financially. Also a couple from New Zealand who are helping.
184 minority kids…up from just 64 a year ago.
A lot I didn’t learn…why just “minority kids”
why the sudden increase. They
have a staff of 8
professionals and 24 support people (cooks, maintenance etc)
Doesn’t seem like enough for 184 kids.
John takes us out to where the airfield used to be.
It is being developed now into a light industrial park.
The Vietnamese army occupies the southern part and uses it to farm
vegetables.
We break for lunch. Go to a really good restaurant decorated with Montagnard
artifacts…kind of an Applebee’s for Kontum.
The menu came out and was passed around.
I had Spring Rolls and
Veggies with garlic (is there anything else in Asia?)
Had a moving discussion with Nhung and John.
In 1975 their families were local and they did not want to leave.
Both were arrested and put in jail…re-education camps.
They were completely cut off from family contact.
Nhung was a Sergant..he spent 1 year in the camp.
John was a leiutenant..he spent 2 years.
When they got out they had to
start literally from scratch. Both sold clothing or whatever they could on the streets.
I am not sure how they progressed to their current status.
John has been at the orphanage about 10 years.
Lunch for 4 adult men (driver too) and
1 child cost me $8.00…and it was a very good lunch..
Time to head back to Pleiku airport to catch my flight back to HCMCity.
What a fantastic 24 hours. At
the airport Nhung and I exchange handshakes, hugs and promises to keep in touch.
The Answer
I have an hour to go before the plane takes off.
I am the only Westerner in the airport and have time to
reflect…..answer the question…..Why am I here?
Why did I come? I don’t have ghosts, I am fine with my history, I do not
have a need for reconciliation or healing.
I did my job the best I knew how, with honor.
I just wanted to see…how did things turn out. Just what was it we accomplished. I have my answer.
The North Vietnamese Army came and leveled the towns and seeded the
population them with their own. The
Russians came and took back more than they gave.
The current government views the Central Highlands with a high degree of
suspicion, there are still many areas monitored and off limits. The army is
highly visible throughout the area
But each of the men that I met remembered their American friends.
They remembered that we made huge sacrifices and asked for nothing in
return. That we wanted friendship.
Today that is all they want. Never once was I asked for money, for gifts from the US, for
a ticket out……all I was ever asked was to pose for pictures shaking hands
with my friends. All I was ever
asked was to share a beer or a meal. All
I was ever asked was to send pictures of my family. In the end capitalism is
wining..there are industrial parks all over, there is vibrant commerce in the
streets. That happened
despite the NVA, after the Russians, after the propaganda victory memorials,
despite the Communist government. I
now know that the people understood the sacrifices we laid down. They kept the
idea alive through so many years of hardship…..that in the end friendship is
what it all about. Friendship is
not about the past, it is about building hope for the future.
Perhaps if we had won they way we wanted to it would be more like North
and South Korea now. I believe the
basis of friendship, sacrifice asking nothing in return,
has laid underneath their trials of the last 40 years, it has infected
the entire population and provided the basis for their current economic success.
They are looking eagerly towards the future.
I am happy.
Random Notes
John Le Van Ho
English teacher at St. Vincent Orphanage
9/7 Phan Chu Trinh
Lt. RVN Army
Kontum Vietnam
Tran Ding Nhung
Pleiku / Vietnam Tour Guide
52/16 B Tran Hung Dao
Sgt RVN Airforce
Fuong Tray Son
Pleiku City, Vietnam
090 567 4905
Tran Dinh Trung
Nhung’s grandson
Mike Little
MP 504th Camp
Holloway 1968
18 Argento
Humanitarian ..per VISA application
Mission Viejo, CA 92692
949 460 0443
littlecrazy3@cox.net
Minorities
The Montagnards ,Bahnar and Jarai ethnic groups…are called
“minorities”. Seems
the Government is doing their best to “assimilate” them.
I remember them being loyal to us and to the RVN.
However the statues in the area write history differently…I think it is
being politically re-written. The
government seems to be going at great lengths to keep Americans from making
prolonged contact with “yards”. You
need special permission to visit them outside of the sites set up for tourist
opportunities. Also not clear why
the orphanage is dedicated to minorities, or why it’s population has jumped
from 64 to 184 in a year or two.
Nhung and John are putting a lot of effort into
helping the minorities.
Things I Remember
·
Clouds…small bleach white clouds…well above 5,000
ft….against a dark blue sky..could never forget those..no place to hide
·
The dry heat
·
The cool winds at elevation…this time the top of a hotel or the
top of a pagoda or the top of a gazebo
·
The smells….oil, fish, vegetables, charcoal..all mixed
·
The morning haze..caused by charcoal fires
·
The wispy towers of smoke coming form hillsides…making charcoal
·
Aodies
·
The sing song chatter in the background
·
Dust
·
Red soil
·
Bam B Bam
Things that are gone
·
The jungle…..replaced by pine forest,
coffee plantations, tea
plantations
·
Large rubber trees..now replanted small ones
·
The rototiller trucks
·
Tap taps
Things I do not remember..must be new
·
Pagoda’s ..map shows 11 of them….one large on off the approach
end of the East runaway
·
Churches…map shows 7 of them
·
Bien Ho Lake……off to the Northeast of the departure end of the
East runway
·
ATM’s
Current Status
·
Camp Holloway ..gone
replaced by military base
·
Village across from Holloway…gone, vacant lot being turned into
residential, retail, light industrial
·
Camp Schmidt..gone..just a field
·
MAC V …gone replaced by military base
·
II Corps Headquarters….gone replaced by military base
·
Pleiku Airforce Base…gone…open field…current airport is
about 5k south I am told
·
Kontum Airfield….becoming light industrial park..until now..open
field
·
Dak To Airfield….gone completely…runway being constructed but
no buildings
·
B-12 Special Forces
Camp in Kontum…..Military base
·
Montagnard …..being assimilated into Vietnamese culture,
villages are now just show places for tourists