Vietnam War Reflection. Visiting the exhibition at the St. Auselm Canterbury Church was a great

Transcription

1 Nguyen 1 Vietnam War Reflection Visiting the exhibition at the St. Auselm Canterbury Church was a great experience. The exhibition consisted of pictures that were taken by different photographers during the time of the Vietnam War. The Vietnam War changed the lives of millions of Vietnamese people. My family was part of that group of a million people as we immigrated to America after the fall of Saigon. This war greatly impacted my life because if the Southern Vietnamese troops did not lose the war to the Viet Cong, my family would not have been able to flee to America for a better life. Observing the photos at the exhibition, it reminded me that I came from a wartorn country and I feel very grateful for everything that I have today. At the exhibit, I met one of the main photographers whose name was David Cassidy. He explained to me a great deal about the pictures he had taken and the experience he had in Vietnam during the time of war from an American s perspective. Also, he told me that all of the photographers plans were to bring all of their pictures in this exhibit and have it displayed at one of the Hanoi s museums in Hanoi in the summer of At the exhibit, there were pictures of dead bodies and some photos that display tragic moments. There were also pictures that display a positive mood to the mind. Before I visited the exhibit, I thought I was going to see the typical pictures of the burning monk in Saigon and many tragic photos that were taken during the war but all of the ones I saw were brand new to me. There were a few pictures there that were taken of village children smiling after soldiers had given them candy. The faces of the children showed that they were really happy after receiving. I thought of them and compared it with the children in America

2 Nguyen 2 who seemed to take everything they have for granted. In the photo, the kids clothes looked really worn out and their faces were really dirty. I could not imagine facing the circumstances that those children were facing during those times of war. They may have not had enough food supply for those children to receive the right nutrition because they appear very bony in those pictures. The children looked very unhealthy. Even though they physically did not look well, I felt that their spirits were not beaten down at all. In the mist of all that was going on with the war, their faces showed me that they still had hope for a better tomorrow. There were many pictures that display combat planes that were in used during the Vietnam War. The planes looked very old fashion and nothing comparable to the types of jet planes that the U.S military have now. But these planes looked appealing because it looked like such a classic. Looking at those pictures, it brought an extraordinary blast to the past where I could really visualize the plane flying and hear the roar of the plane s engine in the air. Some of the airplanes did not make it out of Vietnam and was flipped upside down because there were too many people in one airplane causing it to drop because of its weight. So many people wanted to flee away from the Vietnam War but were not able to do so due to the limited amount of airplanes available. People were lining up and fighting and squeezing through the crowds wanting to get on the airplanes. Some were able to make it on the planes while others were left behind. There were many pictures of combat team pilots. The soldiers in the pictures were very handsome and had great smiles. By observing their facial expression, I felt that these soldiers were war heroes who were in Vietnam to protect and save the civilians during a tragic time in Vietnam. From the picture, the team of combat pilots also

3 Nguyen 3 displayed cohesiveness and unity. They look like a team that was willing to die for one another during combat. Other pictures were of the Vietnamese women from the Middle and Southern parts of Vietnam. I could guess what part of the country they were from because my mom had taught me the different styles when I was young. These women looked beautiful in their time and I believed many American soldiers fell in love with Vietnamese women during the Vietnam War. Vietnamese women not only have outer beauty, but possess a classical inner beauty that captures the heart of many American soldiers. My mom would be a great example for all Vietnamese women. Starting with her attitude and the way she talks, she told me that many men fell in love with her when she was young and how lucky my dad is to have her. She s also a great sweet talker and a great cook. That may be the reason why many American men fall in love with Vietnamese women. They make great housewives and mothers and know how to submit to their husbands. The picture which was voted number one best picture displayed a picture of an American soldier and a Vietnamese lady who seem to display that they were in courtship. This photo reminded me of my distant relatives who were met each other during the time of war. My distant aunt was eventually sponsor by her husband to come to America after the Vietnam War. It picture was very cute and allowed me to see many love stories during the time of war. During the Vietnam War, there were many stories like my distant aunts because after the war as I know many half Vietnamese, half America people nowadays who were born during the Vietnam War.

4 Nguyen 4 Leaving the exhibit, I felt like this trip was a great reminder of who I am as well as where had I come from. It made me feel that I should never take things for granted and I appreciate life so much more. I also feel patriotic about being a Vietnamese- American. As I thought about all the images that I saw, I thought about my parents. I imagined how tough it was for my parents who lived through those tough war times. I also thought about all those people who fled the country leaving everything behind to start their lives from scratch. There were many people who were once rich and lost everything in a single night after the Communist took over everyone s belonging had to start over in America. I understand why so many old Vietnamese veterans who are at the coffee daily still speak strongly against Viet Cong. Through all the tough times, my Vietnamese people have come a long way since 33 years. Of all the Asians, the Vietnamese community is the fastest growing which makes me feel very proud. By the time I got home, I told my parents that I had visited an exhibit with pictures from the war in Vietnam. We got into a conversation for about an hour and they retold the story of the hardship they face during the time of the war. My dad served in the war but was a not a soldier but had a lot to say about the topic. He told me he worked in the military offices handling mostly paperwork. One thing he said he never forgot was when he heard the news that John F. Kennedy had died and that was a turning point in the war. The reason for that my dad explain was because President Kennedy was an anticommunist. He was a strong believer about the government system that the U.S ran and that countries in the other world should follow. He hated the idea of a communist government system. In one of his famous quotes he said, Communism has never come

5 Nguyen 5 to power in a country that was not disrupted by war or corruption, or both. My dad complemented that Kennedy was a heroic figure in the eyes of many Southern Vietnamese during the times of the Vietnam War. In history, he was known as a positive-active president who displayed great leadership while in office at the White House. When the news had spread that President Kennedy had been assassinated, my dad said it created a feeling of uncertainty about the destiny of the South Vietnam. They were afraid that the new president was not going to continue to support the South Vietnamese in the war and pull all the U.S troops out of Vietnam. As we read history, that fear became reality as many citizens of the United States grew impatient with the war and many protests were held to oppose the war. Problems further escalated in America such as the resignation of President Nixon because of the Watergate scandal. Finally America pulled their troops out of Vietnam. My dad then told me about the dreadful month of April in The war officially ended on April 30 th, 1975 and my dad said he was imprisoned for suspicion charges of being part of a rebel party who wanted to secretly overthrow the government so he was detained for about 4 months before he was release back to see my family. My dad said eventually our family decided to take a chance and flee the country. I could imagine the hardship that my family went through at the time. I thought about the fact of just leaving empty handed onto a boat and not knowing exactly what tomorrow would be like. My dad talk about the journey on the boat where parents were just crying because their baby would die of hunger on the ship and the babies had to be tossed off the boat because the dead body created a foul odor. I almost cried because I m ready to become a teacher and I am really emotional about hearing how these children had

6 Nguyen 6 suffered. I prayed a lot that night to God and hope that He had a purpose for all that had happened with the Vietnam War. Reminiscing all that I have learned about my roots in Vietnam, I know that one day I want to make a difference for my country and hope to repair the spirit of Vietnam. I also which to educate future Vietnamese-American students of mines about all that I have learned in this paper and will keep this paper as a reference to what I want the future generation to continue to work on the project of giving back to our war-torn country and make it a better place. I believe that something good can always come out of something negative. I can see the positive part from the conclusion of this war not only from the growth of the Vietnamese community, but personally for myself as well. I had the opportunity to live in America, the greatest country in the war with the opportunity to receive a great education. My faith has always led me to believe that God has a purpose and a reason for everything that happens.