History is Written by the Victors

I went to school in Dalat, Vietnam...
from 1956 to 1964 and experienced the war expanding from just the Viet Cong to include the Viet Minh. Our school was evacuated by the U.S. Air Force with several C-123's in 1965. I returned with my wife after college and served as acting design director for the U.S. Navy's design and construction office in Oct/Nov 1973, the year the peace treaty was signed. I was still in Thailand when Vietnam fell on 30 April 1975, and saw the many evacuees. I returned to Dalat with my son in 2009 and was graciously received by the Director of the school which was now a communist cadre training center for district and provincial officers. Pictures of Ho Chi Minh were in every room. It was wonderful to have access to the entire school and was able to show my son my dorm rooms and class rooms. in one class students called us in to sing a song. Then they sang a song. I learned that the Vietnamese do not hold grudges as we were welcomed by everyone we met. It's a wonderful country!

Death in Nam
I went to Vietnam to see where my brother spent his last year of life. I wanted to meet the people and see the country. Originally I intended to visit the town where I was told he died but after I got there I no longer wanted to do that- no need really. Lots of mixed feelings but incredibly resilient people. Gracious people as you say...and eager to share their stories. This is certainly not an easy subject to dissect.