Initially, I hoped to maintain a rather neutral stance and avoid falling into either the Orthodox or Revisionist camps. That certainly did not happen. Since my paper challenged Revisionist claims that America had won the war in Vietnam by the time of Vietnamization, I was unsure if my arguments would be well received by the audience. However, my panel commentator used my paper to destroy the Revisionist “better war” theory. Needless to say, I remain elated and confident in what will now become the cornerstone for my dissertation.

Back in November, I presented a paper at the Windy City Conference in Chicago on U.S. Army pacification efforts in rural South Vietnam following Tet ’68. The paper argued that the U.S. Army knew the Viet Cong (VC) was gradually recovering and reasserting power over the countryside. A far more developed, and better argued version of this paper for the next SMH conference is almost ready. This paper addresses the disparity between purported assessments of successful U.S. pacification efforts in the Republic of Vietnam and the reality that the nation was anything but pacified. The paper focuses on a single South Vietnamese’s province and is the genesis of my dissertation. Far from being a revisionist interpretation of the Vietnam War, my work seeks to demonstrate with clarity that America lost the war in the South Vietnamese countryside. Moreover, I also reject being deemed as part of the orthodox school since such categories distract from any meaningful analysis of the Vietnam War. But I digress.

I reviewed two books on Vietnam War topics recently for Army History and H-Net. For Army History I reviewed Lam Quang Thi’s Hell in An Loc: The 1972 Easter Invasion and the Battle That Saved South Viet Nam. Controversial in the very positive portrayal of the Army of the Republic of Vietnam, Thi’s work is nevertheless a significant addition to ARVN related literature. Similarly, Thomas P. McKenna’s Kontum: The Battle To Save South Vietnam covers the ARVN, but from a different angle and not exclusively. In my review of this book for H-Net, I highlighted McKenna’s discussion of U.S. Army advisors and the ARVN units that halted North Vietnam’s invasion of South Vietnam during the 1972 Easter Offensive. This is another must own book for those interested in America’s advisor role in Vietnam as well as the consequences of America’s withdrawal from the conflict. Once H-Net approves of my review and posts it online, a link to my review of Kontum will appear on this website.

Well those are the projects that are worth knowing about and that have taken up my time, but in a good way.

Cu Chi Temple

Me walking towards the Cu Chi Temple - Photo courtesy of Anna Rikki Nelson

The Cu Chi temple is dedicated to all the VC whom perished in and near the tunnels. At first glance the temple seems like a typical Buddhist pagoda, yet instead of Buddhist symbols, communist and nationalist items adorn the structure. A large statue of Ho Chi Minh, located at the center of inner temple, is flanked by walls of plaques bearing their names and dates of death.  With over 50,000 confirmed VC dead, the is little blank wall space. Out of the temple are murals depicting the victory of the Vietnamese people over the French and the Americans. In the temple gardens sits a tear-drop statue, dedicated to all the mothers whom lost their sons. The entire complex, while blossoming with Vietnamese nationalism, is humbling.

Unfortunately my camera’s battery did not properly charge the night before visiting Cu Chi and thus I do not have any pictures. However, I am waiting on obtaining some photos from fellow travelers. Anna, thank you for letting me use your photo!

Long Hung Church

Long Hong Church

Once a Catholic Church, this building at Long Hung is now a burnt out structure left as a reminder of violence of war. Destroyed during Tet ’68, the government in Hanoi dedicated Long Hung Church as a memorial to all the people who died during the American and South Vietnamese attempts to re-take the town. It is important to note that since North Vietnam won the war, Hanoi gets to write the official Vietnamese history of the conflict. Hopefully most people outside of Vietnam know that North Vietnam invaded South Vietnam and brought the war to many Vietnamese civilians.

NVA cemetery

NVA cemetery graves

Not to far from Khe Sanh is a sprawling NVA cemetery. At the entrance of this well-kept cemetery are two large statues extolling the virtues of Communism and the sacrifices of the Vietnamese people. Organized in a multitude of sections, each NVA unit’s dead are left together. Thus even in death, the cadre’s cohesion is maintained. A number of statues depicting the heroic acts of both male and female NVA soldiers greet arriving visitors. There are also shrines were people can burn incense to honor the dead.

Old Border Crossing

Border memorial

Despite the unification of Vietnam, a crossing point between North and South Vietnam remains. Functioning as a window into the country’s turbulent and divided past, the crossing is now as a memorial to war dead. On the side of what was the Republic of Vietnam, a large memorial to grieving mothers faces travelers arriving from the north. On both sides of the river, visitors can spot old defense structures and speaker systems.

Apology

After a busy semester, here is the final segment of my three part series on my trip to Vietnam this past summer. I apologize for taking so long to get this piece posted.

As always, you can view the photos and read the previous two posts on War Sites and War Veterans.

Before setting out on my first tour of Saigon, I spoke with Tony. During the Vietnam War, Tony served with the Army of South Vietnam (ARVN) as a translator.  For part of the war, he served with an American tank crew.  During one engagement with the Viet Cong (VC), Tony was gravely wounded in the jaw. Tony credits an anonymous U.S. surgeon for having saved his life, for he believes he would have died waiting at a South Vietnamese hospital. Moreover, Tony says he received many vaccinations and has not been sick since his encounter with American medical care. As a result of the actions of his American comrades and the surgeon, Tony has the utmost respect for Americans and their medicine. After the U.S. began to drastically reduces its military footprint in South Vietnam, a process known as Vietnamization, Tony told me of the biggest decision of his life.  When the war ultimately turned against the South Vietnamese, Tony said his commander informed him that he could either continue fighting or find a way to remain with his family. Knowing that if he stayed in the field odds where he would never return, so he decided to render himself unfit for military service. Tony amputated his index finger on his right hand, thus preventing him from properly operating a rifle. For Tony, this extreme action kept him alive and able to enjoy family life. Tony’s story is one of the most extreme I have ever heard and one that I always remember. Another fascinating facet of Tony is his persistent belief in the Republic of Vietnam. Throughout our time in the Saigon area, he proudly talked about his time in the ARVN and U.S. commendations. For me, Tony is living proof that people truly believed in South Vietnam.

Path at Pete's ambush site - Photo courtesy of Anna Rikki Nelson

30 meters away from VC machine-gun nest at Pete's ambush site - Photo courtesy of Anna Rikki Nelson

Since the program centered on taking back Pete Edwards, a U.S. Army veteran of the Vietnam War, to Vietnam for the first time since the conflict, one of the most significant moments of the trip was seeing the ambush site infamously recounted in David Marnaniss’s They Marched Into Sunlight (Pete signed my copy before the trip ended). North of Lai Khe in Binh Long province, in an area once called the Long Ngyuyen Secret Zone Near, Pete’s life change forever. On a path cutting through acres of rubber trees, near the site of the Michelin rubber plantation, the group came across the area were Pete, then a Second Lieutenant and platoon leader in the 2/28 Black Lions, lost a lot of good men to a VC machine-gun nest. During our time at the site, Pete explained the ambush. After struggling with a number of jammed M-16′s, Pete finally found a functioning weapon and killed the machine-gunner. Later, Pete said he regretted not being able to lead all of his men off the battlefield. This was probably Pete’s most emotional moment of the trip, and one I will never forget. After a few photographs we paid our respects and left flowers.

After leaving the ambush site, the group drove a few miles to a field that was once a thriving U.S. Army base at Lai Khe.  During his first tour, Pete called this base home. After the war ended, the Vietnamese removed all traces of the base. The Vietnamese plowed under what remained of the American base, leaving an open field.  Postwar maps bear no markings for a Ben Cat in Binh Long province.  While the base no longer exists, a few small dwellings and dirt roads remain. Pete pointed out a hut once know for its various “services.” Along a dirt road near the creek, Pete located the site of his tent. Pete remarked that he could still picture the base bustling with men and helicopters.

Pete and Tony at My Tho

During our day at the Mekong Delta, the grouped saw the local Military Assistance Command Vietnam (MACV) command center at My Tho. During Pete’s second tour, he served as an advisor to a South Vietnamese military unit. Since the MACV installation is now a Vietnamese Army base we were unable to tour the facilities or take any photographs. Nevertheless, we walked around the town and saw the areas where Pete had manned checkpoints.

During our time in Saigon, Pete and Tony developed a close bond.  Both men had fought the same enemy and bore the wounds of battle. Before the Saigon portion of our trip ended, Pete gave Tony a Combat Infantryman Badge. A badge identical to one Pete wore throughout the trip.

Before our time in Saigon ended, the group witnessed a meeting of former enemies. At the Vietnamese equivalent of a VFW, Pete met a retired North Vietnamese Army (NVA) colonel and two former members of the VC.  Tony, and ARVN veteran, completed this group. During the war with America, the NVA veteran helped supply and prepare VC cadres for their assault on Saigon during the 1968 Tet Offensive. The NVA veteran fought other enemies besides the Americans. Before the American War, he fought with the Viet Minh against the French at Dien Bien Phu.  He spent about eight to ten years in Cambodia fighting the Khmer Rouge and, later, their Chinese allies. This 82-year-old man had participated in the major events that produced the modern nation of Vietnam. Due to his decades of service, the NVA veteran proudly wore a medal that basically allowed him to do whatever he wanted. He gave this medal to Pete.

Five veterans of the Vietnam War. From left to right: ARVN, NVA, U.S. Army, VC, VC.

The two VC veterans were man and wife. During the war, they met and served together at the Cu Chi Tunnels. The wife spent her time as a nurse in the tunnels, where one learned “on the spot.” After telling us about her role in the VC, she serenaded us with patriotic wartime songs. Besides tending to their physical wounds, the nurses sought to lighten the mood and cheer-up wounded soldiers. Speaking of wounds, the nurse’s husband lost his right leg to an American claymore mine. The couple had a son during their tunnel days, so it is safe to say that people tried their best to live fairly normal lives underground.

Despite all their hardships and scars, none of the veterans displayed any ill will or resentment towards one another. It is true when the Vietnamese people tell you that they left their anger and resentment in the past and now is a time for former enemies to move forward as friends. After witnessing Pete’s experiences, I would love nothing more than to participate in another veteran’s return to Vietnam.

As always, view the photos while you wait for the next post. The next post will discuss the memorialization of Vietnam’s war dead.

The trip began with a long flight from New Orleans to Atlanta to Seoul to Ho Chi Minh City. Arriving in Ho Chi Minh City was everything I anticipated. As the Korean Air jet landed at Tan Son Nhat International Airport, I saw the old U.S. Air Force hangers. Odds are those hangers are full of MiGs and not Thunderchiefs. Later on during the trip I saw similar hangers full of Russian fighter jets at Da Nang and Hanoi. As anticipated, sweating commenced as soon as I existed the airport.

Reunification Palace

Reunification Palace

My first day in Saigon included a visit to the Reunification Palace. As seen in Vietnam War-era news reports, the interior of  Palace retains its green carpets and woodwork. It did not take much to vision Ngo Dinh Diem sitting in one of the rooms with an U.S. official seating by his side. The tour consisted of seeing the main rooms and the extensive network of command facilities. The Palace is complete with offices for the President and the Vice-President, military command rooms, various conference and reception, dinning facilities, living quarters for the President and family, and entertainment (dance floor and theater). Located on the Palace grounds are the two NVA tanks that breached the Palace gates back in 1975. This place is a must see for all scholars and students of the Vietnam War.

Cu Chi Tunnels

One of many Cu Chi Tunnel entrances

The group spent the better part of a day visiting the famous Cu Chi Tunnels. Located approximately 30 miles outside on Saigon near the Saigon River, the Cu Chi Tunnels made the Iron Triangle infamous among American military personnel. During the French and American wars, this sprawling underground network of tunnels housed the living quarters, kitchens, hospitals, command centers, and stockpiles of weaponry for thousands of Viet Minh, and later, Viet Cong (VC) fighters. Entire families lived within the tunnels.  For much of America’s war with Vietnam, U.S. forces never destroyed the Cu Chi Tunnels. U.S. attempts to use dogs to sniff-out VC and tunnel entrances resulted in the lose of many K9s. Today, families of VC Cu Chi Tunnel veterans display to golden German shepherds outside of their homes to tell passersby that their family member survived. It is estimated the while about 280 American soldiers lost their lives at the tunnels, over 50,000 VC combatants died.

Da Nang’s Vietnam War Sites

Da Nang Hangers

Much like the airport at Saigon, Da Nang’s airport still exhibited traces of its time as a U.S. installation. The concrete hangers typical of the Vietnam War, still line a part of the runway. While in Da Nang, I was able to catch a glimpse of a once sprawling American helicopter base. It is hard to visit these former bases since most are now Vietnamese Army barracks and it is illegal to photograph such places. Nevertheless, I was able to snap a few pictures from the highway. As far as military history goes, visiting the China and Red Beaches makes for a nearly complete trip to Da Nang. Consequently I did not hesitate to see the Red Beach were the first detachment of U.S. Marines landed. Also not to be missed was China Beach, where many U.S. personal spent time on R&R.

Hue Citadel

Hue Citadel ruins

My time in Hue began with a tour of the Citadel. Knowing full well that American forces were forbidden from attacking historical treasures, during the 1968 Tet Offensive VC cadres infested the Citadel. After much debate and pressure, the South Vietnamese authorities allowed the U.S. to bomb and use heavy artillery on the Citadel complex. Aside from the massive amount of ordnance dropped on the Citadel, intense fighting occurred within the fortification’s walls. As a result, much of the complex was destroyed. The massive exterior walls remain (with shell holes) and only a handful of buildings survive. Most of the existing buildings are located near the main gate.  An ongoing project of the Vietnamese government is the rebuilding and restoring of the Citadel complex. The endeavor is far from complete.

Khe Sanh

Ever since I signed-up for the Vietnam trip, thoughts of seeing Khe Sanh dominated my thoughts. Honestly, seeing Khe Sanh was both surreal and greatly fulfilling.  Strategically situated on high ground and beautiful green mountains, much of the former Marine base is gone. At present, the base is surrounded by seemingly endless coffee plantations and a small museum complete with disabled American military equipment straddling a dirt runway. However, the Vietnamese are slowly restoring the airstrip, including the runway and bunkers. With the stunning views, eerie war relics, and the biased exhibits – which were of course anticipated – Khe Sanh meet all of my expectations. I am definitely a war geek.

Hanoi Hilton

Hoa Lo Prison Entrance

Perhaps the most infamous site in all of Vietnam, at least for Americans, is the Hanoi Hilton (Hoa Lo Prison). Interesting side note, because Hoa Lo Prison is better known as the Hanoi Hilton, the local Hilton is called the Hanoi Hilton Opera. About half of the original prison remains, with much of the building demolished to clear space for a modern sky-rise building. Contrary to popular belief, most of the prison/museum focuses on the plight of the Viet Minh prisoners and the brutality of the French. Only two rooms are dedicated to the history the American pilots who spent time at the prison. It comes as no surprise that the museum presents an overly positive take on the treatment of American POWS. According to the museum, and official Communist Party history, all of the airmen imprisoned enjoyed good food, health, treatment, and leisure. This take is backed-up through staged Christmas pictures and images of John McCain’s return to Hanoi. What is missing of course are the images of malnourished and beaten prisoners as well as the testimonies of numerous Americans scared by the prison experiences.

Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum

Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum

Touching down in Hanoi was similar to the landings at Saigon and Da Nang. Air force hangers lined the runway, though this time they were not American built. My time in Hanoi coincided with the first of many ongoing demonstrations against the Chinese government. Since the Chinese believe they own the entire South China Sea, their warships cut Vietnamese undersea cables and shot at some fishing boats. Not taking this lightly, some Vietnamese, with permission from the Vietnamese government, protested outside of the Chinese embassy. Unfortunately for us, the Chinese embassy in the center of Hanoi. Consequently, we were unable to visit the military muesum. Fortunately, however, Ho Chi Minh’s mausoleum remained open. Seeing a frozen Uncle Ho required navigating a large and impatient crowed. With numerous well dressed Vietnamese honor guards, order and safe were not an issue.  Ho Chi Minh looks like he did back in 1969, but that is probably because of the layers of make-up used to keep him from looking like a zombie.

Well that is all for now. As mentioned earlier, I will write about other aspects of my Vietnam trip. In the mean time, view the many photos I took.

Location of the longest war in American history where nearly 60 000 American lost their lives Vietnam has a long tradition of resistance to foreign powers seeking to influence its affairs.The Vietnamese achieved independence after 1 000 years of Chinese rule and in the 19th century endured over 80 years of French imperial domination before expelling them.Though much of the country is hilly and even mountainous rich agricultural land in the north and south are capable of feeding the populace… Lay of the Land Over 1 000 miles in length from north to south Vietnam forms the eastern edge of the Indochinese Peninsula in Southeast Asia.It is bordered by China to the north Laos and Cambodia to the west the Gulf of Thailand to the south and west and the South China Sea to the east. Vietnam has an area of 128 527 square miles slightly larger than the state of New Mexico or almost the size of Germany.

This just might be the best spam comment ever left on this site.  The spammer sure knows how to cram generic bits of Vietnam information into a single post.  Thank you observant spammer!

Another benefit of my participation in the Vietnam program includes expanding my knowledge of the country, which is invaluable to my development as a student of the Vietnam War and American foreign policy in Asia. Immersion in Vietnamese culture allows for a better understanding of the people and their history of the war with the US. Seeing the cultural sites, experiencing the people, and doing so with this particular group, would strengthen my familiarity with the subject.

Over the course of my trip I will certainly photograph as much as possible. Once I return, an assortment of images will be posted online. Maybe if I get lucky I will be able to upload some images with in country.

With this trip to Vietnam practically set in stone, Said will not win, as I will not be a so-called Orientalist. Now to leave you with something more humorous.

Despite more than two centuries of academic discourse, historians of the Civil War are still adding fresh works to the historiography.  Since the conclusion of the war, historians have sought a better understanding of the battles and generals.  Numerous historians have written on the Shenandoah Valley Campaign, including William Allan, Gary L. Ecelbarger, Robert K. Krick, and Robert G. Tanner.  The works of both Allan and Tanner, however, exhibit strong Confederate bias and thus give unfair assessments of the Union during the campaign.  Both Ecelbarger and Krick focused on battles and not the entire campaign.  In Shenandoah 1862, Cozzens adds balance to the debate and offers a sweeping reexamination of the campaign while avoiding bias by using both Confederate and Union primary sources (p. 2).  Central to Cozzens’ argument that Confederate General Thomas J. Jackson was not without imperfections, nor were the Union generals inept as often depicted in previous works.

Written in a narrative style, Shenandoah 1862 offers substantial insight into Jackson.  Throughout the work, Cozzens gives background information to provide a better understanding of Jackson’s thought processes.  In chapter one, when addressing Jackson’s religious views, Cozzens notes that Jackson’s strong faith allowed him to act comely in the heat of battle.  In doing so repeatedly, however, Cozzens drowns his arguments in a sea of narrative.

In his introduction, Cozzens argues that the significance of Jackson’s victories during the Shenandoah Valley Campaign “demonstrated that the Union armies and their commanders not only were not invincible, but also could be made to appear foolish through deft and daring maneuver” (p. 5).  The issue with this statement is that the Confederate victory at the battle of First Manassas in 1861 demonstrated the vulnerabilities of Union forces.  Consequently, the 1862 Shenandoah Valley Campaign can only reinforce what was already made evident a year earlier at Manassas.  Additionally, Cozzens undervalues the significance of First Manassas when stating that until Shenandoah, it had been a while since a Confederate victory.  While the victories during the Shenandoah Valley Campaign reinvigorated a Confederacy beset with recent defeats in the Western Theater, many Confederates remembered the triumph at Manassas a year earlier.

Several topics are of consequence to Cozzens’ work, most significantly the actions of Jackson and the failures of the opposing Union generals.  Regarding Jackson, Cozzens argues that the general’s strengths included a keen understanding of topography and the rapid movement of his forces to exploit enemy’s weaknesses.  Cozzens’ maintains, however, the Jackson’s quick troop marches left his men too drained to be useful during the latter stages of the campaign (p. 509-10).   Moreover, Jackson never shared his plans with his officers, thus leaving them bewildered in battle.

As for the Union, while previous historians contend that Abraham Lincoln’s generals were incompetent, Cozzens argues that the Federal command structure hindered their ability to meet the changing realities of a campaign.  Cozzens maintains that Lincoln’s discontent with events in Virginia lead to the president interfering in both the Shenandoah and Peninsular campaigns.  Concerns over the defense of Washington, resulted in Lincoln’s shuffling of troops from operations against Richmond to the hopeful destruction of Jackson’s forces in the Shenandoah Valley.   Cozzens notes that despite Federal meddling, Union generals conducted themselves well in the Shenandoah Valley.

Another issue with Cozzens’ work is that of citations.  Cozzens builds his work on a large primary and secondary source base.  While that is certainly a strength, the lack of citations for every quote is problematic.  For example, when quoting Jackson in the first paragraph on page 7, Cozzens does not provide any footnotes.  Further complicating the issue is that Cozzens uses many works on Jackson, thus it is impossible to match the uncited quotes with any particular source.  Another instance appears in the last paragraph on page 177, where Cozzens uses multiple quotations to relay a discussion of tactics between Colonel Nathan Kimball and Major General Harry G. Armstrong.  Again, it becomes difficult to attribute the quotations to a single source.

In sum, Cozzens offers a fair assessment of Jackson’s Shenandoah Valley Campaign.  While previous publications expresses strong Confederate bias, Cozzens addresses the shortcomings of all commanders, regardless of their affiliations.  Moreover, Cozzens provides substantial insight into how Jackson’s personal beliefs and military fortitude affected his leadership.  Despite some weaknesses, Cozzens demonstrates that fresh analysis of the Civil War are possible and indeed, valuable.