Going Back to Vietnam After the War

By Thomas P. Williams | Vietnam  | one comment  |  Print This Post  |  Email This Post

While we traveled up the river I had a chance to visit with Hann. We discussed our families and the battle we both had been involved in. We both enjoyed our conversation and grew to respect each another as only former warriors can. At the end of our conversation he gave me the tie clasp he was wearing. I hope to be able to meet this fine man again sometime. He was a very brave and noble warrior.

The heat was very severe that day. We ran out of water, so our visit was shorter than had been planned. I was dropped off on the edge of Mai Xa Chanh village, and I gathered some beach sand to take home from the shore where we used to land our amtracs so many years ago.

We also went into Dong Ha to meet officials in order to make a donation of money and supplies to schools in three villages where we had fought. Those visits were very formal and uncomfortable for my wife and me–perhaps because of the Communist flag and the bust of ‘Uncle Ho’ we were sitting in front of. Speeches were made by both sides, one by General Weise and I as we presented our gifts to the people, and one by the head official in Dong Ha, who told us how thankful they were for the gifts and how glad they were that we had come to visit. He expressed his hopes for continued relations with Americans, and said he hoped that peace and goodwill would prevail for centuries to come between our two countries.

On day seven we visited Con Thien, a big fire support base that had overlooked the DMZ during the war. We were cautioned by our guides to be on the lookout for unexploded ordnance. One of the local Vietnamese also warned us to be careful and watch where we walked because of unexploded mines. It was another very beautiful place that had been the scene of death and destruction so many years ago.

One child of about 14 took my wife by the hand to lead her to the summit and then led us back down to safety when we were ready to leave. The moments spent with these friendly people meant a lot to us. We visited at the rubber plantation and learned how rubber is collected. It reminded me of collecting maple syrup back home.

Our final stop before leaving for Da Nang was the Ben Hai River, the separation point between North and South Vietnam during the war. We walked across the Peace Bridge and had a group photo taken. Then, with General Weise on one side of my Marine Corps flag and me on the other, we marched back into South Vietnam singing the Marine hymn. I can not describe the pride I felt during that part of our trip.

Our hotel in Da Nang brought back many memories for me. It was located alongside the river that runs into the harbor. In 1969 we had driven our amtracs up this river and parked them about a quarter-mile from the location of this hotel. The field we parked in was now gone, and a village has taken its place.

It was in Da Nang that we had what we could call our first meal that was close to what we eat at home–hamburgers and french fries at a place called Christi’s, and how good they tasted! Cyclo drivers took us there, and they waited for us while we ate dinner and then took us for a tour before returning us to our hotel–all for just $1. They remained with us throughout our visit in Da Nang and were ready to take us anywhere we wanted to go.

On day eight we toured Da Nang, all the places where the different Marine camps were located. Nothing looked the same–all signs of our presence here had been wiped out when the Communists took over in 1975. We climbed Marble Mountain for a spectacular view of the area. We also went inside the mountain, where the Viet Cong had maintained a hospital right under our very noses during the war.

Our next stop was at China Beach, where we donned our swimsuits and went for a refreshing swim. I was surrounded by Vietnamese children who had a lot of fun playing and laughing with me. Afterward, we purchased some nice marble carvings before returning to the hotel.

On our ninth day some of the group went to Chu Lai to visit the area of Operation Starlight. My wife and I stayed in Da Nang to go shopping. Our friendly cyclo drivers drove us all day long and watched over our purchases as we visited museums. At the end of the day we gave them $7 for their efforts. It is amazing how cheap things were.

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Tags: 20th - 21st Century, Vietnam War

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