DMZ

From ancient history to modern, today's plan is a guided tour of the DMZ. Driver Tuan and tour guide Ngoc welcome guests as we begin our long day. Today's points of interest are fair distances apart, we'll be spending a lot of time on the road.

Ngoc is an interesting and engaging guide. The best attribute of a guide is to make you feel and understand the people and times they describe and Ngoc is very good at this. Our scenic drive passes quickly. Hard to believe this peaceful green countryside was one of the most heavily bombed areas during the war.

Long Hung church is our first stop. In 1972, the site of an 81 day battle, North Vietnamese against American supported South Vietnamese. The entire facade is deeply, thoroughly pitted with bullet holes, and there is tremendous damage within as well. The peace lilies planted in front seem a very hopeful symbol.

Ngoc tells us that Vietnam was attempted to be occupied for over 1000 years by the Chinese, 100 years by the French, and American involvement for decades - but they have remained. They are proud, patriotic, and willing to fight for their country. But mostly, they just want peace.

We carry on to the Quang Thi citadel, a memorial to the many losses during the Easter offensive in 1972. The Rockpile, tallest point close to the DMZ around the 17th parallel divide between North and South. It's an army resupply point, reachable only by helicopter.

And the Khe Sanh Combat Base, a former U. S. Marine Corp outpost. The purpose was to monitor the Ho Chi Minh Trail, a resupply trail from North to South, and to attempt to block supply lines. There was a 77 day siege here, a brutal attack on the marines by North Vietnamese. Ngoc tells us how the newly arriving American service members couldn't comprehend an enemy they couldn't see.

He tells us how young North Vietnamese were so thoroughly indoctrinated by Ho Chi Minh communist propaganda that they would volunteer for service. They would put stones into their pockets to increase their weight, in order to be accepted into the army, which would bring security to their families and honour to the household.

I am impressed with the humanity Ngoc conveys. The reuinified Vietnam still has deep systemic differences, capitalism in the south, communist to the north. There is understanding of the issues and pressures on the northerners, which seems so healing. It's not the us vers them polarization.

We proceed to the Hien Luong Bridge over the Ben Hai River, which divided North and south along the 17th parallel, and end the tour at the Vinh Moc Tunnels.

This underground village was built to protect civilians from near constant bombing. A full town, with meeting room and maternity hospital is here. The three levels go deep. Amazingly, the design was created by a teenager. It's incredibly narrow and low. Damp and dark, it's surreal to understand people needed to shelter here. Ngoc has told us that his parents in law are from the area, and they talk of running to the bomb craters after detonation, believing the Americans don't bomb twice in the same spot, so it was safest.

The day has been a lot. Reflecting on the drive back, I realize I have so much more understanding of the background of the war, the one the Vietnamese refer to as the American War. The resilience of these people is extraordinary, and I think bending but not breaking is their ultimate strength.

I'm not naïve to the atrocities of war on all sides, but those aspects are so easily accessed through media. Deeper understanding through personal stories resonates differently.

Ngoc mentioned the anger of the American population led to their eventual withdrawal. Horrific images in the media shocked the people into pressuring their president to end their involvement. We can only hope that energy still exists there today.Read more