In June of 2018, Mike Dankert, who I served with in Vietnam and my best friend, with my oldest son, David, returned to Vietnam.
For me, going back to Vietnam had nothing to do with seeing how the country had grown or progressed, or what the Vietnamese think of Americans today, or seeing tourist destinations in places like Hanoi, Hue, Da Nang, or Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). I had no desire to meet and greet with ex-NVA or Viet Cong soldiers and exchange stories. I understood the NVA and Viet Cong soldiers were protecting their country and their way of life, and I don’t harbor any unkind sentiments against them. My hatred of the enemy had long ago faded.
Their patriotism was no different from the American soldier’s patriotism, going to war because he was called to service by his country.
My goal and desires were to find my platoon brothers. And for those who died during the war, going to the battle sites that took their lives was the only way for me to reconcile their death and be with them one last time. Having no idea how returning to the mountains, hilltops, rice paddies, fields, and jungles of Vietnam would affect me, it was still the only way to stand close to or on the same ground where they’d lost their lives. I had a need to talk to them one last time.
The slide show captures the sites we visited during our week in Vietnam. The places we chose to visit held a significant memory for Mike and me. The slide show was presented at the Hill 4-11 Reunion July 27, 2018, at Columbus, Georgia.
For me, going back to Vietnam had nothing to do with seeing how the country had grown or progressed, or what the Vietnamese think of Americans today, or seeing tourist destinations in places like Hanoi, Hue, Da Nang, or Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). I had no desire to meet and greet with ex-NVA or Viet Cong soldiers and exchange stories. I understood the NVA and Viet Cong soldiers were protecting their country and their way of life, and I don’t harbor any unkind sentiments against them. My hatred of the enemy had long ago faded.
Their patriotism was no different from the American soldier’s patriotism, going to war because he was called to service by his country.
My goal and desires were to find my platoon brothers. And for those who died during the war, going to the battle sites that took their lives was the only way for me to reconcile their death and be with them one last time. Having no idea how returning to the mountains, hilltops, rice paddies, fields, and jungles of Vietnam would affect me, it was still the only way to stand close to or on the same ground where they’d lost their lives. I had a need to talk to them one last time.
The slide show captures the sites we visited during our week in Vietnam. The places we chose to visit held a significant memory for Mike and me. The slide show was presented at the Hill 4-11 Reunion July 27, 2018, at Columbus, Georgia.
