LAST DAY IN VIETNAM...

Well, the time has arrived to call an end to the journey. Today, we brought it to a close by going to the war museum. I knew this was going to present the ugliness of war from the Vietnamese perspective, however I did not expect to be impacted like I was. Of course, the presentation is pretty one sided, but the one side is rather accurate. The photographs were most disturbing. It is bad enough seeing what we as Americans were put through, but the things, the horror we delivered to the Vietnamese people is nothing short of criminal. I know only too well, that war is ugly, but without a doubt, our conduct and activities were beyond comprehension in some respects. Once again, I did not handle it well as I got noticeably upset. A Vietnamese man came up to me and was most kind and concerned about me. Told me it is in the past and let it go, that the Vietnamese have opened their hearts to us and all has been forgiven and that they only want to look to the future. Not only in the photos of the museum, but on the streets, the deformed people from our agent orange is enough to make you throw up. Then a reporter came up to Lieu and I as I was reading the last paragraph to "The Bunker and the Cracker Jack Kids" and put his mic to pick up what I was saying. Then the government police came over and wanted him to stop and took the nice man a way for a short time. We were being watched pretty closely as we moved through the museum. One guard came up to Lieu and asked her if she had permission to talk to the tourists (me) and she said that she was with me, so OK, but we were continually watched. Be thankful you live in the USA. The two hours in that museum took its toll on me and I was glad when we left and yet I am glad I saw it. WAR SUCKS!!!
We will leave for the airport at 3:45 in the morning and be home about 24 hours later. I am ready.