War Remnants Museum

For the first time in  my life, I was in a place where America didn't win.  The War Remnants Museum in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam was a realistic portrayal of the American War through Vietnamese eyes.  The museum housed relics from the war like photographs, biographies of reporters who died during the war, weapons, and even a sculpture made from gun metal.    

One of the exhibitions in the museum was about Dioxin, or "Agent Orange".  Agent Orange is a deadly toxic material used for chemical warfare introduced by the Americans to Vietnam.  One tablespoon can wipe out a city of 8 million people...  There were photographs of Vietnamese people who were atrociously affected by Agent Orange.  It was common to see missing limbs, scarred faces, stunted body growth, etc. 

Another exhibition at the museum portrayed the war through children's eyes.  These pictures showed smiling American and Vietnamese soldiers returning to villages with smiles and hugs... it was nice to see, although I don't know if that actually happened.  There were some beautiful drawings that depicted world peace.  It would have been a nice way to end the viewing but of course there was more!

The next exhibition we saw were called the "Tiger Cages".  Tigers, no.  Prisoners, yes.  The cells were similar to the prisoner cells Pol Pot created during the Khmer Rouge.  There was also a guillotine that they used, imported by the French.  

The last exhibition we saw was the best one!  It had posters and photographs of people from all over the world that protested America's involvement in the war.  There were some great quotes from American professors, Martin Luther King Jr., and other world leaders:

"The situation in Viet Nam poses serious moral problems which are not merely diplomatic or tactical.  Our nation is possesed of an immense power.  To permit its utilization for unreasonable and barbarous purposes endangers the very foundation of American influence."

-An excerpt from a declaration signed by 1000 American professors 

"Come home America.  Come home from your dark country of racism... from your tragic reckless adventure in Vietnam."

-Martin Luther King, Jr. 

There were some other quotes from the American Declaration of Independence & from the Geneva convention that clearly showed the hypocrisy of America fighting in Vietnam.  My photographs show these quotes.

My next post will be from beautiful Hoi An!  Til then.