Ponds

Uncomfortably close to some of the temple complexes are American Ponds.  In the early 1970's, Lon Nol was pleading for help from his American allies.  Pol Pot and his Khmer Rouge forces were steadily advancing on Phenom Penh.  Much of the area around Kampong Thom was heavily bombed by American B-52's in an effort to slow Pol Pot's advance.  

The aftermath of that bombing is still visible in many places, both around the temples and across the countryside.  Again, they are easy to spot.  The big round ponds are bomb craters.  Khmer farmers build square ponds.

Lon Nol was the palindromic strong-man of Cambodia after the 1970 coup that ousted Prince (King) Sihanouk.  Lon Nol was aligned with the United States against the Khmer Rouge, The Vietnamese, and several other groups who were fighting the Cambodian war in the early 1970's.  It was so confusing, even the participants did not always know who they were fighting.  The Cambodian government forces were often fighting their fellow Cambodians when they believed they were fighting the Vietnamese,  Several of the histories I have read note that the soldiers were shocked to find that, in fact, they were fighting the Khmer  Rouge and the KR was composed of their fellow countrymen.  

As a mere historical aside about Lon Nol, I will offer this tidbit.  As the Khmer Rouge steadily advanced on Phenom Penh, Lon Nol sought counsel with his most trusted monk.  Based on this counsel, he had "Magic Sand" sprinkled around the approaches to the city of Phenom Penh to ward off the Khmer Rouge forces.  The sand had been blessed by Lon Nol's monk, who assured Lon Nol that this would work.

The Khmer Rouge, if they were even aware of the magic sand, were unimpressed.