Conflicted

I do not know how to honestly set this into words. I was conflicted before I went to the War Remnants Museum and I was saddened when I left. I expected no less and received what I expected.

The museum used to be called The Museum of American War Crimes. Although a portion of the exhibits deal with the French involvement in Indochina, the heaviest burden here falls on America.

This place tells the story of the war in Vietnam from the viewpoint of the current government of Vietnam. The story of Agent Orange, the story of the My Lai Massacre, Nixon's Christmas bombings, these are all re- told here in stark detail.

There were also the stories told of journalists who lost their lives in Vietnam. Whether intentional or not, the exhibit of these journalist's work included some of the most compassionate portrayals of the suffering of American soldiers, as well as the casualties the Americans inflicted.

I grew up with these images and came of age with them. I know many of these photographs and carried some of these weapons. I was a soldier as well, just a few years after the end of the war. I have close friends, some of them probably reading this post, who served in Vietnam.

I have the utmost respect for the soldiers who fought here in Vietnam. I cannot say the same for those who led these men to fight. And I have a rending compassion for all of the human beings who suffered through this war, as horrible as any and all wars are.

I left this place tired and sad. I suppose that's the point. I will post no photos from inside the building. I took none. In the outdoor exhibit there were some American aircraft. I took these pictures of a Huey helicopter because I thought they might matter to a friend of mine.