As a member of a U.S. Army recovery team that travels to Vietnam several times a year, (4 trips in 1999), I've been to many places within the country, north and south. Northern Vietnam is a relatively quiet place - being there, you wouldn't know that a war was fought with these people 35 years ago. Until you cross the "Red River" bridge that takes you into Hanoi from the airport. (The river still looks red, by the way) Those that know their history will remember that we bombed this bridge for years. Many pilots lost their lives, and were taken prisoner, trying to do it.
Which takes us to the infamous "Hanoi Hilton" prison complex located in the heart of Hanoi. It's still there, or at least part of it is. It is now a museum, showing the "humane treatment" that was given to the prisoners during their time of captivity. I was thoroughly disgusted with the propaganda. I thought of the men who died here. I wanted to leave the place. There was an eerie feeling there - I kept thinking I was hearing screams coming from the walls. When I left, I spit on the place for those that did make it out.
The drive to Hanoi also takes you past the Ford Motor plant that is built here. The first place in the country where the Vietnamese and American flags fly side by side. As we drive by, I snap a photo and wonder how the Veterans that work for GM must feel about this.
I'd rather be in the southern half of the country. It's more exciting. We were down south earlier in the year, where American involvement in the War is more obvious than in the north. Locals selling "zippo" lighters, with engravings like "Deth before Dishonor." Obviously fake. Or sometimes you'll be eating in a local establishment and you look down at your fork to see U.S. marked on it.
I've often hung my head outside the helicopter window imagining I was a door gunner, scanning the earth below for anything that moved. The scene from Stanley Kubrick's "Full Metal Jacket" comes to my head...."Get some! Get some!". Pretty exciting.
I met a Veteran in DaNang. He was doing some sort of charity work for his organization. The previous day, I came across 2 Steel Pot helmets in a village south of there. I gave him one of the helmets, and his eyes lit up, almost tears. He was very grateful. I found out later he had it mounted, and took it to the Wall in D.C. on Veteran's Day. I was very proud out that. I still have the other, and plan to take it to the Wall myself. I sometimes wonder if it belongs to one of those men on that Wall....
An old lady was walking down the road with a basket on her back - tied to it was a U.S. issue metal canteen. I stopped her in the road, and offered her money for the canteen. She thought I was crazy to want this old, beat up canteen. She sold it to me for what amounted to be about 50 cents, and walked away with a smile on her face. So did I.
In DaNang, I played the Soundtrack to "Good morning, Vietnam" at a local bar, where Robin Williams has some interesting things to say about Ho Chi Minh. Got some strange looks from that and the "DaNang me...DaNang me....why don't they get a rope and hang me!" blurbs.
Flying over this area, as with most places in the south, you see a lot of bomb craters. They are now being used as ponds or large swimming pools for the local children.
More Vietnamese locals speak English in the south. I met a cyclo driver who told me all about his involvement in the war. He fought with the US side. When Saigon fell, he got roughed up, then went into hiding. He had many stories, and thanked me over and over for what we tried to do here. "America number 1" he would say. Over a beer we would toast to the U.S. I enjoyed his company.
A younger generation now dominates Vietnam, born during or after the War. I believe this is the reason why I haven't seen or heard any resentment towards Americans thus far. Although it does happen, out in the more remote areas, in villages that were bombed. To this day, there are problems with gaining access to some of the recovery sites because of hostilities that could occur if we showed up. Teams have in the past, even been lectured on the wrong doings of the "Yankee Air Pirates" that dropped large amounts of frag or willy pete into the area. But, what can you do? What's done is done. In my opinion, War is hell on both sides of those involved, right?
I love the strange looks I get from the older generation while wearing my OD Green "Boonie hat". They will almost always do a double take, to get a better look at the American GI back in their country. Some may not like it at all. I wear it in tribute to all those that served here. Because when I'm here, I feel I do represent those thousands of Veterans that were here in some way. It's like stepping back in time. And I love it.
Our story begins in DaNang, Vietnam where one night at a local café, I met a couple of Veterans. We spoke for a while about each other's reasons for being there, and I felt it necessary to give them a steel helmet that I had recently found, which they proudly accepted. I had no idea their intentions for this helmet- until I got this email:
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From: Louis J. Block
Sent: Thursday, September 23, 1999 1:35 PM
To: Dan Seymour
Subject: Steal Pot & Helmet liner
Hi Dan,
Just a note to tell you that the helmet & liner you gave me to be taken to
the 'Wall' will be delivered this year. Joe Belardo, Chairman National
Dusters, Quads & Searchlights Association, is having the helmet affixed on a
OD green (painted) Styrofoam head mounted with the (attached) photo of you
handing me the helmet in Da Nang. Next to the helmet there will be a 40mm
round as a Vase w/flower & flag all mounted on a wood plaque. I will also
give a speech at the 'Wall', a copy is included at the end of this note.
You know that I respect you young men and women of the recovery teams a
whole lot because you are solving some life-long-puzzles for many families
and Vets.
Again thanks for the war relics. I will leave them at the 'Wall', with
honor, for you. Tell the team I said thanks & hello.
Hoa Binh,
Louis J. Block
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There is no better a place for this helmet than the Wall.
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_____________________________________________________________________
From: Louis J. Block [ljblock@uswest.net]
Sent: Monday, November 15, 1999 6:45 PM
To: Dan Seymour
Subject: Assignment accomplished
Dear Sgt. Dan Seymour,
The helmet & liner you gave me to be left at the Wall has been honorably
left at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall in Washington, DC on Veterans Day
November 11, 1999.
Men with the National Dusters, Quads & Searchlights Association assembled at
the west end of the Wall at 1000 hour, marched half-step toward the apex.
The order to halt, left face was given part way down the Wall. The Plaque
with the helmet & liner was laid at its footing along with a canteen cup.
In turn each man dropped an expended cartridges until 20 were in the cup
then the 21st cartridge was placed in a small folded US Flag (our 21 gun
salute). I gave a speech (attached), then called the men to attention. We
gave a hand salute and I dismissed the detail. At midnight several of us
went back to the Wall to say good buy to our friends and brothers, we took
more photos.
I am attaching four pictures for your assurance that the helmet & liner were
properly cared for by some of the finest men ever to wear the uniform of a
United States Army Soldier.
Sgt. Louis J. Block, DAV
'C' 1st/44th AW-SP (RVN 67-68)
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WOW, it had actually made it! That old rusty helmet I found just traveled thousands of miles to its final resting place amoung the names of honored men and women. I wonder if it belonged to any of them? In a way, I hope it did because it's being returned. Yet at the same time I hope it did not, because they may have lost it, when they lost their life.
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My Reply-
Louis,
I'm honored to have been commended in your moving speech at the Wall. And I'm very happy to see that, after many years, this helmet has finally made it home where it belongs. I want to extend my gratitude to all of the members of your organization, from all the members of mine. Our work in the field is mild when compared to the sacrifices that your generation gave in Vietnam. I was born in 1974, years after you returned from the War. Now, in the nineties, it's my duty to return and do what I can, to bring our missing home. I want you to know that this mission is accomplished with the pride and dignity of all those involved.
Our presence in Vietnam represents that of those men and women that served 30 years before us. I'm glad to have met you in DaNang, and hopefully we'll see each other again "in country". Hand Salute.
-
Dan
SGT Dan Seymour
Recovery Team Member
US Army Central Identification Laboratory, Hawaii (USACILHI)
Hickam AFB, Hawaii
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Speech by Louis J. Block at 'The WALL' Washington, DC Veterans Day 11/11/99:
I would like to thank Sgt. Dan Seymour for giving DQS this steal pot and
helmet liner to be left here at the "Wall". I thank all members of the
search teams still working in Southeast Asia for the recovery of our fallen
brothers. Thank you for volunteering for this special duty, we at DQS
appreciate your labors and your understanding of our need for closure.
Today is the last Veterans Day in this last decade of the 20th century. I
have been a Veteran now for more than thirty years and we still have not
located all of our fallen comrades left behind in that place we called
'Nam'. I don't know if we will ever have a full accounting, so I would like
to dedicate this steal pot and helmet liner to our missing brothers in arms.
May you rest in peace!
Now we enter a new millennium, a time filled with new technologies and new
ideas. However, we should not forget those still suffering from the past.
We should not forget the mothers still waiting for their sons to walk
through the doors of their homes every night for more than thirty years now.
We should not forget our brothers still in VA hospitals suffering with their
wounds of war. We should not forget our homeless brothers that still walk
the streets of America nightly with no place to go. We should not forget
the families of veterans that are still waiting for their loved ones to
break through that 'Wall' called PTSD created during their war experience.
We must never forget that we veterans have made America a truly great land
of liberty. America is a land where freedom comes at a heavy cost a cost
that we veterans know all too well. Many of us Veterans have been awarded
the Purple Heart for wounds sustained while we offered freedom to oppressed
peoples. Some of those people now live in America. Today they are free
because we veterans answered our Country's call to arms. For many of us
non-professional soldiers, this was the ultimate extreme sacrifice. We left
family and friends to help a people we did not even know in a land we never
even heard of. We did our duty. That is what makes America strong, that
there are people like you and me willing to do our duty.
Let us enter this millennium with a renewed sense of duty. A duty to "live
peaceably with all men". Overcoming evil with good knowing that our
American system, although not perfect, is the best system civilized mankind
has come up with during past millenniums of human history. Let our duty be
that of fearing God, not fearing what some other country will do or say.
Let us enter this millennium with a duty to be free forever. A duty to
remain one Nation under God. Thank you and God Bless America!
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The Long Journey Home...
Finally, after many years, this helmet gets returned to one of the men that may have left it there. But- it represents more than that, it represents all of the men that left their helmets, their freedom, families, and sometimes their lives in Southeast Asia.
The End?