Hidden tunnels and historic landmarks shine a light on Vietnam's painful past
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When American troops moved into the Ben Dinh area, they unknowingly built a base on top of some of the tunnels. Van Chia said the Viet Cong would strike at night and disappear into the tunnels, leaving the U.S. troops to fight what seemed like ghosts.
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'We placed land mines, bamboo traps, booby traps, everywhere, outside and also inside tunnels, to stop our enemy. We also built very low, narrow tunnels, just only us at a time could go through. Very low, just about this (he said, gesturing to his knees). So we had to crawl through the tunnel. It was all very well connected.'
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But those tunnels were also targeted by American bombers and frequently destroyed. Van Chia was outside one in a trench when an enemy machine gun tore into his right arm and eye in 1967. He was 21 years old.
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At the complex, there are displays of those booby traps, of a field hospital and bunkers where they built bombs. If that's not real enough, the constant blasting of M16s, AK47s, RPKs and RPD machine guns reverberates from the National Defence Sport Range, lending a chilling air of authenticity.
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Despite the horrors he and others endured, Van Chia has hope for the future.
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'My wishes for now to the future, when young people meet, no matter where they are from – the United States or other countries – the Vietnamese people, when they meet, they will meet at the table having tea and discussing business, not about war,' said Van Chia.
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This year, on April 30, Vietnam marked the end of the hostilities with the 50th anniversary of the fall of Saigon and reunification of North and South. During an early April trip, workers were constructing massive bleachers on the grounds of the Reunification Palace in preparation for official ceremonies. Events are planned across the country this year, with perhaps some of the most prestigious in Hanoi, the former seat of power for Ho Chi Minh and his Communist Party.
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A visit to the presidential palace area in Hanoi is the best place to start to get an understanding of the very complicated history of Vietnam. The Americans were just one foe and the fight against them just one war fought here. Over the centuries, it was invaded by other nations like China and Japan. France ruled the south until the Viet Minh, led by Ho Chi Minh, revolted against colonial rule. Following eight years of war, an accord divided the country into the French-backed south and the communist north.
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Revered as a leader, Ho Chi Minh's body is displayed in a mausoleum in the presidential palace area. A long line of thousands winds across the grounds before a brief walk past the glass box raised on a stone pedestal bathed in dim light and silence. You can also tour two of the houses where he lived from 1954 onward, and see a display of the Bentley and other official cars he used when meeting leaders and dignitaries.
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In Saigon, many of the wartime landmarks remain but have new, more peaceful uses.
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The Fall of Saigon on April 30, 1975, is considered to have occurred when a North Vietnamese Army tank crashed through the gates of Independence Palace, ending the war. Today, the palace is a museum, and the beautifully manicured grounds are a popular tourist attraction.
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Another former landmark is now impossible to distinguish from other buildings unless it's pointed out. A famous photo taken on April 29, 1975, shows U.S. government officials evacuating by climbing a ladder to a helicopter on a roof. Today, it is an apartment building.
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Visits to both cities help explain the story of Vietnam.
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As Saigon, Hanoi and all other parts of the country mark the 50th anniversary of reunification, Van Chia reflected on that long-ago war.
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'We never forget what happened 50 years ago. That's when the war ended and the country was reunified. We remember what Ho Chi Minh said: 'Nothing is more precious than freedom and independence.' '
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