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About The nugget. (Sisters, Or.) 1994-current | View Entire Issue (May 27, 2020)
Wednesday, May 27, 2020 The Nugget Newspaper, Sisters, Oregon 7 Commentary... Travels in 21st century Vietnam By Craig F. Eisenbeis Columnist Vietnam. For many, it9s more than just a place; it9s an era. Vietnam affected the lives of an entire generation. Although I never actually set foot in the country until earlier this year, Vietnam forever changed my life. It changed 4 and even ended 4 the lives of others I knew. My family has a history of military service: my father in World War II; his father in the National Guard during World War I; and two of my great-grandfathers fought in the Civil War. So, when I graduated from Oregon State University during the Vietnam War, there was no question in my mind that I would follow in their foot- steps. As I always assumed I would, if the need arose, I did as my father had done in World War II and joined the U.S. Coast Guard. As an unintended conse- quence, instead of pursuing a career in biological research as I had planned, I ended up making the Coast Guard my career. Most of that career was ashore; but I also served on two ships, both of which saw action in Vietnam 4 although not while I was on board. We had one three- month deployment off the Asian coast, but that was as close as I got. So, it was primarily with historical curiosity that I approached our cruise ship visit to Vietnam earlier this year. The Vietnam we saw was a vibrant, prosperous, cheerful, unified nation under communist leader- ship 4 a scenario that we fruitlessly fought a war to prevent. I wondered how visiting Americans would be perceived, but our guide pointed out that the aver- age age in Vietnam is 31, and only 12.8 percent of the population was even alive when the war ended. By way of comparison, I vis- ited post-war Japan 4 in a military capacity 4 25 years after World War II and was well-received throughout the country. By the time I visited Vietnam as a civilian tourist, that war was nearly 50 years in the rear-view mirror; so, I probably should not have been surprised. Although the official name is now Ho Chi Minh City, our first stop is still often referred to as Saigon. An attractive, modern, clean city, Saigon has everything you9d expect in a modern city of 10 million people 4 impressive skyscrap- ers, nice parks, museums, McDonald9s, Starbucks& I found myself wondering what those who sacrificed their lives here 50 years ago would think of Vietnam today. We visited Saigon at the start of the lunar new year celebration and were for- tunate enough to be swal- lowed up in their elaborate downtown Flower Festival, which kicks off a week- long new year9s party. The streets, some closed to traf- fic, were packed with fes- tively dressed celebrants. DOES YOUR CAR HANDLE LIKE A BUCKIN’ BRONCO? SCHEDULE YOUR ALIGNMENT TODAY! DAVIS TIRE 541-549-1026 Serving Sisters Since 1962 188 W. 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A friend of mine was stationed there during the war, and one of his vivid memories is of a metal cas- ket bearing the body of a friend being shipped home. Some of those structures on the old base are now in vari- ous commercial uses, but most have been abandoned to overgrown vegetation. From there, we also vis- ited Hue, near the so-called demilitarized zone, the for- mer border between North and South Vietnam. Much of the fiercest fighting took place in this area. The scars of war are gone now, and access to the north has been made much easier by a new four-mile tunnel through the mountains. Upon leaving Da Nang, we sailed north, toward Hanoi, into the Gulf of Tonkin, which lent its name to the precedent-setting U.S. Senate Resolution that gave President Lyndon Johnson sweeping war powers in 1964 and sank us deep into the Vietnam War. Next: Hanoi, a half cen- tury later. WE ARE SCHEDULING SPRING CLEANUPS! ENVIROTECH 541-771-5048 Licensed • Bonded • Insured • CCB#181062 Irrigation Activation 541-549-2882 LCB#9583 Organic Fertilizing No Need To Travel... WE’VE DONE THE FISHING FOR YOU! OVER A DOZEN TYPES OF ALASKAN SEAFOOD flash frozen the day it’s caught by owner/operator trawlers then flown to Sisters for guaranteed freshness and quality. AND BROUGHT IN THE BEST LOCAL ELK & LAMB! All to supplement our incredible beef, pork and poultry you’ve come to know and love. Open 9-6 Daily! • 541-719-1186 110 S. Spruce St., Sisters Sisters Aerating/ Dethatching — Credit Cards Accepted — RESIDENTIAL • COMMERCIAL Say Aaahhh... 541-549-0109 Entertainers, vendors, and families mingled with the enthusiasm of a never-end- ing parade of fashion, fin- ery, and fun. Everyone was friendly toward us and didn9t seem particularly curious about visitors. The most notable aspect of vehicle traffic is that motorbikes outnumber cars probably 20 to 1, with eight million in Saigon alone. At stoplights, many intersec- tions look like the mass starts of marathons, except the bunched-up competitors are on motorbikes. Despite the fact that the Communists are the only political party, our guide said they have elections every four years <just for fun.= The red national flag, with its central gold star, is seen everywhere, along with ham- mer and sickle party banners. We visited interesting muse- ums and the <Reunification Palace,= formerly the South Vietnamese Presidential Palace. Some visitors on private tours saw the <War Remnants Museum,= but the cruise line doesn9t like to take Americans there because they find it shocking to learn about the war from a Vietnamese perspective. Our second port was Nha Trang, which is near the for- mer U.S. bases at Cam Ranh Bay. The port has a modern new cruise ship terminal that cannot be used because a cable car tram to an island amusement park was sub- sequently built too low for ships to pass under! The highlight of Nha Trang was a 2,000 year-old MEATS • CHEESES • EATERY • DRINKERY Lawn Mowing