Vietnam Shrine
My family doctor outside the VA is someone I see on an emergency basis when I feel that I won’t be able to get a VA appointment in a timely manner.
Her family is from Egypt but she has been here forever and considers herself American and loves our country. She is older than me and very wise, and we have long talks about everything. She gave me some advice.
“Stop watching the news,” she said. “This isn’t the America we knew. These people are all crazy. We don’t even go back home to see relatives anymore because they are all crazy in Egypt, too.”
This is great advice. I’ve tried not to get angry about things since she told me that. Sometimes, even an old Nam vet needs someone to give him directions. She could be a Gunny.
Then she told me about her trip to Vietnam with her husband. She said it’s all North Vietnam now and looks nothing like it did when Americans were there during the war.
She also told me she saw something that really surprised her. Each time they build something in Vietnam, the people erect a shrine, usually religious. They saw one large building under construction with a shrine that was a statue of an American soldier. It had fresh flowers, food, and a full bottle of whiskey as an offering. No one would ever think of touching the whiskey or the food.
She asked the tour guide what it meant and told him she was surprised to see a shrine to an American soldier.
“Americans are an important part of our history,” the guide said. “Many died here, and we must erect a shrine to appease the spirits of dead Americans who fought here so they won’t put a curse on our new building. The whiskey and food is our offering.”
She told me she never thought she would see anything like the respect the Vietnamese show for dead Americans warriors. I never thought I would hear of anything like that, either.
That war still haunts all of us including the new generations in Vietnam. I’m surprised the Communist government would allow such a shrine, but I guess they have to respect the religious customs of their people in a place where so many have died.
