One last thing we did in Saigon, before heading off to our next city, was visit the War Remnants Museum. It was really interesting, and I left feeling sad and also confused about History. Here, what we call the “Vietnam War” is called the “US War of Aggression,” and we walked through exhibits of anti-American propaganda, photographs of victims, destruction, and an entire floor/gallery dedicated to the victims of Agent Orange – an herbicide sprayed all over Vietnam by US military that left victims, and several generations after, with horrible birth defects. There was so much hatred toward Americans and it made me feel horrible and sad and embarrassed. I saw things about this war that they would never talk about or show you back home because it makes our country look horrible.

Letter to Obama from Agent Orange victim.
Too tiny, I know, but worth zooming in for a read.

At the same time, I left with so many questions – about the war, and about history in general. You can’t deny the horrible things that happened in this country, and the devastation the people here have experienced. But history is made up entirely of stories passed down through generations, and while there are facts, there is also a huge portion that is based on perspective. When we learn about this War in America, they teach you the story from their perspective. When we learn about this War in Vietnam, it is entirely different because the people here viewed events differently and were affected differently. How can you ever know the basic truth about what has happened in the past? How can you ever know who or what to blame for what has happened? I left not knowing any more or any less. Just knowing something different. And not really wanting to take a history class ever again.