Along the roads in HaNoi are red flags with gold lettering,fluttering from the utility poles. They note today's 58th anniversary -- 10/10/54 to 10/10/12 -- the liberation of Viet Nam from the French. Unification lasted one year.
Another anniversary: In 1010, the king was crossing the Red River and saw a huge dragon rising out of the water. Taking this as a good omen, he founded the city of HaNoi which means (correct me if I am wrong) city surrounded by a river. So two years ago, HaNoi celebrated its 1000th birthday. Now that's history. Sort of puts Conway's 40th anniversary in perspective.
To learn of Viet Nam's long history also puts US sordid involvement here into a larger perspective, one of continuous occupation and its struggle to become one country. This vision of unification and independence has been the reason it seems that Viet Nam has eventually and continually prevailed over its would be conquerors despite the odds.
Another anniversary: In 1010, the king was crossing the Red River and saw a huge dragon rising out of the water. Taking this as a good omen, he founded the city of HaNoi which means (correct me if I am wrong) city surrounded by a river. So two years ago, HaNoi celebrated its 1000th birthday. Now that's history. Sort of puts Conway's 40th anniversary in perspective.
To learn of Viet Nam's long history also puts US sordid involvement here into a larger perspective, one of continuous occupation and its struggle to become one country. This vision of unification and independence has been the reason it seems that Viet Nam has eventually and continually prevailed over its would be conquerors despite the odds.
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