Late one sunny afternoon Laura (housemate) gave me a lift over to Hữu Tiệp Lake, where the remains of a downed B-52 sits slowly decomposing. It's surprisingly close to my house! Only about a 5 minute ride away.
In all its wrecked and symbolic glory.
The sky was clear yet dramatic.
It's a strange thing to see a monument like this, where I am so clearly reminded that at one time the country I am currently living in and the one that is my point of origin were locked in a bitter land war that had resulted from an even bitterer ideological war. I don't think there are too many places in Hanoi where you can still see the scars of these events. A lot of people died and it certainly changed the political and cultural landscape of America forever. I think it had a pretty serious effect on Vietnam as well although obviously I am lot better versed in American history (and perspective) than I am Vietnamese. The Vietnam war (or American war as it is usually called here) happened before I was ever born, and by the time I got around to making my grand debut America had moved onto more pressing concerns in the Middle East. Growing up in the 90's I mostly remember conflicts from that part of the world, interspersed with flare-ups in Eastern Europe and South America. So to me, seeing things like this and visiting museums around Hanoi reminds me more of the movies I've watched about the Vietnam war than of any actual events I can relate to.
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