The moment that captured me was when we were brought to the bamboo artisan’s workshop in Hoi An. When this artisan was showing us the things he used to build during the war it was a little unsettling. He had such pride showing us tools and devices used to harm or kill Americans. This, I did not feel was a pleasant visit. It is understandable that the war crimes committed by the Americans were terrible, but what if a Vietnamese person visited the United States and toured a Monsanto (Agent Orange producer) factory. One is obviously more lethal than the other, but both evoke emotions based on painful times in our past.
It is enlightening to see a man from that generation overcoming his hatred for the United States. My respect goes out to this man and his ability to forgive, given the atrocities committed by the US during the war. I, personally would not be able to forgive a group of people who committed such crimes against my country. Between the destruction, massacres, and civilian deaths caused by the United States, overcoming that hatred he likely once held is something I would never be able to do had I been on his side of the war.
His devices and tools did not affect me personally, but having an uncle who served during the war made me think about how they could have been used against a member of my family. From the artisan’s perspective, it is quite remarkable how friendly he was with the people he used to fight and who likely killed someone he knew. His ability to forgive after years of such a gruesome war is what captured me most on my visit to Hoi An.
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