"all that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing"

Politicians who jusitify war in terms of abstract concepts; of moral victories, borders moved, one doctrine succeeding over the other, ought to take a visit to the War Remnants Museum in Ho Chi Minh City.

The War 'remnants' refers not only to the American tanks, helicopters and other aircraft preserved in the museum courtyard, but to the stories documented inside; the stories of those affected on both sides, and the legacy of those still affected today. It's horrifying. It's shocking. It's moving. It's most definitely Not-Sugar-Coated.
It tells the story not from the perspective of military historians or archivists, but documents 'What Really Happened' in Vietnam during the American War. Namely the destruction of villages, towns and cities, the torture and murder of men, women and children throughout the country, the use of chemical warfare, and the futile deaths of American servicemen, Vietcong fighters, South Vietnamese soldiers and hundreds of thousands of Vietnamese civilians.
Perhaps the most haunting displays are those on the groundfloor graphically detailing the devastating effect of chemical weapons, from the generations of birth defects caused by exposure to Agent Orange, to the haunting image of a mother and son quite literally incinerated by a Napalm Attack.

The Museum's cataloguing of the personal anthologies of the American War makes for a harrowing and difficult but ultimately important and worthwhile visit. It reminds us that war, any war, must be examined and understood by its specifics, as well as by the ideologies - geographical, political or religious - of the opponents.

The exhibitions in the museum, particularly those on the ground floor, are a vital reminder to us all that
Firstly - War does NOT end when generals in comfy offices shake hands over a signature,
and Secondly - that the use of chemical weapons in a warzone is pointless and ridiculous and horrible and unnecessary and futile and futile and futile.

I hope that from this post, and from the blog as a whole, the distinction is clear between 'War Tourism' and 'Global Awareness'. I think its not just down to the individual conscience to visit these places and learn about the horrors of the past, but a fundamental responsibility to know what goes on in the world. Ignorance is a crime too, and it's only by becoming aware of humanitarian issues both past and present, that we can become part of the knowledge and the message that

"This Must Not Happen"

SarahHeadsEast xx


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