Story / 13 Jan 2015 / 0 COMMENTS

Taking in the War History in Saigon

The war remnants museum is very hard to miss. The moment you walk past you can’t help but notice the countless American war machines gathered in the courtyard in front of a rectangular building.

Proudly presented like captured animals, the airplanes, helicopters and tanks give you the first taste of the narrative awaiting you inside. The first floor was dedicated to painting the Americans in the worst light possible and Vietnam as the helpless victim of imperialist aggression.

The walls were adorned with pictures, stories and letters of support for the Vietnamese cause, condemning the attack by America and sympathising with the Vietnamese.

This narratives continues upstairs with gruel images of victims wounded by American bombs, soldiers and chemical weapons. The most shocking and hard hitting part of the exhibition however was the room dedicated to showcase the aftermath of Agent Orange. A chemical compound being used on civilians in the fight to eradicate the Vietcong troops. Side effects were horrendous birth defects that still affect people till this day.

You just need to sit back and just look at people’s faces to get an understanding of the atrocities committed by the Americans. Even when you look past the propaganda presented by the Vietnamese curators, there still is some hard hitting truth behind all of this.

I didn’t get to take many photos in this place, I rather took the time to take it all in and leave the photographing to the other parts of Saigon.