Home Viet Nam Human Rights » Analysis-Comment » home » To understand the meaning of peace, come to Vietnam!

To understand the meaning of peace, come to Vietnam!

3/6/16


Mr. Peter Nguyen (real name Nguyen The Phuong), who was a intellegence officer of the Republic of Vietnam’s Army and left the country in 1975, said that peace is the holiest things to him and he often talks to American that “to understand the meaning of peace, come to Vietnam”
Mr. Peter Nguyen shared his thoughts, feelings and harassing things in his Vietnam visit with other veteran of American Veterans For Peace (VFP) which he is also a member.
Keep thinking about the country
Mr. Peter Nguyen was born in 1952 in Thai Binh province, migrated to the South with his family in 1955. He had been a intellegence officer of the Republic of Vietnam’s Army from 1972 to 1975. Mr. Peter Nguyen left Vietnam in the evening of April 29 1975 on a naval vessel of the US, one day before the fall of the Government of the Republic of Vietnam.
After leaving Vietnam, Peter Nguyen has been always thinking about the country. He remembered the time in 1976, when he was a student, news about Vietnam was extremely rare, the mass media were also not available as today. He had to go librabry of France and the US to search for the news about Vietnam.
In 1977, he earned only 2$ per day but he had spent 300$ to buy a radio to listen to the news about Vietnam. He joked that he was the first Vietnamese in American was received the radio waves from Vietnam. At that time, he just knew the gunfire had stopped in Vietnam and that made he felf happy. From that time on, he has kept looking for news from the country.
After 23 years living in American, he came back to Vietnam with his wife for the first time in 1998. This is the 10th time he returned home, but also the first time traveling with US veterans.
In 2013, during the journey to Spratly (Truong Sa) ilands, he took a little water, sand and coral back to the US and set on the altar in his house. In the morning, he offers incenses to wish for the East Sea to stay calm. Mr. Peter Nguyen said he owned a debt to the country, always thinking and hearing news about Vietnam on TV.
“To understand the meaning of peace, come to Vietnam”
Talking about war 40 years ago, Mr. Peter Nguyen said he had a brother in law who was a matyr so he understood  the lost and pain caused by war. After the war, he could understand the value of peace and that was the reason he join the VFP.
Mr. Peter Nguyen said Vietnam is now very lucky because of having peaceful environment and standing firmly by our own legs, developing prosperously.
“I often tell Vietnamese and even American in the US to understand the meaning of peace, come to Vietnam. To me, peace is the holiest value” the former intelligence officer of the Republic of Vietnam said.
“I’m very thankful the Socialist Republic of Vietnam for allowing me to come back home, the day when I left Vietnam I didn’t dare to think of the coming-back day. When my family crossed Ben Hai river to immigrate form North to South, I didn’t think I can return to the North, but things have changed, I now can come back to Vietnam from the US which 10.000 miles from here.”
The most haunted things: the Agent Orange
Peter Nguyen said he was an intelligence officer so he didn’t have to take gun to fight on the front. However, he has still have a lot of harassing things, and his most haunted thing in the war is Agent Orange.
Peter Nguyen said he had seen deformed fetal caused by Agent Orange and it had haunted him. Agent Orange is still causing bad effect to the 4th generation and that’s terrible. He said he would do things even the smallest things to heal the pain of bombings and Agent Organe.
“I am old, but I will use my little heath with my friends to do things to heal the pain and help the war-affected people”, he said.
Positive signals
According to Mr. Pete Nguyen, American and Vietnamese are now very friendy. The US Government is now having positive ideas about Vietnam and people who have a hostile attitude to Vietnam are not so many. He said the war was made by the US Government and the US basically is at same peace-loving side with Vietnam.
Nguyen said the US hasn’t compensated for the war, but a lot of Vietnam’s friend have seen the mistakes made by their Government. They are trying to mobilize the US Government to help Vietnam easing the pain of the war.
“For American, Vietnam War was the first war that they lost. They try to forget it. But this year the US Ambassador to Vietnam Ted Osius said that the US Government’s efforts to dismantle unexploded landmines and help victims of Agent Orange are among highest priorities and that is a good signal” Nguyen said.
At the meeting between VFP and Vietnamese veterans in Hanoi, Mr. Peter Nguyen has a cordial conversation with Mr. Bui The Giang, a veteran. 40 years after the war, two men who were on different sides, are now shaking hand, chatting and calling the other as friend. Mr. Giang said they have many coincidences such as same age, joined the army at the sam day.  Mr. Giang joked that they have to drink some cups of wine for the meeting./.
Chia sẻ bài viết ^^
Other post

All comments [ 10 ]


yobro yobro 3/6/16 22:07

Vietnam has experienced a lot of wars in its history

Red Star 3/6/16 22:08

Vietnamese people are among the most peace-loving people in the world

John Smith 3/6/16 22:10

We love peace and we protect it

LawrenceSamuels 3/6/16 22:12

Vietnam is now facing challenges from China ambition of controlling over the entire East Sea.

Gentle Moon 3/6/16 22:15

The US must take responsibility to compensate for Vietnamese victims of the war especially the victims of Agent Orange

Voice of people 3/6/16 22:17

The recent Obama's visit will have good effects to promote and enhance the relationship between two counties.

For A Peace World 3/6/16 22:21

In my opinion I think the US President have more understood about Vietnam after the visit, eye-witnessing the hospitality of Vietnamese people to him

Me Too! 3/6/16 22:25

As an political analyst said: "Vietnam is now very important to the US and the peace of the region"

Vietnam Love 3/6/16 22:27

Vietnam is one of the most active countries of ASEAN in building a peaceful and united region

Socialist Society 3/6/16 22:28

Come to Vietnam you will understand the value of peace

Your comments