War Remnants Museum in Ho Chi Minh City

A few weeks ago Libby and I went to the Vietnam Military History Museum in Hanoi, and we were surprised at how little was said about the Vietnam War (or "The American War" as it is called here).  The museum in Hanoi spent far more time discussion the French involvement as well as other wars and occupations Vietnam has faced in their history of over two thousand years.

I was expecting something similar in Ho Chi Minh City, but I was surprised and shocked at the War Remnant Museum in Ho Chi Minh City. This was a three-floor museum, and most of it was dedicated to America's involvement in the Vietnam War.

The museum starts innocently enough, with some weapons and military aircraft displayed on the outside and a display on the inside of Vietnam's diplomatic history with America:

But it moves quickly to highlighting the anti-American sentiment that was felt about the war all over the world and especially in the United States:

Germany:

Finland:

Denmark:

Belgium:

There was a large display on the U.S.anti-war movement.  I saw the famous photograph of the Ohio National Guard shooting the unarmed college student protesters at Kent State:

I was also unfamiliar with the stories of American citizens who set themselves on fire in protest of the war:

From there, the museum moves on to the war itself.  I understand full well that this was a Vietnamese museum, and they are going to present a slanted perspective, but as an American this was a very difficult museum to walk through.

Here are images of American soldiers torturing Vietnamese soldiers:

Here is a Vietnamese soldier being water-boarded by Americans:

Here is some text about former U.S. Senator Bob Kerrey from Nebraska, who was also briefly a candidate for President.  The events described below are accurate -- they have been reported in the New York Times and Senator Kerrey has admitted to his involvement.

There were also very vivid and moving images of Vietnamese citizens suffering the effects of napalm and Agent Orange.  Again, not for the faint of heart:

Here is an update on the girl pictured in the iconic photo above:

plaindealer.oh.newsmemory.com/publink.php?shareid=0b6b0c58a

What happens to the land when Agent Orange is used:

A picture a tank crashing through the Presidential Palace gates (which I had just come from visiting) in April 1975.  Saigon fell, Vietnam was reunited, and the war was over:

Finally, here is a room that was simply called "Historic Truths" but included more information about America's involvement in the war.

I've said before that we have never felt unwelcome in this country, and that it seems to us that almost every Vietnamese person we've met ̣(including war veterans) are not dwelling on the past and are eager to build on the relationship between our two countries.  Maybe all of the resentment the Vietnamese people may feel about the war is balled up in this one three-story museum in Ho Chi Minh City.