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Same River, Different Water - A Veteran's Journey from Vietnam to Viet Nam (Paperback)
Loot Price: R1,057
Discovery Miles 10 570
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Same River, Different Water - A Veteran's Journey from Vietnam to Viet Nam (Paperback)
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Despite it being almost forty years since American troops left
Vietnam, the American people still regard Vietnam as a war, not a
country. "Same River, Different Water" is not about your
grandfather's war but about the thriving country of today. It is
the true story of a two-tour, wounded combat veteran and his wife,
a former Army nurse, who met in Vietnam during the war and returned
to live in the city of Hue in 2005-06. The memoir connects the past
with the present, amply supported by the author's photographs.
History professors' bookshelves are filled with political and
military tomes about the war, but few of them examine the impact of
the war on Viet Nam's present culture. It is a positive look at the
present, punctuated with glances into the past and filled with
observations of the present-day Vietnamese culture. Its appeal is
to anyone of the Vietnam War generation, whether they served,
waited at home or participated in protests. This book answers the
question "What happened to the people and country that caused so
much angst in the 60s and 70s?" It is an antidote for curious or
embittered veterans who believe the Vietnamese hate us. It is an
update for those whose mental image is of an impoverished country.
It is for academics who wish to have their students gain an insight
into modern Southeast Asia. It is travelers looking for a different
place to go. "Same River, Different Water" includes the words Viet
Nam and Vietnam - one when referring to the country, the other when
referring to the war. The first chapter opens with the negative
reaction the author received from many Vietnam vets when hearing he
was going to live in Viet Nam. The new country, with its
skyscrapers in Saigon, absence of poverty and energetic people is
juxtapositioned with memories of flares in the night sky, noisy
truck convoys and the brutal poverty seen during the war. Memories
are connected to the present as the two returning veterans recall
the beginning of their romance of forty years. "Same River,
Different Water" goes deeper - it leaves the war behind and
examines the challenges of living and working in a very different
culture. The chapter "Don't They Hate Us?" includes the recounting
of lunch at a student's home and discovering that her father had
been a Viet Cong fighter. The book refutes the common feeling among
Americans that the Vietnamese hate us and leaves the reader with a
realization that today's Viet Nam is a robust and growing country.
"Same River, Different Water" is a must for anyone who wants a
complete view of Viet Nam.
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