Emotions run deep during Vietnam-focused gathering

It may have been one of the most unique gatherings on Memorial Day weekend anywhere in the country.

And it happened in Coulterville.

A delegation from the Consulate General of Vietnam in San Francisco paid a visit on Sunday to the Northern Mariposa County town and it took place inside of the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 9454.

This was the second official visit from the office of the consulate and the third time some sort of delegation representing Vietnam has visited Coulterville.

All of it thanks to James Rhodes, a Vietnam veteran who is intent on making Coulterville and Mariposa County a central focus of having improved and working relationships with the country that was once the center of a bitter war.

“Healing and reconciliation,” is how Jesse Salcedo, the new commander of the VFW, phrased it as he opened the meeting.

He then emphasized that healing is for “all.”

Rhodes noted that last time the delegation was in Coulterville, it was not only to mark 50 years from the end of the Vietnam War but also 30 years since former President Bill Clinton normalized relations between the two countries.

“Vietnam is important to us all,” said Rhodes. “We want positive and significant change.”

One issue that was central to the meeting this past Sunday was Agent Orange.

Agent Orange was a tactical herbicide used by the U.S. military for control of vegetation. It was named for the orange band around the storage barrel. The military sprayed Agent Orange and other tactical herbicides during the Vietnam War.

The results were catastrophic.

Many people know about Agent Orange and the impacts it has had on U.S. veterans, however, what might get lost is the huge human toll it has also taken on the people of Vietnam.

With that in mind, a group of students and teachers from Woodland Elementary School made a presentation to Ho Huong Giang, the deputy counsel of the consulate in Vietnam and the keynote speaker at the gathering.

The presentation was for “get well” cards to be delivered to young people in the Friendship Village in Hanoi.

The Vietnam Friendship Village is a residency founded in 1992 by George Mizo, an American veteran of the Vietnam War. The institution serves individuals afflicted by conditions related to Agent Orange while also opening channels of cross-cultural dialogue.

“I am really, really moved by this kind gesture,” said Giang. “I will make sure the cards get into the hands of the children.”

She would go into greater detail a little later in the meeting.

 

Many locals in attendance

Rhodes began introducing many local people who were in attendance at the meeting, from a Native America honor guard to county officials, including Supervisor Jenni Kiser and County Administrative Office Joe Lynch.

Many other groups were also represented, from veterans offices to the Mariposa County Arts Council to the International Order of Odd Fellows in Coulterville and more.

After all of the introductions, Giang then took to the floor for the keynote address.

She said being the VFW hall was a reminder of “veterans,” a term she said applies to both American and Vietnam warriors. But, she added, “from now on I would like to call you friends.”

She called the VFW a “community place.”

Giang also referenced the Vietnam War, as she noted it is called in America. In Vietnam, it is referred to as the Resistance War, she said.

She said “mistrust and political hostility” have been part of the long healing process but noted there is now a “partnership” between the two nations and the work continues on the human reconciliation, one of the reasons the delegation came to Coulterville.

Giang also spoke of the “human cost of the war,” something that cannot be denied.

There were more than 58,000 Americans who died in the Vietnam War. But as Rhodes pointed out, there were two million Vietnamese people who died in the war.

“Veterans have become official ambassadors,” said Giang.

She also stressed that nobody “should forget the past,” but the process now is looking toward the future, including the strong economic ties between the countries.

“We should continue to deepen trust,” she said. “Reconciliation still continues daily.”

Emotional ties

During a question and answer session, Giang went into greater detail about Agent Orange, including her personal experiences.

She worked for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Giang said that experience took her deep into the backcountry of Vietnam, where they searched for remains of American soldiers. It’s work that continues to this day.

That, she said, is just one aspect of the complicated issues relating from the war.

She said there were five million victims of Agent Orange and many don’t realize it is passed on genetically, which is one of the reasons the Friendship Village was founded.

“We are on the third generation with Agent Orange,” she said. “There are strong emotions.”

That, she said, is why the “gesture” of the local students was “so meaningful.”

It was obvious in the full room this single issue was personal to Giang, and is why she is so intent on being a part of the healing process between Americans and the Vietnamese people.

In a lighter moment, Giang said this was her first visit to Coulterville. It was part of a question as to why the delegation continues to come back and try to improve relations.

“I Googled you,” she said, drawing laughter from the room.

She researched Coulterville and said she found a “rich culture,” something she said was affirmed as she got to know the people during the visit.

“I can feel the warmth,” she said.

And, added Giang, though it was her first visit to Coulterville, “it will not be my last.”

After her remarks, the group enjoyed a lunch served by the VFW Auxiliary and there were also many conversations among those who attended.