Travel and the Wonders of War

Shower thoughts can be grand epiphanies, entertaining oddities, or intrusive trojan horse style combatants.

I had a shower thought not too long ago. I had just booked my flight for this trip I am currently on, and I knew that Vietnam was a part of the itinerary.

My father had been an aircraft mechanic in the Air Force during the Vietnam War, and had spent time in Vietnam during his service. I imagined it would be interesting to visit the country considering his time in the service there, but suddenly I realized I did not know very much about my dad’s experiences during the war.

An unexpected tinge of guilt or perhaps regret began to creep in. Why had I not asked my dad more about his time in Vietnam and Thailand during the war?

Reflecting for a few moments, I came to two conclusions:

1. My dad was the kind of man who told you what he wanted you to know (whether you wanted to hear it or not), so if there were things he really wanted to share about his time in the Air Force, he definitely did share them.
   

2. I generally have no interest in war. I’m admittedly a creature within an extrme predilection for pleasure and comfort, an advocate for the arts…and war is literally the opposite of pleasure and comfort.

Existential shower crisis averted, I did know that a visit to the War Remnants Museum in Ho Chi Minh City would be a necessary stop on my Vietnam adventure.

The War Remnants Museum is a major attraction in the center of District 1, and is truly astounding.

In the courtyard there are actual US fighter planes, tanks, and artillery shells leftover from the war. It is amazing to see how large and rugged looking some of these vehicles are, and plaques detailing the specs and how many units were shipped over are fascinating.

While the tanks and jets are kind of fun to look at, the rest of the museum, while expertly curated, crafted, and compelling, is not at all pleasurable or fun.

There are mock jail cells and “tiger cages” showing how POWs were tortured and kept in captivity during the war. Photographs of prisoners who were executed line the walls of these outdoor exhibits.

Inside the main halls of the museum, there are exhibits dedicated to a variety of topics such as news and press clippings from the war, weapons and tactical gear used by the American Armed Forces, an entire exhibition on the horrifying effects of Napalm and Agent Orange, and a photography retrospective from the archives of photographic journalists who died during the war.

The exhibitions are graphic, moving, and forces visitors to confront the hideous truths about war. The museum does try to add a bit of levity with some exhibitions of children’s cute drawings of essential workers during the Covid-19 pandemic.

On this trip, I’ve seen some effects of the Israel/Hamas/Gaza conflict in real time.

When I was on an island tour in the Philippines a few weeks ago, I met a really cool young couple from Israel. We had swam and eaten together on the tour, and they happened to share a few candid shots they had taken of me walking along the beach.

Two weeks later, I was waiting for an omelet at the breakfast buffet in my hotel in Bangkok, and I bumped into the couple from Israel. They were as shocked to see me and I was to see them. They said that there were no direct flights from the Philippines back to Israel, so they had to come to Bangkok to fly home. They were both in a rush to get back to their homeland as they both worked in hospitals and were eager to help care for the wounded back home.

While it was a surprise to see them, the somber tone and despondency hung heavy in our brief conversation. I wished them well, safe travels, and told them that I hoped to see them again in the future, preferably in the more idyllic circumstances under which we first met.

War, violence, and conflict are unavoidable parts of our collective history as human beings. The ugliest part of our nature, in many ways has shaped our identities, our borders, our outlooks on life, and so many facets of our reality. In a more perfect world, places like the War Remnants Museum in Saigon would simply be warnings, a sort of reminder of our worst actions and lowest points as the human race.

Sadly, that is not our reality.

While I won’t even pretend to understand the current iteration of the conflict in the Fertile Crescent, what I do understand is that despite the devastation and deplorability that war brings, the determination and diligence of the human spirit has the power to help rebuild, to take the remnants of tragedy and move onward and upward.

We travel for many reasons: to see and experience the wonders of the world, both natural and man-made. To enjoy the bounty of local cuisines, to meet new friends and lovers. To experience beauty.

Travel anywhere in the world, take any kind of city or historical tour, and chances are you will be looking at a city, or a country, an entire society that has been shaped by the atrocities of war, or slavery, or colonialism.

When we travel we must acknowledge these dark histories (and often current tumult), but we can also celebrate the beauty of the monuments, fusion foods, cultural celebrations, holidays, stories of heroism and survival, and new creations that have come into the world because of, or rather in spite of, our worst actions as a species.

Perhaps that resilience is the most beautiful thing we can see in our world.