Vietnam: 30 Years Beyond War

For many Americans, when the Vietnam War ended April 30, 1975, the world went back to life as usual.  That was possible because the conflict was on the other side of a vast ocean.  But, for the Vietnamese, the struggle continued even after all the GIs had left, and it still does.  Vietnam: 30 Years Beyond War is a beautifully arranged site by the San Jose Mercury News contains photo-journals of post-war Vietnam and could become a valuable tool for teachers of history, social studies and even politics to make real for their students what it means to rebuild nations and some of the lingering effects of a war that has long since ended.

Visiting the site brings up a very simple page of three stunning photographs.  Each one, accompanied by a brief description will link the user to a photojournal of a particular aspect of life in post-war Vietnam.

• New Face of Vietnam: a look at the emerging economy of the nation, with women in business suits walking past other women squatting on stools in a traditional market; retired men eating sandwiches in the park; two soldiers on a bicycle, a family of five on a motorbike, and a man of a water buffalo all seem to be common modes of transportation near the new condos in Ho Chi Minh South
• War Without End: shows the effects of the 350,000 unexploded land mines and bombs covering 20% of Vietnam’s habitable land that were left behind by the US military.  This is the shortest and has only a little text and some music.
• Photographer’s Journal: narrated by photographer Jim Gensheimer, this was my favorite, as he states “I thought of Vietnam as a country of two face.  The one I knew was the Vietnam of war as told through stories in the news and movies.  The other face was unknown to me – Vietnam at Peace”

I originally found this site a few years ago and had listed it as an important educational website on a previous blog that I had written about educational technology.  In researching some old notes for some upcoming posts I ran across this site that had escaped my memory and decided that I needed to let people know about it once again.

These journals would make a wonderful addition to any discussion of the Vietnam War.  Many curriculums focus on war, on battles and strategy.  All too often I find that the human element and the aftermath of wars are ignored.  Using these images students may be able to get a grasp of how Vietnam has coped with the damaging effects.  In order to teach students to be responsible world citizens, we must show them historical and current events through the eyes of others, and books such as History Lessons: How Textbooks from Around the World Portray U.S. History can assist with that.  You can read my review of History Lessons for a deeper discussion of how history is taught.

Additionally, because the photojournals are so well done they can serve as examples for students looking for ways to use Flash animations in a real way.  Teachers and students might consider these journals as samples of alternative presentation styles.  I previously wrote a post on teachers incorporating technology and students using technology as an alternative to writing titled, High Tech in Hawaii.

Furthermore, it would be a glaring omission for me to not mention the similarities between the Vietnam War and the current US occupation of Afghanistan and Iraq.  This is another situation in which nations must face rebuilding themselves when the Americans leave.  A discussion of not just the Vietnam War, but its aftermath, could become much more relevant to the lives of students if the analogy were made to a current situation.

NOTE: I wanted to include some of the photos from the site in this post, but their Terms of Use will not allow me to.  Sorry.  You will have to visit them yourself.

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