Vietnam rises proudly in both war and peace

THE HANOI TIMES — As Vietnam celebrates the 50th anniversary of National Reunification on April 30, friends around the world express their love for the country. The Hanoi Times is honored to present reflections by David Gehrke, owner of the law firm Gehrke & Wegener, Seattle, Washington, the United States, a friend of Vietnam who has supported the nation since the war.

In the war, the French, the Japanese, the French again, and the United States of America were all against Vietnam, which finally won freedom and independence.

John Lennon, of Beatles fame, wrote “Give Peace a Chance” in 1969. This song immediately became the anthem of the anti-war movement in the United States. In late summer 1969, about 500,000 people marched in Washington D.C., and millions more around the country, including me, calling for an end to the war in Vietnam.

It took several more years of fighting and dying before peace got its chance. However, America is still haunted by its loss of lives, prestige, and image. Vietnam has remained determined and proud of what it has accomplished in war and peace.

From wartime to boomtime, that same fortitude and determination from all those wars has turned Vietnam from one of the poorest countries into a middle-class economy. The ability and desire to succeed, corrections to the Five-year Plans, and hard work have turned Vietnam into a global player.

Now 76, I have visited Vietnam several times starting in 2018. Drafted into the United States Army in 1970 as a conscientious objector serving as a combat medic, I was fortunate to be sent to Europe. However, many friends were sent to Vietnam, some did not return, and many came back with physical or psychological injuries.

I was concerned and curious about visiting Vietnam, and after much soul searching and research plunged into Vietnam in 2018. Now, with good friends from the Delta, to Ho Chi Minh City, Danang, and Hanoi, Vietnam is a home away from home. Vietnam impresses me with friendly, hardworking people, not afraid of the long hours, and welcoming celebrations. A trip to the War Remnants Museum in HCMC underscores the struggle to get to this auspicious April 30 celebration.

Whenever I visit Vietnam, I bring my John Lennon t-shirt, my own way of celebrating peace and the perseverance and determination of the Vietnamese people, in both wartime and boomtime. The hardworking people, their friendliness, the buildings, the economy, and all the accomplishments pay honor to the deceased and the future of Vietnam!

If you see me on the streets next spring, greet me and let me buy you a beer or a café, celebrating the joys of Vietnam and John Lennon.

David Gehrke, Owner, Law Offices of Gehrke & Wegener, Seattle, Washington, the United States, who joined anti-war movements in the United States, has been working for the development of Vietnam through lessons and countless supports to Vietnamese friends and students while promoting the Southeast Asian country's culture worldwide over the past years.