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Viet Nam golf: leave the bomb craters

Monday October 16, 2006 | 17:09:04 177 words, 2048 views
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My first experience playing golf in Viet Nam was as the Viet Nam Golf and Country Club, where years ago they covered up the bomb craters left from the war.

In some ways, that’s typical of the way the Vietnamese look at the war, and in some ways atypical. The Vietnamese are pretty open about the war. You can talk to them about it, if you can break through the language barrier.

One early morning on the beach in Pham Thiet, we struck up a conversation with an avuncular Vietnamese who was an interpreter for the U.S. military during the war. Those wounds have healed, he said: we’re basically just all getting older now.

Those bomb craters that were left at the golf and country club had signs: “Traces of war.” Tourists eat that kind of stuff up, and Viet Nam is in the business of attracting tourists these days, so I’m surprised and a little disappointed they covered them up. Historical significance aside, I’ve never got up-and-down from a bomb crater.

Comments:

Comment from: Burt Jordann [Visitor] Email
Hard to believe — Golfing in the Nams.

I spent a year (1969-70) in what was then the Republic of South Vietnam. The first Vietnamese words I learned were the words for "I surrender." I spent a year cowering and covering up.

I don't believe I saw the first course over there. The only bunker I came across was the one I jumped into when the "incoming" siren commenced to wailing.

Hey, some day they may have the Chu Lai Pro-Am. If that don't beat all.

-Burt Jordann-
Permalink 10/17/06 @ 16:11
Comment from: Bill [Visitor] Email
Can't believe any red blooded American would waste money to go and spend a dime of American money in Viet Nam. They are the same peoople who tortured and murdered American servicemen... Now they expece us to bail them out financially.

Anyone who would do that (go there to vacation)should be shot.

Sadly, there aren't to many red blooded Americans around who aren't looking for a cheap dollar any way they can get it. Wonder why the world hates us?
Permalink 10/19/06 @ 10:48

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