After our two-week trip to Vietnam, we have returned home with so many new memories and experiences, and learnt so much about not only the soldiers who fought in the Vietnam War, but how people live in a completely different country.
After wishing our families our goodbyes and spending hours travelling overseas and waiting in airports, we arrived in Ho Chi Minh City, full of fear and excitement for the new experiences ahead us. We spent our time in Ho Chi Minh exploring the local markets where we learned to barter, along with historical war landmarks such as the Reunification Palace, home to the presidents during the war. We also went to the Cu Chi Tunnels, a major tunnelling system in Vietnam used for battles, and museums dedicated to the techniques of the war and how it impacted the population of the country.
As we travelled across Vietnam from the South to the North, led by our tour guide Martin, we visited cities and towns with a variety of new cultural experiences and ways of commemorating the efforts of soldiers during the war. Travelling through Vung Tau, Long Tan, Da Nung, Hue, Hoi An and Ha Noi, we all connected with the local citizens and their cultural traditions and each other as we walked the footsteps of those who fought for us. The night markets, the Vinh Moc Tunnels, the Emperor’s Palace, the border between South and North Vietnam, our cooking class, commemorative museums, war memorials, landmarks, battlefields, sharing the stories of the Vietnam War soldier we had researched, and communal meals – these were just some of the experiences that connected us with Vietnam’s history and culture during our trip.
One of the memories that will stick with us for the rest of our lives was attending the orphanage in Vung Tau. These children had almost nothing compared to us, and yet they had the biggest smiles on their faces. After we had all given them gifts and seen their look of pure joy, we realised how important it is to appreciate everything we have, and to be grateful for how lucky we are.
During our time in Long Tan, we visited the only war memorial in the country that commemorates Australian soldiers and participated in one of the two major ceremonies we experienced that acknowledged their efforts. Here, speeches by other awardees and Dennis Oldenhove were given, before we placed poppies in recognition. This was a confronting experience as we stood in a place where they once sacrificed their lives, honouring the commitments they gave for our country.
We finished our trip on a cruise ship in Ha Long Bay, with activities such as kayaking, hiking and our final ANZAC day ceremony at dawn. Held within the incredibly scenic bay, this service was our second formal service. Dennis Oldenhove described how our ANZACs felt during those moments on a ship on the shores of Gallipoli, followed by the last post and a moment of silence. This cruise was one of our last memories in Vietnam. We finished our walk of ANZACs and other soldiers throughout the war, while experiencing Vietnam’s culture along the way.
We are very thankful to have been given the opportunity to create so many memories as we honoured our ANZACs and experienced many different cultural practices. We are so grateful to have made so many new connections with both the adults that helped us along the way and our fellow awardees.
