California

Next on our agenda was to visit Anh's daughter and niece in Phoenix. Our flight from Wichita to Phoenix was canceled and we were re-routed on a later flight with a layover in Chicago. Don't ask why we had to go to Chicago to get to Phoenix. It's another example of logic in flying. But it did give Anh one more state to add to her list of places visited. Arizona was even hotter than Kansas (115) but it wasn't humid so it was almost bearable.




Just seeing Anh and her daughter Na get together for the first time in nearly three years was enough to make the trip a success. It was well after midnight before our plane landed and we were all exhausted but we stayed up and chatted until the wee hours.





Though our stay in Phoenix was short, we did have a great time there. It was especially fun to get to know Anh's neice's daughter, Ashlinn, who liked to dance for us and try to teach me Vietnamese.

After two nights in Phoenix, we hit the road and drove out to El Monte, California to visit Anh's sister and her family. El Monte has a large Vietnamese population and is called "Little Saigon". It was almost like driving in downtown Saigon with all the Vietnamese shops and restaurants on the streets. I was amazed by how patriotic the Vietnamese living there are. Everywhere you looked, there were American flags flying, even inside homes and on automobiles. There is a memorial in El Monte that the Viet community erected to honor both the American and South Vietnamese soldiers.

 We took advantage of our time in Southern California to do a bit of touristy stuff. Anh's daughter and boyfriend drove us to Hollywood so we could walk on the stars of Hollywood Blvd. and then go to Santa Monica to visit the pier.

 

Anh has some friends in San Diego who she has worked with as a guide. They invited us to spend a few nights with them in their lovely home. KV and her husband Hung both worked for the Southern government during the war and were able to evacuate to the US during the fall of Saigon. They were quite interesting to talk with and I wish we would have had more time together but after three days, it was time to move on.

Kansas

We've been here in the States together for over a month now and have covered a lot of ground. Since we were delayed in our start, nothing is really being planned and we are winging it. That leads to some complications in logistics but nothing we haven't been able to overcome. So far, it's been a great trip.

It was hot as blazes in Kansas while we were there, officially 112 degrees but the thermometer on the parking lot at the car show we attended read 134. That's hot! It was fun showing Anh the old 'muscle cars' of the sixties in spite of the heat. We also visited Cow Town, a heritage center in Wichita where they have moved many of the old homes and businesses that were in use in the late 1800's to create an authentic look at what the west was like in the old days. They even put on a gunfight on Main Street. Of course, Anh had to share a sasparilla with the gunfighters.






















The best part of our time in Kansas was spending time with my mother. Even though mom has been having some health problems, we were still able to have some wonderful times together. Anh really enjoyed working in mom's flower garden and puttering around the house. As an added bonus my sister was able to fly in from North Carolina to spend a few days with us and get to meet Anh.

Back in the USA

After over a month of waiting, we finally made it. I had to return to the States a couple of weeks before Anh's visa came through but she finally got and was able to get to Colorado without any problems. When I saw her coming up the stairway at the airport, the smile on her face made all the waiting worthwhile.I met her with flowers, an American flag, and a big kiss. She looked great in her red top and red hat.





Our first stop was to head to Boulder and drive by my house. We couldn't go inside since I have someone renting the place right now but we were able to see it from the outside. We drove up into the foothills behind my house so that she could see the open space at the base of the Flatirons and look down upon the city. Boulder is beautiful this time of year. They had a lot of snow during the winter and quite a bit of rain in the spring so everything was green and fresh.








The Pearl Street Mall in Boulder is one of my favorite places to hang out. There are plenty of good restaurants and places to have a beer while people watching. We met my good friend Chris and his daughter who had come to Vietnam over Christmas. It kind of felt like old home week to see a lot of the people I haven't seen in over a year. Everyone seemed to like Anh, but why wouldn't they?

We got up early the next day and headed up into the Mountains. There was still a lot of snow in the high country and Anh had never seen snow before. It was a beautiful, sunny day with puffy white clouds and, once we had gotten up into the high country, enough snow to play around in it. We drove over Loveland Pass, the highest all-year road in the US and stood on the Continental divide before driving down the other side to the ski area of Arapahoe Basin. The ski area was still open even though it was late June. We didn't try skiing ourselves because I didn't want any broken legs this early in our trip. 

 

My son and his family invited us over to their house for a homemade Mexican dinner. It was outstanding. I had forgotten how good real Mexican food can taste. It was also fun to play with my two granddaughters, Cody and Alex. 

Four days after Anh's arrival, we boarded a plane again and flew to Kansas to see my mother. Anh had not met my mother yet and was really looking forward to getting together with her. I think the two of them are going to hit it off great together. It's hotter than hell here, 105 degrees. Much hotter than Vietnam so we are spending most of our time indoors.

A Disillusioned American

Anh and I have known each other for more than nine years and have been married for over a year. I am sixty-two years old, US citizen, and a veteran. Anh is fifty, a Vietnamese citizen, and business woman. We own property in Vietnam, have our own house, and Anh has a very successful job as a national tour guide. We want to go back to the US so that Anh can finally meet my family, especially my mother who is currently undergoing chemotherapy. Should be no problem, right? Wrong!

For some undisclosed reason, the US Consulate's office has Anh's visa on hold. We filled out the required forms, we paid the $130 application fee, we flew to Saigon for the interview and were told that she passed but it would be a few days before they could process the visa. That was on May 18, nearly a month ago. When we try to find out what is going on, we find there is no way we can talk with a real person. The telephone number is an automated service that runs you around in circles then hangs up. We have sent three emails to the address given on the website but, we get no response. The consulate's office does not have the decency to let us know what is happening. To go to the office in person is a waste of time and money. They will not let me inside to deal with this matter. They give me a phone number to call. It is the same number that runs in cirlces.
 I find it appalling to be treated this way by my government and resent the lack of cooperation I get when trying to get this matter resolved. Why should there be any question of whether or not I can take my wife to my country to meet my family? We have done nothing wrong. Hell, we don't even want to stay in the US. all we want is a few months over there. But it's like complaining at the airport security check. Say anything and you are shoved aside until it's too late to travel. Knowing this, I have tried to be very polite, to the point of grovelling in my correspondence but have been ignored.
  
What has happened to my America? Have we become so fearful that we have given up all of our rights and freedoms? Must we be content to be treated like cattle while the man behind the desk sips his coffee and smiles at our discomfort. It's humiliating and shameful. Let's not forget the ideals our country was based upon; the pursuit of life, liberty, and happiness.

Rest in Peace

Though the war between the United States and Vietnam has been over for more than forty years, there are more than a thousand Americans who have not yet returned. But they have not been forgotten. Unprecedented efforts between the US and Vietnam to locate these missing men have resulted in finding nearly half of these missing and the search continues to this day.

Four black boxes, four silver caskets, four folded flags. It was a solemn affair on the tarmac at Da Nang airport as the remains of American servicemen were prepared for the long flight back to the United States.Anh and I were invited by JPAC (Joint Prisoner of War, Missing in Action Accountability Command) to attend a repatriation ceremony on April 9th. I was impressed by the professionalism that was shown by the team in the handling of the remains. It was indeed an honor to be a part of this event.

 One by one, black wooden boxes containing the remains were placed in individual coffins which were then draped with an American flag before being carried to the waiting C-130 transport plane. Though the remains often consist of no more than a single tooth or bone fragment, they are handled with all the dignity and respect deserved by those who have given their all for their country.No names were read or personal tributes offered. The identity of those found must first be confirmed by the forensic team in Hawaii before any names will be released. It's been a long time coming for these men and their families. Hopefully, they can now find peace.

"Pete" Peterson, the first American Ambassador to Vietnam after the war and former POW was present at the ceremony. Anh and I have had the pleasure to get to know Mr. Peterson and his wife, Vi over the past few years and had dinner with them after the ceremony.

Thailand

 During the beginning of the Tet holiday, Anh and I flew to Bangkok to join up with our friends John and Caroline and Nikki to set off on our adventure through northern Thailand and Laos. I had never spent any time up in the northern part of Thailand before and was anxious to see it since I've heard so many great stories about it.Our first stop was Chiang Rai, a northern town in Thailand.

 The White Temple is located outside of Chiang Rai and is something that should not be missed if passing through this part of Thailan. The ornate temple is all in white and silver and looks almost like something you would find in a frozen landscape. I can't remember the whole story about this place but do know it is still a work in progress. A Thai artist has come up with the concept and gets most of his funding through donations.

We rented a car in Chang Rai and drove up to the northern border with Burma (Myanmar). A group of people called the Karens live up there and are known for the heavy brass rings they wear on their necks that push their shoulders down, giving them the appearance of having extremely long necks. I remember seeing an article about them in National Geographic when I was a kid and was fascinated by them. To see them in real life is even more fascinating. They begin the process of stretching their necks at a very young age and life their entire lives with the adornments. I picked up one of the neck bands and was shocked by how heavy it was. I estimated it to weigh at least fifteen pounds.

The Karen people come from Burma but have fled across the border into Thailand to seek refuge from the heavy-handed Burmese government. They live in simple mountain villages and make their living today mostly from tourists that come through and buy their handmade jewelry and clothing.

 

The Mighty Mekong

After spending five days in Thailand, we drove to the small northern town of Chiang Khong to begin our two day cruise down the Mekong River. We had to catch a small shuttle boat across the river to get our Visas into Laos then boarded a long boat to take us down the river about 300 km to our final destination of Luang Pra Bang, Laos.

The journey is a journey through time, taking us past remote villages and spectacular wilderness areas where few outsiders venture. The geography seems to change endlessly as we wind our way down this mighty river. The river is low this time of year but our boat man said it was even lower than normal. The Chinese have put numerous dams higher up stream, causing the Mekong to reduce to not much more than a trickle in many areas we pass through.

We pull in for the night in the small village named Pak Tha and have a great meal and some cold beer at the guesthouse we have reserved for the night. The air is cool early the next morning when we head out for our final leg of the trip, causing us to wrap ourselves in blankets as we watch the local people in their morning routines of fishing and washing clothing along the river banks. We even saw some 'working' elephants being led to the river for their morning bath and drink before beginning their day of hauling huge timbers from the surrounding rain forest

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