War Remnants Museum

It was actually a rather disturbing visit to this museum. It was opened in 1975 and was initially named “The House for Displaying War Crimes of American Imperialism and the Puppet Government of South Vietnam” , so I already expected unpleasant revelations.

What I wasn’t prepared for however, was the graphical collection of photographs showing all the effects of Agent Orange and other chemical defoliantsprays, the use of napalm and phosphorus bombs, and atrocities such as the My Lai massacre.  The photos of deformities and birth defects of the Vietnamese who were affected by Agent Orange was a little too much for me to bear and it really showcases the evil consequences of war.

One of the side building showcases the prison system used for the Prisoners Of War (POWs). Known as “Tiger Cages”, these were where the prisoners were shackled, abused and tortured. Most of them died from lack of water. It was horrifying to say the least. The actual guillotine used by the French to execute prisoners is also found here. This is the stuff horror stories are made of.

In the courtyard, there is a UH-1 “Huey” helicopter, an F-5A fighter, a BLU-82 “Daisy Cutter” bomb, M48 Patton tank, and an A-1 attack bomber. And I learnt later on that the pile of odd stuff stacked at one of the corners were actually unexploded ordnances!!! These are explosive weapons (bombs, bullets, grenades, and all sorts of mines) that did not explode when they were employed and still pose a risk of detonation! I was told that the charges have been removed but it was still scary to think that an unexpected accident could have easily occurred.

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Comments

  1. Groundnut
    March 21, 2011 / 10:47 pm

    The US did not know of the ill effects of Agent Orange at the time of its use. Even their own servicemen were adversely affected. That showed up in their health only much later.

    • March 29, 2011 / 5:47 pm

      Groundnut,

      In a War, there’s always 2 sides to a story. But unless you are fighting for your own freedom then I feel that the US shouldn’t have gotten involved with their civil wars. All has passed but the scars and hurt inflicted on the innocents remain. I tend to be more partial to feeling for the children, women, unborn babies and the old rather than soldiers who know their roles in a war.

  2. Groundnut
    March 21, 2011 / 10:47 pm

    The US did not know of the ill effects of Agent Orange at the time of its use. Even their own servicemen were adversely affected. That showed up in their health only much later.

    • March 29, 2011 / 5:47 pm

      Groundnut,

      In a War, there’s always 2 sides to a story. But unless you are fighting for your own freedom then I feel that the US shouldn’t have gotten involved with their civil wars. All has passed but the scars and hurt inflicted on the innocents remain. I tend to be more partial to feeling for the children, women, unborn babies and the old rather than soldiers who know their roles in a war.

  3. Groundnut
    March 21, 2011 / 10:49 pm

    The tortures use by the Communist North Vietnamese and VietCong against their enemies were FAR worse.

  4. Groundnut
    March 21, 2011 / 10:49 pm

    The tortures use by the Communist North Vietnamese and VietCong against their enemies were FAR worse.

  5. Goundnut
    March 30, 2011 / 12:43 am

    Ashley, if they USA had not gotten involved in the Vietnam Conflict, and weakened the North Vietnamese military in the process, the Communists would have rolled all the way down to Singapore!

    The Communists regimes of North Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos were the proxies of the 2 giant Communist superpowers: USSR and China.

    And the Communists were out for WORLD domination!

    Same in today’s world with Al-Qaeda and Osama Bin Laden. These Islamic terrorists are out for world domination. To impose the SHARIA Law on the entire world.

    If the USA and NATO fail to check them world-wide, don’t even think for one moment, these Islamic EXTREMISTS will not come knocking on your door.

    Remember the 2002 Bali bombings on 12 October 2002 in the tourist district of Kuta on the Indonesian island of Bali. The attack was the deadliest act of terrorism in the history of Indonesia, killing 202 people, (including 88 Australians, and 38 Indonesian citizens). A further 240 people were injured?

    Are you aware that the Bali bomb was originally meant for SINGAPORE? And we thought Singapore is safe!

    Read this from a FORMER AL-Qaeda terrorist:
    http://m.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2007/jul/01/comment.religion1?cat=commentisfree&type=article

    Excerpt:
    “When I was still a member of what is probably best termed the British Jihadi Network, a series of semi-autonomous British Muslim terrorist groups linked by a single ideology, I remember how we used to laugh in celebration whenever people on TV proclaimed that the sole cause for Islamic acts of terror like 9/11, the Madrid bombings and 7/7 was Western foreign policy.

    By blaming the government for our actions, those who pushed the ‘Blair’s bombs’ line did our propaganda work for us. More important, they also helped to draw away any critical examination from the real engine of our violence: ISLAMIC THEOLOGY.”

    These terrorists interpret their Koran in an extreme manner that calls for the entire world to be converted to Islam BY FORCE.

  6. Goundnut
    March 30, 2011 / 12:43 am

    Ashley, if they USA had not gotten involved in the Vietnam Conflict, and weakened the North Vietnamese military in the process, the Communists would have rolled all the way down to Singapore!

    The Communists regimes of North Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos were the proxies of the 2 giant Communist superpowers: USSR and China.

    And the Communists were out for WORLD domination!

    Same in today’s world with Al-Qaeda and Osama Bin Laden. These Islamic terrorists are out for world domination. To impose the SHARIA Law on the entire world.

    If the USA and NATO fail to check them world-wide, don’t even think for one moment, these Islamic EXTREMISTS will not come knocking on your door.

    Remember the 2002 Bali bombings on 12 October 2002 in the tourist district of Kuta on the Indonesian island of Bali. The attack was the deadliest act of terrorism in the history of Indonesia, killing 202 people, (including 88 Australians, and 38 Indonesian citizens). A further 240 people were injured?

    Are you aware that the Bali bomb was originally meant for SINGAPORE? And we thought Singapore is safe!

    Read this from a FORMER AL-Qaeda terrorist:
    http://m.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2007/jul/01/comment.religion1?cat=commentisfree&type=article

    Excerpt:
    “When I was still a member of what is probably best termed the British Jihadi Network, a series of semi-autonomous British Muslim terrorist groups linked by a single ideology, I remember how we used to laugh in celebration whenever people on TV proclaimed that the sole cause for Islamic acts of terror like 9/11, the Madrid bombings and 7/7 was Western foreign policy.

    By blaming the government for our actions, those who pushed the ‘Blair’s bombs’ line did our propaganda work for us. More important, they also helped to draw away any critical examination from the real engine of our violence: ISLAMIC THEOLOGY.”

    These terrorists interpret their Koran in an extreme manner that calls for the entire world to be converted to Islam BY FORCE.

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