On our way to Chau Doc, we stopped at a comfort station, and I (Chuck) ran back the street about a half a mile to see a military cemetery. The Vietnamese have military cemeteries across the nation, similar to the US. According to our guide, each cemetery has a common obelisk or marker in the center with the words “To Quoc Ghi Cong”, or “a nation remembers”. The cemetery is set with graves divided by the villages of the soldiers, and officers have a separate burial location. The markers for the soldiers are all common and set in a formal military configuration. The Vietnamese obviously honor those that fight for the country … but the cemeteries only have markers for the North Vietnamese Army and the Viet Cong – the “winners”. That may seem strange or, in a sense, wrong, but a similar policy is followed at our national cemeteries in the US in regard to the Civil War. I have been to many, and you don’t see many (if any) markers for the members of the Confederacy.
The war in Vietnam had its issues, and our nation still has issues with the war - but those who fought on both sides should have the honor of their country. My patriotic tome for the day.
what is a comfort station?
ReplyDeleteA comfort station is like a rest stop. We have been to two, and they were both a bit fancier than your typical rest area in the US
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