Barack Obama's Inauguration 2009

This is my first post that I am writing from Asia on this trip. Last night Tamar and I stayed up late, fully absorbed by the TV coverage of the inauguration of the first African-American president of the USA. These two firsts coincided to remind us of another, that of the very first time we traveled to Asia in September 2001.

Seven years ago we were on a beautiful island in Thailand, Koh Lanta. This predominantly Muslim inhabited island of fishing, beautiful beaches and scenic, green interior hills was our first experience with paradise in Asia. Having arrived directly from Israel, in the time of the second Intifada, we had traveled far to find peace and seclusion and managed to escape the demonstrations, bombs, killing and news coverage for a full week. But that escape ended on the night of September 11 (Thai time zone) when it was announced by one of the locals that “a plane hit a building in NY” and Tamar and I watched the twin towers fall on satellite TV, beamed live to the island. In the wake of those terrible events I remember feeling both proud and helpless at the same time. I felt helpless because I couldn’t have been farther from American life at that time. However, like other Americans, I felt proud of the way that citizens and heroes responded to crisis back home and proud of the American instinct to coalesce in search of unity despite inherent diversity.

So, now I’m writing from Koh Chang, another idyllic corner of the earth and after watching the day’s events on TV I’m again filled with pride even though I’m far from home. I’m proud of the American system of government and proud to have voted. I’m proud to be a member of a generation to witness such a major step forward for the country. The feeling of helplessness has now been replaced by an imperative of participation and a sense of empowerment. That only eight years ago I never expected to see America under the leadership and inspiration of a black president is reason enough to give me hope for the next eight years.

It is during President Obama’s first term in office that Tamar will be allowed to apply for US citizenship. She is patient and her patience is to be rewarded. I’m very proud that this is the America that she can now be a part of should she choose to accept, in the words of our president, “the price and promise of citizenship”. In the meantime, as we continue to travel together, we’re proud to see the rest of the world celebrating along with us and it’s so good to be on the road again!

At the same time that Tamar was on a business call with her client in Ho Chi Minh City, I was watching a documentary on National Geographic about the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington DC. The memorial was designed by Maya Lin and I saw another documentary about the preparation and construction of the monument several years ago. This documentary, however, was equally fascinating and in some ways even more touching to watch.

There are 58,260 names listed on the wall of the memorial. The only criteria is that the names be of men or women who were either killed or remained missing in the war.

What I found the most interesting was the in depth discussion of all of the many items left at the wall by visitors to the site. These items include flowers, notes, flags, and photographs and other items that we’ve now come to expect at similar memorial sites. Seeing these immediately reminded me of the items left after the September 11 attacks and even at some sites following terror attacks in Israel. The narrator explained that this tradition has largely been shaped over the years by the practice of thousands of visitors to the Vietnam Veteran’s Memoral, the second most visited site in Washington D.C. after the White House.

However, beyond the usual items, people have left and continue to leave much much more. There were personal items as well as military items, especially medals for service. There were collectible items such as memorabilia, sports items, clothing, etc. I remember seeing a cigarette that was “not wet”, something that meant a whole lot more to a soldier fighting in the tropical forests of Vietnam than it ever would to an average person today. The most popular alcohol left is a bottle of Jack Daniel’s. There was also a bullet that killed a particular soldier. Many of these military items were brought by fellow soldiers and left for the memory of their fallen comrades. In one instance a letter was left by a man who was then a young soldier at the time offering an apology for taking the life of the very soldier the letter was left for. The largest single item left was a custom made motorcycle assembled by veterans of Wisconsin made of donated parts and artistically crafted and painted in memory of missing POWs from that state.

At first these items were simply picked up and discarded but their importance was soon realized. They are now collected and stored safely and they make up a museum collection where they are prominently displayed. These items are like those in a time capsule representing an entire era in American history, a generation of war and those people who have lived on but with wounds unhealed. This museum collection is unlike any other in that it has been collated and offered up by ordinary people and has been given meaning by them because it truly has meaning for them.

Without a doubt it is to the thousands of soldiers whose names are carved into the black granite that the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, also known as The Wall, is dedicated. However, it is the constant stream of visitors who keep alive their memory and the memory of such a sad time in America’s past. On this Veterans Day, as is the case every year, I’m most reminded of the war in which I was born but in which so many others lost their lives. Whether through visits to the Wall, items left behind for loved ones, or trips to Asia for business or pleasure, Americans will surely continue to visit Vietnam over and over again for many years to come.

Man and his boat on the Mekong

The first episode of a new 4-part series entitled, Mekong: Soul of a River, will premier tonight on Discovery HD Theater.

The four parts of Mekong: Soul of a River will be:

Part 1: Enter the Nine Dragons/Vietnam (Feb 10)
Part 2: The Great Water/Cambodia (Feb 17)
Part 3: Mothers of Waters/Laos & Thailand (Feb 24)
Part 4: Source of Life/Burma & China (Mar 2)

Each part will be premiered on the dates listed above at 8pm and at 11pm and will also be replayed throughout each week.View schedule information here.