I shot an AK-47 and I liked it!

Coming to Vietnam, I was naturally interested in the war that took place here. We call it "The Vietnam War", the Vietnamese call it "The American War". It's an important part of American history, as well as Vietnam's.

Just outside of Ho Chi Minh City, there are intricate underground tunnel systems that the Vietnamese lived in and used to escape American troops during the war. They are called the Cú Chi tunnels. I took a tour to see them with my own eyes.

First, we were shown a short documentary film. It depicted the American army as "crazy American devils" who shot their chickens and pots and pans. I stifled my laughter at this nickname given to Americans. I could hardly blame them though. I had no right to judge their one-sided portrayal. I was, after all, on their territory.

Next we were guided through the jungle and shown hiding spots underground used by the Vietnamese.
 

secret hiding spot

Yikes! Watch out for this boobie trap1

We finally reached the famous underground Cù Chi tunnels. We crawled through these highly claustrophobic spaces on our hands and knees. Unbelievably, during the war, the Vietnamese lived in these tiny spaces. They were obviously not made for the larger stature American.
 

Exiting the tiny tunnel

Later, we had the opportunity to shoot our choice of a gun. It cost $16 for 10 bullets. I vaguely remember shooting a rifle once in the basement with my dad as a young child. But guns have always given me the heebie jeebies. I usually want nothing to do with them. But traveling is about overcoming fears, right?

There were about 7 different guns to choose from. Machine gun, AK-47, M16 and..... um, some other big guns. I'm clueless when it comes to firearms. My weapon of choice was an AK-47, because it sounded good.

Earlier, during the tour through the jungle, the eerie sound from these machine guns rang out from the nearby shooting range, making the battles that took place on this very land imaginable.

Donning ear protection, a Vietnamese man guided me to the shooting range. I danced around a little with an excited fear. Speaking little English, he simply showed me the trigger and put his hand against my shoulder to lessen the blow from the kickback. My heart was beating wildly as I squeezed the trigger. POP! POP! POP! The shots were deafening even with ear protection on. The power from this piece of metal was mind blowing, causing a trembling adrenaline rush within me. I'll admit, I liked it! I felt like Rambo.
 

Now that I know how to shoot this dangerous weapon, you better watch out, if you mess with me, I could put a cap in your a$$! ;)

I'm kidding.
I'd use the machine gun.

On a more serious note, the Vietnamese war had a personal impact on me and my family. My uncle, Vern, fought in the Vietnam war and subsequently died in 1996 after a long battle with cancer caused by agent orange. Agent orange is the herbicide that was used by the US army to destroy the crops and foliage in Vietnam, with the intention of robbing the enemy of food and eliminating hiding possibilities. This toxic chemical was later found to cause cancer and birth defects.


American tank

It saddens me that my aunt was left as a widow and my uncle was prematurely robbed of his life from something so senseless as war. It seems so unfair. Agent orange also causes birth defects in following generations. The Vietnamese people have also suffered severely from agent orange and continue to 'til this day. Their soil is still tainted with the poisonous substance. The same soil that saw so much bloodshed in the past.
I'm not a fan of war. At all.

 When will the government come to their senses and realize that war is not the way to come to an agreement?