Vietnam War – The Thrifty Traveller

North Vietnam Propaganda Stamps

Fifty years ago the Vietnam War was intensifying as the United States began a bombing campaign over North Vietnam called Operation Rolling Thunder which was intended to either force the N. Vietnamese to the negotiating table or bomb them ‘back into the Stone Age’.

The N. Vietnamese defended themselves as best they could and managed to shoot down many American fixed wing aircraft and helicopters, mostly by anti-aircraft fire, surface to air missiles and small arms fire.

To shore up morale in the face of devastating US raids, North Vietnam began issuing a series of postage stamps boasting of their successes in shooting down American aircraft.

This first stamp, issued in 1965, claimed 500 US Aircraft Shot Down Over North Vietnam.

In 1966, another stamp was issued claiming 1000 shot down (I am missing this stamp from my collection).

By October 1966 the total had risen to 1500 according to this stamp. — By 14 October 1966 the total had risen to 1500 according to this stamp.

By June 1967 (just 229 days later) the total had risen to 2000 according to the N. Vietnamese (i.e over two aircraft shot down per day) — By 5 June 1967 (just 229 days later) the total had risen to 2000 according to the N. Vietnamese (i.e over two aircraft shot down per day)

The artwork for this stamp was taken from this famous ‘Guerilla Girl’ photo showing Capt. Bill Robinson being taken into captivity by a diminutive female soldier.

Although it was claimed that the girl captured the US airman single handed, this was a staged photo and she was one of a large party who captured him.

Bill Robinson had the misfortune to become the longest held enlisted prisoner of war in American history from the shooting down of his helicopter on 20 September 1965 until his release on 12 February 1973. He spent his 7 1/2 years captivity in various prisons including the notorious Hanoi Hilton which I visited and blogged about some years ago. He was horribly mistreated – as he says in his biography* “We were all treated equally, we all got the hell beaten out of us”.

Later in 1967, the 2500th US aircraft to be shot down over North Vietnam was commemorated with these stamps.

By 1968, the North Vietnamese were claiming 3,000 US Aircraft shot down.

This stamp dated April 1972 brings the total up to 3500 and portrays a US airman in captivity.

Later in 1972, North Vietnam releases these stamps, increasing the total of kills to 4,000.

The final set of stamps was brought out in 1973, marking the end of US involvement in the Vietnam War.

This 1973 stamp, one of a set of 4 called 'Victory Over US Airforce' claims a grand total of 4181 US Aircraft shot down over North Vietnam . — This 1973 stamp, one of a set of 4 called ‘Victory Over US Airforce’ claims a grand total of 4181 US Aircraft shot down over North Vietnam .

These were propaganda stamps and you would assume that North Vietnamese claims must have been greatly exaggerated. How many US aircraft were actually lost? Having trawled the internet it is quite difficult to find a definitive number that everyone agrees on. The number 2257 is mentioned often but it depends on whether you include helicopters, losses due to accidents, losses over Cambodia and Laos and other variables. A declassified US Airforce report (should be a reliable source) puts USAF (i.e. not including Navy, Army, Marines) combat losses of fixed wing aircraft at over 1600. According to the Oxford Companion to American Military History, 8588 fixed wing aircraft and helicopters were lost. Whatever the true figure, it was a lot!

This is another North Vietnam propaganda stamp, portraying Norman Morrison, a 31 year old American Quaker activist who burnt himself to death on 2 November 1965 in front of the Pentagon to protest American involvement in the Vietnam War.

A sad, but ultimately futile, gesture. Will anyone remember his 50th anniversary? Maybe in Vietnam they will.

*The Longest Rescue: The Life and Legacy of Vietnam POW William A Robinson by Glenn Robins

COPE Laos

One of the more unusual tourist attractions in Vientiane is the visitor centre run by COPE, the Cooperative Orthotic & Prosthetic Enterprise.

This mini-museum highlights the continuing after-effects of unexploded ordinance (UXO) resulting from America’s ‘secret’ war on Laos during the period 1964-1973. These were the Vietnam War years and the US was trying to prevent North Vietnamese infiltration into South Vietnam by disrupting the Ho Chi Minh supply corridor (which partly ran through Lao territory) by means of a massive covert bombing campaign led by the CIA.

Here are some of the facts, according to COPE:

Laos was the most heavily bombed country ever (per capita).
There were 500,000 bombing missions, or 1 every 8 minutes for 9 continuous years.
2 million tons of ordinance were dropped.
270 million ‘bombies’ (the bomblets inside cluster bombs) were dropped.
80 million (around 30%) failed to explode and remained unexploded after the war.
25% of villages in Laos are still contaminated with UXO.
20,000 people have been killed or maimed by UXO in the nearly 40 years since the war ended.
40% of these victims have been children.
13,500 of these people have lost a limb(s).
100 new casualties are still occurring annually.

COPE campaigns to ban cluster bombs but the centre is also a poignant reminder of the immorality and futility of all wars.

With America desperately trying to avoid its looming ‘fiscal cliff’, President Obama wants to raise US$1.6trillion in new taxes over the next 10 years. The US spends nearly that amount on its military every year. Shaving just 10% off its defence budget would solve the fiscal cliff in one go without having to raise a penny in new taxes. If only the President read my blog!

Red River, Black River – Travels in Northern Vietnam PART 3. Dien Bien Phu

PART 3. Dien Bien Phu

When we were planning our trip to Sapa and Mt. Fanxipan we hit upon the idea of extending our tour by taking in Dien Bien, scene of the decisive defeat of French forces by the Vietnamese in 1954. This epic battle brought about the end of France’s colonization of Vietnam and triggered America’s involvement in the region, which culminated in the Vietnam War.

Dien Bien is located very close to the border with Laos and although it looked close to Sapa on the map, the journey by car took 11 hours through stunningly beautiful rural landscapes.

The Black River en route to Dien Bien Phu.

Dien Bien seemed a quiet town. Dogs lay scratching themselves in the middle of the road, untroubled by the occasional motorbike or commercial vehicle.

Dien Bien seemed a bit of a sleepy place.

The architecture was rather odd. Narrow three or four storey houses with lots of fancy embellishments.

The hotel was comfortable enough.

I guess I'll have to confine my social evils to the lobby then.

"This is minibar." Ideal for thrifty travellers; free, unlimited drinking water.

A number of the battlefield positions have been preserved.

The French dug themselves in to withstand Vietnamese bombardment.

Massive craters left by mines exploded under French positions still remain.

A French tank has been preserved. They only had 10 tanks to defend Dien Bien.

A monument watches over fallen comrades in one of the military cemeteries.

Apart from the historic battle relics there is little to attract the foreign tourist but I did manage to pick up a couple of T-shirts at bargain prices.

The airstrip which was key to the French strategy is now part of Dien Bien airport.

Time to return to Hanoi.

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA — A seat at the front of the plane but not first class.

Red River, Black River – Travels in Northern Vietnam PART 1. Hanoi

PART 1. Hanoi

The plan was simple enough. A couple of days in Hanoi , then take the overnight train to the hill resort of Sapa, then 3 days to climb Mt.Fanxipan and get back down again, then drive to Dien Bien Phu for 2 nights before flying back to Hanoi.

First stop in Hanoi, the ‘Hanoi Hilton’.

Hoa Lo Prison Museum or ‘The Hanoi Hilton’.

This notorious prison held American pilots who were shot down over North Vietnam during the Vietnam War (or the American War as the Vietnamese call it). The POW’s nicknamed this prison the Hanoi Hilton. One of the more famous inmates was John McCain (recent US Presidential contender) whose flying suit was on prominent display.

During the French colonial era the prison housed Vietnamese political prisoners and criminals in harsh conditions.

I’d never seen a real guillotine before. Efficient no doubt

There are plenty of famous attractions to see in Hanoi.

The Huc Bridge Is One Of The Most Frequently Photographed Sights In Hanoi

The streets in the Old Hanoi Quarter are full of character, colour and energy. There was talk about Old Hanoi being recognised by UNESCO as a world cultural heritage site but it seems there are no plans to proceed with that proposal. Let us hope that this district can escape the developers’ wrecking ball for many years to come.

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