History is important. Fortunately, I’ve also found a fascination for a lot of history. Through my own creative projects, I’ve also started to appreciate how history is told, beyond just the content itself.

I visited the War Remnants Museum in HCMC. It’s the first museum I’ve visited that’s dedicated to the Vietnam War. The war haunts every corner of the country, and you’ll find small and large pieces of it on your travels. It’s unavoidable. From memorial statues to side notes about an area’s military or civilian function during the war.

The war museum was a good and important visit that helped me put it all in perspective. You start by entering a courtyard, filled with American war machines. Tanks, helicopters, artillery and bombs. They’re nice and well-maintained, without damage or traces of war. Only the bombs have been taken apart.

Inside the museum, you start by walking through the timeline of the war, from the build-up after the end of the Second World War to the war’s end in 1975. It’s very factual, with named world leaders’ plans, missions, large numbers about consumption, deaths and costs. Very sterile.

From the timeline room, the next room is war crimes. Various accounts of the most horrific acts are laid out in merciless detail, with accompanying photos. Where the timeline room had a pleasant tone and small talk, there’s now an oppressive silence with only a little whispering.

Agent Orange – the primary chemical weapon used by the US – has a dedicated section. Destroyed ecosystems, entire towns rendered uninhabitable, and a long series of the most horrifying physical effects across generations caused by dioxin. There are also heroic stories in the museum. Tributes to the young revolutionary guard in South Vietnam, and to one of their most important diplomats.

As I leave the building and step back out into the courtyard, the war machines don’t look nice anymore. I can only find disgust now.

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