Socialist Republic of Vietnam

Statement of Jaime Vazquez, Director of Veterans Affairs, Jersey City, N.J. To The Senate Sub-Committe on East Asia and Pacific Affairs

Washington, DC
Thursday, February 12, 2004

Mr. Chairman, Members of the Committe, Ladies and Gentlemen,

First, allow me to thank you for the opportunity of addressing you today on the very important issue of the relationships between the United States and the country of Vietnam.

My name is Jaime Vazquez. I am Director of Veterans Affairs for the City of Jersey City, New Jersey. My primary responsibilty is to assist veterans of all service periods to apply for and receive entitled benefits from the Veterans Administration and other agencies responsible for extending these benefits.

I am a combat wounded veteran of the Vietnam War. I served in Vietnam from October 17, 1967 until November 30, 1968 where I was a member of Delta Company, 1st Battalion, 1st Marines. During my tour in Vietnam, I was seriously wounded on April 21, 1968 on Hill 881 just west of the firebase at Khe Sanh. Upon returning from Vietnam and being discharged from the military, I was designated as service connected disabled by the Veterans Admininstration.

Throughout the years, I had thought about returning to Vietnam, but I never took the opportunity. During 2002, I had the opportunity of meeting representatives of the Veterans Association of Vietnam at the United Nations in New York. The meeting with the representatives of V.A.V.N. was warm, cordial and enlightening. We had open and free discussions about the war and our participation in it. There was a liberating affect to this dialogue, almost like a weight had been taken off my shoulders. There was the commonality that we were veterans of the same war. We had suffered the same slings and arrows of that war and that now we were middle-aged men and women who had to learn from the past experience of war to be able to make the future better.

The subsequent meeting with representatives of the V.A.V.N. resulted in an invitation to return to visit Vietnam and to witness the changes and the development that Vietnam had undergone during the past thirty-five years.

Like most Vietnam Veterans I had concerns, thoughts and feelings about my return. How would I be received? How would I be treated? What would be the attitude of the Vietnamese people to returning American Veterans? During the war, America lost almost 60,000 of her sons, but Vietnam lost more than two million. Would there be resentment, anger and hate? Only my return would answer these questions.

My flight arrived in Hanoi on August 14, 2003. As I awaited, my luggage and the packages of 250 lbs. of medical supplies that I had brought for the children's hospital at Friendship Village, I was approached by one of the customs officials that was nearby. We engaged in conversation. When I informed him that I was an American Veteran of the war who was returning to Vietnam for the first time since the war, he showed genuine interest and treated me with the highest sense of courtesy and respect.

The following day, I met with representatives of the V.A.V.N. at their headquarters in Hanoi. Lt. Gen. Thuy is the current President of the V.A.V.N. This organization represents more than 1.7 million Vietnamese Veterans of the war with the United States. The meeting was warm, cordial and informative.

There are many parallels between the experience suffered by both sides during the war. Veterans from both sides suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder. All people are affected by war. Veterans and their off-spring suffer from the affects of Agent Orange.

As General Thuy mentioned, we are veterans of the same war who are now in our middle and late years. We must learn from our common experience of war in order to prevent this in the future and to help the current generation to live and to prosper in peace.

There are many new things that I learned from the Vietnamese people during my return. Vietnam has a population of 80 million, fifty-five percent of which were born after the war. There seems to be a disconnect with regards to the war among the Vietnamese population as compared to the American population. Part of the problem has to do with the American perception of Vietnam. The only time we see the word Vietnam it is always accompanied by the word war. Vietnam is not a war. Vietnam is a country. A society. A people. A culture.

In regards to the question of religious freedom, I can only present my observations. On Sunday, August 17, 2003 at the Roman Catholic Cathedral of St. Joseph's located in the center of Hanoi, I arrived about an hour before the mass. By the time the mass began, the Cathedral was filled to capacity with scores of parishoners spilling out onto the side street. This mass was attended by more than 1,000 people. In the cities of Hanoi, Danang and Ho-Chi- Minh City, I was able to visit a number of Catholic, Buddhist and Muslim churches, temples and religious sites. On television the Buddhist even have a commercial that urges followers to come and pray at their temple. On Sunday, August 24, 2003, I was able to attend mass at the cathedral of Notre Dame located in the center of Ho-Chi-Minh City. Here was a repeat of the previous Sundays experience. The Cathedral was filled to over capacity and the masses were conducted without any interference or hindrance. It is my understanding, that during the past year or so, more than 100 churches have been repaired or rehabilitated and returned for the use of the church.

In addition, I understand that there are more than 11, 000 Catholic Priests, 33,000 Buddhist Monks, more than 10,000 Buddhist Nuns, thousands of Muslims and thousands of functionaries representing different religious denominations who practice religious freedom within the country of Vietnam.

In regards to economic development and freedom before Vietnam liberalized its laws on private corporate ownership there were about 15,000 family owned businesses in Vietnam. Today, as a result of new rules and regulations there are over 80,000 privately owned businesses. I visited many of the markets and business areas in Hanoi, Danang and Ho-Chi-Minh City. What I witnessed can be called nothing else than a thriving market economy. I saw hundreds of businesses selling and buying. I saw business competition as one may witness on the streets of New York. I also noticed within this thriving economy an abundace of flower shops, which to me was an indication of the growing economic and social affluence of the Vietnamese. Flower shops are a luxury and their abundance within the society are an indication of the development of that society.

Vietnam is moving in the right direction with regards to its religious and economic freedoms. Maybe not as fast as some would like to see, but moving in the right direction nonetheless. After the end of the war with Vietnam the United States did nothing to help Vietnam recover from the devastating damage caused to the basic infrastructure of that country by the war. The United States needs to do much more to assist Vietnam in continuing the positive changes that they have instituted in recent years. This year more than one hundred thousand Vietnamese exiles or "viet-kieu" returned to Vietnam during the "Tet" New Years Holidays. This is a clear indication that the Vietnmese government has changed its policies in conformity with what might be internationally acceptable conduct.

Political change will come to Vietnam as they become more involved within the world economic and political community. Political change will come as it has to many other countries including America with the social and economic development of the people. The more economically free that Vietnamese people become the more political change will come.

During the Vietnam War we dropped more bombs in Vietnam then we did during all of World War II. If we want the Vietnamese to change, they must be treated with respect and equality. If we learn anything from the Vietnam War is that we cannot bomb people into submission and we cannot economically or politically subjugate them into acting the way we would prefer.

We must work with the Vietnamese as partners if we are to accerlate positive change in this grand and proud country. From my experience, the current legislation being considered by the Congress would have a negative impact on the relationships between our country and change which have been instituted by the Vietnamese.

Finally, let me say that my experience in Vietnam as a returning veteran was an epiphany from the day I arrived until my departure. I was treated with the highest sense of courtesy, respect and kindness by all of the people that I met. From the highest government executives to the taxi drivers and vendors in the markets. A common desire to have good relationships with the United States was expressed. I expect to return to Vietnam and I would urge other Vietnam Veterans and U.S. cictizens to go to Vietnam and witness for themselvesf the realty that Vietnam is today. Vietnam is moving in the right direction. We should work and cooperate with them in order for them to achieve a better quality of life for the Vietnamese people.

For further information contact Jaime Vazquez at (201) 832-1395 or (201) 659-7664
E-mail: marinevet52@aol.com or jaime@jcnj.org