Thursday, May 22, 2008

The Reunification Palace

Of all the places I saw in Vietnam this is the one that held the most vivid memories for me. I have seen this building so often over the years and it was so important that I visited it on our trip.

This is the former Presidential Palace of South Vietnam today known as Dinh Thong Nhat (The Reunification Palace). On 30 April 1975 communist tanks crashed through the palace’s wrought iron gates and overthrew the South Vietnamese Government.

In the park-like grounds is a tank similar to the one that crashed through the gates. The original one is now in Hanoi.

5 comments:

dennis said...

This is a place of great history.

Dennis doesn't understand why tanks always scare him a little. Could you post a picture of Katie the Cat?

Tom said...

I remember this andmuch more from the news reals at that time.. it was the first time I recall seeing the true horrors of war. No longr were they being fought far far away.. now it was happening in every body front room each night. I still recall many scenes from back then and I think they will live with me forever.

Jules said...

Dennis - i have posted photos of Katie - hope Dennis likes them!!!

Tom - I agree, those images are burned into my psyche. It was the first time war was brought home to suburbia in its full horrors.

Unknown said...

It still chokes me up when I see footage from that time, Jules. And then I am all the more thankful to have made it out safely to my new home in the US.

Neponset River Bridge Dig said...

Nice shots it does bring back memories of that war. I had a cousin who was badly injured in Nam in 1969.



I think Nguyen Van Tap the sargent of that tank now owns a Pho resturaunt in the US.