Americans in Quang Tri - "The Land of Fire”

	First-ever Festival for Peace Launched in War-torn Province of Vietnam
	PeaceTrees Vietnam Commits to Support Over US $26.3 Million to Quang Tri Province

There are many Americans who lived through the American War in Vietnam (or Vietnam War) and carry many unforgettable memories. Most veterans work tirelessly to close the painful past and moving towards a peaceful and friendly future with tireless efforts to heal. In Quang Tri, the former Vietnamese battlefield is now a place of American reconciliation.

Helping children get to school

The road to Ra Man village in Xy commune of Huong Hoa district is extremely difficult. On the journey, the soil and rocks are jagged, slippery, winding through many hills, is somewhat a great challenge. Fortunately, American veterans work to make things easier for young commuters. In a series of activities for education, for future generations, American veterans joined hands to support poor children in the "land of fire" with meaningful gifts. In their efforts, Veterans for Peace Branch 160 brought bicycles with the heartfelt message "helping children go to school".

In 2021, with the support of Project RENEW, Veterans for Peace Branch 160 has developed the "Bicycles for Learning" program. Since then, the organization has helped hundreds of disadvantaged students reduce their worries on the way to school.

Present at the ribbon cutting ceremony of the kindergarten in Ra Man village, Robert Spindel, a lecturer at the University of Washington, and his wife, Barbara, a retired high school math teacher, were moved to tears. The remote village of the Pa Co people was filled with laughter, when there was a brand new educational project, built with funding from the Americans.

Representatives of the Quang Tri People's committee, PeaceTrees Vietnam and the US Embassy plant trees on the river banks of Ben Hai in celebration of the 25th anniversary of Vietnam-US diplomatic relations. Photo courtesy PeaceTrees Vietnam

According to Spindel, John Seel was an excellent law student. War was something he did not want to participate in, but he still followed the government's calling to join the army and died when he arrived in Vietnam only 4 days later. John Seel's wife was a kindergarten teacher, they did not have children but both of them loved children and the education cause.

To fulfill their dream, through the PeaceTree Vietnam, Spindel and his wife sponsored the construction of Ra Man Kindergarten, as a way to ease the pain and remember their close friend who died in the war.

Vice President of Veterans for Peace Branch 160 Rich Allen shared his hope that the bicycles will make the journey to school more convenient for children. In joy and happiness, Allen plans to work with members of the organization for a more peaceful and prosperous Quang Tri. Everyone wants to contribute to helping more poor students in Quang Tri. Because, the children are the future owners, who will help the once painful land transform and change.

More meaningful actions

There is a generation of Americans who lived through the Vietnam War and carry many unforgettable memories. There are American veterans who are closing the painful past and moving towards a peaceful and friendly future with tireless efforts to heal. In Quang Tri, Americans rolled up their sleeves to plant trees from bomb craters and trenches, working together to clear bombs and mines, overcome the consequences of war and singing the song for peace.

In 2020, on the occasion of the 25th anniversary of Vietnam - US diplomatic relations, the Quang Tri People's Committee and the US Embassy in Vietnam together with the PeaceTrees Vietnam's Diplomatic Corps implemented the idea of ​​planting a "Peace Garden" at the Hien Luong – Ben Hai twin bank historical relic cluster.

Robert Spindel and his wife, Barbara Spindel, cut the ribbon to inaugurate Ra Man Kindergarten - a project they funded and built. Photo: baodantoc.vn

Ken Hunter is a name that many people in Quang Tri will always remember. He is not a veteran who served in the US army in 1968-1969; but he was one of the first Americans to plant a peace tree at the 17th parallel, spanning the Ben Hai River in Vinh Thanh commune, Vinh Linh district. During the war against US imperialism, Hien Luong Bridge was the boundary dividing Vietnam into North and South.

Ken Hunter described trees planted on both sides of this border as a symbolic act, showing that the country is reunited in peace and that the people of Vietnam and the United States are working together to make this country a better place, contributing to making the world a better place.

Right after Vietnam - US normalized relations in 1995, PeaceTree is the first US non-governmental organization to be licensed by the Vietnamese government to search and defuse bombs, mines, and explosives, and also the only organization in the field in Vietnam.

Since then, after each time of clearing bombs and mines somewhere in Quang Tri, PeaceTree has brought citizen diplomatic delegations, including Americans and people from other countries, to plant trees on the land cleared of bombs and mines, praying for peace for humanity and building trust, nurturing relationships with the Vietnamese people.

US veterans and delegates take a souvenir photo with students from the mountainous district of Huong Hoa during the bicycle handover ceremony. Photo: baodantoc.vn

Most recently, at the Trinh Cong Son music night with the theme "Peace Song" within the framework of the 2024 Festival for Peace, which took place on July 13 at Dong Ha city's Fidel Park, many unique and meaningful performances, honoring the value of peace underway. Notable, at this program, the image of American singer Kyo York singing a song of peace on stage left an unforgettable impression in the hearts of many music lovers. His appearance is the clearest and most concrete proof of the love for peace, the spirit of friendship and the beautiful friendship that needs to be nurtured and preserved among countries around the world.

Many leaders of Quang Tri and its people still remember the words of Chuck Searcy, vice president of the US’s Veterans for Peace and an international advisor of Project RENEW, "I will spend the rest of my life healing the wounds of war. As a representative of the US Veterans Association, I will call on American veterans to come here to contemplate and spread the desire for peace. This is truly a very meaningful work for American veterans who fought in Vietnam."

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