Happy Reunification Day!

30/04/202530/04/2025 Mark A. Ashwill Commentary, Events april 30, City of Dreams and Pride, day of liberation of the south, hanoi, reunification day, us war in vietnam, victory day, vietnam, vietnam war

Celebrating the 50th anniversary of the end of the US war and the reunification of Vietnam. It's been my privilege and honor to be a resident of Vietnam for 20 of those 50 years. This national holiday is also known as "Victory Day" and "Day of the Liberation of the South." The most common reference … Continue reading Happy Reunification Day!

The Land of a Thousand Handshakes

11/04/2025 Mark A. Ashwill Commentary AI images, AI text, chuck searcy, david sedaris, hanoi, project renew, us war in vietnam, UXO, vietnam, vietnam war

Yes, this image was AI-generated. 😀 I created this story about my friend Chuck Searcy but did not write it. I asked my digital friend ChatGPT to "write a short story about Chuck Searcy using the style of David Sedaris." I then copied and pasted it into Grammarly's free AI detector. The result? 12% of … Continue reading The Land of a Thousand Handshakes

Death by System: A Two-Generation Tale of Loss and Betrayal

12/10/2023 Mark A. Ashwill Commentary air products, american war in vietnam, benjamin h. harris, delaware, dupont, houdry, lawn croft cemetery, linwood pennsylvania, richard e. ashwill, vietnam war

I always wondered about the fate of the man buried next to my father, knowing he died a year earlier in Vietnam at the age of 23. This is the story of what brought them to their eternal resting place. Writing it was a labor of love, sadness, and regret, the imagination of what could … Continue reading Death by System: A Two-Generation Tale of Loss and Betrayal

The Man Who Exposed the Truth About the Tiger Cages: Donald Sanders Luce (1934-2022)

24/12/202225/12/2022 Mark A. Ashwill Articles, Commentary don luce, donald sanders luce, niagara falls, tiger cages, us war in vietnam, vietnam, vietnam war

This image courtesy of the Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC) War Remnants Museum (Bảo tàng Chứng tích Chiến tranh) Facebook page. I felt compelled to write what ended up being a nearly 5,000-word essay about Don Luce and his life. After I heard about Don's passing via a LinkedIn post by Jim Laurie, I thought … Continue reading The Man Who Exposed the Truth About the Tiger Cages: Donald Sanders Luce (1934-2022)

Donald Sanders Luce (1934-2022), RIP

08/12/202215/12/2022 Mark A. Ashwill Announcement, Commentary don luce, tiger cages, us war in vietnam, vietnam war

Don Luce at Niagara Falls (Photo credit: Ted Lieverman) It was with great sadness that I learned of the death of Don Luce at the age of 88 in Niagara Falls, NY. This 6 December 2022 obituary by Seth Mydans of the New York Times (NYT) is an eloquent and fitting tribute to Don and … Continue reading Donald Sanders Luce (1934-2022), RIP

Ford Ranger & the US Army in Viet Nam

04/04/2022 Mark A. Ashwill Commentary ford ranger, us army, us war, vietnam war

As seen on a recent drive into Hanoi. This is what I'd expect to see some yahoo in the US driving with a gun rack, a handgun in the glove compartment, and a MAGA bumper sticker. Here in Viet Nam, you can look at this nasty symbolism in one of two ways: 1) it's offensive … Continue reading Ford Ranger & the US Army in Viet Nam

Of Spirits, Martyrs & Legends: the Magic & Sorrow of Vietnam’s Côn Sơn Island

21/10/202131/10/2021 Mark A. Ashwill Commentary 1st indochina war, 2nd indochina war, Côn Sơn Island, don luce, us war in vietnam, viet nam, vietnam, vietnam war

Here's my latest essay for CounterPunch. The tomb of Võ Thị Sáu A short up-and-down overwater flight from Tân Sơn Nhất International Airport and, voilà, you’ve arrived. While your destination is just off the coast of southern Vietnam, it may as well be another world. In less than an hour, you are transported from the … Continue reading Of Spirits, Martyrs & Legends: the Magic & Sorrow of Vietnam’s Côn Sơn Island

13 Gold Star Mothers, 13 Sons Killed In Viet Nam

09/07/202109/07/2021 Mark A. Ashwill Commentary mike hastie, us war in viet nam, viet nam, vietnam, vietnam war

These reflections are from Mike Hastie. a veteran of the US war in Viet Nam, retired emergency room nurse, writer, and peace photographer. Thank you, Mike, for sharing and continuing to bear witness to the horrors and injustices of the past and the present. Shalom (שלום), MAA This picture was of course taken at the Viet … Continue reading 13 Gold Star Mothers, 13 Sons Killed In Viet Nam

An Excerpt from “Then The Americans Came”

25/06/2021 Mark A. Ashwill Books, Commentary 1972, Christmas Bombings, hanoi, Martha Hess, Then The Americans Came, us war in viet nam, vietnam war

Then The Americans Came: Voices from Vietnam is a 1994 book written by Martha Hess that consists of over 100 interviews conducted by the author in Viet Nam during 1990-91 involving atrocities committed by US forces above and below the 17th parallel. The eyewitness report below is about Khâm Thiên Street in the Đống Đa … Continue reading An Excerpt from “Then The Americans Came”

Missing in Action

29/05/202130/05/2021 Mark A. Ashwill Commentary english, Gabriel Rosenstock, irish gaelich, US MIAs, us war in viet nam, viet nam, vietnam, vietnam war

This poem was sent to me by Gabriel Rosenstock, who lives in Dublin. It's based on a recent essay of mine entitled Of Class Rings, Bone Fragments and Fish Ponds: the Interminable Search for US MIAs in Vietnam published on 21 May 2021 by CounterPunch. Look below for information about Gabriel and his work, including … Continue reading Missing in Action

An International Educator in Vietnam

Information, Insights & (Frequently) Intrigue

vietnam war