Buddhist monk Thich Chuc Thanh discusses letting go past hurts.

A group of local Vietnam veterans and members of the local Vietnamese community shared a powerful experience recently at the Dong Hung Temple in Virginia Beach where they discussed their Vietnam War experiences. WHRO worked in partnership with the Buddhist temple to organize the event. Richard Luong, a staff member at WHRO, attends the temple and suggested the idea to Buddhist monk Thich Chuc Thanh who serves at the temple.

Attendees participate in a guided discussion.

“I thought it would be really great to have folks who experienced the war and came back to this country and also those who migrated to this country be able to share things with each other,” he explained. “The story started in Vietnam, but then it continued in the states too with both sides. I feel like it’s important to have a dialogue between the two sides.”

The attendees shared a meal and a tea ceremony together. They also joined in meditation, enjoyed a guided discussion, and ended their time together with a burning ceremony. Thanh said he hoped the event would help participants let go of any burdens they may have carried for years from their experiences. “There are people who carry many memories,” he said. “This is an opportunity for them to share, and when they share they can let go.”

The evening ended with a burning ceremony.

Letting go was the purpose behind the burning ceremony. Guests were provided with a journal where they could write thoughts, reflections, or attitudes they wanted to release. They then tossed these into the fire at the end of the evening.

Several of the Vietnam veterans recounted their experiences of fighting in the war at such a young age. “Was I bitter back then as a 19-year-old year old being shot at by a foreign person?” asked veteran Les Page. “Yeah, but time heals all wounds. I came home and I fought with my demons, but I fought through them and moved on.”

Local veterans and members of the Vietnamese community discuss their experiences.

Another participant said he is often asked where he is from as he makes service calls for his job. He sometimes feels a bit of animosity from people when he shares that he is Vietnamese. “Will there be a time where we no longer have that history that divides us,” he asked. “Will there be a day where if I say I’m Vietnamese, it has no effect? I hope so.”

Page assured him the veterans he knows hold no hostility toward Vietnamese people. “We never doubted the thankfulness, loyalty, and devotion to the Americans by the Vietnamese people, because they were so thankful that we were there.”

Richard agreed. He was born in America but grew up hearing accounts of how his parents and grandparents left Vietnam for the United States. “If they were here today, they would say that they definitely owe a lot of gratitude to the American soldiers who were there.”

It is one reason he wanted the temple to host the event. “You often hear about how soldiers came back and they weren’t treated very well by Americans, but you don’t hear the side from the Vietnamese immigrants who are actually incredibly appreciative of what they did,” he explained.

“This is a good opportunity for us to show veterans we care for them,” added Thanh.

Watch a video from the day's events:

Learn more about our local Vietnam War initiative at whro.org/vietnamwar.

 

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