Viet Nam: A Country, Not a War
The following is a guest post by Air Force veteran Ted Engelmann.
More about Ted here: https://courageouswomenofthevietnamwa...
For a couple centuries, the people of Viet Nam know who they are by virtue of their country’s name: Viet means people, and Nam refers to the south. That name differentiated the Vietnamese from the people of the north, their ancient (and still) enemy, the Chinese.
On page 29 of, Viet Nam, Tradition and Change, (Ohio University Press, 2016), Huu Ngoc, explains the meaning of the words, Viet Nam. He doesn’t understand why or when his country became, “Vietnam.” The following might help.
In September 2005, at his New York City apartment, noted photojournalist, Philip Jones Griffiths (1936-2008), explained to me how the spelling of Viet Nam, was Americanized by The New York Times in the late 1960s.
Philip left a tangible legacy of three photographic books about his experience in Viet Nam, plus being president of Magnum Photography five years running. Note the change of spelling in his book titles: Vietnam, Inc. (New York: Collier (Macmillan), 1971), AGENT ORANGE: Collateral Damage in Viet Nam (London: Trolly, 2004), and Viet Nam at Peace (Trolley, 2005).
As Philip told me, The New York Times changed the spelling in the late ‘60s to cut expenses. Reporters filed stories from Viet Nam by cable. Like telegraph, each word cost money. Each word in the mono-syllabic language was expensive. The editors decided to change the spelling of the cities and country, starting with Ha Noi, Viet Nam, to: “Hanoi, Vietnam,” and Sai Gon, to “Saigon.”
The editors had no idea they were creating a mythological country whose name would soon be indelibly burned into the hearts, souls, and minds of all Americans. Even today, the myth continues and painful emotions remain, in spite of the boom in tourism and the Vietnamese economy.
Consider the current list of countries recognized by the United Nations, shows “Viet Nam” as the official spelling.
IMHO, spelling Ha Noi, Viet Nam, for example, is a first step in the recognition of the Vietnamese culture. It also creates the need for a new cognition and emotional development of a people, culture, and history. This can be the start for many Americans to find a sense of peace and recovery from arguably the most contentious conflict in our American history.
If personal experience is any indicator, as an American war veteran, I have been treated better in Viet Nam than my own country.
Thanks for your consideration.
For more about Ted Engelmann and his very moving connection to the legacy of Dang Thuy Tram, a North Vietnamese surgeon and diarist, click the following link: https://courageouswomenofthevietnamwa...
More about Ted here: https://courageouswomenofthevietnamwa...
For a couple centuries, the people of Viet Nam know who they are by virtue of their country’s name: Viet means people, and Nam refers to the south. That name differentiated the Vietnamese from the people of the north, their ancient (and still) enemy, the Chinese.
On page 29 of, Viet Nam, Tradition and Change, (Ohio University Press, 2016), Huu Ngoc, explains the meaning of the words, Viet Nam. He doesn’t understand why or when his country became, “Vietnam.” The following might help.
In September 2005, at his New York City apartment, noted photojournalist, Philip Jones Griffiths (1936-2008), explained to me how the spelling of Viet Nam, was Americanized by The New York Times in the late 1960s.
Philip left a tangible legacy of three photographic books about his experience in Viet Nam, plus being president of Magnum Photography five years running. Note the change of spelling in his book titles: Vietnam, Inc. (New York: Collier (Macmillan), 1971), AGENT ORANGE: Collateral Damage in Viet Nam (London: Trolly, 2004), and Viet Nam at Peace (Trolley, 2005).
As Philip told me, The New York Times changed the spelling in the late ‘60s to cut expenses. Reporters filed stories from Viet Nam by cable. Like telegraph, each word cost money. Each word in the mono-syllabic language was expensive. The editors decided to change the spelling of the cities and country, starting with Ha Noi, Viet Nam, to: “Hanoi, Vietnam,” and Sai Gon, to “Saigon.”
The editors had no idea they were creating a mythological country whose name would soon be indelibly burned into the hearts, souls, and minds of all Americans. Even today, the myth continues and painful emotions remain, in spite of the boom in tourism and the Vietnamese economy.
Consider the current list of countries recognized by the United Nations, shows “Viet Nam” as the official spelling.
IMHO, spelling Ha Noi, Viet Nam, for example, is a first step in the recognition of the Vietnamese culture. It also creates the need for a new cognition and emotional development of a people, culture, and history. This can be the start for many Americans to find a sense of peace and recovery from arguably the most contentious conflict in our American history.
If personal experience is any indicator, as an American war veteran, I have been treated better in Viet Nam than my own country.
Thanks for your consideration.
For more about Ted Engelmann and his very moving connection to the legacy of Dang Thuy Tram, a North Vietnamese surgeon and diarist, click the following link: https://courageouswomenofthevietnamwa...
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