January 2000 Winds of Peace Winds of Peace Newsletter for Madison Friends’ Projects in Viet Nam January 2000 Issue #2 The Sound of the Violin in My Lai February 8, 10:30 PM WHA-TV, Madison The Sound of the Violin in My Lai, Tran Van Thuy s documentary about the My Lai massacre in Viet Nam, will be aired by Wisconsin Public Television on WHA-TV in the Madison area on February 8 at 10:30 PM. Check your local listings or request information from your local Public Television sta- tion about airing the documentary where you live. Photo by M. Boehm Children at My Lai. Going Back by Mike Boehm When I return to Viet Nam this February, it will be to a much have had great success with their loan funds. The difference seems changed, badly damaged, Quang Ngai (My Lai) province. In No- to be that the Women s Union of Viet Nam is a grassroots organi- vember and December of last year, the central provinces suffered zation that has been in place since 1930, whereas the women of El two floods, which turned out to be the worst floods of the century. Salvador are still creating their organization. Almost a thousand people lost their lives. The north-south railway But as the various organizations involved in this project have was cut in many places. VN Hwy 1 was also cut, more than a hun- met and discussed the possibilities of this kind of meeting, the dred bridges were destroyed, and thousands of fishing boats were scope of the project has grown. We will be a conduit for the women lost. The list goes on and on. of these two countries to meet and explore ways to overcome the The Madison Friends set aside funds for emergency relief; but problems they each face in their respective countries. A possible when we were finally able to communicate with the Quang Ngai outcome of this first meeting, scheduled for September, 2000, is Women s Union again, they had only begun to evaluate the needs that the women of Viet Nam, El Salvador, and Madison will be- of the poor people who lost their homes, livestock, crops, etc. When come a steering committee for future interactions with women in I meet with them in February, we will discuss what immediate aid Nicaragua, Cuba, Bosnia and other countries who become inter- will be needed, as well as what kind of preventative programs we ested. Issues that could be discussed and dealt with include: the can implement. Their needs will be tremendous, so we will prob- rebuilding of families and communities after war and the process ably put out a special funding letter to raise money for flood relief. of healing. This is an exciting project which truly embraces the As I write this, I have only two more days before I leave for El concept of we the people . Salvador to help facilitate a ground-breaking project which will Lastly, the film The Sound of the Violin in My Lai continues to bring together the women of El Salvador and Viet Nam. The initial win awards and to be a powerful source of healing and inspiration. impetus for this project was to bring representatives from the In November, 1999, this film won the award for Best Short Film at Women s Union of Quang Ngai province and Son My (My Lai) the prestigious Asia Pacific Film Festival in Bangkok. On Decem- village to Madison, Wisconsin, and then to El Salvador to discuss ber 22 and 23, 1999, the two days set aside to honor soldiers and loan funds. The women of El Salvador are struggling to make the veterans in Viet Nam, the film was shown on both major television loan funds they have set up work, while the women of Viet Nam stations throughout Viet Nam. 1 Winds of Peace January 2000 Letters In keeping with this newsletter s purpose to educate and promote discussion, we will print not only letters which support our work, but also letters critical of this work. We request that all letters be signed by the writer. Dear Mike, Dear Mike, I wanted to write to you to express my gratitude for sending me Sorry for not writing you sooner. We are so busy these days. Winds of Peace (October, 1999).Ê How appropriate it is that I am We enjoy reading your October Newsletter, and we appreciate here, in the Vietnamese governmental office I work in, reading about your work in Vietnam. My Lai was indeed a sad chapter in the the connections that are finally being made between people sepa- history of war in Vietnam. We learned from the Newsletter that rated for so long by lack of information and distance.Ê I shed some Hugh Thompson and Larry Colburn were decorated for heroism tears as I read it, who knows why, but my Vietnamese friends and by the U.S. Army in March of 1998 for their heroic rescue of 9 or co-workers around me gave me the peace and privacy I wanted and 10 civilians at My Lai in 1968. But how about those 504 innnocent I therefore did not have to explain anything to them, for finally, civilians who were killed in the massacre? Should the U.S. Gov- there is nothing else to explain.Ê I am here, welcomed and made to ernment have any obligation toward them and their surviving feel at home in Ha Noi by an entirely Vietnamese staff.Ê Perhaps I relatives? Could you do something about this? have you and other veterans, Vietnamese and American, to thank We also appreciate John Balaban s and Ngo Thanh Nhan s for your hard work and willingness to accept responsibility for the projects to preserve Vietnamese texts in Chu Nom (Nom script histories these 2 countries share and to do something about our fu- or Nom character). We will spread this news to our Vietnamese tures. friends to ask them if they can help in any way for these projects. The angry letter printed in this [October 1999] issue of Winds of Do you know that there is a mispelling of the last name of the Peace should not discourage you, just as the comments I received famous Vietnamese lady poet? Her exact name is Ho (not Ha) before my departure from the States in September have not discour- Xuan Huong. Could you get hold of John Balaban and let him aged me.Ê You put yourself on the line for what you believe in and know this mispelling. now I am here doing the same.Ê I work 6 days a week for a tiny By the way, I would like to let you know that I am going to salary, and I ve never been happier and felt more fulfilled and ap- Vietnam the second week of this December, along with a group preciated.Ê I hope you will always feel the same. of Vietnamese doctors and pharmacists, to help as much as we With peace and solidarity, can the flood victims in Central Vietnam. Kate Garrison Hope to see you sometime in the coming Spring in Madison. 1234567890123456789012345678 1234567890123456789012345678 Best wishes to you and your friends in your work in Vietnam. Sincerely, Di Tran Good morning, Mike Well, I received the newsletter yesterday, and I think it looks Editors note: The spelling error of Ho Xuan Huong s name very good. I think you did a great job on it, and I can tell that a lot of was ours, not John Balabans! We regret the error. hard work was put into it. I and I m sure a lot of other people really, really enjoyed it. 60 MinutesÊ II is going to shootÊa follow-up to the 60 Minutes program, probably the Tuesday before Veterans Day. I am not sure Winds of Peace when it will be shown. I hope that I am able to return to Viet Nam Newsletter for Madison Friends’ Projects in Viet Nam this coming year, but do not know what the schedule will be. Well “The people of Viet Nam are looking forward to the winds of I ll close. Thank you for the newsletter. I hope you are doing well. peace blowing from America.” God bless, Hugh Thompson 1234567890123456789012345678 Mike Boehm, Project Co-ordinator 1234567890123456789012345678 Phan Van Do, Project Assistant in Viet Nam Terri Smith, Newsletter Design Dear Mike, It was very nice to see you the other day. I talked with Hiro about your video. So now we are really thinking about writing a piece in For this newsletter to fulfill its potential we need your Japanese to introduce the Hugh Thompson story (I read the book), feedback. Please send any letters, questions, or written your project, and the video. contributions to: In Japan it is called the Son My Village Massacre, and a lot of Winds of Peace c/o Mike Boehm people still remember it (as just a phrase and image though), but we 2312 E. Johnson St., Madison,WI 53704 believe that very little Japanese media coverage of the aftermath of Phone: 608-244-9505 the event has been done. And we think what you have done is in- Fax: 608-255-1800 spiring and encouraging to many Japanese counterparts doing simi- e-mail: [email protected] lar projects, or wishing to do so. Visit our Web site on the Internet at: Best regards, www.mylaipeacepark.com Yoshiko Nozaki 2 January 2000 Winds of Peace More Letters Hi, MikeÐ Dear Friends in Madison Friends Meeting and colleagues in Viet Yes, I did receive your newsletter.