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this is where I ran away from
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| [Note Guidelines] Photographer's Note |
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Lang Co, my little village
The story behind this old picture:
During the Vietnam War (1945-1975), my parent made a serious mistake by giving birth to me at wrong time and wrong side of the fight.
In 1971, I upgraded their mistake by joining the ARVN (Armed Forces of Republic of Vietnam — or South Vietnam). Same year, I doubled my “crime” by working for the AP.
After the fall of S. Vietnam in 1975, I managed to escape about 20 times in an attempt to sail little boat from Lang Co to Hong Kong. All of these plots were failed and local police hunted me. In Saigon, in 1986 I ended up in prison after the last try :)
Giving up the “favorite route” over the ocean, I returned to Lang Co and wrote to the AP in 1989, asking for help. They in turn sent me some money, and told me to not trying by “Pacific ocean” again. The president also submitted his petition to Vietnam’s Deputy Prime Minister asking for us to leave. From Bangkok, Denis Gray wrote me that he was working very close with the ODP office and my name was on the list to leave soon…
Of course I believed him, and got ready for a run-away from the country I was born. That was the reason why I borrowed a camera and quietly shot this picture.
The original has been photographed as three separate exposures in 1989 in poor value. In 2001, I returned to the same spot trying to rework, but never been able to do so because all the trees have grown up after… 11 years.
Ashamed with the original capture, I hid it for another 6 years. Now, even if I want to pay and to cut all trees that block my view, I would also have to… remove the highway’s bridge connecting the Hai-Van Tunnel to my village. In other words: no way to make a similar picture.
Two days ago, I asked my friend Nhiem to give some help to the photo and this is what I received from him a moment ago.
This is his work, not pure mine. Please enjoy and give credit to him, not to me.
Thanks.
Thanh
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mikecone, VictorPhung, PSYOPS has marked this note useful
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i liked it.
the nature is great.
i also liked your story too.
HAPPY NEW YEAR — HAPPY TET TO YOU THANH
Hello Thanh:
Your picture shocks me!
I knew where you shot it from. I am sure.
I knew how to get here: we used to stop the truck at the well near National Route 1, and climbed across the farms running along the right bank of the stream named "Madame Trong". This is the area where the then "enemies" normally took to reach the village from Truong Son Range, and where the US Marines tried to detect them with night ambushes...
Oh well, I don't want to recall of the deaths on both sides at this valley.
Thanks for posting this.
MC
...I believed him, and got ready for a run-away from the country I was born. That was the reason why I borrowed a camera and quietly shot this picture....
Dear Thanh,
Your story is really shocked and touched to me, a lot of Vietnamese was in such situations like yours but not much people tell about their stories, This picture should be very special to you, It's great, thanks for your taking, keeping and sharing, and of course we have to say thank you to Mr Nhiệm who has made your past come back. So let bypass be bypass, now the time of New Year's eve, all the best wishes to you and your family, Chúc mừng năm mới.
Thắng.
Affected by using of film (instead of digital), by unproper processing, by its age and by scanner, this photo is not at its peak. However, you have an unordinary view of the peninsula where I have crossed by hundred times during my term in 1st Military Tactical Zone.
At first I didn't recognize it since it looks like an island to me.
Thanks for preserving this old picture.
Take care
George
I like this one, even though the technical quality is not too good. This is the location I went by and made hundred of stopovers for local famous clamp soup, "Cháo sò Lăng Cô" — on the trips between Đà Nẵng and Huế cities before 1975...
You are correct, "no way to make a similar picture", after the heavy construction of the highway bridge.
TFS
- TRASH
![Gold Star Critiquer [C: 199 W: 0 N: 0]](http://i1.trekearth.com/misc/g-n-n.gif)
(0) - [2007-02-16 20:13]
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I am your frequent critiquer but the following message is from a friend about Lang Co that I would like to relay to you.
Regards,
MQ
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Our last passage
On the way to Hue we passed this beautiful landscape Lang Co. We would like to come back someday to travel through the island. Your pictures and expressions were very emotionally. Please keep the place always pretty, clean environment for the inhabitants and beaches for the fishers. Please do not rise high building for tourist purpose. Vietnam is so pretty as it is, certainly the high rising buildings do not improve the living standard of the people. Love your country and love your places.. For sure the banana leaves houses surrounding the ricefield or some brick houses decorated by a small front either vegetables or flowers are much prettier. Modernise without destroying the shape of the landscape.. Does it sound terrible!
— Elisabeth,
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![Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 504 W: 139 N: 2283]](http://i1.trekearth.com/misc/g-g-g.gif){kind=small}
![Silver Star Critiquer [C: 17 W: 0 N: 0]](http://i1.trekearth.com/misc/s-n-n.gif)
(52)![Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 65 W: 15 N: 82]](http://i1.trekearth.com/misc/g-s-g.gif)
(652)![Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Note Writer [C: 105 W: 0 N: 12]](http://i1.trekearth.com/misc/g-n-s.gif)
(59)
I was very touched by your story,Thanh,peace to you and yours.