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Dong Xoai — in war and peace


Dong Xoai — in war and peace
Photo Information
Copyright: Thanh Nguyen (ngythanh) Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 506 W: 139 N: 2276] (8311)
Genre: Places
Medium: Color
Date Taken: 2005-03-07
Categories: Nature
Camera: Canon EOS 10D, Canon EF 24-70mm L, RAW @ ISO 100
Exposure: f/11, 1/125 seconds
Details: Tripod: Yes
Photo Version: Original Version, Workshop
Date Submitted: 2005-07-18 5:45
Viewed: 1518
Points: 31
[Note Guidelines] Photographer's Note
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Dong Xoai — in war and peace

I have three little notes about the location of the photo for you:

ONE: During the Vietnam War, it was a name that became one of the most fierce and bloody battles for the two sides to get to know each other. On June 10, 1965, about 1,500 VCs rapidly assaulted the district capital of Dong Xoai, Phuoc Long province, some 60 miles northeast of Saigon — decimating the local militia. [for details, click here]

TWO: I had been detained two years from 1986 to 1988 in a communist prison under a beautiful term “re-education school”. Needless to tell you how my life was like, when they discovered I was a soldier of the collapsed regime and also a former combat-photographer working for the Associated Press. To the new government, I was qualified as the worse enemy of the liberators. During these years, Dong Xoai has been shifted to Song Be provincial authorities.

THREE: The AP has successfully petitioned the Vietnam authorities to get me and my family out in 1990, during the period when both sides were working hard toward a normalization of diplomatic relationship. After 15 years in peace and freedom, I could not resist the wish to visit the location where I experienced the most wretched part of my life.

Now, Dong Xoai has been changed hand again: it belongs to Binh Phuoc — a province with most significant industry is forestry. Looking at this picture, you no longer see blood, fire, corps, prison or weapon. All those have been lost. Here you witness the 30-year-old peace of Vietnam when men are trying to erase the mistakes of the past. Birds don’t hear the sound of guns, and men don’t have to spy after each other’s meal and accuse and denounce at the people’s trials as I suffered. Birds are flying to their nests, men returning to the genealogical vestige.

Please share with me a minute over the field without battle. May this peace subdue all personal hatred.




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Paolo, cobraphil8, ckuhn55, cam, banyanman, thanh has marked this note useful
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Discussions
ThreadThread Starter Messages Updated
To thanh: Surprised!ngythanh 4 07-20 14:40
To Nasonnguyen: "different way of thinking about the war frngythanh 1 07-20 06:13
To pnphan: Agreed!ngythanh 1 07-19 05:57
To cobraphil8: Thanks.ngythanh 1 07-18 06:21
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Critiques [Translate]

Hi Thanh,

A site rich by its history and pictures remind us.
So it's a nice place and your shot is well exposed, a good DOV, colors are hot.
Now it seems a place of peace where birds fly freedom. I so like their capture (on picture)Just perfect...

Lolo

Hi
Sweet picture. The birts are awesome and the colrs even better. Keep taking pictures like that one. Thanks for sharing
I wish I can go to Vietnam one time.
Filip Trezzi
Take a look at my pictures maybe you will like some of my sunset

  •      
  • Paolo Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 4700 W: 146 N: 8980] (39465)
  • [2005-07-18 6:08]

Excellent shot Thanh!
the sunset was fantastic, with great colors and light, and you composed very well with the birds. also the light contrast on the water is amazing.
thanks also for the long note.
ciao

Pretty sight, but framing satisfying me only half, I propose a WS to you.
The birds are beautiful and the very pretty colors.

Hi Thanh,

A beautiful picture, but the grass in the foreground is a bit distracting from this superb presence of the birds ! I think Philippe's WS is better for that.

Otherwise, just very good shot ! Nice colours and the birds really do the trick !

Cheers,
Youssef.

  • Great 
  • ducnc Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Note Writer [C: 69 W: 0 N: 20] (814)
  • [2005-07-18 8:21]

Hi A.Thanh,

other beautiful photo from you. Warmly colour, I like some birds on sky much.

B.Rgds,

Ducnc

Very well composed shot! I see you've caught the right moment as I've tried once during a trip on the other side of the world in Venezuela ;-) But you were closer! Very well inspired. Well done again ;-)

Picture speaks for today, Your notes touch me. During my visit to Hue, I met several like you, who had come back to visit family and friends. They live in Little Saigon in Southern California. I'm writing about this journey and will touch base with you at a later time,,,thanks

  • Great 
  • cam Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 1713 W: 74 N: 2165] (8370)
  • [2005-07-18 23:14]

Hello Thanh
What a nice picture.
THe composition is excellent and the mood is of peace and love.Nature free to live,freed from the horror of the past towards the sun,the hope of tomorrow.
This photo is a symbol of life.
Thanks
Charles

Hi Mr Thanh
Very nice shot. I love the flying birds going nets. Well composition. Thanks for your interesing information in note. Best reagrds. Your eyes are better? I like open WS. I hope you like it. HUY

ddep qua chu Thanh
nhung ma theo chau nghi chu dep luon cai dong co o phia duoi luon cho no ddep hon

The two WSs friends gave to you are great, but I'd like to keep the foreground as it. I love the tiny tips of grass popping up from the edge of the lake (don't know why -- maybe they gave me the feeling of I am sitting right here?}

GJ

  • Great 
  • thanh (48)
  • [2005-07-19 15:29]
  • [+]

A nice picture. I am very impressed by last paragraph of your notes. Last April I visited HCM city (Saigon is my birth place,) Travinh, and some provinces in the central of VN. I see PEACE and LOVE.
On the way to Phong Nha (Quang Binh) I was close to tears when passing Gio Linh, Doc Mieu, Hien Luong bridge, Vinh Linh,...
Those names have haunted me since I read Saigon's newspapers during the war.
Thank God, Viet Nam is in peace now.
Thank ngythanh for sharing.
Looking foward to your new post.

This is one of the nicer sunsets that I have seen for a while on TE, Thanh, mainly because of the very good capture of the birds in your composition. Thanks also for the interesting and moving note on the history of this location. Cheers . . . David

Hi Mr.Thanh!

This capture I like very much. The color tone and birds are great!

I was stopping a while to think of your note. As I was born and grow-up in the North (I was born in 1972 and as the US and south Vietnam bombed Hanoi, I was 4month old only and my house was just 400m next to Kham Thien street where almost the houses there were totally destroyed by the bombs, hundreds of innocent civilians were murdered). I have a different way of thinking about the war from yours. But after all, the reality today is that our country is in peace and the war(s) is only saved in our country's history. We, the young people look toward to future...

Hi,
the picture is fine, but! You have taken too mouch! The bank of the river is disturbing. I've done a little workshop. Hope you'll like it!

Regards

Hi,Thanh
nice picture
peace is so far from war here

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