The anguish of a former American soldier

(Baonghean)During a wheelchair donation ceremony at Vinh University for a student disabled by Agent Orange exposure, a foreign man was moved to tears. When he personally handed over the wheelchair, he broke into a benevolent smile. This was Chuck Palazzo, a former American soldier who fought in Vietnam and is currently a representative of the Veterans for Peace Vietnam 160 organization (an international organization operating in our country). Talking with him, we truly understood the feelings and sentiments of American veterans towards Agent Orange victims, as well as towards the country and people of Vietnam.

Chuc Palazo and student Le Dinh Thanh (a person with disabilities)
due to exposure to Agent Orange.

Chuc Palazo was born in 1954. In late 1970, he went to Vietnam to fight as a Marine. During that period, he fought at the Da Nang base, Hai Van Pass, Phu Bai Airport (Hue), and the Quang Tri battlefield. Over two years, Chuc Palazo witnessed several times American planes dropping chemical weapons on the forests of the Truong Son mountain range, causing the trees to lose all their leaves. From that moment, he realized that the war waged by the US was completely unjust and contrary to the progress of human society. Therefore, he requested early discharge to return home. Back in his country, Chuc Palazo was deeply troubled by the consequences of the Vietnam War.

At that time, in the US, there was an international organization called the Veterans for Peace, established in 1958, whose main goal was to work for peace. Based on that, about three years ago, Chuc Palazo persuaded two friends to establish a branch in Vietnam called the Vietnam Veterans for Peace Association 160, headquartered in Da Nang City. This is where he lived the most during his time fighting in Vietnam.

Explaining the reason for establishing this branch, Chuc Palazo said: “I am a veteran who unintentionally committed war crimes in your country. Now I want to atone for some of my mistakes, to do positive things for victims of Agent Orange and landmines. I want to be closer to them, and I want the world to see the consequences of the war that America left behind in your country.” With that goal in mind, over the past three years, Chuc Palazo has organized many tours for American veterans to return to Vietnam to participate in social and charitable activities. These veterans have visited rural areas of Vietnam to see the victims, and to witness firsthand the pain and misfortune of families affected by the disease.

Chuc Palazo shared: “Hopefully, through the activities of the branch, people will better understand the devastation of war. When I return to the US, I will tell everyone and mobilize American citizens to participate in helping victims of Agent Orange. And I will also contact some Senators and Representatives to have them visit Vietnam and support the passage of a law to compensate the victims.” At the same time, Chuc Palazo also expressed his frustration at the fact that American chemical companies are not compensating the victims of Agent Orange in Vietnam.

Moreover, they even persuaded several countries to buy genetically modified seeds to help farmers escape poverty. However, in reality, the cultivation of genetically modified cotton in India has resulted in very low yields and poor quality, pushing many farmers to the brink of bankruptcy. This is not to mention that some products being marketed by these companies contain ingredients similar to those found in Agent Orange. As a social activist and honorary member of the Society for Peace, Chuc Palazo interacts weekly, even daily, with victims of Agent Orange. He realizes that all the problems related to Agent Orange cannot be solved all at once, but must be addressed step by step. Therefore, he is planning to continue mobilizing American veterans to participate in tours and raise money to support Agent Orange victims…

Before we parted ways, we asked him, "If you were allowed to send a message to the victims of Agent Orange in Vietnam, what would you say?" He replied, "I would tell them that everything the US military did in Vietnam was wrong. And the fact that the manufacturers of Agent Orange have not yet compensated them shows a complete lack of conscience and morality. I also want to tell the victims never to give up hope, because many international and domestic organizations are standing by them and ready to support them. I believe that one day soon, the Agent Orange-contaminated environment in Vietnam will be rehabilitated, and the victims will receive support. We promise never to abandon them and will continue our efforts to help alleviate the suffering caused by Agent Orange!"

Text and photos: CONG KIEN