Harrisonburg News
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Vietnam Briefing
As the capstone of their classroom experience, members of the spring term Vietnam History Class at the Harrisonburg Campus took a field trip to Washington, DC. On May 8th. The highlight of their trip was a visit to the Embassy of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam where they were greeted warmly by Ambassador Le Cong Phung. Following the Ambassador’s remarks, Mr. Nguyen Ba Long, Counselor for Political Affairs at the Embassy, engaged members of the class in a far-ranging discussion regarding the impact of the war on the Vietnamese people, and the post-war relationship between the United States and Vietnam. Particular emphasis was given to the economic recovery of Vietnam and to residual issues from the war such as unspent munitions.
In addition to their briefing at the Embassy, class members visited the Vietnam Veterans Memorial and located the names of Harrisonburg natives whose backgrounds they had researched in advance. The class also viewed relevant exhibits at the National American History Museum of the Smithsonian Institution and the Navy Memorial Seabee exhibit, among others. A stop at a Vietnamese shopping center and restaurant completed the day’s trip.
In preparation for their field trip, and as part of the overall instructional design of the course, students heard topical presentations from a number of individuals who had direct experience in Vietnam during the conflict, either as civilian aid workers or military personnel. Relevant documentary films also added perspective as well as the topical research studies and presentations by class members themselves.
