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Conclusion

from Part III - Legacies

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 October 2021

Mia Martin Hobbs
Affiliation:
University of Melbourne
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Summary

The conclusion examines two stories from 2016 that reflect broader themes of veterans returning to Việt Nam. The appointment of Vietnam veteran and alleged war criminal Bob Kerrey to Chair of Fulbright University Vietnam revived the now-familiar narrative about American redemption in Việt Nam, while the pilgrimage of thousands of Australians to Việt Nam for the 50th anniversary of the Battle of Long Tan demonstrated a profound sense of entitlement to Vietnamese spaces. The conclusion summarizes that veterans returned in search of resolution or peace, which manifested in nostalgia. Upon return, many returnees found a measure of peace, but were challenged by the erasure of their wartime presence. Veterans negotiated this displacement by drawing from wartime narratives and performing nostalgic practices to reclaim their sense of belonging in Việt Nam. Yet the 2016 stories indicate that veteran influence in the country will decline as Việt Nam moves on from war.

Type
Chapter
Information
Return to Vietnam
An Oral History of American and Australian Veterans' Journeys
, pp. 229 - 236
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2021

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  • Conclusion
  • Mia Martin Hobbs, University of Melbourne
  • Book: Return to Vietnam
  • Online publication: 01 October 2021
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/9781108972987.010
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  • Conclusion
  • Mia Martin Hobbs, University of Melbourne
  • Book: Return to Vietnam
  • Online publication: 01 October 2021
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/9781108972987.010
Available formats
×

Save book to Google Drive

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Google Drive.

  • Conclusion
  • Mia Martin Hobbs, University of Melbourne
  • Book: Return to Vietnam
  • Online publication: 01 October 2021
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/9781108972987.010
Available formats
×