Accidental Lawyer: War Remnants Museum

Our last stop for our HCMC improvised walking tour is the War Remnants Museum (Bao Tang Chung Tien Chien Tranh), previously known as the Saigon Exhibition House of American War Crimes.

Though already renamed, the War Remnants Museum, it still serves as a memorial in immortalizing the supposed War Crimes and injustice committed against the Vietnamese people by the Americans, the French, and the South Vietnamese. Some view this as part of the Communist propaganda against the Americans, but I'd say that it still is enlightening in its own way. It teaches man about the pains of war.

War artifacts such as planes, bombers, choppers, tanks, and anti-aircraft guns dot the Museum grounds. Of course, these war machines present countless photo opportunities for camwhores like me.

Located outside the building is a section depicting the prison system imposed during the French colonization and continued by the South Vietnam government. Pictures showing victims of torture and summary executions, as well as a detailed list of names including the supposed attrocities committed against them, line up the walls of the area.

According to this, the Guillotine was supposedly brought to Vietnam by the French

The Guillotine

There are also replicas of the so-called Tiger Cages in Con Dao Island will surely catch ones attention. I could barely imagine how can people fit in that very cramped space.

The Tiger Cages

Solitary Confinement

Jailguard

North Vietnamese supporters subjected to torture

How painful could this be?

Inside the Museum, the notable sections that I remember include the exhibit of photos taken during the Vietnam War. I admit, the pictures were amazing. They simply say it all in a single click of the shutter.

Another controversial section of the Museum is that showing the effects of the Agent Orange and other chemicals (herbicides and defoliants) used by the Americans during the war to defoliate rural/forested lands, thereby depriving the North Vietnamese cover and source of food. However, these chemicals caused birth defects and other problems. Your spine will surely tingle once you see the pictures of the victims of Agent Orange.

the My Lai massacre

Weapons used during the Vietnam War are also on display, including the dreaded orange bomb which our guide during the Cu Chi Tunnel tour told us about. Until now, there are still a lot of unexploded ordnance that cause peril to the Vietnamese.

Howitzer

Orange Bomb

"This is my rifle...my rifle is my best friend..."

Bazooka

The photo exhibit is one of the sections of the Museum popular to foreign visitors.

Choppers galore...I remembered the movie where Mel Gibson starred in (first to set foot, last to leave)

Pictures of the Vietnam War

Great Shot....perfect timing

Declaration of Independence....where's Benjamin Gates?

We really enjoyed our stay at the War Remnants Museum. A little advice though for those who will visit the place, just take into account that we are just visitors. So be prepared, especially the Americans, to learn the other side's part of the story.

Anyway, the War Remnants Museum is open from 7:30AM to 12:00 Noon, and reopens from 1:30PM to 5:00PM.