On Thursday the History Museum of Western Virginia held a showing of “Now and Then,” a photographic tour of sites in Vietnam during the Vietnam War. The presentation was given by Roanoke resident David Helmer, retired Vietnam War Army major. This first-hand account by Helmer (who returned to visit Vietnam with other members of the 1st Air Calvary in May 2009), provided a visual travelogue of a country with whom the United States has had a long and complicated relationship.
Helmer’s presentation took attendees from Saigon to Hanoi – and beyond to the borders of Cambodia and Laos. Of particular interest were military and other cultural sites along Helmer’s old truck convoy route in the Central Highlands that showed pictures both past and present that provided an interesting perspective of change in the country.
The above photo shows a Cao Dai religious service in Tay Ninh Vietnam – near the Cambodian border northwest of Saigon (Ho Chi Minh City). This church houses followers of the Cao Dai religion – the third largest religion in Vietnam.
