Mr. David Clark said: “There is a paradox in my life. This year I am a 75-year-old man and have lived in Da Nang for more than 10 years. In this city, in 1968, I went to war when I was a young man. The 19 year old boy, with the most ideals, the most fears and the most terrible things happened at that time. It was here, decades later, that I found peace most peaceful of my life”.
“PARADOX” AND PEACE
On the morning of April 11, Mr. David Clark, an American veteran, currently the General Secretary and Treasurer of Veterans For Peace Chapter 160 (VFP 160, the American Veterans for Peace Organization in Vietnam), proactively called the me after my interview invitation not long ago.
He made coffee, asked questions, and exchanged a few things before starting the conversation. Sitting at the table, he took a sip of coffee and said: “I’m ready for the interview. Let’s talk about peace.”
Mr. David Clark and his wife Nguyen Thi Thanh Huong (Ushi Clark) in ao dai by the Perfume River
David Clark said that at the age of 17, he voluntarily signed up to serve in the US Marine Corps. Two years later, he received orders to be deployed to Vietnam to participate in the war as an elite marine, operating in the 1st Marine Division stationed in Da Nang. Mr. David Clark clearly remembers that he fought in Vietnam for 13 months, from July 1968 to August 1969, and what happened at that time always haunted and haunted him for decades. When he returned home, he was not welcomed by the American people. He was an alcoholic, struggled with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), nightmares…
In May 2007, David Clark returned to Vietnam for the first time with a friend who served in the US Air Force during the war in Vietnam. That was also the first time he climbed to the top of Ngu Hanh Son (Da Nang – his old military base). Looking down at the foot of the mountain, he saw waves surging. Looking up, he saw a peaceful blue sky and white clouds.
“Everything is peaceful. There are no falling bombs, guns, or helicopters. There is only peace. The war has really ended,” Clark shared his feelings at that time.
In 2011, he continued to go to Vietnam and stayed for 1 year, contrary to the original expectation of only 1 week. In 2013, he arranged everything in the US and settled in Da Nang until now. In conversation with Youth, the American veteran repeatedly emphasized the word “paradox” – paradox. He shared: “There is a paradox in my life. This year I am a 75-year-old man and have lived in Da Nang for more than 10 years. In this city, in 1968, I went to war as a young man. A 19 year old boy, with the most ideals, the most fears and the most terrible things happened at that time, it was here, decades later, that I found peace most of my life”.
He no longer had to wear weapons all the time, he no longer had to worry about war. “In the past, I was part of the problem, of the wartime chaos. Today I am part of the solution, of the effort to heal the wounds,” he said.
Image of Mr. David Clark in the US Marine Corps
GCONTRIBUTE FOR CHILDREN AND FOR EDUCATION VIET NAM
2013 was also the year David Clark met and married Ms. Nguyen Thi Thanh Huong (Ushi Clark). They live peacefully in a house near the sea. One can see in his eyes the simple happiness when he boasted that he only needed a few steps to reach the sea, the mountains, and near his house there was a small river.
“It was my wife who introduced me to Mr. Chuck Searcy (currently Chairman of VFP 160 – NV) and directed me to VFP’s current work. My wife is very beautiful and always loves and cares for me very much. I think people don’t expect anything more than that. Once we have peace in our hearts, it means we have everything,” David Clark said.
VFP 160 is an international branch with members in Vietnam and the US including military veterans, military family members… This organization aims to build a culture of peace and heal wounds. war injury. Currently, VFP 160 has projects including Tours of Vietnam (organizing internal tours to Vietnam for veterans), Bikes for Education (mobilizing support, giving bicycles to children in remote areas). , remote areas for the cause of education) and UXO & Agent Orange (supporting victims affected by Agent Orange and the problem of remaining landmines in Vietnam).
Mr. David Clark donated bicycles to disadvantaged students in Vietnam
Mr. David Clark is also currently Deputy Director of the Bikes for Education project and Director of the Lite-A-Bike program, Save-A-Life, Vietnam (website: https://givingitbacktokids.org/save-a-life-lite-a-bike-vietnam.php). He told about a saying that many American veterans often quote: “That a man never stands so tall; as when he bends down to help a child” (roughly translated: “A man never stands so tall until when he bent down to help a child”).
David Clark’s heart for children is as endless as his love for Vietnam. Talking about the opportunity to create the Lite-A-Bike, Save-A-Life, Vietnam program, he shared that he once drove a car at night in Vietnam and almost crashed into 3 children riding bicycles, because it was too dark. and your car has nothing to warn you about. He wondered how many bicycle and car accidents there were at night in Asia in general and in Vietnam in particular.
So over the past 10 years, his family and many volunteers have donated more than 3,000 bicycles to poor children in Vietnam’s border areas. At the same time, reflective stickers were applied and rear lights were replaced for more than 6,000 bicycles. He told himself that what he was doing was only a small part, but it would help reduce unfortunate accidents.
“We see that children living in border areas are 5-6 km away from school and do not have bicycles to go to school. So we donate bicycles to poor children. We are happy when they have more opportunities. learning society. They will know how to read and write, and we expect them to be positive factors for the future. From there, they will become useful people for society,” Mr. David Clark expressed.
Citing stories about young people volunteering to pick up plastic waste in the sea, David Clark emphasized the creation and role of young people. He believes that efforts for Vietnamese education will be a solid step for young people to be empowered to solve future social problems in general and preserve peace in particular. (to be continued)
Vietnam is the embodiment of peace
Conveying the message of peace, Mr. David Clark wished that world leaders would look at Vietnam’s image when talking about peace or participating in negotiations. To him, Vietnam is the embodiment of peace. Vietnam has normalized relations with former enemies, including the US. To date, the two countries have become comprehensive strategic partners.
Mr. David Clark also hopes that one day American veterans who fought in Iraq or Afghanistan will return to these countries and be able to find peace in those places, just like he felt when he arrived. with Vietnam.
