april 30, 1975 marks the day that saigon fell and the end of the vietnam war. my parents married on april 19 and left vietnam on april 23. it’s been awhile since i heard the story of my parents journey (which included participating in operation babylift) from guam to the states  and will need to have them share it to my daughters when they are older.  in college, i took a vietnam on film class and part of my final, i videotaped my aunts, uncles, grandfather and parents difficult and long journey to safety in the states. some of their stories are heartbreaking but also full of hope and love. i need to go and transfer the vhs footage to dvd and transcribe the interviews as i don’t want to lose the footage or their stories. for many, today is a day of reflection of a day that changed history for so many vietnamese americans and vietnamese.  as my girls get older, i will continue to educate them on this day as well as their families history but until then, i will show them photos and stories so they can reflect plus to get them excited for their trip next year.
here are just some photos from my journey back in 2010. my wide angle lens broke during the trip so i shot our time there on the 50mm which helped me see vietnam with a different perspective.
and of all the countries that i have visited, vietnam will always be a my favorite.