Former US intelligence officer: Vietnamese people have done miracles

"I think each of us, any American veteran who has been to war, carries psychological scars from the war. In my case, returning to Vietnam many years after the war ended and working with the Vietnamese to overcome the consequences of war was an important step in helping me heal. And that made it easier for me to stay and become a part of peacetime life in Vietnam," American veteran Searcy shared with Dan Tri.
That’s what prompted Mr. Searcy, 80, to return to Vietnam and co-found Project RENEW in Quang Tri. The project describes its mission as “clearing landmines and providing medical assistance, rehabilitation and income generation to landmine survivors.” RENEW also supports families of Agent Orange victims in Vietnam.
From confusion to anti-war determination
Mr. Chuck Searcy enlisted in the US Army from 1966 to 1969. He joined the 519th Military Intelligence Battalion in Saigon from June 1967 to June 1968. Although he did not participate in direct combat, with the task of intelligence analysis, he saw the dark corners of the war.
"My experience as an intelligence analyst, working with documents and reports from the field, along with the research and surveys we conducted, led me to begin to wonder about the American military presence in Vietnam.
I questioned the motives of the US military and the devastating tactics we used, such as bombing and shelling in both the South and the North, causing massive civilian casualties. I began to think that this war was a terrible mistake," he shared.
Mr. Searcy once fought in Vietnam as an intelligence analyst (Photo: Character provided).
After completing his tour in Vietnam, he returned home to attend college and decided to join the Vietnam Veterans Against the War (VVAW). As a participant in the war, he expressed his discontent with the US military intervention in Vietnam and publicly spoke out against it.
In 1975, the war against the US was successful, and Vietnam was unified. Although the guns had stopped, the S-shaped country still bore many scars. Millions of tons of weapons were dropped on Vietnam from 1965 to 1975. Unexploded bombs became landmines, causing thousands of deaths and injuries to innocent civilians.
Witnessing the painful legacy of war, Mr. Searcy decided to do his part to remedy one of its deadliest consequences, preventing unexploded bombs and mines from posing a threat to the Vietnamese people.
More than 800,000 explosives were destroyed and neutralized.
In 2001, Mr. Searcy and a Quang Tri provincial official co-founded Project RENEW to remove and destroy unexploded bombs left over from the war; educate children about cluster bombs and other dangerous explosives; and support innocent victims of a war that ended decades ago.
After 20 years, Project RENEW has achieved remarkable results. "RENEW and its partners - NPA, PeaceTrees, MAG, and the Vietnam People's Army - have handled and destroyed more than 800,000 bombs," he emphasized.
In addition, more than 200 square kilometers of land that was contaminated with mines and bombs have been safely cleared thanks to the efforts of mine clearance teams. Nearly 380,000 children have been educated about the dangers of unexploded bombs and mines to raise their awareness.
Mr. Searcy wears a white striped shirt with his partners. RENEW, which he co-founded, has helped remove 800,000 bombs and mines in Quang Tri (Photo: Character provided).
According to American veterans, RENEW has teams that coordinate very smoothly with the Vietnamese government and military.
"I always emphasize that RENEW is an initiative of the Vietnamese people, designed and initiated by the Vietnamese people, run by the Vietnamese people, and the foreigners participating are just members of a collective working together with a clear goal: Making Vietnam safe from the danger of bombs and mines, contributing to reducing the pain caused by Agent Orange. This is a duty and responsibility that most Americans are willing to share and support," Mr. Searcy affirmed.
For Mr. Searcy, RENEW feels like his responsibility as an American citizen to try to repair the damage his country has done to Vietnam.
Thanks to the efforts of RENEW and its partner organizations, the number of casualties caused by unexploded ordnance and explosive remnants of war in Quang Tri has decreased dramatically in recent years. Hundreds of deminers are still working hard every day, every hour to carry out a seemingly simple, yet very sacred mission: to help people live a peaceful life, without the fear of lurking bombs and bullets.
Mr. Searcy's 25-year journey in Vietnam has received strong support from his family. "My family is very pleased with my decision to choose to accompany the Vietnamese people in their efforts to overcome the consequences of war," he shared.
Despite RENEW's remarkable achievements, Searcy said the project still faces challenges.
Mine clearance efforts in Quang Tri by RENEW and partners (Photo: NPA/RENEW).
The figure of 800,000 unexploded bombs and mines sounds large, but that number is less than half of the estimated amount of explosive ordnance still underground.
"Funding for the project comes from large and small donations from veterans and peace advocates, and in recent years, major funding from the US government," said Mr. Searcy.
Therefore, he admitted, RENEW and organizations receiving funding from the US government are very worried about the frozen funding source and the uncertainty about future support, while the project's mission still has many items to be implemented.
He also said that, in this situation, RENEW can help Vietnam adapt to the situation to reduce dependence on foreign donors in mine clearance activities and overcoming the consequences of Agent Orange to make this effort more sustainable.
Symbol of healing the wounds of war
Commenting on Vietnam's victory in the resistance war against the US and the reunification of the country in 1975, Mr. Searcy described it with the word "miraculous".
It was "spectacular" for a small nation to defeat the world's strongest military power. According to him, it was the indomitable will, determination and solidarity of the Vietnamese people that created the miracle.
"The Vietnamese people have proven to the world that they will never accept defeat and will continue to fight to the end to gain freedom and independence for the country. Vietnam's success is an inspiration to the whole world," said Mr. Searcy.
Although he was on the other side of the battle line, Mr. Searcy's efforts show that he has tried his best to soothe the wounds of war and build a bridge to bring the people of the two countries closer together.
In 2003, Mr. Searcy was awarded the Friendship Medal by the Government of Vietnam, an award recognizing his important contributions.
According to him, the fact that the US and Vietnam, former enemies, have been able to gradually heal the wounds of war over the past decades is thanks to the sincere efforts of US veterans, responsible citizens, peace activists, historians, etc.
"That is also the lesson the Vietnamese taught us: Listen to others and show respect. When Americans began to listen to the Vietnamese, we understood their strong desire for freedom and independence, and from then on we began to respect the Vietnamese.
"In the end, we realized that the Vietnamese were never our enemies. The Vietnamese understood that long before we did. From mutual respect and common purpose, we found common ground. Americans learned a lot from our Vietnamese friends, and both sides learned from each other. The result was mutual respect, love, and a better world for our children and grandchildren," Mr. Searcy shared.
Mr. Searcy is seen as a symbol of the effort to soothe the wounds of the Vietnam-US war (Photo: RENEW).
Having lived in Vietnam for decades, Mr. Searcy admits to having "fallen in love" with the country.
"I find the friendship and gentle humor of the Vietnamese people so endearing, so I really enjoy the life on the streets of Hanoi, the cheerful greetings of the vendors, the motorbike taxi drivers, and the pride of the baristas in creating the perfect cup of coffee. All are the charms of Vietnamese cities.
In addition, the friendliness of the rural people, the hard-working farmers, the innocent laughter of children on their way to school, all create a hospitable and warm atmosphere that Vietnamese people are always willing to share with guests from afar," he said.
According to him, Vietnam has developed impressively and stably over the five decades since the war ended.
“Vietnam’s prosperity, growth and development are a testament to the hard work and optimism of its people. My life here is comfortable and safe; the society and government are stable. And my work with RENEW is not yet finished, so I will stay longer…”, Mr. Searcy said.
Source: https://dantri.com.vn/the-gioi/cuu-si-quan-tinh-bao-my-nguoi-viet-da-lam-nhung-dieu-ky-dieu-20250424013534533.htm