Peace Trees Vietnam

It has been a real pleasure to get involved with the non profit group, Peace Trees Vietnam. http://peacetreesvietnam.com. I quickly became friends with the directors of the organization and enjoyed learning what their purpose is. As the first organization allowed into Vietnam by the government, for the purpose of land mine education and clearing, they have a long standing relationship with many people here. I was able to visit a site outside of Dong Ha, in the Quang Tri province, where there was a military base and airfield in the war. Now it is the site of friendship village, which has a large number of houses, a community center, and a school; all thanks to the support of Peace Trees Vietnam. It was wonderful to go there and to plant trees with the locals, and to have them welcome us there with kindness. It was also interesting to see American Veterans laugh and talk with a North Vietnamese Veteran, who is now the mayor of this small village.

Their major contribution to the area is the land mine education center. They bring in children year round, and have several activities set up, that are aimed at educating these children to the dangers of unexploded land mines and other ordinances leftover from the war. We met two of the victims and heard their sad stories. One lost a leg, a foot, most of his sight, several fingers on one hand. He was happy to talk with the group, and answer any questions. It happened near his house, where he and same friends were playing in a sand dune. Without warning, a large explosion killed his two friends and left him critically injured. He showed amazing strength in his life, and was an inspiration to us all. The worst part is that he never even knew what it was, and had no idea such dangers were present in his environment. This was several years back, but still today 1 child a week is injured in such a disaster in this province alone. It is just hard to believe.