Can you tell us, son, of what happened that afternoon when the Americans sprayed the chemicals?

That afternoon, during the regular break at school, we were practicing dances. When my teacher heard the airplanes coming, she herded all of us down to a shelter. After we got into the shelter, she handed us towels to cover our noses with. After we got out of the shelter, our teacher gathered us around her, gave us some instructions and sent us home. After I got home, my nose ached, my head ached and my chest also ached. The next day the airplanes came again and dropped bombs continuously, causing many houses to burn down...

Describe again what happened after the bombing.

After the bombing, the bamboo groves were burnt down, the houses bombed out and burnt down, buffaloes and cattle killed.

Any of you kids got killed?

No, not us kids. This was because there were very few of us left in the houses.

Was there any bombing raid that left deep impressions on you?

The bombing raids of 1969.

Why? Because the Americans dropped a lot of bombs?

Yes. They dropped a lot of bombs all around the hedges of the village.

All these areas over here used to be filled with bomb craters.

Do you remember of one particular raid when the whole village was burnt down? Was you house burnt down?

My house was burnt down twice.

Then tell us what it looked like when you went home and saw your house was burning.

When I got home, my house had been largely burnt down. The neighbors tried to put out the fire, but only the pillars were still smoldering.

What are your feelings now that peace has come back?

Now that there is peace, I don’t have to worry about the American bombs again. But I am still outraged by what the Americans did.

Now that there is peace, what other worries do you have?

Now that there is peace, I feel free and happy again. I do not have to worry about the American bandits anymore. All I have to worry about is to study and to help rebuild the country. In addition…

Please look at my face when you answer the question, alright? And please tell us again about what happened that day.

That day we were at school. When the airplanes came our teacher told us to go to the shelter. After we got into the shelter, she told us to put the towels over our faces. This was because each of us had to bring along with us a towel in case of chemical sprayings. After the bombers left, we climbed out of the shelter. Our teacher told us to gather around her and told us to go home and rest. But when we went back to the villages we saw that the bamboo groves and other trees had all been burnt by the bombing. Houses were razed and buffaloes and cattle’s killed. It was a very heartrending sight.

After that the Americans came back and bombed for many more days. Describe what the scene was like, how the houses were burnt down.

After they dropped the bombs, all the houses from that end of the village to this end were burnt. All the bamboo groves were burnt too. There were many bomb craters.

Tell us what it was like the day when the Americans dropped the most bombs, when they dropped bombs from morning till night.

On that day, the airplanes came in formations after formations and poured down bombs all the way from that bridge to the village of My Ho. During that day nobody could do anything. We kids were hiding in the shelters all day. We were really afraid so we had to stay in there.

At that time, were there a lot of soldiers here?

There were four soldiers in my house.

Let’s just carry on a normal conversation. Are you kids going to school at present?

I have finished the seventh grade and I am not going to school anymore.

What about you?

I’m still in the seventh grade.

Aren’t you going to classes today?

I won’t have to go to classes until this afternoon.