When I received the People to People notice about joining a group of sociologists to visit Vietnam and Cambodia, I jumped at the chance. I had done a People to People expedition to South Africa in 2008 with a group of sociologists (and my daughter Rachel) and had found it to be a deeply enriching experience.
I want to visit Vietnam and Cambodia because of the impact the Vietnam War had on my generation and specifically because Nixon's decision to invade Cambodia in 1970 was what sparked the wave of protests that resulted in the killings of students at Jackson State and Kent State (where I was at the time). Additionally, my brother-in-law served in Vietnam and the reverberations of that service continue in ongoing health issues for him and his family. My sister Mary has asked: “What I would like you to take note of when you go is the condition of the children and people born after the war.” I feel a pull to visit these two places which, though distant, have had a presence in my life.
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