How do we forgive and make peace with our past? These were my guiding questions as I visited Vietnam at the beginning of this year, forty-five years after the end of the Vietnam War, to create a writing and art project, “Journey to Forgiveness.” I am a US Navy Vietnam-era veteran, and this journey was even more poignant. I had hoped to discover a fresh understanding of the people and the war, and as importantly the ongoing legacy of Agent Orange (dioxin) poisoning and unexploded ordinances.  In Vietnamese, they say, “Making Peace is a treasure.” Dĩ hoà vi quý.  I was in search of this treasure and discovered a wealth of new understanding. In my two-month journey from Ho Chi Minh City to Hanoi, I discovered kind and generous people, and a country that captivated my imagination and senses. It is tucked between an ancient past and modernity, a culture that values traditions like the Tet New Year’s that revers ancestors and vibrantly embraces the future. It is a young nation on the move. The girls and young women are lovely, and they’re often named after flowers Lan (Orchid), Mai (Apricot), Dao (Peach), and; Hong (Rose). Children are playing everywhere, and there is a welcoming smile wherever you go. Delicious foods are made in tiny stalls on old Hanoi’s crowded sidewalks and fill the air with savory fragrances.  Families sit on the small plastic stools and share pots of Bun Bo Hue, Pho, steaming pots of rice, fish on the grill, and fresh spring rolls.  Vietnam is the world capital of cooking, with its flavors and spices drawn from its tradition and throughout Asia.  It is a feast for the senses and spirit! For many, it is a hard life of work and family, but there is this joy of family and life that is readily visible. With its sultry vistas from the Mekong Delta to the serene BaNang Mountains and coastlines that stretch the country’s length, I am wonderstruck. The emerald green rice paddies, from small villages to vast fields, is the true wealth of this land, and this harvest of rice has always been the soul of the country. Yet, beneath this beauty, there is the indisputable legacy of Agent Orange poisoning from the war that still has a profound impact on the ecosystem. Imagine Peace at War Remnants Museum in HCMC, Vietnam Vietnam is a profusion of farms, classic imperial palaces, temples and gardens, and crowded modern cities.   Monasteries and temples are carved into the Marble Mountains, and during the war, tunnels were carved to treat Vietnamese soldiers. Though the war was more than fifty years ago, the trauma and memories are ever-present and despite these scars, the land’s beauty endures. Vietnam is shaped and defined be the invaders and their wars that have come and gone, but from the courage of these resilient peoples has emerged a country of grandeur and rugged beauty. In the city of Hue, there are centuries-old homes and gardens.  It is surprising what has endured, even the elegant remnants of an imperial poet’s home still stands.  This city and the imperial palace were heavily damaged during the war; yet, one can still see the monumental grandeur that was built by peasant laborers. Hue was a key battleground in the Tet Offensive in 1968, a country-wide military operation by the North Vietnamese army that tore away the facade that the war was only a “police action” by the Americans. Today, as I walk along the Perfume River at daybreak, the fishermen in their long-boats, cast their wide nets to the river, as they have for centuries.  Despite the modern cities, gleaming new airports, and resorts it is still defined by its laborers, farmers, and hard-working people with their heavily weighed down bamboo shoulder baskets (don gahn tre) with fruits, vegetables, and just about anything.  This nation was born from the sweat, strength, and profound courage of its people. In coming to Vietnam in 2020, for a writing and art residency about peace, my challenge was to set aside my assumptions and beliefs about Vietnam. In Buddhism, it is called a beginner mind.  Serendipitously, the renowned Buddhist teacher and peace leader Thich Nhat Hanh returned to Hue this year, and we visited his beautiful ancient temple Hanh Tu Hieu.  Thich Nhat Hanh reminds us, each moment is the present and wonderful moment. As I walk along the Perfume River and through the Imperial palace’s ruins, it’s a meditation on the present as my eyes and senses filled are filled with the beauty of this land. Vietnam is an ancient culture, dating back thousands of years and occupied since the pre-historic times, with a culture drawn from the Cham Empire, influences of Khmer, Chinese, Buddhists, and eventually the Western countries.    Monks in saffron robes stroll by with black umbrellas. There is a profusion of Buddhist temples, and there are also the old French Catholic churches throughout the country. Most famously the Notre Dame Cathedral in Ho Chi Minh City was built from imported materials from France. Today, less than ten percent of Vietnamese identify as Catholics. Though fifteen percent of Vietnamese declare themselves as Buddhist; however, the mix of Buddhism, Confucianism, Taoism, and the traditional folk religions are the foundation of their culture.  The Buddhist monks staunchly opposed the war and the South Vietnamese government’s corruption and repression. On June 11, 1963 a monk, Thich Quang Duc, calmly sat down in downtown Saigon and immolated himself to protest the war, an act that shocked the world.  This profound sacrifice embodied the immense courage and resilience of the Vietnamese people.  The United States had undermined the Vietnamese independence movement since the 1940s.  During WWII, the Vietnamese under the leadership of Ho Chi Minh aided the USA and the Allied troops against the Japanese occupation. However, upon presenting their Vietnamese constitution modeled on the American one, the USA rejected it, and then became mired in an unwinnable war. The Americans reequipped and brought the French Army