Blog #4
The presence of America’s military in Vietnam was nothing to be admired and in hindsight was downright senseless. Despite the political implications surrounding their dominance in Vietnam, they left an impression on children as being heroes yet during their imperialistic reign they were destroying a country; both its landscape and the people who they used for their own pleasure would be left with the aftermath of their occupation. “Mango” by Christian Langworthy was sad to say the least. Sa and Dung seemed to idolize American soldiers and their mother used the soldiers in order to care for her two sons. While no judgment is passed on the mother, she was doing what she had to do to take care of her kids; it was the way that the soldier’s presence was not only in their country but in their house-that’s a little too close to home for my comfort. Their influence was being left on these two young impressionable boys. “Mother’s clients were all around us, on the street corners and in the pool halls. They were prison guards, truck drivers, mechanics, and pilots. They were sergeants and majors, captains and corporals. They lived on the military bases, in their Quonset huts and in clusters of green tents. I watched them as they performed their duties in the prisons, on the streets, or on the landing zones. I watched them pilot their Huey and Chinook helicopters. My brother and I caught the bubble gum they threw from the back of the deuce-and-a-half trucks as their convoys rumbled by. I was fascinated with the soldiers and their weapons of war. They were my heroes” (Langworthy, 225-226). The soldiers were there then they were gone. “The men in the green uniforms entered and left our lives” (Langworthy, 227). I would imagine that this would be confusing for children especially when they witnessed their mother working. “On a table in the center of the room, a soldier was bending over Mother. My brother and I approached the table and walked around it. Mother told us to go back to sleep, but we ignored her and watched. She was wearing a blouse, but was naked from the waist down. The soldier’s green trousers hung around his ankles. His hips moved up and down like he was trying to climb on top of her” (Langworthy, 226). This particular scene bothers me to no end. As a mother, I personally would never prostitute to care for my children but I understand that some women feel that this is their only option. With that said, if I did turn tricks, I would not have my clients anywhere near my house or my children. Building off of last week’s post about the love of a mother and their influence, I don’t think she was a bad mom but her influence combined with that of the soldiers had to have a huge impact on these two boys. I don’t know what to make of this story. Clearly their mother was a prostitute and her “clients” were the American military. One would think that after her services had been rendered they would leave yet in many cases, “increasingly, they were sleeping in our bungalow” (Langworthy, 227). I understand that the boys’ father was not present and honestly, I don’t think they were killed. I think they were two of their mother’s clients and she either didn’t know who they were or they were simply nowhere to be found; possibly they were already back in the U.S. starting families of their own and had no idea these children even existed. They just wanted to have a good time for a few minutes not produce children and then subsequently raise them. The two boys seemed so excited when they saw an American soldier at their house with roller skates and the possibility that this could be one of their dads seemed to overwhelm them with joy but alas, he was only there to have his sexual needs met and the toy was a distraction to get the children to leave the house. I know that if it was up to most of these soldiers, they would have never been in Vietnam and I understand that “men have needs” but I think their presence in Vietnam did more damage than good especially to the children that witnessed them and unfortunately in many cases, these children idolized them and revered them as heroes.
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