Peace Treesby Chris Stegman Special to the Green Pages Peace Trees Vietnam: Reversing the Legacy of War, a moving video documentary, tells the stories of eight participants in the first-ever joint American/Vietnamese demining and reforestation effort which took place in central Vietnam last year. Some 40 Americans signed up to help the Vietnamese begin reforestation at an 18-acre site in an area called Quang Tri province, which was in the heart of the DMZ during the war. Over 80% of the tropical forests were destroyed by American carpet bombing and chemical poisons. The entire wartime population was forced to move north or south or into underground tunnels built during the war against the French colonialists. But before they could do any planting the Vietnamese had to clear the area of unexploded ordnance (UXO) including 360 landmines, mortars, bombs and grenades left over from the war. They did so with the help of special high-tech landmine detectors provided by the Earthsteward Network, sponsor for the American organization which raised $225,000 from over 1,600 donors for the project. Produced by two Olympians and Thurston Community Television (TCTV) members, Chris Stegman and Carol Burns, the video includes interviews with two Vietnam vet participants who share their accounts of the healing impact of working, playing and sharing their hearts with their former wartime adversaries. There is also the story of Jessica Nguyen, a 30-year old Vietnamese American who came to the U.S. from Hue City (60 kms. from the project site) in 1975 at the age of eight and returned to Vietnam for the first time in 1994, then again with the Peace Trees Vietnam project team in November of l996. Then there is the story of Le Van Thu, who was born and raised in Quang Tri province, whose family was driven from its homeland by the American war which destroyed his family's village and home three times over. Yet his message today is one of peace and reconciliation. And Jerilyn Brusseau, the project director and wife of the late Danaan Parry (founder of the Earthstewards Network and originator of the PeaceTrees program), who lost a brother during the war and took his medals (with her mother's blessing) back to Vietnam to plant with the first Peace Tree in his honor. This is an uplifting story told by those who experienced it, a healing journey made by 40 Americans whose bonds of friendship blossomed along with what is now known as the Friendship Forestry Park. A public screening of the video will occur on Friday, September 5th at the Unitarian Church in West Olympia, with a reception at 7:30pm and a showing on a big screen from 8-9pm. A panel discussion including participants will follow from 9-9:30pm. Refreshments will be served and admission is free. The video will also be shown on TCTV's Channel 3 on the following dates: Wed Aug 27 at 9pm, Mon Sept 1 at 4pm, Wed Sept 3 at 9pm, Sun Sept 7 at 1pm, Thurs Sept 11 at 11am, Sat Sept 13 at 6pm, Mon Sept 15 at 9am, and Thursday, September 18 at Midnight. For more information contact Chris Stegman at 705-3528 or Carol Burns at 866-7645. Chris Stegman is a Vietnam veteran and an active member of the Peace Trees program.
Back to Home page. |
