我那些参加过越南战争的朋友（愿意谈论此事的那些）似乎仍然对越南人怀有强烈的憎恨，这种情绪在越战老兵中普遍存在吗？我并没有荣幸参加越南战争
正文翻译
My friends that served in Vietnam (the ones that talk about it) seem to still have an undying hatred for the Vietnamese, is this prevelant among Vietnam Vets? I did not have the honor of serving in the Vietnam War.
我那些参加过越南战争的朋友（愿意谈论此事的那些）似乎仍然对越南人怀有强烈的憎恨，这种情绪在越战老兵中普遍存在吗？我并没有荣幸参加越南战争。
David Conley Huey mechanics
大卫·康利 休伊直升机机械师
We Huey mechanics had Vietnamese ‘hooch maids’ at Vinh Long, on the Mekong in 68. One older woman, say 35, told us as we left for the flightline, “kill cong”. After hearing her several times, I asked one of the younger women who could speak a little English why she said that. The two talked a little and the young one then told me that the older woman’s husband was a village chief. The vc came to the village wanting him to help them…provide food, whatever. He refused. A short time later they came back and made the same demand. Again he refused. The vc gathered the whole village together and shot him. Another time our base was mortored. I can still see the green tracers going up and the red going down from the Cobra. Finally no more green. The next morning some grunts went out to see what was out beyond the fence. The word was the machine gunners were chained to the weapon to keep them from running. My thoughts about the vc/nva is that they didn’t care about anybody except themselves with the way they treated the civilians…take Hue during Tet for example. Would I go back to nam….no. To many bad memories.
1968年，我们这些休伊直升机机械师在湄公河畔的永隆有越南籍的“营房女佣”。一位大约35岁的年长女性，在我们前往飞行跑道时对我们说“杀越共”。多次听到她这么说后，我问了一位会说一点英语的年轻女性她为什么要这么说。两人简短交谈了几句，随后年轻女性告诉我，这位年长女性的丈夫是村长。越共来到村里，要求他提供帮助，比如提供食物之类的任何东西，他拒绝了。不久之后，越共再次返回并提出同样的要求，他还是拒绝了。于是越共把全村人召集起来，开枪打死了他。还有一次，我们的基地遭到迫击炮袭击，我至今仍能清晰地记得“眼镜蛇”武装直升机发射的绿色曳光弹升空，红色曳光弹落下的场景，最后再也没有绿色曳光弹了。第二天早上，一些步兵出去查看围栏外的情况，听说那些机枪手被铁链锁在武器上，防止他们逃跑。在我看来，越共/北越军队对待平民的方式表明他们只关心自己，根本不顾及他人，比如春节攻势期间的顺化事件就是例子。我还会回到越南吗？不，那里有太多糟糕的回忆。
Bruce Bean Former Colonel, USAF retired
布鲁斯·比恩 美国空军退役上校
The Vietnamese who fought were much like the GIs who fought. They were told to fight and they did. They did not decide to have a war. Some guys 50 years older made that decision. Strange how similar their situation was to our… I returned 25 years after the war. There were very few people on the streets of Hanoi or HCMC (Saigon) who were old enough to have been in the war. We were easily recognizable as Americans (they refer to the “American war”), but every single person was friendly. Yes, I was shocked and very pleased to see that, while they could not avoid knowing about the war, it was just “history” to them. I enjoyed meeting them. Then we went to the Cu Chi tunnels - 3 levels of rooms extending for miles. Anyone who could build that and the live there while the B-52’s were were dumping our bombs on them deserves my respect. To be fair, however, you must remember I was in the Air Force and never in an engagement on the ground. The guys on the ground who went through that had a very different experience and many saw their friends killed or wounded. That might well have given me a different perspective. Next time let the decision makers fight- on the ground in the mud.
参战的越南人和美国大兵很相似，他们接到参战命令就上了战场，战争的决定权并不在他们手中，而是由那些年长50岁的人做出的。说来奇怪，他们的处境和我们竟如此相似……战争结束25年后，我回到了越南。在河内或胡志明市（西贡）的街头，很少能见到年纪大到经历过那场战争的人。我们作为美国人很容易被认出来（他们称之为“美国战争”），但每一个人都很友好。是的，我既惊讶又欣慰地发现，尽管他们无法回避那场战争，但对他们而言，那已经只是“历史”了。我很喜欢和他们交流。之后我们去了古芝地道，那里有三层房间，绵延数英里。任何人能建造出这样的地道，还能在B-52轰炸机向他们投下炸弹时躲在里面生存，都值得我尊敬。不过公平地说，我得说明我当时是在空军服役，从未参与过地面战斗。那些经历过地面战斗的士兵有着完全不同的遭遇，很多人亲眼目睹了战友伤亡，那样的经历或许会让我产生完全不同的看法。下次就让那些决策者去战斗吧——在泥泞的地面上冲锋陷阵。
Gary Weiss Former Commercial Diver, Civil Eng.
加里·韦斯 前商业潜水员、土木工程师
I was in Nam from 69 to 71 mainly in the Mekong Delta. I lived on a river and learned Vietnamese. We lived across the river from a viet village and had alot of contact with the villagers. I learned to trust some and lost my fear of leaving the base which was very isolated. I was often the only one willing to leave the base and travel sometimes hours for supplies. I met many vietnamese in my travels, some I’m sure were VC at night. I guess I kind of went native, ate native foods (nhuc mam for those who know) was buried fish guts and veggies and made your body smell. Many people said I smelled like a gook. I realized we shoudn’t have been there and felt bad for all the innocent life lost (ours especially) I was in many hairy situations but I liked Vietnam and most of it’s peoples. Still do. Hate false flags, though.
1969年至1971年期间，我在越南服役，主要驻扎在湄公河三角洲。我住在河边，还学会了越南语。我们的驻地与一个越南村庄隔河相望，和村民们有很多接触。我逐渐学会了信任一些人，也不再害怕离开那个非常偏僻的基地。我常常是唯一一个愿意离开基地，有时甚至要跋涉数小时去领取补给的人。在出行途中，我遇到了很多越南人，我敢肯定其中一些人晚上就是越共成员。我想我算是入乡随俗了，吃当地的食物（了解的人应该知道鱼露，是用鱼内脏和蔬菜腌制而成的，会让身体散发异味），很多人说我闻起来像个“东方佬”。我意识到我们根本不该出现在那里，为所有逝去的无辜生命感到痛心，尤其是我们美国人的生命。我经历过很多惊险的时刻，但我喜欢越南这个国家，也喜欢大多数越南人，现在依然如此。不过，我痛恨美国的新闻与宣传机构，他们为配合政府的战略目标，自导自演编造故事以实现其宣传或政治目的。
Charles Neilsen Vietnam Veteran
查尔斯·尼尔森 越战老兵
I have nothing but respect for the Vietnamese. The South Vietnamese got a terrible deal when we abandoned them. We not only left them to fight a war by themselves, we cut off their ammunition supply. The South Vietnamese were actually out of bullets when the North got to Saigon. Today, they’re a warm, welcoming people who have put the “American War” into the past, along with the French War and the Chinese War. The North Vietnamese I respect. They were tough, dedicated fighters, worthy of anyone’s respect.
我对越南人只有尊重。当年我们抛弃南越时，他们的遭遇太惨了。我们不仅让他们独自作战，还切断了他们的弹药供应。北越军队抵达西贡时，南越军队实际上已经弹尽粮绝。如今，他们是热情好客的民族，已经把“美国战争”以及之前的法国战争、中国战争都抛在了脑后。我也尊重北越人，他们是顽强且忠诚的战士，值得任何人敬佩。
Michael Lowrey Old guy, studied all the while
迈克尔·劳里 年长学者，毕生钻研
The Vietnam Veterans I know do not hate the Vietnamese people. But a lot of them hate part or all of the people who made up the South Vietnamese government, including some elements of their military (especially the officer corps and certain of the non-coms).
我认识的越战老兵都不憎恨越南人民，但他们中的很多人痛恨南越政府的部分或全部成员，包括南越军队中的一些势力（尤其是军官团和某些士官）。
Edward Kahl Former 1st Cav 215 BN
爱德华·卡尔 前第一骑兵师215营士兵
You may hate this answer. 99+% of people find themselves unable to kill another human on orders from anyone. You may not like your neighbor but you don’t shoot them because they are human. My born on ship from Germany Grandfather called the men he faced in WW1 krauts, my father called his enemy in WW2 gooks as did my older Marine brother in Viet Nam. When I stepped in country the locals were ALL called dinks. Before long in my mind that is what they became. Krauts are not human, Germans are .Gooks are not human, Japanese are. Dinks are not human, Vietnamese are. Hate once learned is very hard to overcome, but most of us have worked on ourselves and no longer hate. My anger is still red hot toward Johnson, Nixon, and other people involved with sending me and every other solder. sailor, and marine over on a false pretence. I refuse to talk to anyone but a fellow VN vet about actual experences and they have to gain my trust first. Probable full of shit but that my thoughts.
你可能会不喜欢这个答案。99%以上的人都无法遵照别人的命令去杀害另一个人。你可能不喜欢邻居，但你不会开枪打死他们，因为他们也是人。我的祖父在从德国驶来的船上出生，他把一战中面对的敌人称为“德国佬”；我父亲在二战中把敌人叫做“东方佬”，我在海军陆战队服役的哥哥在越南战场也是这么称呼敌人的。当我踏上越南的土地时，所有当地人都被叫做“矮子”，不久之后，在我脑海里他们就真的成了“矮子”。“德国佬”不是人，德国人是人；“东方佬”不是人，日本人是人；“矮子”不是人，越南人是人。仇恨一旦滋生就很难消除，但我们大多数人都努力自我调适，不再心怀憎恨。我对约翰逊、尼克松以及其他以虚假借口把我和其他所有士兵、水手、海军陆战队员派到越南的人，依然怒火中烧。除了同为越战老兵的人，我拒绝和任何人谈论真实的经历，而且他们还得先获得我的信任。可能我说的都是废话，但这就是我的真实想法。
Tom Williams Former U.S. Army Paratrooper, Vietnam, 1st Abn. Brigade, 1st Cavalry Div. and 101st Abn.
汤姆·威廉姆斯 前美国陆军伞兵，曾服役于越南战场的第一骑兵师第一空降旅和第101空降师
My opinion, is no. There were a lot of things going on in Vietnam that never made the headlines.
我的观点是，这种憎恨并不普遍。越南战场上发生了很多从未登上新闻头条的事情。
First off, Vietnam was a sub-third world country in the 1960s when the war started ramping up. Poverty was the norm, electricity outside of the cities was nonexistent, as were any other forms of infrastructure like paved secondary roads, water treatment plants, or sewage disposal. Rural folks, mostly farmers, lived in straw, bamboo, and thatch huts with glassless windows and doorless doors. The floors were dirt.
首先，20世纪60年代战争升级时，越南还是一个次第三世界国家。贫困是常态，城市以外没有电力供应，也没有铺砌的二级公路、水处理厂或污水处理设施等其他基础设施。农村居民大多是农民，住在茅草、竹子搭建的棚屋里，没有玻璃窗，也没有门板，地面就是泥土。
Now, you introduce a bunch of rowdy, well-fed, relatively well-paid kids into the mix. I’m speaking primarily of the “garritroopers” or troops who did administrative work for the military. Most of those were in MACV (Military Assistance Command) and stationed in Saigon. The combat troops, Infantry, Artillery, and Armor, the traditional “Combat Arms”, which comprise only about one-fifth of a Division’s manpower strength were mostly in the rural areas, dispersed among the various outposts and camps around the country.
如今，一群吵闹、温饱无忧且薪水相对优厚的年轻人涌入了这个国家。我说的主要是“后方勤务兵”，也就是从事军事行政工作的士兵，他们大多隶属于军事援助司令部（MACV），驻扎在西贡。而作战部队，包括步兵、炮兵和装甲兵这些传统的“作战兵种”，仅占一个师兵力的约五分之一，他们大多驻扎在农村地区，分散在全国各地的各个前哨基地和营地。
The “garritroopers”, or “chairborne corps”, working behind a desk all day were bored with the nonexistent recreational opportunities afforded, so the Vietnamese, seeing an opportunity, opened bars, nightclubs, and restaurants. All this, of course, took place in the relatively secure areas, or “green zones”, which included most areas of Saigon.
这些“后方勤务兵”或者说“办公室士兵”整天坐在办公桌后，因缺乏娱乐活动而感到无聊。越南人看到了商机，便开设了酒吧、夜总会和餐馆，当然，这一切都发生在相对安全的区域，也就是“绿区”，西贡的大部分地区都属于这类区域。
The atmosphere was generally friendly, but after a while, when the troops in the field start getting sent home in body bags, the average soldier starts wondering what the local Vietnamese are doing on their own behalf, other than profiting from the situation. Resentment grows.
起初氛围总体是友好的，但一段时间后，当战场上的士兵开始被装在尸袋里送回国时，普通士兵就会开始疑惑，除了从战争中获利，当地越南人到底为自己做了些什么，不满情绪也随之滋生。
Meanwhile, the only news about the South Vietnamese armed forces is how incompetent and ineffectual they are, which was a total falsehood, but that was the underlying theme of every story heard.
与此同时，关于南越军队的消息只有他们如何无能低效，这完全是谎言，但这却是所有听到的报道的潜在主题。
When I was with the 1st Cavalry Division’s 1st Airborne Brigade, we never came in contact with many Vietnamese civilians, being stationed at an outpost in the Central Highlands and on patrol in the “bush” most days, but I heard the same stories.
我在第一骑兵师第一空降旅服役时，由于驻扎在中央高地的一个前哨基地，大多数日子都在“丛林”中巡逻，所以很少接触到越南平民，但我也听到了同样的说法。
After not too much time, you start thinking that the local people should be doing more to help themselves, rather than relying on us and if they’re not, why not? The people in the rural countryside knew full well of the movements of the North Vietnamese military units in their provinces, but I’ve never heard of an American or allied unit being warned by villagers or farmers of an impending ambush or the locations of booby traps on the trail. Supposedly, a known, but not revealed series of ambushes is what enraged the members of Lt. Calley’s platoon leading to the atrocity at My Lai.
没过多久，你就会开始认为当地人应该为自救多做些事情，而不是依赖我们，如果他们没有这么做，原因何在？农村地区的人们非常清楚北越军队在他们省份的动向，但我从未听说过有村民或农民警告美国或盟军部队即将到来的伏击，或是小径上饵雷的位置。据称，正是一系列已知但未被揭发的伏击事件激怒了卡利中尉排的士兵，最终导致了美莱村惨案的发生。
In any case, the people were “owned” by the North Vietnamese, the same people we were led to believe “wanted” our help. Things weren’t adding up.
无论如何，这些人都受北越控制，而我们却被误导，以为这些人“需要”我们的帮助，一切都显得格格不入。
That’s the root of most “hatred” for the Vietnamese. A lot of guys, especially the ones who lost friends in the war, look upon the “Wall” in Washington, with its 58,000 names etched into the marble, and believe, with some justification, that the majority of those should be Vietnamese, not American names. They don’t realize that many South Vietnamese soldiers WERE killed in the war, some 200,000 of them.
这就是对越南人产生大部分“憎恨”的根源。很多人，尤其是那些在战争中失去朋友的人，看着华盛顿纪念碑墙上镌刻的5.8万个名字，会有理由相信，这些名字中的大多数本该是越南人的，而不是美国人的。他们没有意识到，很多南越士兵也在战争中丧生，人数约有20万。
But the fact is, the average Vietnamese citizen never asked for our help in the first place, the South Vietnamese government did. The Vietnamese farmer was content to allow government affairs to be controlled by whoever had the “will of heaven”, especially in the rural villages, where “the laws of the Empire are less than the customs of the Village.”
但事实是，普通越南民众从一开始就从未请求过我们的帮助，是南越政府要求的。越南农民愿意让拥有“天命”的人来掌控政务，尤其是在农村地区，那里流传着“王法不如村规”的说法。
Still, I don’t believe it’s a majority opinion, at least not among the Vietnam veterans I’ve spoken with down through the years and I’ve never felt that way. It’s only a shame that such a bloody, divisive, and costly war had to take place in such a beautiful land.
不过，我认为这并不是大多数人的看法，至少在我这些年交谈过的越战老兵中不是这样，我自己也从未有过这样的感受。只是遗憾的是，一场如此血腥、分裂且代价高昂的战争，竟然发生在这样一片美丽的土地上。
我那些参加过越南战争的朋友（愿意谈论此事的那些）似乎仍然对越南人怀有强烈的憎恨，这种情绪在越战老兵中普遍存在吗？我并没有荣幸参加越南战争。
David Conley Huey mechanics
大卫·康利 休伊直升机机械师
We Huey mechanics had Vietnamese ‘hooch maids’ at Vinh Long, on the Mekong in 68. One older woman, say 35, told us as we left for the flightline, “kill cong”. After hearing her several times, I asked one of the younger women who could speak a little English why she said that. The two talked a little and the young one then told me that the older woman’s husband was a village chief. The vc came to the village wanting him to help them…provide food, whatever. He refused. A short time later they came back and made the same demand. Again he refused. The vc gathered the whole village together and shot him. Another time our base was mortored. I can still see the green tracers going up and the red going down from the Cobra. Finally no more green. The next morning some grunts went out to see what was out beyond the fence. The word was the machine gunners were chained to the weapon to keep them from running. My thoughts about the vc/nva is that they didn’t care about anybody except themselves with the way they treated the civilians…take Hue during Tet for example. Would I go back to nam….no. To many bad memories.
1968年，我们这些休伊直升机机械师在湄公河畔的永隆有越南籍的“营房女佣”。一位大约35岁的年长女性，在我们前往飞行跑道时对我们说“杀越共”。多次听到她这么说后，我问了一位会说一点英语的年轻女性她为什么要这么说。两人简短交谈了几句，随后年轻女性告诉我，这位年长女性的丈夫是村长。越共来到村里，要求他提供帮助，比如提供食物之类的任何东西，他拒绝了。不久之后，越共再次返回并提出同样的要求，他还是拒绝了。于是越共把全村人召集起来，开枪打死了他。还有一次，我们的基地遭到迫击炮袭击，我至今仍能清晰地记得“眼镜蛇”武装直升机发射的绿色曳光弹升空，红色曳光弹落下的场景，最后再也没有绿色曳光弹了。第二天早上，一些步兵出去查看围栏外的情况，听说那些机枪手被铁链锁在武器上，防止他们逃跑。在我看来，越共/北越军队对待平民的方式表明他们只关心自己，根本不顾及他人，比如春节攻势期间的顺化事件就是例子。我还会回到越南吗？不，那里有太多糟糕的回忆。
Bruce Bean Former Colonel, USAF retired
布鲁斯·比恩 美国空军退役上校
The Vietnamese who fought were much like the GIs who fought. They were told to fight and they did. They did not decide to have a war. Some guys 50 years older made that decision. Strange how similar their situation was to our… I returned 25 years after the war. There were very few people on the streets of Hanoi or HCMC (Saigon) who were old enough to have been in the war. We were easily recognizable as Americans (they refer to the “American war”), but every single person was friendly. Yes, I was shocked and very pleased to see that, while they could not avoid knowing about the war, it was just “history” to them. I enjoyed meeting them. Then we went to the Cu Chi tunnels - 3 levels of rooms extending for miles. Anyone who could build that and the live there while the B-52’s were were dumping our bombs on them deserves my respect. To be fair, however, you must remember I was in the Air Force and never in an engagement on the ground. The guys on the ground who went through that had a very different experience and many saw their friends killed or wounded. That might well have given me a different perspective. Next time let the decision makers fight- on the ground in the mud.
参战的越南人和美国大兵很相似，他们接到参战命令就上了战场，战争的决定权并不在他们手中，而是由那些年长50岁的人做出的。说来奇怪，他们的处境和我们竟如此相似……战争结束25年后，我回到了越南。在河内或胡志明市（西贡）的街头，很少能见到年纪大到经历过那场战争的人。我们作为美国人很容易被认出来（他们称之为“美国战争”），但每一个人都很友好。是的，我既惊讶又欣慰地发现，尽管他们无法回避那场战争，但对他们而言，那已经只是“历史”了。我很喜欢和他们交流。之后我们去了古芝地道，那里有三层房间，绵延数英里。任何人能建造出这样的地道，还能在B-52轰炸机向他们投下炸弹时躲在里面生存，都值得我尊敬。不过公平地说，我得说明我当时是在空军服役，从未参与过地面战斗。那些经历过地面战斗的士兵有着完全不同的遭遇，很多人亲眼目睹了战友伤亡，那样的经历或许会让我产生完全不同的看法。下次就让那些决策者去战斗吧——在泥泞的地面上冲锋陷阵。
Gary Weiss Former Commercial Diver, Civil Eng.
加里·韦斯 前商业潜水员、土木工程师
I was in Nam from 69 to 71 mainly in the Mekong Delta. I lived on a river and learned Vietnamese. We lived across the river from a viet village and had alot of contact with the villagers. I learned to trust some and lost my fear of leaving the base which was very isolated. I was often the only one willing to leave the base and travel sometimes hours for supplies. I met many vietnamese in my travels, some I’m sure were VC at night. I guess I kind of went native, ate native foods (nhuc mam for those who know) was buried fish guts and veggies and made your body smell. Many people said I smelled like a gook. I realized we shoudn’t have been there and felt bad for all the innocent life lost (ours especially) I was in many hairy situations but I liked Vietnam and most of it’s peoples. Still do. Hate false flags, though.
1969年至1971年期间，我在越南服役，主要驻扎在湄公河三角洲。我住在河边，还学会了越南语。我们的驻地与一个越南村庄隔河相望，和村民们有很多接触。我逐渐学会了信任一些人，也不再害怕离开那个非常偏僻的基地。我常常是唯一一个愿意离开基地，有时甚至要跋涉数小时去领取补给的人。在出行途中，我遇到了很多越南人，我敢肯定其中一些人晚上就是越共成员。我想我算是入乡随俗了，吃当地的食物（了解的人应该知道鱼露，是用鱼内脏和蔬菜腌制而成的，会让身体散发异味），很多人说我闻起来像个“东方佬”。我意识到我们根本不该出现在那里，为所有逝去的无辜生命感到痛心，尤其是我们美国人的生命。我经历过很多惊险的时刻，但我喜欢越南这个国家，也喜欢大多数越南人，现在依然如此。不过，我痛恨美国的新闻与宣传机构，他们为配合政府的战略目标，自导自演编造故事以实现其宣传或政治目的。
Charles Neilsen Vietnam Veteran
查尔斯·尼尔森 越战老兵
I have nothing but respect for the Vietnamese. The South Vietnamese got a terrible deal when we abandoned them. We not only left them to fight a war by themselves, we cut off their ammunition supply. The South Vietnamese were actually out of bullets when the North got to Saigon. Today, they’re a warm, welcoming people who have put the “American War” into the past, along with the French War and the Chinese War. The North Vietnamese I respect. They were tough, dedicated fighters, worthy of anyone’s respect.
我对越南人只有尊重。当年我们抛弃南越时，他们的遭遇太惨了。我们不仅让他们独自作战，还切断了他们的弹药供应。北越军队抵达西贡时，南越军队实际上已经弹尽粮绝。如今，他们是热情好客的民族，已经把“美国战争”以及之前的法国战争、中国战争都抛在了脑后。我也尊重北越人，他们是顽强且忠诚的战士，值得任何人敬佩。
Michael Lowrey Old guy, studied all the while
迈克尔·劳里 年长学者，毕生钻研
The Vietnam Veterans I know do not hate the Vietnamese people. But a lot of them hate part or all of the people who made up the South Vietnamese government, including some elements of their military (especially the officer corps and certain of the non-coms).
我认识的越战老兵都不憎恨越南人民，但他们中的很多人痛恨南越政府的部分或全部成员，包括南越军队中的一些势力（尤其是军官团和某些士官）。
Edward Kahl Former 1st Cav 215 BN
爱德华·卡尔 前第一骑兵师215营士兵
You may hate this answer. 99+% of people find themselves unable to kill another human on orders from anyone. You may not like your neighbor but you don’t shoot them because they are human. My born on ship from Germany Grandfather called the men he faced in WW1 krauts, my father called his enemy in WW2 gooks as did my older Marine brother in Viet Nam. When I stepped in country the locals were ALL called dinks. Before long in my mind that is what they became. Krauts are not human, Germans are .Gooks are not human, Japanese are. Dinks are not human, Vietnamese are. Hate once learned is very hard to overcome, but most of us have worked on ourselves and no longer hate. My anger is still red hot toward Johnson, Nixon, and other people involved with sending me and every other solder. sailor, and marine over on a false pretence. I refuse to talk to anyone but a fellow VN vet about actual experences and they have to gain my trust first. Probable full of shit but that my thoughts.
你可能会不喜欢这个答案。99%以上的人都无法遵照别人的命令去杀害另一个人。你可能不喜欢邻居，但你不会开枪打死他们，因为他们也是人。我的祖父在从德国驶来的船上出生，他把一战中面对的敌人称为“德国佬”；我父亲在二战中把敌人叫做“东方佬”，我在海军陆战队服役的哥哥在越南战场也是这么称呼敌人的。当我踏上越南的土地时，所有当地人都被叫做“矮子”，不久之后，在我脑海里他们就真的成了“矮子”。“德国佬”不是人，德国人是人；“东方佬”不是人，日本人是人；“矮子”不是人，越南人是人。仇恨一旦滋生就很难消除，但我们大多数人都努力自我调适，不再心怀憎恨。我对约翰逊、尼克松以及其他以虚假借口把我和其他所有士兵、水手、海军陆战队员派到越南的人，依然怒火中烧。除了同为越战老兵的人，我拒绝和任何人谈论真实的经历，而且他们还得先获得我的信任。可能我说的都是废话，但这就是我的真实想法。
Tom Williams Former U.S. Army Paratrooper, Vietnam, 1st Abn. Brigade, 1st Cavalry Div. and 101st Abn.
汤姆·威廉姆斯 前美国陆军伞兵，曾服役于越南战场的第一骑兵师第一空降旅和第101空降师
My opinion, is no. There were a lot of things going on in Vietnam that never made the headlines.
我的观点是，这种憎恨并不普遍。越南战场上发生了很多从未登上新闻头条的事情。
First off, Vietnam was a sub-third world country in the 1960s when the war started ramping up. Poverty was the norm, electricity outside of the cities was nonexistent, as were any other forms of infrastructure like paved secondary roads, water treatment plants, or sewage disposal. Rural folks, mostly farmers, lived in straw, bamboo, and thatch huts with glassless windows and doorless doors. The floors were dirt.
首先，20世纪60年代战争升级时，越南还是一个次第三世界国家。贫困是常态，城市以外没有电力供应，也没有铺砌的二级公路、水处理厂或污水处理设施等其他基础设施。农村居民大多是农民，住在茅草、竹子搭建的棚屋里，没有玻璃窗，也没有门板，地面就是泥土。
Now, you introduce a bunch of rowdy, well-fed, relatively well-paid kids into the mix. I’m speaking primarily of the “garritroopers” or troops who did administrative work for the military. Most of those were in MACV (Military Assistance Command) and stationed in Saigon. The combat troops, Infantry, Artillery, and Armor, the traditional “Combat Arms”, which comprise only about one-fifth of a Division’s manpower strength were mostly in the rural areas, dispersed among the various outposts and camps around the country.
如今，一群吵闹、温饱无忧且薪水相对优厚的年轻人涌入了这个国家。我说的主要是“后方勤务兵”，也就是从事军事行政工作的士兵，他们大多隶属于军事援助司令部（MACV），驻扎在西贡。而作战部队，包括步兵、炮兵和装甲兵这些传统的“作战兵种”，仅占一个师兵力的约五分之一，他们大多驻扎在农村地区，分散在全国各地的各个前哨基地和营地。
The “garritroopers”, or “chairborne corps”, working behind a desk all day were bored with the nonexistent recreational opportunities afforded, so the Vietnamese, seeing an opportunity, opened bars, nightclubs, and restaurants. All this, of course, took place in the relatively secure areas, or “green zones”, which included most areas of Saigon.
这些“后方勤务兵”或者说“办公室士兵”整天坐在办公桌后，因缺乏娱乐活动而感到无聊。越南人看到了商机，便开设了酒吧、夜总会和餐馆，当然，这一切都发生在相对安全的区域，也就是“绿区”，西贡的大部分地区都属于这类区域。
The atmosphere was generally friendly, but after a while, when the troops in the field start getting sent home in body bags, the average soldier starts wondering what the local Vietnamese are doing on their own behalf, other than profiting from the situation. Resentment grows.
起初氛围总体是友好的，但一段时间后，当战场上的士兵开始被装在尸袋里送回国时，普通士兵就会开始疑惑，除了从战争中获利，当地越南人到底为自己做了些什么，不满情绪也随之滋生。
Meanwhile, the only news about the South Vietnamese armed forces is how incompetent and ineffectual they are, which was a total falsehood, but that was the underlying theme of every story heard.
与此同时，关于南越军队的消息只有他们如何无能低效，这完全是谎言，但这却是所有听到的报道的潜在主题。
When I was with the 1st Cavalry Division’s 1st Airborne Brigade, we never came in contact with many Vietnamese civilians, being stationed at an outpost in the Central Highlands and on patrol in the “bush” most days, but I heard the same stories.
我在第一骑兵师第一空降旅服役时，由于驻扎在中央高地的一个前哨基地，大多数日子都在“丛林”中巡逻，所以很少接触到越南平民，但我也听到了同样的说法。
After not too much time, you start thinking that the local people should be doing more to help themselves, rather than relying on us and if they’re not, why not? The people in the rural countryside knew full well of the movements of the North Vietnamese military units in their provinces, but I’ve never heard of an American or allied unit being warned by villagers or farmers of an impending ambush or the locations of booby traps on the trail. Supposedly, a known, but not revealed series of ambushes is what enraged the members of Lt. Calley’s platoon leading to the atrocity at My Lai.
没过多久，你就会开始认为当地人应该为自救多做些事情，而不是依赖我们，如果他们没有这么做，原因何在？农村地区的人们非常清楚北越军队在他们省份的动向，但我从未听说过有村民或农民警告美国或盟军部队即将到来的伏击，或是小径上饵雷的位置。据称，正是一系列已知但未被揭发的伏击事件激怒了卡利中尉排的士兵，最终导致了美莱村惨案的发生。
In any case, the people were “owned” by the North Vietnamese, the same people we were led to believe “wanted” our help. Things weren’t adding up.
无论如何，这些人都受北越控制，而我们却被误导，以为这些人“需要”我们的帮助，一切都显得格格不入。
That’s the root of most “hatred” for the Vietnamese. A lot of guys, especially the ones who lost friends in the war, look upon the “Wall” in Washington, with its 58,000 names etched into the marble, and believe, with some justification, that the majority of those should be Vietnamese, not American names. They don’t realize that many South Vietnamese soldiers WERE killed in the war, some 200,000 of them.
这就是对越南人产生大部分“憎恨”的根源。很多人，尤其是那些在战争中失去朋友的人，看着华盛顿纪念碑墙上镌刻的5.8万个名字，会有理由相信，这些名字中的大多数本该是越南人的，而不是美国人的。他们没有意识到，很多南越士兵也在战争中丧生，人数约有20万。
But the fact is, the average Vietnamese citizen never asked for our help in the first place, the South Vietnamese government did. The Vietnamese farmer was content to allow government affairs to be controlled by whoever had the “will of heaven”, especially in the rural villages, where “the laws of the Empire are less than the customs of the Village.”
但事实是，普通越南民众从一开始就从未请求过我们的帮助，是南越政府要求的。越南农民愿意让拥有“天命”的人来掌控政务，尤其是在农村地区，那里流传着“王法不如村规”的说法。
Still, I don’t believe it’s a majority opinion, at least not among the Vietnam veterans I’ve spoken with down through the years and I’ve never felt that way. It’s only a shame that such a bloody, divisive, and costly war had to take place in such a beautiful land.
不过，我认为这并不是大多数人的看法，至少在我这些年交谈过的越战老兵中不是这样，我自己也从未有过这样的感受。只是遗憾的是，一场如此血腥、分裂且代价高昂的战争，竟然发生在这样一片美丽的土地上。
评论翻译
My friends that served in Vietnam (the ones that talk about it) seem to still have an undying hatred for the Vietnamese, is this prevelant among Vietnam Vets? I did not have the honor of serving in the Vietnam War.
我那些参加过越南战争的朋友（愿意谈论此事的那些）似乎仍然对越南人怀有强烈的憎恨，这种情绪在越战老兵中普遍存在吗？我并没有荣幸参加越南战争。
David Conley Huey mechanics
大卫·康利 休伊直升机机械师
We Huey mechanics had Vietnamese ‘hooch maids’ at Vinh Long, on the Mekong in 68. One older woman, say 35, told us as we left for the flightline, “kill cong”. After hearing her several times, I asked one of the younger women who could speak a little English why she said that. The two talked a little and the young one then told me that the older woman’s husband was a village chief. The vc came to the village wanting him to help them…provide food, whatever. He refused. A short time later they came back and made the same demand. Again he refused. The vc gathered the whole village together and shot him. Another time our base was mortored. I can still see the green tracers going up and the red going down from the Cobra. Finally no more green. The next morning some grunts went out to see what was out beyond the fence. The word was the machine gunners were chained to the weapon to keep them from running. My thoughts about the vc/nva is that they didn’t care about anybody except themselves with the way they treated the civilians…take Hue during Tet for example. Would I go back to nam….no. To many bad memories.
1968年，我们这些休伊直升机机械师在湄公河畔的永隆有越南籍的“营房女佣”。一位大约35岁的年长女性，在我们前往飞行跑道时对我们说“杀越共”。多次听到她这么说后，我问了一位会说一点英语的年轻女性她为什么要这么说。两人简短交谈了几句，随后年轻女性告诉我，这位年长女性的丈夫是村长。越共来到村里，要求他提供帮助，比如提供食物之类的任何东西，他拒绝了。不久之后，越共再次返回并提出同样的要求，他还是拒绝了。于是越共把全村人召集起来，开枪打死了他。还有一次，我们的基地遭到迫击炮袭击，我至今仍能清晰地记得“眼镜蛇”武装直升机发射的绿色曳光弹升空，红色曳光弹落下的场景，最后再也没有绿色曳光弹了。第二天早上，一些步兵出去查看围栏外的情况，听说那些机枪手被铁链锁在武器上，防止他们逃跑。在我看来，越共/北越军队对待平民的方式表明他们只关心自己，根本不顾及他人，比如春节攻势期间的顺化事件就是例子。我还会回到越南吗？不，那里有太多糟糕的回忆。
Bruce Bean Former Colonel, USAF retired
布鲁斯·比恩 美国空军退役上校
The Vietnamese who fought were much like the GIs who fought. They were told to fight and they did. They did not decide to have a war. Some guys 50 years older made that decision. Strange how similar their situation was to our… I returned 25 years after the war. There were very few people on the streets of Hanoi or HCMC (Saigon) who were old enough to have been in the war. We were easily recognizable as Americans (they refer to the “American war”), but every single person was friendly. Yes, I was shocked and very pleased to see that, while they could not avoid knowing about the war, it was just “history” to them. I enjoyed meeting them. Then we went to the Cu Chi tunnels - 3 levels of rooms extending for miles. Anyone who could build that and the live there while the B-52’s were were dumping our bombs on them deserves my respect. To be fair, however, you must remember I was in the Air Force and never in an engagement on the ground. The guys on the ground who went through that had a very different experience and many saw their friends killed or wounded. That might well have given me a different perspective. Next time let the decision makers fight- on the ground in the mud.
参战的越南人和美国大兵很相似，他们接到参战命令就上了战场，战争的决定权并不在他们手中，而是由那些年长50岁的人做出的。说来奇怪，他们的处境和我们竟如此相似……战争结束25年后，我回到了越南。在河内或胡志明市（西贡）的街头，很少能见到年纪大到经历过那场战争的人。我们作为美国人很容易被认出来（他们称之为“美国战争”），但每一个人都很友好。是的，我既惊讶又欣慰地发现，尽管他们无法回避那场战争，但对他们而言，那已经只是“历史”了。我很喜欢和他们交流。之后我们去了古芝地道，那里有三层房间，绵延数英里。任何人能建造出这样的地道，还能在B-52轰炸机向他们投下炸弹时躲在里面生存，都值得我尊敬。不过公平地说，我得说明我当时是在空军服役，从未参与过地面战斗。那些经历过地面战斗的士兵有着完全不同的遭遇，很多人亲眼目睹了战友伤亡，那样的经历或许会让我产生完全不同的看法。下次就让那些决策者去战斗吧——在泥泞的地面上冲锋陷阵。
Gary Weiss Former Commercial Diver, Civil Eng.
加里·韦斯 前商业潜水员、土木工程师
I was in Nam from 69 to 71 mainly in the Mekong Delta. I lived on a river and learned Vietnamese. We lived across the river from a viet village and had alot of contact with the villagers. I learned to trust some and lost my fear of leaving the base which was very isolated. I was often the only one willing to leave the base and travel sometimes hours for supplies. I met many vietnamese in my travels, some I’m sure were VC at night. I guess I kind of went native, ate native foods (nhuc mam for those who know) was buried fish guts and veggies and made your body smell. Many people said I smelled like a gook. I realized we shoudn’t have been there and felt bad for all the innocent life lost (ours especially) I was in many hairy situations but I liked Vietnam and most of it’s peoples. Still do. Hate false flags, though.
1969年至1971年期间，我在越南服役，主要驻扎在湄公河三角洲。我住在河边，还学会了越南语。我们的驻地与一个越南村庄隔河相望，和村民们有很多接触。我逐渐学会了信任一些人，也不再害怕离开那个非常偏僻的基地。我常常是唯一一个愿意离开基地，有时甚至要跋涉数小时去领取补给的人。在出行途中，我遇到了很多越南人，我敢肯定其中一些人晚上就是越共成员。我想我算是入乡随俗了，吃当地的食物（了解的人应该知道鱼露，是用鱼内脏和蔬菜腌制而成的，会让身体散发异味），很多人说我闻起来像个“东方佬”。我意识到我们根本不该出现在那里，为所有逝去的无辜生命感到痛心，尤其是我们美国人的生命。我经历过很多惊险的时刻，但我喜欢越南这个国家，也喜欢大多数越南人，现在依然如此。不过，我痛恨美国的新闻与宣传机构，他们为配合政府的战略目标，自导自演编造故事以实现其宣传或政治目的。
Charles Neilsen Vietnam Veteran
查尔斯·尼尔森 越战老兵
I have nothing but respect for the Vietnamese. The South Vietnamese got a terrible deal when we abandoned them. We not only left them to fight a war by themselves, we cut off their ammunition supply. The South Vietnamese were actually out of bullets when the North got to Saigon. Today, they’re a warm, welcoming people who have put the “American War” into the past, along with the French War and the Chinese War. The North Vietnamese I respect. They were tough, dedicated fighters, worthy of anyone’s respect.
我对越南人只有尊重。当年我们抛弃南越时，他们的遭遇太惨了。我们不仅让他们独自作战，还切断了他们的弹药供应。北越军队抵达西贡时，南越军队实际上已经弹尽粮绝。如今，他们是热情好客的民族，已经把“美国战争”以及之前的法国战争、中国战争都抛在了脑后。我也尊重北越人，他们是顽强且忠诚的战士，值得任何人敬佩。
Michael Lowrey Old guy, studied all the while
迈克尔·劳里 年长学者，毕生钻研
The Vietnam Veterans I know do not hate the Vietnamese people. But a lot of them hate part or all of the people who made up the South Vietnamese government, including some elements of their military (especially the officer corps and certain of the non-coms).
我认识的越战老兵都不憎恨越南人民，但他们中的很多人痛恨南越政府的部分或全部成员，包括南越军队中的一些势力（尤其是军官团和某些士官）。
Edward Kahl Former 1st Cav 215 BN
爱德华·卡尔 前第一骑兵师215营士兵
You may hate this answer. 99+% of people find themselves unable to kill another human on orders from anyone. You may not like your neighbor but you don’t shoot them because they are human. My born on ship from Germany Grandfather called the men he faced in WW1 krauts, my father called his enemy in WW2 gooks as did my older Marine brother in Viet Nam. When I stepped in country the locals were ALL called dinks. Before long in my mind that is what they became. Krauts are not human, Germans are .Gooks are not human, Japanese are. Dinks are not human, Vietnamese are. Hate once learned is very hard to overcome, but most of us have worked on ourselves and no longer hate. My anger is still red hot toward Johnson, Nixon, and other people involved with sending me and every other solder. sailor, and marine over on a false pretence. I refuse to talk to anyone but a fellow VN vet about actual experences and they have to gain my trust first. Probable full of shit but that my thoughts.
你可能会不喜欢这个答案。99%以上的人都无法遵照别人的命令去杀害另一个人。你可能不喜欢邻居，但你不会开枪打死他们，因为他们也是人。我的祖父在从德国驶来的船上出生，他把一战中面对的敌人称为“德国佬”；我父亲在二战中把敌人叫做“东方佬”，我在海军陆战队服役的哥哥在越南战场也是这么称呼敌人的。当我踏上越南的土地时，所有当地人都被叫做“矮子”，不久之后，在我脑海里他们就真的成了“矮子”。“德国佬”不是人，德国人是人；“东方佬”不是人，日本人是人；“矮子”不是人，越南人是人。仇恨一旦滋生就很难消除，但我们大多数人都努力自我调适，不再心怀憎恨。我对约翰逊、尼克松以及其他以虚假借口把我和其他所有士兵、水手、海军陆战队员派到越南的人，依然怒火中烧。除了同为越战老兵的人，我拒绝和任何人谈论真实的经历，而且他们还得先获得我的信任。可能我说的都是废话，但这就是我的真实想法。
Tom Williams Former U.S. Army Paratrooper, Vietnam, 1st Abn. Brigade, 1st Cavalry Div. and 101st Abn.
汤姆·威廉姆斯 前美国陆军伞兵，曾服役于越南战场的第一骑兵师第一空降旅和第101空降师
My opinion, is no. There were a lot of things going on in Vietnam that never made the headlines.
我的观点是，这种憎恨并不普遍。越南战场上发生了很多从未登上新闻头条的事情。
First off, Vietnam was a sub-third world country in the 1960s when the war started ramping up. Poverty was the norm, electricity outside of the cities was nonexistent, as were any other forms of infrastructure like paved secondary roads, water treatment plants, or sewage disposal. Rural folks, mostly farmers, lived in straw, bamboo, and thatch huts with glassless windows and doorless doors. The floors were dirt.
首先，20世纪60年代战争升级时，越南还是一个次第三世界国家。贫困是常态，城市以外没有电力供应，也没有铺砌的二级公路、水处理厂或污水处理设施等其他基础设施。农村居民大多是农民，住在茅草、竹子搭建的棚屋里，没有玻璃窗，也没有门板，地面就是泥土。
Now, you introduce a bunch of rowdy, well-fed, relatively well-paid kids into the mix. I’m speaking primarily of the “garritroopers” or troops who did administrative work for the military. Most of those were in MACV (Military Assistance Command) and stationed in Saigon. The combat troops, Infantry, Artillery, and Armor, the traditional “Combat Arms”, which comprise only about one-fifth of a Division’s manpower strength were mostly in the rural areas, dispersed among the various outposts and camps around the country.
如今，一群吵闹、温饱无忧且薪水相对优厚的年轻人涌入了这个国家。我说的主要是“后方勤务兵”，也就是从事军事行政工作的士兵，他们大多隶属于军事援助司令部（MACV），驻扎在西贡。而作战部队，包括步兵、炮兵和装甲兵这些传统的“作战兵种”，仅占一个师兵力的约五分之一，他们大多驻扎在农村地区，分散在全国各地的各个前哨基地和营地。
The “garritroopers”, or “chairborne corps”, working behind a desk all day were bored with the nonexistent recreational opportunities afforded, so the Vietnamese, seeing an opportunity, opened bars, nightclubs, and restaurants. All this, of course, took place in the relatively secure areas, or “green zones”, which included most areas of Saigon.
这些“后方勤务兵”或者说“办公室士兵”整天坐在办公桌后，因缺乏娱乐活动而感到无聊。越南人看到了商机，便开设了酒吧、夜总会和餐馆，当然，这一切都发生在相对安全的区域，也就是“绿区”，西贡的大部分地区都属于这类区域。
The atmosphere was generally friendly, but after a while, when the troops in the field start getting sent home in body bags, the average soldier starts wondering what the local Vietnamese are doing on their own behalf, other than profiting from the situation. Resentment grows.
起初氛围总体是友好的，但一段时间后，当战场上的士兵开始被装在尸袋里送回国时，普通士兵就会开始疑惑，除了从战争中获利，当地越南人到底为自己做了些什么，不满情绪也随之滋生。
Meanwhile, the only news about the South Vietnamese armed forces is how incompetent and ineffectual they are, which was a total falsehood, but that was the underlying theme of every story heard.
与此同时，关于南越军队的消息只有他们如何无能低效，这完全是谎言，但这却是所有听到的报道的潜在主题。
When I was with the 1st Cavalry Division’s 1st Airborne Brigade, we never came in contact with many Vietnamese civilians, being stationed at an outpost in the Central Highlands and on patrol in the “bush” most days, but I heard the same stories.
我在第一骑兵师第一空降旅服役时，由于驻扎在中央高地的一个前哨基地，大多数日子都在“丛林”中巡逻，所以很少接触到越南平民，但我也听到了同样的说法。
After not too much time, you start thinking that the local people should be doing more to help themselves, rather than relying on us and if they’re not, why not? The people in the rural countryside knew full well of the movements of the North Vietnamese military units in their provinces, but I’ve never heard of an American or allied unit being warned by villagers or farmers of an impending ambush or the locations of booby traps on the trail. Supposedly, a known, but not revealed series of ambushes is what enraged the members of Lt. Calley’s platoon leading to the atrocity at My Lai.
没过多久，你就会开始认为当地人应该为自救多做些事情，而不是依赖我们，如果他们没有这么做，原因何在？农村地区的人们非常清楚北越军队在他们省份的动向，但我从未听说过有村民或农民警告美国或盟军部队即将到来的伏击，或是小径上饵雷的位置。据称，正是一系列已知但未被揭发的伏击事件激怒了卡利中尉排的士兵，最终导致了美莱村惨案的发生。
In any case, the people were “owned” by the North Vietnamese, the same people we were led to believe “wanted” our help. Things weren’t adding up.
无论如何，这些人都受北越控制，而我们却被误导，以为这些人“需要”我们的帮助，一切都显得格格不入。
That’s the root of most “hatred” for the Vietnamese. A lot of guys, especially the ones who lost friends in the war, look upon the “Wall” in Washington, with its 58,000 names etched into the marble, and believe, with some justification, that the majority of those should be Vietnamese, not American names. They don’t realize that many South Vietnamese soldiers WERE killed in the war, some 200,000 of them.
这就是对越南人产生大部分“憎恨”的根源。很多人，尤其是那些在战争中失去朋友的人，看着华盛顿纪念碑墙上镌刻的5.8万个名字，会有理由相信，这些名字中的大多数本该是越南人的，而不是美国人的。他们没有意识到，很多南越士兵也在战争中丧生，人数约有20万。
But the fact is, the average Vietnamese citizen never asked for our help in the first place, the South Vietnamese government did. The Vietnamese farmer was content to allow government affairs to be controlled by whoever had the “will of heaven”, especially in the rural villages, where “the laws of the Empire are less than the customs of the Village.”
但事实是，普通越南民众从一开始就从未请求过我们的帮助，是南越政府要求的。越南农民愿意让拥有“天命”的人来掌控政务，尤其是在农村地区，那里流传着“王法不如村规”的说法。
Still, I don’t believe it’s a majority opinion, at least not among the Vietnam veterans I’ve spoken with down through the years and I’ve never felt that way. It’s only a shame that such a bloody, divisive, and costly war had to take place in such a beautiful land.
不过，我认为这并不是大多数人的看法，至少在我这些年交谈过的越战老兵中不是这样，我自己也从未有过这样的感受。只是遗憾的是，一场如此血腥、分裂且代价高昂的战争，竟然发生在这样一片美丽的土地上。
我那些参加过越南战争的朋友（愿意谈论此事的那些）似乎仍然对越南人怀有强烈的憎恨，这种情绪在越战老兵中普遍存在吗？我并没有荣幸参加越南战争。
David Conley Huey mechanics
大卫·康利 休伊直升机机械师
We Huey mechanics had Vietnamese ‘hooch maids’ at Vinh Long, on the Mekong in 68. One older woman, say 35, told us as we left for the flightline, “kill cong”. After hearing her several times, I asked one of the younger women who could speak a little English why she said that. The two talked a little and the young one then told me that the older woman’s husband was a village chief. The vc came to the village wanting him to help them…provide food, whatever. He refused. A short time later they came back and made the same demand. Again he refused. The vc gathered the whole village together and shot him. Another time our base was mortored. I can still see the green tracers going up and the red going down from the Cobra. Finally no more green. The next morning some grunts went out to see what was out beyond the fence. The word was the machine gunners were chained to the weapon to keep them from running. My thoughts about the vc/nva is that they didn’t care about anybody except themselves with the way they treated the civilians…take Hue during Tet for example. Would I go back to nam….no. To many bad memories.
1968年，我们这些休伊直升机机械师在湄公河畔的永隆有越南籍的“营房女佣”。一位大约35岁的年长女性，在我们前往飞行跑道时对我们说“杀越共”。多次听到她这么说后，我问了一位会说一点英语的年轻女性她为什么要这么说。两人简短交谈了几句，随后年轻女性告诉我，这位年长女性的丈夫是村长。越共来到村里，要求他提供帮助，比如提供食物之类的任何东西，他拒绝了。不久之后，越共再次返回并提出同样的要求，他还是拒绝了。于是越共把全村人召集起来，开枪打死了他。还有一次，我们的基地遭到迫击炮袭击，我至今仍能清晰地记得“眼镜蛇”武装直升机发射的绿色曳光弹升空，红色曳光弹落下的场景，最后再也没有绿色曳光弹了。第二天早上，一些步兵出去查看围栏外的情况，听说那些机枪手被铁链锁在武器上，防止他们逃跑。在我看来，越共/北越军队对待平民的方式表明他们只关心自己，根本不顾及他人，比如春节攻势期间的顺化事件就是例子。我还会回到越南吗？不，那里有太多糟糕的回忆。
Bruce Bean Former Colonel, USAF retired
布鲁斯·比恩 美国空军退役上校
The Vietnamese who fought were much like the GIs who fought. They were told to fight and they did. They did not decide to have a war. Some guys 50 years older made that decision. Strange how similar their situation was to our… I returned 25 years after the war. There were very few people on the streets of Hanoi or HCMC (Saigon) who were old enough to have been in the war. We were easily recognizable as Americans (they refer to the “American war”), but every single person was friendly. Yes, I was shocked and very pleased to see that, while they could not avoid knowing about the war, it was just “history” to them. I enjoyed meeting them. Then we went to the Cu Chi tunnels - 3 levels of rooms extending for miles. Anyone who could build that and the live there while the B-52’s were were dumping our bombs on them deserves my respect. To be fair, however, you must remember I was in the Air Force and never in an engagement on the ground. The guys on the ground who went through that had a very different experience and many saw their friends killed or wounded. That might well have given me a different perspective. Next time let the decision makers fight- on the ground in the mud.
参战的越南人和美国大兵很相似，他们接到参战命令就上了战场，战争的决定权并不在他们手中，而是由那些年长50岁的人做出的。说来奇怪，他们的处境和我们竟如此相似……战争结束25年后，我回到了越南。在河内或胡志明市（西贡）的街头，很少能见到年纪大到经历过那场战争的人。我们作为美国人很容易被认出来（他们称之为“美国战争”），但每一个人都很友好。是的，我既惊讶又欣慰地发现，尽管他们无法回避那场战争，但对他们而言，那已经只是“历史”了。我很喜欢和他们交流。之后我们去了古芝地道，那里有三层房间，绵延数英里。任何人能建造出这样的地道，还能在B-52轰炸机向他们投下炸弹时躲在里面生存，都值得我尊敬。不过公平地说，我得说明我当时是在空军服役，从未参与过地面战斗。那些经历过地面战斗的士兵有着完全不同的遭遇，很多人亲眼目睹了战友伤亡，那样的经历或许会让我产生完全不同的看法。下次就让那些决策者去战斗吧——在泥泞的地面上冲锋陷阵。
Gary Weiss Former Commercial Diver, Civil Eng.
加里·韦斯 前商业潜水员、土木工程师
I was in Nam from 69 to 71 mainly in the Mekong Delta. I lived on a river and learned Vietnamese. We lived across the river from a viet village and had alot of contact with the villagers. I learned to trust some and lost my fear of leaving the base which was very isolated. I was often the only one willing to leave the base and travel sometimes hours for supplies. I met many vietnamese in my travels, some I’m sure were VC at night. I guess I kind of went native, ate native foods (nhuc mam for those who know) was buried fish guts and veggies and made your body smell. Many people said I smelled like a gook. I realized we shoudn’t have been there and felt bad for all the innocent life lost (ours especially) I was in many hairy situations but I liked Vietnam and most of it’s peoples. Still do. Hate false flags, though.
1969年至1971年期间，我在越南服役，主要驻扎在湄公河三角洲。我住在河边，还学会了越南语。我们的驻地与一个越南村庄隔河相望，和村民们有很多接触。我逐渐学会了信任一些人，也不再害怕离开那个非常偏僻的基地。我常常是唯一一个愿意离开基地，有时甚至要跋涉数小时去领取补给的人。在出行途中，我遇到了很多越南人，我敢肯定其中一些人晚上就是越共成员。我想我算是入乡随俗了，吃当地的食物（了解的人应该知道鱼露，是用鱼内脏和蔬菜腌制而成的，会让身体散发异味），很多人说我闻起来像个“东方佬”。我意识到我们根本不该出现在那里，为所有逝去的无辜生命感到痛心，尤其是我们美国人的生命。我经历过很多惊险的时刻，但我喜欢越南这个国家，也喜欢大多数越南人，现在依然如此。不过，我痛恨美国的新闻与宣传机构，他们为配合政府的战略目标，自导自演编造故事以实现其宣传或政治目的。
Charles Neilsen Vietnam Veteran
查尔斯·尼尔森 越战老兵
I have nothing but respect for the Vietnamese. The South Vietnamese got a terrible deal when we abandoned them. We not only left them to fight a war by themselves, we cut off their ammunition supply. The South Vietnamese were actually out of bullets when the North got to Saigon. Today, they’re a warm, welcoming people who have put the “American War” into the past, along with the French War and the Chinese War. The North Vietnamese I respect. They were tough, dedicated fighters, worthy of anyone’s respect.
我对越南人只有尊重。当年我们抛弃南越时，他们的遭遇太惨了。我们不仅让他们独自作战，还切断了他们的弹药供应。北越军队抵达西贡时，南越军队实际上已经弹尽粮绝。如今，他们是热情好客的民族，已经把“美国战争”以及之前的法国战争、中国战争都抛在了脑后。我也尊重北越人，他们是顽强且忠诚的战士，值得任何人敬佩。
Michael Lowrey Old guy, studied all the while
迈克尔·劳里 年长学者，毕生钻研
The Vietnam Veterans I know do not hate the Vietnamese people. But a lot of them hate part or all of the people who made up the South Vietnamese government, including some elements of their military (especially the officer corps and certain of the non-coms).
我认识的越战老兵都不憎恨越南人民，但他们中的很多人痛恨南越政府的部分或全部成员，包括南越军队中的一些势力（尤其是军官团和某些士官）。
Edward Kahl Former 1st Cav 215 BN
爱德华·卡尔 前第一骑兵师215营士兵
You may hate this answer. 99+% of people find themselves unable to kill another human on orders from anyone. You may not like your neighbor but you don’t shoot them because they are human. My born on ship from Germany Grandfather called the men he faced in WW1 krauts, my father called his enemy in WW2 gooks as did my older Marine brother in Viet Nam. When I stepped in country the locals were ALL called dinks. Before long in my mind that is what they became. Krauts are not human, Germans are .Gooks are not human, Japanese are. Dinks are not human, Vietnamese are. Hate once learned is very hard to overcome, but most of us have worked on ourselves and no longer hate. My anger is still red hot toward Johnson, Nixon, and other people involved with sending me and every other solder. sailor, and marine over on a false pretence. I refuse to talk to anyone but a fellow VN vet about actual experences and they have to gain my trust first. Probable full of shit but that my thoughts.
你可能会不喜欢这个答案。99%以上的人都无法遵照别人的命令去杀害另一个人。你可能不喜欢邻居，但你不会开枪打死他们，因为他们也是人。我的祖父在从德国驶来的船上出生，他把一战中面对的敌人称为“德国佬”；我父亲在二战中把敌人叫做“东方佬”，我在海军陆战队服役的哥哥在越南战场也是这么称呼敌人的。当我踏上越南的土地时，所有当地人都被叫做“矮子”，不久之后，在我脑海里他们就真的成了“矮子”。“德国佬”不是人，德国人是人；“东方佬”不是人，日本人是人；“矮子”不是人，越南人是人。仇恨一旦滋生就很难消除，但我们大多数人都努力自我调适，不再心怀憎恨。我对约翰逊、尼克松以及其他以虚假借口把我和其他所有士兵、水手、海军陆战队员派到越南的人，依然怒火中烧。除了同为越战老兵的人，我拒绝和任何人谈论真实的经历，而且他们还得先获得我的信任。可能我说的都是废话，但这就是我的真实想法。
Tom Williams Former U.S. Army Paratrooper, Vietnam, 1st Abn. Brigade, 1st Cavalry Div. and 101st Abn.
汤姆·威廉姆斯 前美国陆军伞兵，曾服役于越南战场的第一骑兵师第一空降旅和第101空降师
My opinion, is no. There were a lot of things going on in Vietnam that never made the headlines.
我的观点是，这种憎恨并不普遍。越南战场上发生了很多从未登上新闻头条的事情。
First off, Vietnam was a sub-third world country in the 1960s when the war started ramping up. Poverty was the norm, electricity outside of the cities was nonexistent, as were any other forms of infrastructure like paved secondary roads, water treatment plants, or sewage disposal. Rural folks, mostly farmers, lived in straw, bamboo, and thatch huts with glassless windows and doorless doors. The floors were dirt.
首先，20世纪60年代战争升级时，越南还是一个次第三世界国家。贫困是常态，城市以外没有电力供应，也没有铺砌的二级公路、水处理厂或污水处理设施等其他基础设施。农村居民大多是农民，住在茅草、竹子搭建的棚屋里，没有玻璃窗，也没有门板，地面就是泥土。
Now, you introduce a bunch of rowdy, well-fed, relatively well-paid kids into the mix. I’m speaking primarily of the “garritroopers” or troops who did administrative work for the military. Most of those were in MACV (Military Assistance Command) and stationed in Saigon. The combat troops, Infantry, Artillery, and Armor, the traditional “Combat Arms”, which comprise only about one-fifth of a Division’s manpower strength were mostly in the rural areas, dispersed among the various outposts and camps around the country.
如今，一群吵闹、温饱无忧且薪水相对优厚的年轻人涌入了这个国家。我说的主要是“后方勤务兵”，也就是从事军事行政工作的士兵，他们大多隶属于军事援助司令部（MACV），驻扎在西贡。而作战部队，包括步兵、炮兵和装甲兵这些传统的“作战兵种”，仅占一个师兵力的约五分之一，他们大多驻扎在农村地区，分散在全国各地的各个前哨基地和营地。
The “garritroopers”, or “chairborne corps”, working behind a desk all day were bored with the nonexistent recreational opportunities afforded, so the Vietnamese, seeing an opportunity, opened bars, nightclubs, and restaurants. All this, of course, took place in the relatively secure areas, or “green zones”, which included most areas of Saigon.
这些“后方勤务兵”或者说“办公室士兵”整天坐在办公桌后，因缺乏娱乐活动而感到无聊。越南人看到了商机，便开设了酒吧、夜总会和餐馆，当然，这一切都发生在相对安全的区域，也就是“绿区”，西贡的大部分地区都属于这类区域。
The atmosphere was generally friendly, but after a while, when the troops in the field start getting sent home in body bags, the average soldier starts wondering what the local Vietnamese are doing on their own behalf, other than profiting from the situation. Resentment grows.
起初氛围总体是友好的，但一段时间后，当战场上的士兵开始被装在尸袋里送回国时，普通士兵就会开始疑惑，除了从战争中获利，当地越南人到底为自己做了些什么，不满情绪也随之滋生。
Meanwhile, the only news about the South Vietnamese armed forces is how incompetent and ineffectual they are, which was a total falsehood, but that was the underlying theme of every story heard.
与此同时，关于南越军队的消息只有他们如何无能低效，这完全是谎言，但这却是所有听到的报道的潜在主题。
When I was with the 1st Cavalry Division’s 1st Airborne Brigade, we never came in contact with many Vietnamese civilians, being stationed at an outpost in the Central Highlands and on patrol in the “bush” most days, but I heard the same stories.
我在第一骑兵师第一空降旅服役时，由于驻扎在中央高地的一个前哨基地，大多数日子都在“丛林”中巡逻，所以很少接触到越南平民，但我也听到了同样的说法。
After not too much time, you start thinking that the local people should be doing more to help themselves, rather than relying on us and if they’re not, why not? The people in the rural countryside knew full well of the movements of the North Vietnamese military units in their provinces, but I’ve never heard of an American or allied unit being warned by villagers or farmers of an impending ambush or the locations of booby traps on the trail. Supposedly, a known, but not revealed series of ambushes is what enraged the members of Lt. Calley’s platoon leading to the atrocity at My Lai.
没过多久，你就会开始认为当地人应该为自救多做些事情，而不是依赖我们，如果他们没有这么做，原因何在？农村地区的人们非常清楚北越军队在他们省份的动向，但我从未听说过有村民或农民警告美国或盟军部队即将到来的伏击，或是小径上饵雷的位置。据称，正是一系列已知但未被揭发的伏击事件激怒了卡利中尉排的士兵，最终导致了美莱村惨案的发生。
In any case, the people were “owned” by the North Vietnamese, the same people we were led to believe “wanted” our help. Things weren’t adding up.
无论如何，这些人都受北越控制，而我们却被误导，以为这些人“需要”我们的帮助，一切都显得格格不入。
That’s the root of most “hatred” for the Vietnamese. A lot of guys, especially the ones who lost friends in the war, look upon the “Wall” in Washington, with its 58,000 names etched into the marble, and believe, with some justification, that the majority of those should be Vietnamese, not American names. They don’t realize that many South Vietnamese soldiers WERE killed in the war, some 200,000 of them.
这就是对越南人产生大部分“憎恨”的根源。很多人，尤其是那些在战争中失去朋友的人，看着华盛顿纪念碑墙上镌刻的5.8万个名字，会有理由相信，这些名字中的大多数本该是越南人的，而不是美国人的。他们没有意识到，很多南越士兵也在战争中丧生，人数约有20万。
But the fact is, the average Vietnamese citizen never asked for our help in the first place, the South Vietnamese government did. The Vietnamese farmer was content to allow government affairs to be controlled by whoever had the “will of heaven”, especially in the rural villages, where “the laws of the Empire are less than the customs of the Village.”
但事实是，普通越南民众从一开始就从未请求过我们的帮助，是南越政府要求的。越南农民愿意让拥有“天命”的人来掌控政务，尤其是在农村地区，那里流传着“王法不如村规”的说法。
Still, I don’t believe it’s a majority opinion, at least not among the Vietnam veterans I’ve spoken with down through the years and I’ve never felt that way. It’s only a shame that such a bloody, divisive, and costly war had to take place in such a beautiful land.
不过，我认为这并不是大多数人的看法，至少在我这些年交谈过的越战老兵中不是这样，我自己也从未有过这样的感受。只是遗憾的是，一场如此血腥、分裂且代价高昂的战争，竟然发生在这样一片美丽的土地上。
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