Napalm to Noodles: Vietnam Moves On, Did America Forget?

There’s a half-warm Bia Saigon sweating on the plastic table in front of me, and a chorus of “Mot, hai, ba, YO!” erupts again as another round of clinking glasses interrupts my attempt to write this damn article. I’m in a Bia Hoi in Ho Chi Minh City—formerly Saigon, if you’re still living in the Nixonian time warp—trying to parse the psychic residue of a war that ended before I was born but still echoes like a helicopter rotor in the end credits of the American subconscious.

It’s the 50th anniversary of Vietnamese reunification, and while the locals are toasting peace and prosperity with cheap lager and grilled squid, I’m nursing a hangover of historical contradictions. Vietnam is celebrating unity. America is scrolling past it.

The Parade Was Real, But So Was the Subtext

The Vietnamese government threw a party that would make a Soviet-era May Day blush—fighter jets, lotus-shaped floats, and, for the first time ever, Chinese troops marching through Saigon like it’s 1975 filtered through smartphones and state media. General Secretary To Lam gave a speech about reconciliation and building a “prosperous, peaceful Vietnam”, which is the kind of thing you say when you’ve won the war, the peace, and now the narrative.

And the people? They’re into it. Elderly veterans posed for selfies in full uniform, while Gen Z kids live-streamed the parade on phones more expensive than my rent, blasting Taylor Swift like she liberated Hue. Artist Tran Duy Truc was commissioned to paint the whole affair, blending traditional Vietnamese motifs with modern optimism. It’s like if Norman Rockwell had a rice paddy and a drone.

America’s Take: “Cool iPhones, Bro”

Meanwhile, back in the Land of the Free and the Home of the Chronically Distracted, coverage of the anniversary was… polite. Reuters and AP noted Vietnam’s economic boom, the tech-savvy youth, and the geopolitical tightrope walk between Washington and Beijing. The war? Mentioned, but only as a prelude to Vietnam’s current glow-up.

There were no official U.S. statements, no commemorative events, no presidential tweets. Just a vague acknowledgment that Vietnam is now a trade partner with a suspiciously cozy relationship with China. The inclusion of Chinese troops in the parade raised eyebrows in D.C., but not enough to interrupt anyone’s brunch plans.

Reunification vs. Rebranding

Here’s the rub: Vietnam sees reunification as a national rebirth. America sees it as a branding pivot.

For Vietnam, the war is the origin story of the modern state—a bloody, painful, but ultimately victorious struggle that justifies the Communist Party’s continued rule. Analyst Nguyen Khac Giang even admitted the Party still leans on the war for legitimacy, though the youth are more interested in crypto than communism.

For America, the Vietnam War is a trauma we’ve outsourced to Ken Burns documentaries and Springsteen lyrics. It’s a symbol of overreach, hubris, and the limits of American exceptionalism. We remember the helicopters on the embassy roof, not the rice farmers who became coders. We lost the war, so we lost interest.

Peace, With a Side of Tariffs

And yet, the two countries are friendlier than ever. Trade deals, tech partnerships, and mutual side-eyes at China have created a strange bedfellowship. Veteran Pham Ngoc Son, who once fought against the U.S., now gives tours to American visitors and talks about “peace and friendship” like he’s auditioning for a Hallmark movie.

But don’t let the kumbaya fool you. Vietnam is hedging its bets. The Chinese troops in the parade weren’t just for show—they were a signal. And with the U.S. threatening tariffs, Vietnam is playing both sides like a geopolitical Tinder date.

The Real Victory? Memory Management

As I clink another glass with a man who just told me he was born the year Saigon fell, I realize Vietnam has done something America never could: it metabolized its trauma into national pride. The war is not forgotten here—it’s reframed. It’s not about loss or guilt. It’s about survival, unity, and moving the hell on.

In the U.S., we’re still stuck in the quagmire—emotionally, if not militarily. We turned Vietnam into a cautionary tale, then buried it under Marvel movies and Reaganomics. Vietnam turned it into a parade, the winners usually do.

Final Toast

So here’s to 50 years of reunification, and to the strange, asymmetrical friendship that followed. Vietnam got the peace. America got the lesson. And I got a hangover.

Mot, hai, ba, YO!