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British tourist falls from Vietnam’s ‘Cliff of Death’ when he was hit by falling rock while taking selfie

Victim’s leg was crushed following fall on treacherous cliff face, article bookmarked.

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A British man has been hospitalised with serious injuries in Vietnam after climbing on a rock face and falling while trying to take a selfie on his phone.

The man, who has not been named, had his left leg crushed following the incident in Xeo Sa Lung village, Pai Lung commune, Meo Vac district on 17 March.

The tourist had been climbing on a rock locals refer to as the ‘Cliff of Death’. He was hit by a boulder while taking the photo, causing him to fall and badly injure his leg.

Emergency services were called and first responders from Pai Lung administered first aid to the man.

An ambulance then took him to Ha Giang General Hospital for further treatment. His condition was not left threatening.

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The patient was given pain relief and had bandages and splints on the injured leg. He was later transferred to a larger hospital in the capital city, Hanoi.

The Cliff of Death, which near the popular Pi Leng Pass, is dangerous, with many large, unstable boulders stacked on top of one another, officials say.

Tourists often scale the cliff to take photos on a rock formation overlooking a picturesque view, despite the lack of safety rails and the often slippery conditions.

Officials said there were several signs warning tourists not to scale the cliff, as well as fences blocking access to the area, which are regularly disregarded,.

In December last year an Irish tourist died after falling out of a moving train in Vietnam.

Patrick Ward, 45, was travelling with a tour group from Thai capital Bangkok to Kanchanaburi town.

At a brief stop over the river Kwai, the group made its way to the Sai Yok waterfall, a popular tourist destination.

Ward fell when he opened the door of the train carriage near a slope, according to the police.

The tourist had opened a door in the train carriage and fell 7-8 metres down a slope when the train slowed down at a scenic spot, police said.

Officers did not confirm whether the tourist was attempting to take a selfie, as was reported by local media outlets.

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Police probe death of S.Korean tourist at Da Nang hotel in central Vietnam

Police in the central Vietnamese city of Da Nang are probing the cause of the death of a South Korean female traveler who allegedly died of electrocution at a local hotel swimming pool.

The incident occurred at the F. Hotel, located in a coastal area in Son Tra District, and police will provide official information about the case upon completion of their investigation, Nguyen Xuan Binh, deputy director of Da Nang Department of Tourism, told Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper on Friday.

The hotel’s rescuers had given first aid, including artificial respiration, to the woman but she could not survive, Binh said.

Some South Korean media outlets earlier reported that a South Korean woman in her 30s reportedly died from an electric shock at the swimming pool in the said hotel at 5:50 pm on Wednesday (October 5) local time.

The victim “was suddenly electrocuted and lost consciousness when she tried to enter the outdoor swimming pool,” SBS News said on Thursday.

“The woman collapsed unconscious in the swimming pool and was given first aid, including CPR, by rescuers, but eventually died,” news site Kurdo reported.

“Immediately after the accident, the hotel closed its swimming pool and went into temporary closure.”

As it involved a foreigner, the case is under the jurisdiction of the city-level police, the district administration said.

Nguyen Thanh Hai, the hotel’s executive director, told Tuoi Tre that he could not provide any further information about the death until the police complete their investigation.

The hotel will issue a press release about the case after getting permission from authorities, Hai said.

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Four Korean tourists in Vietnam die after being swept by current

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs building in Seoul is pictured. [YONHAP]

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4 S. Korean tourists die in Vietnam floods

SEOUL, Oct. 24 (Yonhap) -- Four South Korean tourists were killed in Vietnam Tuesday as their car was swept away by floodwater following dayslong heavy rains, the foreign ministry and foreign media said.

The South Korean nationals were in a jeep when their vehicle was swept away by floodwater in Dalat, a city in Vietnam's Central Highlands region, according to the ministry and the report by AFP.

The foreign ministry will promptly deploy a consul to the area and provide necessary consular support, a ministry official said.

This undated file photo shows South Korea's foreign ministry building in Seoul. (Yonhap)

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The most comprehensive and authoritative history site on the Internet.

Names On The Wall: A Closer Look At Those Who Died In Vietnam

By Bill Abbott

…’In honor of the men and women of the Armed Forces of the United States who served in the Vietnam War. The names of those who gave their lives and of those who remain missing are inscribed in the order they were taken from us. Inscription at the beginning of The Wall.

The 58,152 names of those who died in Vietnam are etched onto the two rising black marble slabs of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C. The slabs meet at a vertex of 125 degrees, 10 feet above ground level to form the Wall. The shining surface is intended to reflect the sun, the ground and those who stand before it. The names are listed chronologically by date of death, the first to last. As one walks the Wall slowly, examining the ineffably American names, one is struck by the same recurring surnames. How many Smiths can there possibly be who died in Vietnam? There were 667; How many Andersons?, 178; Garcias?, 102; Murphys?, 82; Jenkins?, 66; One wants to know more about these Americans. Who were they?

DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE DATABASE

A new Department of Defense (DOD) database computer tape released through the National Archives allows researchers to take a much closer look at our 58,152 Vietnam casualties. From 1964 to 1973, 2,100,000 men and women served in Vietnam, but this was only 8 percent of the 26,000,000 Americans who were eligible for military service.

DEFERMENTS AND EXEMPTIONS

The vast majority of Americans who were eligible by age but did not serve in the armed forces were exempted by reason of physical, mental, psychiatric, or moral failure; or they were given status deferments because they were college students, fathers, clergy, teachers, engineers or conscientious objectors. Others, later in the war, were simply ineligible because of high lottery number. Many others joined the reserves or National Guard, which were not mobilized in any appreciable numbers during the war. A relatively small number refused to register for the draft at all. Some went to Canada or Sweden, but few of those who evaded the draft were actually prosecuted and most were eventually pardoned by President Jimmy Carter in 1977.

CASUALTIES BY BRANCH OF SERVICE

The DOD database shows that of the 2,100,000 men and women who served in Vietnam, 58,152 were killed. The Army suffered the most total casualties, 38,179 or 2.7 percent of its force. The Marine Corps lost 14,836, or 5 percent of its own men.

The Navy fatalities were 2,556 or 2 percent. The Air Force lost 2,580 or l percent. Coast Guard casualties are included in the Navy totals. Of the 8000 Coast guardsmen who served in Vietnam, 3 officers and 4 enlisted men were killed and 59 were wounded.

Eight women were killed in Vietnam, five Army lieutenants, one Army captain, one Army lieutenant colonel and one Air Force captain. All were nurses, all were single and all but one were in their 20s. An estimated 11,000 women served in Vietnam.

In this study we will refer to casualties as the 58,152 who died in Vietnam, but it should be emphasized that there were 153,303 who were wounded seriously enough to be hospitalized. Thus, there were 211,455 killed and wounded, or one in every 10 Americans who served in Vietnam. The Army as a branch had 134,982 killed or wounded (9.5 percent), but the Marines suffered 66,227 killed or wounded (22.5 percent) or almost one of every four Marines who served.

CASUALTIES BY AGE-ENLISTED

Since the days of Alexander the Great and the Roman Legions, it has always been the young, inexperienced, low-ranking enlisted man who has taken the brunt of combat casualties. The Vietnam War was no different. The DOD percentages reveal that nearly 75 percent of Army enlisted casualties were privates or corporals. The Marine Corps losses were skewed even more to the lower ranks, 91 percent were privates or corporals. If the two branches are combined, then 80 percent of the Army and Marine enlisted casualties were privates or corporals, grades E-1 to E-4.

Although it is a truism that the young die in war, one is still unprepared for the fact that 40 percent of Marine enlisted casualties in Vietnam were teenagers; that more than 16 percent of Army enlisted casualties were also teenagers; and that nearly a quarter of all enlisted casualties in Vietnam were between the ages of 17- and 19-years old. If the demographic is expanded to 17- to 21- years, then we find there were 83 percent of Marine enlisted casualties, and 65 percent of Army enlisted casualties. Only the Navy, with 50 percent of its enlisted casualties over 21, and the Air Force, with 75 percent over 21, showed an older, more experienced age demographic. No other American war has presented such a young profile in combat. These young men were trained quickly and shipped to Vietnam quickly. They also died quickly, many within a few weeks or months of arriving in Vietnam.

But given the draft policies, the hard-sell recruitment, the severe escalation from month to month and the refusal by President Lyndon Johnson to call up the older reserves and National Guard, it could not have been otherwise. The burden of combat fell on the very available non-college-bound young.

AGE 17 TO 21 PREFERRED ARMY AND MARINE COMBAT MATERIAL

The civilian and military men who formed the policy did not see it necessarily as a disadvantage. The very young were considered by many to be preferred combat material. Despite their inexperience, they were thought to accept discipline readily. They did not, in most cases, carry the burdens of wife or children. They were at their peak physically. Perhaps more important, many of them probably did not yet fully understand their own mortality and were therefore less likely to be hesitant in combat. And, as in every American war, it is the very young who are the most willing to volunteer.

VOLUNTEERS VERSUS DRAFTED CASUALTIES

It may come as a surprise to some that 63.3 percent of all Vietnam enlisted casualties were not draftees but volunteers. If officers are added, then almost 70 percent of those who died were volunteers. Of course, the Marine, Navy, and Air Force enlisted casualties were all volunteers, but as it turned out, almost 50 percent of Army enlisted casualties were also volunteers. It should be noted, however, that the draft was specifically designed to trigger volunteer enlistments. The draft policy at the time of the Vietnam War was called the Universal Military Training and Service Act. Since its adoption in 1951, at the time of the Korean War, this policy had been renewed by Congress every four years. It called for the registration of all 18 to 26-year old males, with induction to take place at 18 1/2 if so ordered by the local draft board. The draftee, if found physically and mentally fit, would be inducted for a period of two years, to be followed by another two year period in the active reserves and a subsequent two years in the inactive reserves. The trigger came when the recruiters pointed out that the volunteer could enlist as early as 17 (with parental consent); that he was allowed to select his branch of service; that he would receive specialized training if he qualified; that he could request a specific overseas assignment; and that his three year enlistment followed by three years in the inactive reserves satisfied his military obligation immediately. Sad to say, many of these recruitment promises were fudged in one way or another, and many of these young men found themselves shipped directly to Vietnam after basic training.

MILITARY TRADITION

One additional factor, often overlooked, that influenced volunteer enlistment was military tradition — the influence of fathers, grandfathers, brothers, uncles and others who had served in previous 20th century wars. In many of these families it was considered unpatriotic and indeed reprehensible to avoid active duty by requesting a status deferment or seeking out a draft counselor for advice on how to avoid the draft. Often that advice, especially for professional athletes, rock stars, sons of politicians and other celebrities, was to join the never-to-be-called-up reserves or National Guard. All of this was one of the great and abiding agonies of the Vietnam War, causing repercussions within families and on the national political scene to this day.

OFFICER CASUALTIES

The training for American officers is thought by most foreign military authorities to be the best in the world. With few exceptions, almost all of the 6,600 commissioned officers who died in Vietnam were graduates of the service academies, college Reserve Officers Training Corps (ROTC), or the Officer Candidate School (OCS) programs. The major service academies and other military colleges provided close to 900 of the Vietnam officer casualties: the U.S. Military Academy, 278; the U.S. Air Force Academy, 205; the U.S. Naval Academy, 130; Texas A & M, 112; The Citadel, 66; Virginia Military Institute, 43; Virginia Polytechnic Institute, 26; Norwich University, 19.

ARMY AND MARINE OFFICER CASUALTIES BY RANK AND AGE

Officer casualties in Vietnam, including warrant officers, numbered 7,874, or 13.5 percent of all casualties. The Army lost the greatest number of officers – 4,635 or 59 percent of all officer casualties. Ninety-one percent of these Army officers were warrant officers, second lieutenants, first lieutenants or captains. This was a reflection of the role of warrant officers as helicopter pilots (of the 1,277 warrant officer casualties, 95 percent were Army helicopter pilots), and of the young lieutenants and captains as combat platoon leaders or company commanders.

The same profile holds true for the Marine Corps, where 87 percent of all officer casualties (821 of 938) were warrant officers, lieutenants or captains. Army and Marine officer casualties were also quite young. Fully 50 percent were in the 17- to 24-year age group, and astonishingly, there were 764 Army officer casualties who were 21 or younger.

NAVY AND AIR FORCE OFFICER CASUALTIES BY RANK AND AGE

Quite a different profile emerges among the Navy and Air force officer corps. The Air Force lost the highest percentage of officers. Of 2,590 total Air Force casualties, 1,674 or 65 percent were officers. Many of them, as experienced pilots, were older (two thirds were thirty or older) and many were high ranking. Almost 50 percent were majors, lieutenant-colonels, colonels and three were generals. The Navy had a similar profile: 55 percent of its 622 officer casualties were 30 years of age or older, and 45 percent were ranked at lieutenant commander or above when they died. It should be emphasized that 55 percent of all Navy and Air Force officer casualties came as a result of reconnaissance and bombing sorties into North Vietnam, Laos, Thailand and Cambodia. As a result, it was mainly the families of Navy and Air Force pilots and crewmen who suffered the great agony of the POW (prisoner of war) and MIA (missing in action) experience that came out of the Vietnam War.

MAKEUP OF FORCES

The makeup of U.S. combat forces in Vietnam has long been the subject of controversy among social scientists. The feeling is that the poor, the undereducated and the minorities made up the vast majority of the combat arms during that war. This makeup, they say, was the very antithesis of what we stand for as a democracy — a shameful corruption of our values and our historical sense of fairness and social justice. There is some truth to this, but it is instructive to look at what the DOD database reveals in terms of race, ethnicity, national origin, religious preference and casualties by U.S. geographic areas.

CASUALTIES BY RACE: ENLISTED MEN

Of all enlisted men who died in Vietnam, blacks made up 14.1 percent of the total. This came at a time when blacks made up 11 percent of the male population nationwide. However, if officer casualties are added to the total, then this overrepresentation is reduced to 12.5 percent of all casualties. Of the 7,262 blacks who died, 6,955, or 96 percent, were Army and Marine enlisted men. The combination of the selective service policies with the skills and aptitude testing of both volunteers and draftees (in which blacks scored noticeably lower) conspired to assign blacks in greater numbers to the combat units of the Army and Marine Corps. Early in the war (1965 and 1966) when blacks made up about 11 percent of our Vietnam force, black casualties soared to more than 20 percent of the total. Black leaders, including Martin Luther King Jr., protested, and President Johnson ordered black participation in combat units cut back. As a result, the black casualty rate was reduced to 11.5 percent by 1969.

CASUALTIES BY RACE: OFFICERS

During the Vietnam War, the Navy and Air Force became substantially white enclaves – enlisted and officer casualties were 96 percent white. Indeed, officer casualties of all branches were overwhelmingly white. Of the 7,877 officer casualties, 7,595, or 96.4 percent, were white; 147, or 1.8 percent, were black; 24, or 0.3 percent, were Asian; 7, or .08 percent, were Native American; 104, or 1.3 percent, were unidentified by race.

HISPANIC-AMERICAN CASUALTIES

The 1970 census which is being used as our Vietnam era population base did not list an Hispanic count but gave an estimate of 4.5 percent of the American population. In a massive sampling of the database, it was established that between 5 and 6 percent of Vietnam dead had identifiable Hispanic surnames. These were Mexican, Puerto Rican, Cuban and other Latino-Americans with ancestries based in Central and South America. They came largely from California and Texas, with lesser numbers from Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona, Florida, New York and a few from many other states across the country. Thus it is safe to say that Hispanic-Americans were over-represented among Vietnam casualties — an estimated 5.5 percent of the dead against 4.5 percent of the 1970 population.

CASUALTIES BY NATIONAL ORIGIN/ANCESTRIES

In terms of national origin/ancestries, an extensive sampling of the data-base reveals that Americans of French Canadian, Polish, Italian and other Southern and Eastern European surnames made up about 10 percent of the Vietnam casualties. These casualties came largely from the Northeast and North Central regions of the United States, many from the traditionally patriotic, Catholic working class neighborhoods.

The remaining 70 percent of our Vietnam enlisted casualties were of English/Scottish/Welsh, German, Irish and Scandinavian-American ancestries, more from the South and Midwest than the other regions, many from small towns with a family military tradition. The officer corps has always drawn heavily on English/Scottish/Welsh, German, Irish and Scandinavian-American ancestries from middle-class white collar homes, with other large percentages from ambitious working class blue collar and, of course, career military families. These officer casualties came more from the South and West regions, 4.1 deaths per 100,000, in contrast to 3.5 from the Northeast and Midwest regions.

CASUALTIES BY RELIGION

The DOD database listed precise religious preferences for the 58,152 Vietnam casualties. Protestants were 64.4 percent (37,483), Catholics were 28.9 percent (16,806). Less than 1 percent (0.8) were Jewish, Hindu, Thai, Buddhist or Muslim combined, and 5.7 listed no religion. Blacks were 85 percent Protestant. Officers of all services, by tradition largely Protestant, remained so during the Vietnam war, sustaining casualties in comparison with Catholics by a 5 to 2 ratio.

CASUALTIES BY GEOGRAPHIC AREA

As a region, the South experienced the greatest numbers of dead, nearly 34 percent of the total, or 31.0 deaths per 100,000 of population. This number of deaths per 100,000 compared strikingly with the 23.5 in the Northeast region, 29.9 in the West and 28.4 in the North Central (Midwest) region.

This uneven impact was caused by a number of factors: (1) While the South was home to some 53 percent of all blacks in the 1970 census, almost 60 percent of black casualties came from the South; (2) Although we cannot be as precise, we do know that a considerable majority of Hispanic-American casualties came from the West, (California, New Mexico, Arizona, Colorado) and the South (Texas); (3) Better employment opportunities in the Northeast reduced the number of volunteers; (4) Greater college matriculation in the Northeast increased the number of status deferments for the region’s 17- to 24- year olds; (5) More anti-war sentiment in the media and on college campuses in the Northeast.

A correspondingly greater tradition of military service in the other regions had its effect on U.S. regional casualties. It is not surprising, for instance, that West Virginia, Montana, and Oklahoma had a casualty rate almost twice that of New York, New Jersey and Connecticut.

CASUALTIES BY EDUCATION

World War II had been, for the most part, a perfect war, clear of purpose, the forces of democracy and freedom lined up against the forces of fascism and tyranny. Our combat arms were thought to be completely classless. They drew on every segment of American society. We were one giant Hollywood B-17 bomber crew, one perfect socioeconomic platoon storming Omaha Beach or Okinawa. All classes were drafted or volunteered and all served and died equally, although it must be noted that most blacks died separately.

AN EDUCATIONAL ARPARTHEID

But after World War II a kind of educational apartheid had settled over the United States. Where previously a high school diploma had been an acceptable goal, now it was college and all the benefits it would bring. The popularity of the GI Bill after Vietnam emphasized this yearning. Early on President Johnson, his advisers and especially the Congress, realized that if the draft was to be truly equitable and had included combat assignments in Vietnam for the sons of the educationally advantaged and influential Americans from the professional and managerial classes, then the resulting uproar would have shut down the war.

THE CHANNELING MEMO

Congress and the Johnson administration, therefore, sought to protect our college-bound and educated young men. The Channeling Memo of July 1965, instructed all local draft boards to give status deferments to college undergraduate and post-graduate students. The Selective Service System it said, has the responsibility to deliver manpower to the armed forces in such a manner as to reduce to a minimum any adverse effect upon the national health, safety, interest and progress.

It is forgotten now, but in the beginning Congress and most of the American people were behind our containment effort in Vietnam. The young enlisted volunteer or draftee had not had much time to form any complicated theories about our Vietnam commitment. He accepted the tradition of military service passed on to him by the popular culture and by President John F. Kennedy’s ringing words, Let every nation know, whether it wishes us well or ill, that we shall pay any price, bear any burden, meet any hardship, support any friend, oppose any foe, to assure the survival and success of liberty.

Most of the young American enlisted men who served in Vietnam were not college prospects at the time they entered the service. Those who could have qualified for college probably did not have the funds or motivation. Many of the 17- and 18-year olds were simply late in maturing. They were struggling through or dropping out of high school, or if a high school graduate, had tested poorly for college entrance. (Surprisingly, as it turned out, the percentage of Vietnam veterans who applied for the GI Bill was higher than either World War II or Korea.)

EDUCATIONAL LEVELS OF ENLISTED CASUALTIES

The DOD database provides no civilian or military educational levels for the Vietnam casualties specifically, but it does give us general levels for all enlisted men across all the services during the Vietnam era. The figures show that on average 65 percent of white enlisted men and 60 percent of black enlisted men were high school graduates. Only 5 to 10 percent of enlisted men in the combat units were estimated to have had some college, and less than 1 percent of these enlisted men were college graduates.

TESTING WITH THE AFQT

The Armed Forces Qualification Test (AFQT) was given to all entering enlisted men. The resulting aptitude scores were used to classify entrants into four categories and this would, for the most part, determine their subsequent assignments. On average, 43 percent of white enlisted entrants placed in categories I and II (scoring 65 to 100) and 57 percent in categories III and IV (scoring 10 to 64). For blacks, however, only 7 percent placed in categories I and II and 93 percent placed in categories III and IV. In civilian life, poor aptitude testing can have a tremendous negative impact, whether for college placement or for simple job advancement. In the military it can be somewhat more deadly. John Kennedy, discussing military assignments, said that, life is unfair. True enough, but many of the surviving Vietnam casualty families would reply that the ultimate unfairness is death at an early age, in a land far from home, for reasons not clearly defined.

PROJECT 100,000

Adding to the problem was Project 100,000. Lower end category IVs consisting of those who scored below 20 on the AFQT were usually rejected for service. But in 1966, President Johnson and Secretary of Defense McNamara decided to institute Project 100,000 that would allow category IV men to enter the military. This, they felt, would offer these men the opportunity to get remedial training in the service and then be able to compete successfully when they returned to civilian life. Many high-ranking military men (including General William C. Westmoreland, the U.S. commander in Vietnam) opposed the program, feeling that the effectiveness of some units would be reduced and that fellow soldiers would sometimes be put in greater jeopardy by these less mentally capable personnel. Nevertheless, 336,111 men were phased into the service under this plan (mostly the Army) and 2,072 were killed. This amounted to 4.1 percent of all enlisted casualties in Vietnam.

Thus we can see that the channeling philosophy continued within the armed forces. Through the AFQT process, the men scoring in the higher categories were more likely to be channeled into further specialized training and eventually assigned to technical and administrative units.

POOR VERSUS RICH AND THE M.I.T STUDY

The widely held notion that the poor served and died in Vietnam while the rich stayed home is way off the mark. A more precise equation would be that the college bound stayed home while the non-college bound served and died. The idea that American enlisted dead were made up largely of society’s poverty stricken misfits is a terrible slander to their memory and to the solid working-class and middle-class families of this country who provided the vast majority of our casualties. Certainly, some who died did come from poor and broken homes in the urban ghettos and barrios, or were from dirt-poor farm homes in the South and Midwest. And more’s the pity, because many of them were trying to escape this background and didn’t make it.

Some recent studies tend to refute what had been the perceived wisdom of social scientists and other commentators that our Vietnam dead came overwhelmingly from the poor communities. A Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) study released in 1992, found that our Vietnam casualties were only marginally greater from the economically lowest 50 percent of our communities (31 deaths per 100,000 of population), when compared with the economically highest 50 percent (26 deaths per 100,000 population). Although valuable, this study was almost certainly misinterpreted by its authors when they said that their data showed that most privileged and influential segments of American society were not insulated from the perils of Vietnam conflict. There is no question that all segments of American society were represented. The officer corps’ casualties alone would satisfy that judgment, but that is not the same as being representative.

What the MIT study almost certainly showed was that members of the so-called working class consisting of carpenters, electricians, plumbers, firemen, policemen, technicians, skilled factory operatives, farmers, etc., were living in middle class communities and were, therefore, part of our burgeoning middle class. Their sons, if not college material, made up a significant part of the volunteers and draftees.

As we have pointed out earlier, more than 80 percent of our casualties were Army and Marine enlisted men with an average age of 19- to 20-years. Only 10 percent of enlisted men had even some college to their credit and only 1 percent were college graduates. By and large, with the exception of the officer corps, most of the college bound and educated skipped the Vietnam War at the urging of, and with the approval of, their own government.

TEENAGERS SLOW TO MATURE

Additionally, many of the names on the wall were other teenagers from the suburban white collar communities with siblings who were in, or would go on to college, but who, as individuals themselves, were slow to mature, struggled through high school and were therefore very available for the Vietnam War. It is instructive to read the literature of the war, the letters written home from those who died, the novels and narrative accounts of those who served in combat and then returned. They often reveal a typically warm American family atmosphere. They refer to older or younger siblings who are either in or on their way to college. And they often show a heartbreakingly wry sense of humor with the same sensibilities as their college-bound peers. It forces us to the conclusion that many of those names on the wall were kids who just couldn’t quite get it together in high school, a little late in maturing intellectually, and didn’t have the resources or the guile to get out of the way when the war came.

THE NAMES ON THE WALL: AN HISTORICAL JUDGMENT

What will be the evolving historical judgment for those names on the Wall? With the end of the Cold War, many now believe that at its outset the Vietnam War was a quite honorable extension of our ultimately successful policy of Communist containment; that our effort in Vietnam became flawed because of political and strategic failures having nothing to do with those who died there; and that these young Americans were asked by three presidents and six Congresses to give up their lives so that freedom would have a better chance in the world. As one stands before the Wall one feels that no other judgment is acceptable to their living memory. As Maya Ling Lin, the architect of the Wall, has said: It was as if the black-brown earth were polished and made into an interface between the sunny world and the quiet dark world beyond that we cannot enter. The names would become the memorial. There was no need to embellish. Postscript: Since 1982, there have been 89 names added to The Wall. In 2004, the total is 58,241 names.

The article was written by Bill Abbott, an independent researcher and writer. He was a Navy enlisted man during World War II and has a degree in Political Science from Duke University. The article was originally published in the June 1993 issue of Vietnam Magazine and updated in November 2004.

For more great articles be sure to subscribe to Vietnam Magazine today!

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Military Records

Vietnam War U.S. Military Fatal Casualty Statistics

Electronic records reference report, introduction.

The following tables were generated from the Vietnam Conflict Extract Data File of the Defense Casualty Analysis System (DCAS) Extract Files , which is current as of April 29, 2008.

The Vietnam Conflict Extract Data File of the Defense Casualty Analysis System (DCAS) Extract Files contains records of 58,220 U.S. military fatal casualties of the Vietnam War. These records were transferred into the custody of the National Archives and Records Administration in 2008. The earliest casualty record contains a date of death of June 8, 1956, and the most recent casualty record contains a date of death of May 28, 2006. The Defense Casualty Analysis System Extract Files were created by the Defense Manpower Data Center (DMDC) of the Office of the Secretary of Defense. The records correspond to the Vietnam Conflict statistics on the DMDC web site, which is accessible online at https://www.dmdc.osd.mil/dcas/pages/main.xhtml .

The Vietnam Conflict Extract Data File of the Defense Casualty Analysis System (DCAS) Extract Files is the successor database to the Combat Area Casualties Current File . The Vietnam Conflict Extract Data File of the DCAS contains 27 more records than the Combat Area Casualties Current File as of December 1998, which contains 58,193 records. Additionally, there are some changes to the fields between the two files, most notably in the respective date-of-death fields. The date-of-death reported in the Defense Casualty Analysis System (DCAS) Extract Files is either the actual date-of-death or the date-of-incident, whereas the date-of-death for the Combat Area Casualties Current File is either the actual date-of-death or the date on which the casualty was declared dead.

The full casualty records of the Defense Casualty Analysis System (DCAS) Extract Files are accessible online for name searches (as well as for searches using any of the other fields identified in the data layout of the files in this series) for records of specific casualties via the Access to Archival Databases (AAD) resource.

The following casualty tables were created by using AAD to query the Vietnam Conflict Extract Data File of the DCAS . These tables represent statistics for a selection of categories based on the fields of the file. The selections of fields used in creating these tables were made on the basis of usefulness and interest to prospective researchers and the general public. These tables are for informational purposes and do not answer all questions of a statistical nature regarding U. S. casualties of the Vietnam War. Note that AAD can also be used to query the Vietnam Conflict Extract Data File of the DCAS for more complex Vietnam War casualty statistics than what are provided on this page, such as the number of casualties by race for a specific home state of record.

A full series description for the Defense Casualty Analysis System (DCAS) Extract Files is accessible online via the National Archives Catalog under the National Archives Identifier 2163536 . The Vietnam Conflict Extract Data File is also accessible for direct download via the National Archives Catalog file-level description, National Archives Identifier 2240992 .

Alternatively to the download option, we can provide reproduction copies of the Vietnam Conflict Extract Data File on a cost-recovery basis upon request. Information regarding the ordering of electronic records is provided online on our Ordering Information page .

DCAS Vietnam Conflict Extract File record counts by CASUALTY CATEGORY (as of April 29, 2008 )

This table contains record counts based on the codes recorded in the “CASUALTY CATEGORY” field of the Vietnam Conflict Extract Data File . In the case of the “PRESUMED DEAD (BODY REMAINS RECOVERED)” and “PRESUMED DEAD (BODY REMAINS NOT RECOVERED)” categories of the table, the record counts are based on the codes in both the “CASUALTY CATEGORY” and “REMAINS RECOVERED” fields.

Record counts provided for informational purposes only, not official statistics.

DCAS Vietnam Conflict Extract File record counts by CASUALTY COUNTRY/OVER WATER CODE (Country of Casualty) (as of April 29, 2008 )

Dcas vietnam conflict extract file record counts by home of record state code (as of april 29, 2008 ).

Note that State Lists of Fatal Casualties of the Vietnam War sorted alphabetically by the last name of casualty are available online at www.archives.gov/research/military/vietnam-war/casualty-lists/ .

DCAS Vietnam Conflict Extract File record counts by HOSTILE OR NON-HOSTILE DEATH INDICATOR (as of April 29, 2008 )

Dcas vietnam conflict extract file record counts by incident or death date (year) (as of april 29, 2008 ).

Researchers may note substantial differences between the above record counts generated from the Vietnam Conflict Extract Data File of the Defense Casualty Analysis System (DCAS) Extract Files and those previously posted online that were generated from the Combat Area Casualties Current File . The reason for the differences is due to the fact that the date reported for the Defense Casualty Analysis System (DCAS) Extract Files is the date-of-death or the date-of-incident, whereas the date for the Combat Area Casualties Current File is the date-of-death or the date on which the casualty was declared dead. The difference in the dates reported is reflected in the names of the respective fields for the two files, which for the Vietnam Conflict Extract Data File of the DCAS is named “INCIDENT OR DEATH DATE”, whereas for the Combat Area Casualties Current File the field is named “DATE OF DEATH or DATE DECLARED DEAD”.

DCAS Vietnam Conflict Extract File record counts by MEMBER'S GENDER (as of April 29, 2008 )

Dcas vietnam conflict extract file record counts by member component code ( service component) (as of april 29, 2008 ), dcas vietnam conflict extract file record counts by member paygrade (as of april 29, 2008 ).

This table contains record counts based on the codes recorded in the “MEMBER PAYGRADE” field of the Vietnam Conflict Extract Data File . Note that the code list for this field does not distinguish Officers from Warrant Officers. The code list provided by the creating agency gives the meaning “OFFICER” for the codes O01, O02, O03, O04, O05, O06, O07, and O08. This code list also gives the meaning “OFFICER” for the codes W01, W02, W03, and W04. 1,274 records of the 1,277 records that contain the codes W01, W02, W03, or W04 in the “MEMBER PAYGRADE” field also contain one of the codes for Warrant Officers in the “MEMBER RANK OR RATE” field.

Record counts provided for informational purposes only, not official statistics.

DCAS Vietnam Conflict Extract File record counts by MEMBER SERVICE CODE (Branch of Service) (as of April 29, 2008 )

Dcas vietnam conflict extract file record counts by race omb name ( race) (as of april 29, 2008 ), dcas vietnam conflict extract file record counts by religion code (as of april 29, 2008 ), contact information.

For more information, please contact: Reference Services, Electronic Records Email : [email protected] Telephone : (301) 837-0470 Mail : 8601 Adelphi Road College Park, MD 20740-6001.

January 2018

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Three British tourists die climbing waterfall in central Vietnam

Bodies of Christian Sloan and two women recovered near Datanla waterfall as police question unauthorised tour guide

Three British tourists have died in a climbing accident with an unauthorised tour guide in Vietnam .

The bodies of Christian Sloan, a 25-year-old from Kent, and two women – named in media reports as 19-year-old Izzy Squire and 25-year-old Beth Anderson – were found near the Datanla waterfall, a popular tourist spot in Lam Dong province.

The trio’s 26-year-old guide reportedly told authorities the tourists were swimming with life jackets near the waterfall when they were swept up in strong waters and dragged over the precipice.

In a tribute issued on Friday night, Sloan’s family said: “Christian’s death is a very sad loss to us. He was a very popular young man, formerly in the Royal Navy, who had many, many friends not just locally but around the world. He lived for life.”

Sloan, from Deal in Kent, is believed to have met the two women while travelling.

Vo Anh Tan, deputy director of the Lam Dong tourist company that manages the Datanla waterfall, told local media that an unauthorised tour guide was being questioned by police.

Tan claimed the Britons’ tour had been arranged by a local private tour operator who did not pay for entrance tickets nor use the company’s safety equipment. “The incident is beyond our supervision, but we are still trying to help deal with this tragedy,” he was quoted by the state-run Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper.

The bodies, reportedly found with lifejackets on, were recovered downstream from the waterfall by emergency rescue crews.

The Foreign Office said: “We are providing support to the families of three British nationals following their deaths near Dalat, Vietnam.

“Our sympathies are with their families and friends at this difficult time. We are in close contact with local authorities in Vietnam on their behalf.”

Visitors usually start at the top of the tiered waterfall, which is popular among western tourists. The waterfall boasts beautiful scenery and a cable car to take visitors to the summit if they choose not to walk up a steep verge.

It is just more than three miles from the resort city of Dalat, known as the “city of eternal spring” for its temperate climate, which is about 100 miles north of Ho Chi Minh City.

French colonists built the hill station using Vietnamese forced labour in the mistaken belief that its cool weather would prevent them from contracting malaria.

The area is known as a kitschy destination for honeymooners, families and budget travellers seeking day trips, hikes and adventure sports. It is also the administrative capital of Lam Dong province.

Asia Pacific

More on this story

UK trio not properly warned of Vietnam waterfall dangers, coroner rules

UK police working with Vietnam over death of three British tourists

Vietnam tour guide says he tried to keep Britons away from whirlpool

Family pays tribute to British sisters killed at Vietnam waterfall

Update April 12, 2024

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4 Chinese tourists die in coach accident in central Vietnam

This photo taken on July 18, 2023 shows the scene of a coach accident in Vietnam's central Khanh Hoa province. [Photo/VNA handout via Xinhua]

A coach carrying 21 Chinese tourists on Tuesday rolled over in Vietnam's central Khanh Hoa province, leaving four Chinese citizens dead, the Chinese Consulate General in Ho Chi Minh City confirmed.

The coach was running from Da Lat City, Lam Dong Province to Nha Trang City, Khanh Hoa Province when it rolled over on Khanh Le Mountain Pass in Khanh Hoa.

The seriously injured people were transferred to the Khanh Hoa General Hospital, and the slightly injured ones to the nearest local hospital.

After receiving the news, the consulate general immediately activated the emergency mechanism, coordinated with the foreign affairs and public security departments of Khanh Hoa to carry out rescue activities, and contacted the nearest Chinese-invested enterprises to assist in the rescue and treatment at the scene of the accident and the hospitals.

According to Vietnamese media, local police said they will conduct further investigations on the coach's Vietnamese driver to determine the cause of the accident.

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A coach carrying 21 Chinese tourists on Tuesday rolled over in Vietnam's central Khanh Hoa province, leaving four Chinese citizens dead.

As Saigon fell 49 years ago, my father flew us onto the USS Midway in a fraught escape

My family was among more than 3,000 desperate refugees evacuated on the us aircraft carrier. it's only recently that my war pilot dad can talk about what happened..

April 30 marks 49 years since the fall of Saigon in 1975 , the death of South Vietnam and the beginning of the exodus of a million Vietnamese over the next two decades .

This is the story of how a Vietnamese air force officer flew his family and two dozen other evacuees in a helicopter onto the USS Midway for their escape as they lost their country to communist North Vietnam. Nguyen Van Dong, now 81, lives in Texas. This account was written by his daughter Ngan Nguyen, who lives with her husband and children in New York City.

Can Tho province, South Vietnam, on April 28, 1975

A heavy fist banged on our front door. My family lived near Can Tho air base in South Vietnam, which was used by the U.S. Air Force and the Republic of Vietnam Air Force during the war.

My father, Nguyen Van Dong, was an air force major. At 3 years old, I hid behind his legs as he opened the door. An officer said the North Vietnamese army was encroaching. He ordered us to evacuate immediately to Con Son Island, along with 40 other families on the base, admonishing female evacuees to dress plainly so as not to attract attention. All able-bodied men, including my father, were instructed to stay behind to fight.

My mother, Nguyen Thi Nghiem, packed frantically for what she thought would be a few days, taking only what she could carry on her shoulders. She would have my little brother strapped to her back, and my sister and me each clutching one of her hands.

Despite the fact that the United States had already withdrawn its combat forces two years earlier, no one wanted to believe that South Vietnam faced an imminent demise, but no one could ignore the reality of the constant sirens and bombs.

Reunited on Con Son Island

Mom, my siblings and I arrived at Con Son in the middle of the night on a Chinook helicopter. During the evacuation, Mom had been too distracted to notice the lump growing on the edge of my face. But now I was feverish with mumps and a throat infection.

Fortunately, a friend knew a doctor stationed at Con Son prison. He managed to pick us up and transport us to his home, where he fed us, gave me medicine and urged us to sleep.

Back at the Can Tho air base, Gen. Nguyen Huy Anh ordered all pilots to meet on Con Son. That included my father, whose mission was to transport the women and children on Con Son to somewhere safe. Dad's friends, who were on base duty, had to stay behind. Dad promised to take care of their families until they could reunite with them.

Dad landed his Huey on Con Son Island about 20 hours after we had arrived and leaped with joy when he saw us heading toward him. I can still remember the scent of him as he covered me in kisses. Together we hurried to the beach, where women and children were waiting and whispering about the impending collapse of Saigon, our nation's capital.

Washington had withdrawn its diplomats – the death knell of South Vietnam. Dad knew that he and his cohorts could not defend a country with a trickle of bullets when the enemy had continued support from China and the Soviet Union.

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Evacuation onto the USS Midway

Con Son became the central meeting point for evacuation of both military officials and civilians. At 7 a.m., Dad and his deputy pilot, Cao Minh Hoang, squeezed 31 passengers into a helicopter normally reserved for a dozen. Bags had to be left behind. In the controlled chaos, I saw something sparkly on the beach and snatched it. It was a pack of my favorite instant noodles.

The Huey was overstuffed with people whose lives were now completely in Dad’s hands. Everyone kept still, even the babies, fearing that one small movement could cause a crash. The 40-minute escape was fraught with despair. The wives now realized the dire fate that awaited their husbands. Mom was the only woman who wasn’t wailing.

Dad spotted the USS Midway and flew closer to the massive gray carrier, majestic against the vast blue ocean. The crewmen below navigated Dad’s craft by waving sticks, and he safely landed on a piece of U.S. territory.

Crewmen rushed to the Huey as the blades stopped swirling. They counted the number of people disembarking in disbelief and praised Dad’s aviation skills. Whatever sense of relief or accomplishment my dad had was short-lived. He asked whether he could refuel and head back to Con Son but was told there was no going back.

As Dad watched the Americans push Hueys overboard to make room for other landing helicopters, his chest clenched as he thought of loved ones left behind. We were now officially refugees at the full mercy of our U.S. allies. Our luggage was searched for weapons and contraband. The fear was that Viet Cong would hide among the horde of evacuees.

We joined several thousand other evacuees in the dining area below deck and devoured the undeniably all-American ham sandwiches. Not knowing if soy sauce was available in America, one of our friends shoved several packets into her pockets.

From USS Midway to a merchant ship

After a few hours on the Midway, officers instructed our helicopter group to board a nearby ship. We had to mount makeshift ropes to board the merchant ship.

Dad strapped my baby brother onto his back. He helped get every member of his party ready to climb a fraying rope to the ship. Mom safely reached the other side with my sister and me. She turned around and saw Dad’s rope break. Miraculously, he was able to pull himself up while holding on to my brother, avoiding the 7-meter plunge into the netting below.

The merchant ship was crowded with approximately 10,000 evacuees. We docked for about a week, waiting for more to board. Other ships rescued as many refugees as they could, but they were simply overwhelmed with more people than they could handle. Dad worried about what nation would accept thousands of refugees from an unpopular war.

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Food stocks ran low. Each person was rationed a bowl of rice with canned tuna.

Our group huddled in one area of the ship. Next to us was a family in distress. The mother was alone with five young children. Mom befriended them and offered two bags of instant noodles in her bag. She didn’t know the woman was Capt. Kiem Do’s wife. She had been separated from her husband, a navy officer who famously organized the successful evacuation of more than 30,000 refugees aboard more than 30 ships . The two women became lifelong friends.

I was still weak with the mumps. Mom had a limited supply of medicine and ground the pills using an American quarter. A gaunt woman wailed in agony through the night. Just when we thought we could sleep again, she would wail more and louder. One day, after waking from a nap, I saw two sailors throw her lifeless body overboard.

Years later, in the comfort and safety of America, I asked my parents if this really happened. They said there were many who were seriously ill on the ship, suffering from diarrhea, dehydration and even dysentery. Those who died were thrown overboard.

I shuddered thinking how it could’ve been me. But Mom always pointed out how generous people were when they saw me suffering. Many strangers around us gave me half their rice portions. The extra rice and penicillin saved my life. My parents vowed to each other that once our family settled somewhere, they would do all they could to support their community.

On that ship, news of Saigon’s collapse on April 30 trickled in. Whispers spread from group to group. We learned about the suicides of some generals of the Army of the Republic of Vietnam, one of whom was Dad’s mentor. As their fates were shared, the women in our party started weeping again.

Dad left us to take a walk. His tears could flow more freely among strangers.

Refugee camps at Subic Bay, Philippines, and the US territory of Guam

Many days later, as we faced dwindling food rations and starvation, our boat landed by the U.S. Navy base at Subic Bay, Philippines. The Philippine government was initially hesitant to shelter South Vietnamese refugees but ultimately agreed to provide a haven on Grande Island , in the mouth of Subic Bay, on the condition that the transits were brief. We refugees were contained in one area.

Upon arrival, all nine children in our group were famished and dehydrated. Mom opened my pack of favorite instant noodles that I had found on the beach, crushed the contents in a bowl with cold water and gave each of us a sip.

Around us, vendors wandered, trying to take advantage of our desperate plight. Dad’s only valuable possession was a watch given to him by President Nguyen Van Thieu of the now defunct Republic of Vietnam. He traded it for scraps of food and two cans of Coke. Later, he said the Coke brought color back to my face and, for the first time since our dramatic evacuation, he knew I'd survive my illness. That, to him, was priceless.

Decades after fall of Saigon, Vietnamese voices crucial to understanding Vietnam War's impact

We stayed at the Subic Bay camp for two days, huddled together in makeshift lodgings to keep warm during the cold night. Food eventually arrived, and the men of our group routinely waited in line for handouts, sometimes as long as six hours.

After Subic Bay, we were flown to Guam, a U.S. territory. In Guam, we were processed as political refugees. It was there that Mom felt more sane and settled. But anxiety still plagued her. In moments when she thought about the fate awaiting her endangered family left behind, she'd take out her small bottle of Chanel No. 5. This was the first gift that Dad had brought back for her from his pilot training in the United States. For her, it represented hope that one day, we could return to a normal life and she may go to social gatherings wearing Chanel.

A new home in New Orleans

In the autumn of 1975, after residing at Eglin Air Force Base in Florida for a few months, we settled in a neighborhood of New Orleans called Woodlawn that primarily housed Vietnamese refugees.

Not long after we resettled there, Jim and Betty Adams became our sponsors. Perhaps they chose my parents because they had shared professions as pilot and teacher, respectively. My siblings and I were proud to have two American brothers, Jim Jr. and Dave. Betty spent hours each week teaching my mom English.

Years later, Mom became one of the first Vietnamese American teachers in Louisiana. The Carters, who owned a horse ranch, also “adopted” us. Their son had served in Vietnam.

When we first arrived, Dad had offers to fly for oil companies, given the boom in the Gulf of Mexico and the need for helicopter pilots to fly between rigs. Mom didn’t want to take any more risks and insisted that he find a terrestrial job.

He started as a hospital translator and then became an Exxon mechanic. Mom was the “produce girl” at Schwegmann's and used her income to give back to the community. On Sundays, she made huge pots of pho and cha gio (fried spring rolls), and opened up our home to “uncles'' and “aunts'' whom I would eventually understand to be young refugees without families.

Mom’s spring rolls would later save us from hostile Cajun neighbors who initially found us threatening as outsiders. They eventually not only left us alone to live our American dream, but provided support when Mom was suffering from cancer.

What I learned after returning to post-war Vietnam

Mom died two weeks after I turned 18. Heartbroken, Dad found it difficult to accept her death, considering all they had overcome together. She had survived bombs and bullets only to lose her life in suburbia.

In the wake of that loss, I embarked on a journey to find my extended family. After a trip to Vietnam in 1992, where I reunited with all four of my grandparents, I resolved to find a career that would connect me to them, while honoring Mom’s legacy of giving back.

I spent years working in international development, helping Vietnam integrate into the world economy and improve the quality of life and potential of its people – before pivoting to academia to learn about the region and conflict that had long intrigued me.

On April 30, 2011, exactly 36 years since I left Vietnam, I earned my doctorate in the field of Asian politics. While researching, I found that South Vietnamese stories were underrepresented in the larger mainstream narrative of the conflict that defined a generation. Having grown up in a community of political refugees, listening to war tales in my youth and witnessing the U.S.-Vietnam reconciliation process as a development practitioner, I can appreciate multiple viewpoints.

Reconciliation between former enemies: Learning about our past in Vietnam helps new generation see beyond legacy of war

Reconciliation, however, cannot be complete without the inclusion and healing of the South Vietnamese, who felt abandoned by their U.S. allies, misunderstood, and unfairly vilified and misrepresented in pop culture and war literature.

Younger generations of Vietnamese Americans like me unknowingly experienced intergenerational trauma , carrying the scars of our shared and suppressed history. Our worldview is likely shaped by our parents’ hardships and lived experiences.

As for my father, it wasn’t until the fall of Kabul, in Afghanistan in 2021 , that he was finally ready to talk about what happened in Vietnam. The post-traumatic stress disorder that had long plagued him suddenly came to the fore, prompting him to reach out to fellow Da Lat National Military Academy peers, now octogenarians and nonagenarians.

These days, Dad wants Vietnamese people everywhere to succeed and make a positive impact on society. While therapy is still not in his vocabulary, he finds healing in writing, meditating, visiting the local Cao Dai temple, drinking boba tea with his grandchildren and cheering for the NBA Dallas Mavericks.

As a former war pilot, he's also rooting for Ukrainian pilots as they now bravely defend their homeland.

Nga n Ngu yen , a social entrepreneur and political scientist, is the global strategic adviser for Asian heritage at Citi and co-founder/owner of Ai Vy Springrolls, LLC. She advises nonprofit organizations and learning institutions, and hopes to amplify Asian American and Pacific Islander voices, representation and causes through her volunteer work.

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Tourist dies after falling 250ft into crater of active volcano while ‘posing for photo’

It took rescue teams over two hours to retrieve the tourist's body.

Callum Jones

A tourist has tragically died after falling 250ft into a crater of an active volcano in Indonesia.

31-year-old Chinese national Huang Lihong fell into the Ijen Crater in Banyuwangi, according to local media reports.

On Saturday (20 April), she and her husband , Zhang Yong, had apparently tried to climb the steep slope of Mount Ijen with a local tour guide so they could watch a remarkable sunrise from the volcano's rim.

With such a beautiful spectacle on display, Huang decided to pose for some photos.

However, as she was preparing for the perfect snap, she reportedly got her skirt caught.

The tourist moments before the fatal incident. (Newsflash)

This caused her to stumble to the point where she ended up tumbling backwards over the edge into the crater in front of her horrified husband.

One photograph released following the incident shows Huang posing for a snap with one leg raised as she stood at the rim of the volcano , as clouds of steam and sulphur gas rose behind her.

Local media have since reported that she fell 250 feet into the mouth of the volcano, with it taking rescuers more than two hours to retrieve her body.

Dwi Putro Sugiarto, the head of the Department of Conservation for the Banyuwangi region, has since told reporters that the incident was an accident and that tourists should always remain safe while visiting Mount Ijen.

The tourist's body is scheduled to be transported to Bali before it is taken by air back to China.

Mount Ijen is found on the border between Banyuwangi and Bondowoso in East Java, where it lines up amongst a group of volcanoes.

These volcanoes are known for their blue fire, an effect created by sulphuric gas emanating from the crater and igniting and burning.

In the summer of 2022, a fellow tourist fell into the crater of Mount Vesuvius after taking a selfie on a forbidden route.

Italian media reported at the time that the then 23-year-old and his family from the US ignored signage and walked on an out-of-bounds path.

And the man decided to take a selfie on this prohibited route, but it didn't exactly go to plan.

As he was standing at the summit of the iconic Naples landmark, he dropped his phone, ultimately falling as he tried to retrieve it.

Police, a rescue helicopter and Vesuvius guides had to be called out after the man dropped several metres.

He was treated in hospital for cuts and bruises to his arms and back.

Topics: Travel , World News

@ CallumJ2709

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Honoring Our Heroes: Memorial Day Destinations for Reflection and Remembrance

M emorial Day is when we remember and honor the sacrifices made by the brave men and women who fought and died for our country. There are countless places to visit that commemorate their heroism, but some destinations are particularly iconic. In this article, we'll guide you through the four best places to visit for Memorial Day, where you can pay your respects and learn more about the events that shaped our history.

The National Mall, Washington D.C.

The National Mall in Washington, D.C ., is a must-visit destination for those seeking to honor our nation's heroes. Here, you'll find three of the most iconic memorials dedicated to the brave men and women who fought in various wars throughout history.

The National World War II Memorial

This beautiful memorial between the Washington Monument and the Lincoln Memorial commemorates the 16 million Americans who served during World War II. Its impressive architecture and reflective pool make it a serene and moving place to pay tribute to those who served and sacrificed.

The Vietnam Veterans Memorial

The Vietnam Veterans Memorial is a powerful tribute to the more than 58,000 Americans who died during the Vietnam War. The reflective black granite walls, inscribed with the names of the fallen, provide visitors with a sad and poignant experience.

The Korean War Veterans Memorial

The Korean War Veterans Memorial honors the more than 36,000 Americans who died during the Korean War. The life-sized statues of soldiers and the black granite Wall of Remembrance create an evocative scene that captures the harsh realities of war.

Arlington National Cemetery, Virginia

Arlington National Cemetery is another essential stop for those seeking to honor our nation's heroes. Located across the Potomac River from Washington, D.C., it's the final resting place for more than 400,000 military personnel and their families.

The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier

The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier is dedicated to the unidentified soldiers who died in battle, representing all who made the ultimate sacrifice. This poignant memorial serves as a powerful reminder of the price of freedom.

The Changing of the Guard

Witness the solemn and intricate ceremony of the Changing of the Guard, held every hour during the warmer months and every two hours in colder months. This tradition symbolizes the unwavering commitment to honor those who have served our country.

Gettysburg National Military Park, Pennsylvania

Gettysburg National Military Park is a significant site for American history and an ideal destination for Memorial Day. The park preserves the battlegrounds of the Civil War's deadliest battle and the location of President Abraham Lincoln's famous Gettysburg Address.

The Battle of Gettysburg

The Battle of Gettysburg, fought in July 1863, was a turning point in the Civil War. Over three days, the Union Army emerged victorious, but at a significant cost – more than 50,000 soldiers were killed, wounded, or went missing. Visitors can explore the park's many monuments and trails, which provide insight into the events that unfolded during this pivotal battle.

The Gettysburg Address

Delivered by President Lincoln in November 1863, the Gettysburg Address is a profound and poignant speech reaffirming the nation's commitment to freedom and equality. At the Soldiers' National Cemetery, you can visit the location where Lincoln delivered his famous words and reflect on their enduring significance.

Pearl Harbor National Memorial, Hawaii

The Pearl Harbor National Memorial in Hawaii is a solemn reminder of the surprise attack that led the United States to World War II. The site commemorates the lives lost on December 7, 1941, and honors the heroism of those who served during the war.

The USS Arizona Memorial

The USS Arizona Memorial marks the final resting place of more than 1,000 sailors and Marines killed during the attack on Pearl Harbor. The memorial, which straddles the sunken wreckage of the battleship, provides a moving experience where visitors can pay their respects to those who perished.

The USS Missouri

The USS Missouri, also known as the "Mighty Mo," symbolizes the end of World War II. On this battleship, the Japanese formally surrendered on September 2, 1945. Today, visitors can tour the historic ship and learn about its role in the war.

These four locations are some of the best places to visit for Memorial Day, each offering a unique and profound experience for those wishing to honor the bravery and sacrifice of our nation's heroes.

Resignation of Vietnam’s Parliament Chief Stirs Fresh Political Chaos

Vuong Dinh Hue’s departure comes amid a growing anticorruption push and weeks after Vietnam’s president resigned.

A man in a gray striped suit and red tie stands behind a lectern.

By Sui-Lee Wee

Vietnam’s recent political turmoil intensified on Friday as the head of its Parliament resigned, the latest high-level government departure amid a widening anticorruption campaign that has raised questions about the stability of the country.

Vuong Dinh Hue, the chairman of Vietnam’s National Assembly, submitted his resignation on Friday after the Central Inspection Committee found that he had violated regulations governing Communist Party members. It did not specify what these regulations were, but it came four days after his assistant was detained on charges of abuse of power.

“Mr. Vuong Dinh Hue’s violations and shortcomings, according to the Central Executive Committee, have caused bad public opinion and affected the reputation of the Party, the state and him personally,” the Vietnamese government wrote in a post on Facebook.

Mr. Hue was one of the “four pillars” of leadership in Vietnam — the others being the leader of the Communist Party, the prime minister and the president — which had made him a possible candidate for the future leadership of the party. His resignation is likely to add to anxiety among officials in Vietnam of an intensifying power struggle ahead of a coming leadership transition, in 2026, and to unnerve foreign investors who have flocked to the country in recent years.

Mr. Hue was the fifth Politburo member to have resigned or been fired from his position since 2021. Last month, the president, Vo Van Thuong, resigned after the Communist Party said he had violated its regulations. He was the second president to step down in a little over a year.

The question in Vietnam now is who would succeed Nguyen Phu Trong, the leader of the Communist Party. Mr. Trong, who was reappointed as general secretary for an unprecedented third five-year term in 2021, is 80 and thought to be in poor health.

In 2016, Mr. Trong launched the “blazing furnace” anticorruption campaign, saying graft could threaten the survival of the Communist Party. Thousands of party members across all levels of government have been sacked, dismissed from the party or imprisoned, though many have questioned whether some of these targets were political purges within a closed political system.

Mr. Hue appeared to be popular among his peers. Last October, during a vote of confidence for 44 members of the National Assembly, he received 91 percent of the total votes, the highest percentage in the group.

This month Mr. Hue led a high-level Vietnamese delegation to China. He was last seen in public earlier Friday morning, when he visited the mausoleum of Ho Chi Minh, the former president and revolutionary hero, alongside the prime minister ahead of next week’s 49th anniversary of the end of the Vietnam War and the reunification of North and South Vietnam under communist rule.

An earlier version of this article incorrectly described Vuong Dinh Hue, the chairman of Vietnam’s National Assembly, who resigned as head of Parliament Friday. Mr. Hue was the fifth Politburo member to have resigned or been fired from his position since 2021, not the fourth.

How we handle corrections

Sui-Lee Wee is the Southeast Asia bureau chief for The Times, overseeing coverage of 11 countries in the region. More about Sui-Lee Wee

IMAGES

Photojournalist Dickey Chapelle receiving last rights after being
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Four men on trial over death of 39 Vietnamese migrants in UK truck
PHOTOS: As a 30-year old, photographer Bill Snead chronicled life and
The Hidden Atrocities of the Vietnam War
Essex lorry deaths: First 16 bodies repatriated to Vietnam

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Reporting and Documenting a Death in Vietnam. When a U.S. citizen dies abroad, the U.S. Embassy or Consulate can assist families in handling arrangements with local authorities for preparation and disposition of the remains. In the event of shipment of remains, normal cases require five to seven working days before remains can be transported.
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The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica. In 1995 Vietnam released its official estimate of the number of people killed during the Vietnam War: as many as 2,000,000 civilians on both sides and some 1,100,000 North Vietnamese and Viet Cong fighters. The U.S. military has estimated that between 200,000 and 250,000 South Vietnamese soldiers died.
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A tourist has tragically died after falling 250ft into a crater of an active volcano in Indonesia. 31-year-old Chinese national Huang Lihong fell into the Ijen Crater in Banyuwangi, according to local media reports.. On Saturday (20 April), she and her husband, Zhang Yong, had apparently tried to climb the steep slope of Mount Ijen with a local tour guide so they could watch a remarkable ...
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The Vietnam Veterans Memorial is a powerful tribute to the more than 58,000 Americans who died during the Vietnam War. The reflective black granite walls, inscribed with the names of the fallen ...
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