LEILA FADEL, HOST:
People in Vietnam are celebrating the 50th anniversary of the end of the Vietnam War today in Ho Chi Minh City, formerly known as Saigon. On April 30, 1975, the North Vietnamese Army entered the city and took control of South Vietnam after almost 20 years of war and about two years after American troops left. Joining us to talk about the ceremony marking this 50th anniversary is journalist Nga Pham in Ho Chi Minh City. Hi.
NGA PHAM: Hello. Good morning, Leila.
FADEL: So tell us about the ceremony and who attended.
PHAM: Well, thousands of people gathered on the streets in Ho Chi Minh City early this morning. The ceremony started with a speech by the general secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam, To Lam. He called for national unity and support for the Communist Party's economic policies. And it was attended by top leaders and international guests, including the president of Laos and the top leader of Cambodia, Hun Sen. But the U.S. ambassador to Vietnam was not on the podium, and this led to some disappointment amongst the Vietnamese because the U.S. and Vietnam have become close partners in recent years, and people do expect foreign friends to join these celebrations.
FADEL: So you said diplomats from the U.S. weren't there. Why not?
PHAM: Well, the U.S. ambassador was not there because it was reported that the Trump administration told U.S. diplomats in Vietnam not to attend any event in Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi. But at the last minute, I think the restriction was eased. So the consul general in Ho Chi Minh City, Susan Burns, was actually present at the parade today.
FADEL: What do Vietnamese people today think about marking this 50th anniversary?
PHUONG NGHIEM: I came here at 4 a.m. in the morning. It's a grand ceremony for the whole country. The entire country united together. So I would like to see the marching, the helicopter. It's awesome.
PHAM: It's also a very successful PR campaign by the government here to try to reignite a sense of deep respect for the military felt by previous generations, especially during wartime.
FADEL: So it sounds like marking this anniversary has brought up a lot of national pride.
PHAM: That's right. You can really tell that people here are very proud of the country's past struggles. They went against the French, the Americans and the Chinese. But also, they are equally proud of what they have achieved so far 50 years after the war. So I spoke to veteran American journalist Jim Laurie, who actually covered the Vietnam War for NBC and witnessed the fall of Saigon.
JIM LAURIE: There's no real sense of history in what's going on today. It's a grand celebration, but I see in the Vietnamese a tremendous pride. And it's a celebration of what they've become, not what they were.
PHAM: Well, the people are very proud, but, of course, Vietnam is facing a lot of serious challenges, especially in developing their economy. That's an enormous task for the ruling Communist Party. They will have to improve people's standard of living in order to maintain legitimacy. And people are really worried about trade because most of the country's income comes from exports.
FADEL: Nga Pham joining us from Ho Chi Minh City. Thank you so much.
PHAM: Thank you. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
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