OK, this post has nothing to do with the Virginia governor's race -- directly, at least. Still, I thought it was worth pointing out that it has now been 30 years since departing US Huey helicopters signalled the fall of Saigon, now Ho Chi Minh City. In many ways, I remember this event like it was yesterday. And since I'm just 1 year younger than Jerry Kilgore and Tim Kaine (they're both 43), I'm sure they both remember it too. Luckily, like me, they were not old enough to be drafted or to fight in Vietnam.
Some of my earliest memories were sights and sounds from the Vietnam War (napalm, bombing, jungle, soldiers) beamed in to my parents' living room onto a black-and-white TV (no cable back then either - how did we LIVE?!?). I distinctly recall Walter Cronkite intoning somberly about "VietCong gorillas" and wondering what on earth those creatures were. At 8 years old, I just assumed they were a ferocious form of ape set loose to attack American soldiers. Only later did I find out that there was a different spelling -- and meaning -- of the word, namely "guerillas."
Come to think of it, perhaps there is a connection between Vietnam and the Virginia governor's race after all. One point I think worth making is that the two leading candidates in this race -- Tim Kaine and Jerry Kilgore -- represent the emergence of a new generation of post-Vietnam, post-60s leaders coming onto the scene. Interestingly, when he's elected governor in November of this year, Tim Kaine will be the third youngest governor in the United States, older only than Gov. Matt Blunt of Missouri (currently 34 years old) and Gov. Brad Henry of Oklahoma (41). Given that the Vietnam War ended 30 years ago, if you are younger than 50 years old it is extremely unlikely that you saw combat in that country.
The aging of the Vietnam generation has interesting implications going forward, as the country slowly shifts from fighting and re-fighting the battles of the 1960s. For now, however, these battles still rage, as this past year's Presidential election illustrated beyond a shadow of a doubt ("Swift Boats" anyone?). Given the fact that over 58,000 Americans died in that controversial war, this fact probably should not be surprising in the least bit.
One further connection between this year's governor's race and the Vietnam War is that today, Virginia has the fourth largest population of Vietnamese of any state in America -- 37,309 as of the 2000 Census. These talented people have enriched our state in many ways, not the least of which is in the incredible cuisine they brought with them from their native country. Here in Northern Virginia, we are incredibly fortunate to have dozens of excellent Vietnamese restaurants, bakeries, and cafes within a few minutes of our homes.
More broadly, the Vietnamese "boat people" represent just one wave of immigrants who are changing the face of this country. English, Germans, Scotch, Irish, Italians, Poles, Russians, Africans, Chinese, Indians and Pakistanis, now are joined by large-scale migration of Hispanics/Latinos.
All of this means, of course, that Virginia -- and America -- will not be tomorrow what it was yesterday, as the promise of liberty and economic opportunity continues to draw "[the] tired, [the] poor, [the] huddled masses yearning to breathe free." Personally, I believe this promise is a great thing - America as a beacon to the world -- and pray that we never lose it.