I booked a tour of the DMZ via my hotel. The driver was the brother of one of the hotel employees and was an excellent driver.
The guide was a fellow in his 70s who appears to have been a genuine member of ARVN — Army of the Republic of Vietnam. ARVN fought with the Americans against the communist forces of North Vietnam.
There were some holes in his story/biography, but hard to tell if that is a result of any dishonesty or a consequence of age and vague memories.
Still, he had documentation to support his claims and it seems like it would have been a lot of effort to fake such documentation for no apparent payoff.
Mr. “Vinh” (apparently his nickname):
He says his wife burned all his docs and photos when Saigon fell in 1975. But through the efforts of visiting American Vets he’s recovered a medal awarded to him by the US Army. He was a translator.
