Vietnam - US Vet Completes Celebration Run

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• published: 21 Jul 2015
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T/I: 10:07:42 10:23:02 An American war veteran celebrated the 20th anniversary of the end of the Vietnam War on Thursday (27/4) by completing a 1,300-mile run from from Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh City. Michael Liscio's run began on February 5th. "Let's bury the hatchet. The war is long over," 52-year-old Liscio said, hugging Vietnamese youths who joined him for the last few miles (kilometers). Also in Ho Chi Minh City, the plane that was used to drop the historic bomb on the presidential palace on April 8th, 1975, was moved from the museum to the front of the palace. The pilot who flew the plane, Nguyen Thanh Tiung, watched as the plane was put in place. On 30 April 1975, the US embassy in Saigon was the scene of a frantic scramble as Americans and Vietnamese were evacuated as the Communista pproached the city. Now, the embassy is empty. Its grounds are littered with weeds and debris. Tourist buses make a brief stop outside. James Kimsey, who served two tours in Vietnam, last saw the embassy 26 years ago. He said "to see it now deserted... is a little bit shocking." SHOWS: HANOI, 5/2/95 MS of Vietnamese flag flying in front of the Ho Chi Minh mausoleum Liscio starts his run - pats a kid on the back and says here we go. VS Liscio running with Vietnamese guide in Hanoi on day one MY LAI MEMORIAL, 16/3 PAN right across My Lai memorial with Liscio placing flowers by it WS of graveyard where victims of My Lai massacre are buried. HO CHI MINH CITY, 27/4 Vietnamese runners holding American flag Liscio greeting Vietnamese just before the beginning of the last leg of his run. SOT of Liscio saying: This is my last seven kilometres, I'm going to do right here and I feel I am the happiest person in the world right now. I'm so glorious it's like I'm having a big dream and I'm waiting for the proverbial bomb to drop. VS Liscio on his last leg accompanied by Vietnamese runners. Liscio and Vietnamese runners run onto boulevard leading to the People's Committtee Building Liscio at end of his run chanting friendship and saying thank you. HO CHI MINH CITY, 27/4 VS shots of the plane used to drop bomb on the presidential palace on April 8 1975, on a transporter used to bring it from the museum where it has been kept PAN from plane to the pilot that day Nguyen Thanh Tiung (in civilian clothes) with tank brigade commander on his right and other soldiers. MS of the first communist tank to crash through gates of the presidential palace pull back to cu of the plane cockpit SOT in English by Nguyen Thanh Tiung: I do not afraid that my action is right or not right - I just do what I want to do (drop the bomb) and that's all. And the conclusion depends on history Cu of sign in palace grounds AMERICAN EMBASSY, APRIL 1975 File footage of crowds outside embassy walls with marines standing guard RECENT WS of embassy VS of dilapidated embassy building and grounds PAN from steps leading to helicopter pad to pad where last Americans were evacuated from 27/4 Tourist bus outside the embassy CU of tourists US veteran having his photograph taken in front of the embassy MS of the veteran and tourist guide 3.30 You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/youtube/3751e650a67dd54335170c9ed750232e Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork