|
Picture of the day - February 19, 2009
"Mekong River Sunset"
Photo courtesy of Atif Gulzar.
(Click on the photo for a larger view)
Today's picture features a gorgeous sunset on the Mekong River
in southeast Asia. That part of the world was quite unpleasant to be
in just a few decades ago during the Vietnam War era, but today the
calm waters of the Mekong no longer flow red.
There have been countless times in human history when some of the
world's most beautiful places have seen turmoil and strife beyond
belief, and southeast Asia sure saw more than its fair share of it
during the third quarter of the last century. Many thousands of
American soldiers, sailors, airmen and marines never made it out of
that beautiful, but tormented region alive, and the toll on the
local population was simply mind-boggling.
Time has a way of healing deep wounds and fading bad memories, but
far too many of the men and women who endured that war will never
stop hearing the sounds of mortar rounds and rifle bursts or
smelling the awful stench of war in the jungle and rice paddies. For
those unlucky souls, the Mekong will always flow a scarlet red.
But for the ones who were able to put those memories behind them,
this is a new century and a new era. Today's picture and the Mekong
River basin are quite beautiful indeed. What a difference a little
time can make.
Visitor Comments...
Name: Amanda Hall
Town: Sydney, Australia
Beautiful photo and a very touching story. I cannot tell you how
much I enjoy the "Picture of the Day".
Name: Phyllis Helton
Town: Bristol, VA
You consistently feature extraordinary photographers and wonderful
photos. It is a delightful visit with you each morning.
Name: Armand Doucet
Town: Grenoble, France
Very pretty.
Name: Gerald Baxter
Town: Wytheville, VA
Mr. Rouse, I love your "local" photos very much because of the way
you highlight this special region of our country, but Sir you bring
us the entire world with these amazing photographs. Thanks to you,
many of us are seeing places and things we would never be able to
see in a thousand lifetimes otherwise. I tip my hat to you and all
the wonderful photographers who are so willing to share their
valuable work with the rest of the world. Keep up the good work.
Name: Ronnie Shelton
Town: Champion, OH
Two words comes to mind to describe today's posting: sadness and
hope. Very nice tribute to all of us vets who lived through exactly
what you described.
Name: Imogene Hammond
Town: Bartlesville, OK
Beautiful picture today as usual, and the story was so fitting. Very
moving!
Name: Thomas Gauley
Town: Marion, VA
I too am a Viet Nam vet and today's picture and story stir up a lot
of mixed emotions for me. I joined the Marine Corps at 18 and spent
a total of 19 months in southeast Asia, only to return to what I
perceived to be a bitter and ungrateful country. I have received
more thank you's for my service in the two years since I began
visiting your websites than I had received in all the years since
coming home in 1969. Thank you for your thank you's Mr. Rouse.
You'll never know how much they mean to me and thousands others like
me.
Name: Ann Leonard
Town: Jacksonville, FL
Superb photograph, and the article is even better.
|
Comment on today's picture
|
View
previous "Pictures Of The Day" |
Submit a
photo
Why I publish the "Picture Of The Day"
|
|
