Reunification Palace was the last bastion of the South Vietnamese government in what had been Saigon. Darren and Chris chose it as their first destination.
Having perused the perfectly preserved sixties decor, Darren ascended to the roof where a Bell UH-1 Iroquois military helicopter, a Huey, evoked an unexpected catharsis. He had visited myriad ancient and intangible sites, but this building conjured memories of his grandparents’ house, the helicopter notwithstanding.
Upon reentry, Darren heard a faraway voice say something unintelligible; he ignored it and meandered back to meet Chris. Upon exiting, he saw Chris reclined on the pavement as two Vietnamese guards admonished him.
Darren approached and asked, “What’s going on?”
