36 kilometers from Hanoi

We walked into Phu Ly today in 104 degree heat...it was hard but we are so close to Hanoi that everyone is pretty hyped up here at the finish. I can't believe that we're almost there. I think each member of our group is experiencing happiness, disbelief that we actually did it, and some sadness. I am amazed at my new friends and their commitment to bettering the lives of these children. We talked at dinner tonight and everyone thanked each other for hanging in there, for getting through the difficulty of this effort, for not killing each other at times and for each contributing a special gift to this cause. Each of us is here because of agent orange. By walking and talking to the victims, we were able to watch this contamination silently unfold. We already wonder what comes next...where do you go from here? I  think I speak for all of us when I say that it will take a very long time to digest what we have been through and what we have seen. It is my hope and belief that we can make a difference, that our collective voice has been strong and that maybe, just maybe, the book on the Vietnam War will close one day soon. Studies can be proposed and conducted until hell freezes over but this does not help the people of Vietnam who suffer the lingering effects of this war. We cannot make them wait any longer.

Love from Vietnam.

Love from me.