The regime readily reconciles with its former foes only for their money. No relatives visit. The monument to honor the sacrifice of the dead stands unfinished. The pagoda for family prayer is empty.
Weeds run wild among the graves, and headstones lie toppled.
A generation ago, when these boy soldiers died, bereaved mothers encased their photographs in the stone markers. Surprisingly, many of the pictures have not faded. Nguyen Van Them, Do Van San, Pham Hiem, all buried as teenagers. But there is one big difference. In many ways, Hanoi has had an easier time reaching out to its former enemy the United States than its brothers who fought for the South.