Brother Gregory walked along Le Van Duyet Road, en route to his cousin’s house. He was astonished when he saw in front of him a crowd of bo doi who were more or less armed and civic people who marched towards Dan Chu Plaza, led by three Buddhist monks. Along the road all the houses were closed. It could be that the residents were so embarrassed that they couldn’t believe their own eyes.

Fire explosions were still heard from the corner of Cong Ly and Hien Vuong. Perhaps the soldiers were still fighting to protect the Vice President’s Palace, in spite of the order to "capitulate to the Front of the Liberation of South Vietnam" of President Duong Van Minh. But it did not last.

I walked on Duy Tan Street towards the Independence Palace. Having passed through Hien Vuong Street, a dramatic spectacle made me nervous. Along the Hien Vuong Street, under certain big trees, soldiers took off their uniforms, threw them away like dirty trash, then hastened to leave wearing just their t-shirt and underwear, more or less clean. "The change of life-style began?" I said to myself although I had no idea about the changing life-style under communist government, it was indeed happening.

In contrast on Duy Tan Street, some people were carrying an air conditioner or fans; some other people in groups of five or six brought a sofa or a washing machine, even a refrigerator or a freezer... stolen from luxurious houses. The rich owners must have abandoned their houses and left, even before the capitulating order of President Duong Van Minh.

I came onto Thong Nhat Boulevard, behind the Notre Dame Cathedral. There were still a few people gathered, few flags of red-blue-yellow-star could be seen. At my right, about 300meters (1,000 feet) is the front of the Independence Palace where I thought, "less than 2 hours before, President Duong Minh had been forced to read the capitulating order." The front gate had been destroyed by the tank which was the first to invade "the Capital Saigon of South Vietnam."

Some people began gathering on the sidewalk of Thong Nhat Blvd. Among the crowd in front of me, by the side of the Notre Dame Cathedral, a hand rose up, seemingly to "welcome" the bo doi on the molotova (military cars). When he had looked around and noticed no reaction from anyone, he made a gesture. As he "just intended to touch his ears and/or eyes," then he put his hand down and fled into the crowd.

Memories and images and photos from books that I had read about World War Two, and especially the spectacle of the South Vietnam Army Exhibition which was held every year on June 19, made me more confused. I wondered, "Why did it happen to South of Vietnam?"

I returned to La Salle Duc Minh, very depressed and frustrated.