1st U.S. warship in Vietnam since war

1st U.S. warship in Vietnam since war

VIETNAM: A U.S. navy frigate docked in Vietnam's biggest city on Wednesday, the first American warship to visit the country since the end of their bloody conflict nearly 30 years ago.

The USS Vandegrift sailed up the Saigon river from Vung Tau watched by a small crowd of curious onlookers -- including Vietnamese veterans of a war they say they want to forget.

"It's good. There is no more war and we should get further cooperation between the two countries," said one man, peering through a rolled-up newspaper he used as a makeshift telescope.

The frigate, with a crew of around 200, was escorted from Vung Tau, about 120 km (75 miles) southeast of Ho Chi Minh City, by two Vietnamese navy vessels.

As it pulled into Ho Chi Minh City, the crew -- smartly attired in navy whites -- stood to attention, arms clasped behind their backs.

The frigate flew the flags of both countries, the stars and stripes of the U.S. alongside that of Vietnam -- red with a five- pointed yellow star in the center. -- Reuters