Nepal, April 30 -- Vietnam celebrated the end of the war with the United States and the formation of its modern nation 50 years ago Wednesday with a military parade and a focus on a future of peace.

Thousands camped overnight on the streets of Ho Chi Minh City - once known as Saigon - to watch the parade, drinking strong black coffee and their faces painted with the Vietnamese flag. The parade included a float that carried the Lac Bird, Vietnam's emblem, another carrying a portrait of Ho Chi Minh and finally one that represented 50 years of reunification between North and South Vietnam.

Chinese, Laotian and Cambodian troops marched behind Vietnamese army formations, including some wearing uniforms similar to what was worn by northern Vi...