Has anyone watched PBS - Vietnam?

[offkey]

My wife and I have watched most of it. We think it is a very well balanced history lesson. And especially appreciated the Vietnamese voices telling of the war from their perspective.

[buddyhu]

Originally Posted by srick

I found myself near tears after watching the last episode. So much tragedy - so much futility and so much hubris on the part of the politicians and generals.

If any good came out of this war, perhaps it was the realization that war is an ugly, ugly thing.

Rick

We have taped the episodes and are watching them bit by bit. Near tears rather often.

Difficult to watch, even for those who weren't there. But revisiting it is valuable, I think, because it reveals difficult truths...about war, about politics, about people. Full of insights.

I think people who don't watch this because they anticipate a particular "spin" from Ken Burns might find this particular endeavor to be more palatable. It reveals the difficult each decisions and ambiguities eaxh faction faced, and how many folks did a pretty good job wrestling with the difficulties of that time and that war and how the arc of our involvement gradually changed (and became more problematic) over the course of several presidencies.

I don't think those times and that war lend themselves to simple declarations, and this documentary portrays some of that complexity in a way that is clarifying, though pretty tragic.

[rokdog49]

Originally Posted by buddyhu

We have taped the episodes and are watching them bit by bit. Near tears rather often.

Difficult to watch, even for those who weren't there. But revisiting it is valuable, I think, because it reveals difficult truths...about war, about politics, about people. Full of insights.

I think people who don't watch this because they anticipate a particular "spin" from Ken Burns might find this particular endeavor to be more palatable. It reveals the difficult each decisions and ambiguities eaxh faction faced, and how many folks did a pretty good job wrestling with the difficulties of that time and that war and how the arc of our involvement gradually changed (and became more problematic) over the course of several presidencies.

I don't think those times and that war lend themselves to simple declarations, and this documentary portrays some of that complexity in a way that is clarifying, though pretty tragic.

I didn't watch it but I might.
I think you probably encapsulated what went on though. Rarely are things like the Vietnam War simple. My heart still aches for our troops, those who served and died and those who survived with the scars of war. The way those boys were treated by some when they came home sickens me personally. Thanks to them all for their service of our country.

[Song Writer]

After reading the Pentagon Papers many years ago I have never stopped being angry and sad over the wars in SE Asia. Woe be it unto them that believe their own propaganda.

In my extended family we have a KIA from Nam. Those wounds never heal. I've been close to tears several times watching the Burns documentary.

[Kerbie]

Let's stay away from politics. It isn't far away in this topic.

[JimmerO]

I'm about halfway through watching it. I think it's an excellent documentary and sad how many times the same mistakes get made by leaders. I learned a lot about history watching it and knew nothing about the French in Vietnam till I watched the first episode.

I graduated HS in 76 so I was lucky to miss going to war myself. Watching this documentary has helped me understand why many of my older friends who are close to 10 years older than me and served in Vietnam don't want to talk about the war.

[KevWind]

I think Burns does an excellent job of bringing a well researched and reasonably objective perspective to the subject matter he tackles.
No doubt to some the complex and multifaceted aspects of his presentations go against some of the subjective and or contrived elements of perspective.
But such is the nature of the human condition

[Nyghthawk]

I was in the Army in 73 - 74 but never deployed to Nam. I served with a bunch of guys who were still dealing with the effects of that war.

Thank you for all who endured. My sympathies to those who lost friends and family.

The documentary is hard to watch but informative.

[Tico]

I'm only on episode 3, but one thing already stands out.

They showed some early internal US government document listing the reasons to continue the war.
They assigned percentages to the reasons.
What I recall is 70% of the reason to continue the VN war was to avoid American humiliation.
20% had something to do with China.
10% was something else.

70% of the justification for all those deaths was ego and pride.
Sure hindsight is 20/20, but this makes me sick.

[RoseAdi]

I'm watching the series now and find it enlightening in some respects.

I was in the USAF but did not get assigned to that theater. My father and brother were there. My dad never got over it and willingly went downhill to his death after returning from his second tour.

Now they would call that PTSD. One poster stated PTSD was a wound. I would agree and after watching my dad, I know it's like an agonizing wound that can certainly end your life.

To all of our Vets, my heart is with you.

[stevem5000]

I couldn't serve...4F...
But I support our veterans...and donate to their support to the extent that I can...

I just finished the series...heart wrenching images...
BUT...for me the positive was the music...

All this wonderful music of the late '60-'70's...with the images the music
is VERY compelling...listening to the same music on real rock radio time after time does NOT convey the messages as much as when combined with the visual...

I am gradually pulling my collection of music from the soundtrack and other Vietnam era music...putting them on my Walkman...(no, not the old cassette version)...and I found out that I did NOT have ANY Marvin Gaye LP's...correcting that now...

[KevWind]

Originally Posted by stevem5000

I couldn't serve...4F...
But I support our veterans...and donate to their support to the extent that I can...

I just finished the series...heart wrenching images...
BUT...for me the positive was the music...

All this wonderful music of the late '60-'70's...with the images the music
is VERY compelling...listening to the same music on real rock radio time after time does NOT convey the messages as much as when combined with the visual...

I am gradually pulling my collection of music from the soundtrack and other Vietnam era music...putting them on my Walkman...(no, not the old cassette version)...and I found out that I did NOT have ANY Marvin Gaye LP's...correcting that now...

Yes the music was something funny how some things are uniquely universal

It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair, we had everything before us, we had nothing before us, we were all going direct to heaven, we were all going direct the other way - in short, the period was so far like the present period, that some of its noisiest authorities insisted on its being received, for good or for evil, in the superlative degree of comparison only.Charles Dickens


I refused the draft and did alternative service in the school bussing program and head start. No one ever thanked me for service, but then again I never expected any thanks as the doing was the reward.

[tbeltrans]

Originally Posted by Skip Ellis

As an active participate ('68-'69), I choose to not bring back those memories, especially with Mr. Burns' spin on them. I have Agent Orange to remind me every day and for the rest of my life.

This, is it for me except the years being different ('71-'72).

Tony

[Skip Ellis]

Originally Posted by Jerry D

Me, too, Skip. Same years, and I have Agent Orange disability as you do.

Where were you? I spent the entire year at Pleiku, with TDY's to Da Nang, R&R to Bangkok.

Long Binh, Bien Hoa, Phuoc Vinh and a bunch of other places in II FF. R&R twice to Hong Kong.

[chitz]

I watched it in it's entirety. As usual, I think Burns did a great job.

I learned some things I was not aware of. Most importantly, we could have avoided the entire affair.

I became eligible April 1974, by then the draft was over.
Dodged that bullet. (literally)