I've been DVRing it and the way it's presented is amazing. These guys are absolute bad asses and have some pretty amazing stories to tell. I'm 35 and in great physical shape and there is no way in hell I would screw with these guys then or now. I go to the gym on base during lunch and a couple of retired guys come in who were in combat in Vietnam. I talk to all of them like I would anyone else I get along with, and I'm an introvert so I'm picky, and as we're talking about cars, lawns, bowling, fruit trees, etc. I can't help but wonder what these guys looked like when they were younger. It's amazing to me the guys walking through the jungle with bullets strapped across their backs in those dark green uniforms, pizzed off, wet, and ready for action are the same guys talking to me about their lawns and gardens.
I tried to record it but I don't have RMPBS apparently. I really want to see this series. My H.S. wrestling coach was a two-tour Green Beret, he told me a few stories. A few guys I went to gun school with were UDT/ SEALs, they didn't share much until we got to know each other. True "quiet operators", when I heard their stories I was truly humbled. I'll always cherish their friendship, and advise. Grateful just to walk in their shadows. JB Moparguy- Thank you for your service.
Hopefully it will be on Netflix in the future. I really want to watch it. I can remember the war on the news when I was a kid.
I watched all of it so far. I think it is well done and presents it respectfully. I was a medic service in a medical staging group in DaNang. We got the wounded in during the day, triaged them, and put them on flights out during the darkness of the early morning. DaNange was also known as Rocket City. The movie has been a hot topic at my weekly combat support group meeting at our local Vets Center. So far, no one is having nightmares or flashbacks as a result of watching. We are all about 70 years old now. I am impressed about all the history being presented. So much done that was kept secret. Today, with the internet, cellphones etc., there is a lot less chance of being kept in the dark, or living a lie. Thank you for watching the show. Please keep talking about it with your family and friends. We should all learn from our history.
I started watching it cause it was 95 and still an AC in bedroom it was pretty interesting.. thank you all for your service.. reminds me of my first mechanic he was a tough rough worded vet from 101st but never assumed he was intelligent just tough the town I grew up in was a blue collar immigrant town.. there was a few families of Vietnamese that moved next door... as our teenage girl were umm more developed at 13... the 18 to 20 year old ikmigrants were propositionin them.. well I was 15 and we had already tangled soon I went to go tell stu.. he came right up and that's when I learned that tough guy that used a lot of colorful language actually spoke Vietnamese. .. never judge book by cover.. realize I cleaned this story quite a bit to get it too PG
My Bestman was killed in Viet Nam and he never saw his daughter. We were in AIT together but I was picked up as an instructor but he went to Nam. I think of him often and we named our second son after him. I am not watching the series.
Not watching it now. But hope to in the future. I heard and read it is well done. I don't like to watch war, but am interested in history and to learn what was left out when we were learning about it.
I watched one night. It's certainly put together well and well narrated but I didn't think there was any new material there.
I am watching it, but have mixed reviews about it. It is more evenly split then most PBS shows I think, but still felt it leaned pretty heavily to the liberal side. My father was a medic in the Army as well, and what they were depicting did not always match up with what he said happened. For instance they touched on a lot of the atrocities done so by the American's and South Vietnamese, but just broached the subject in regards to what the Viet Cong did. Yes I am an American with a Vietnam, Combat Disabled father, BUT he told of a time when a village ambushed them and yet they were not allowed to fire back because "CIA intelligence said they were a friendly village." They apparently had several members of their platoon die, so they fired back against orders, and had to forfeit 2 months of pay for defending themselves. It angers him to this day. Some things they said on PBS he confirmed though, like he refused to take higher military rank because as a Medic he saw how many officer's died from bullets shot from behind and not the front. (Note: this is just my observations, and I support of any and all Veteran's, which by the way, several in my family have given their life in battle for, so if it is upsetting to any veteran, for any reason, moderators have my permission to delete this post. This is my opinion and it means nothing, I was not there.)
I hope this isn't taken as political in any way but, I thought the movie Fog of War was an excellent look at a lot of the decisionmaking:
Maybe but I guess (assume) that most people knew about how the Viet Cong treated our service men but maybe not understood some of the things we did, we killed a lot of civilians needlessly and the war was a cluster frog in more ways then one, the extent of the mistakes, policies, and lies was a surprise to me. The mistreating of the Vets coming back was one of the saddest points of the show, I have never understood how people can be so naive and just plain ignorant. I found the show riveting and watched it both times when ever I could. I have the utmost respect for all who served no matter the venue.
Would love to have a beer around a fire and discuss what you are talking about as the media is not the whole problem by any means.
I really thought a lot of honest reporting was done. They exposed Johnson and Nixon's secrets much the same. I didn't see anything that wasn't true. But, there is always what was not shown or said. There are many truths, many perspectives that are not the same, but all true as told. I was there. I saw only one small part. I was full of anger. I had to deal with my anger, my cynical views or I was not to be any more. Help is out there. Competent help that will not denigrate or demoralize you. They help you deal with your feeling, move on, and help you tolerate day to day life without isolating.
Saw both the "poor welcoming" of returning servicemen turn into the "arms open" welcoming or returning servicemen. Lived through both periods of this country reacting favorably and poorly to us.
I have seen bits and pieces and have decided I do not need to watch crap I lived. I knew at the time it was a cluster thingie thru and thru. I today so wished I would have driven an hour and became a Canadian citizen rather than a disabled VN vet who got to experince the spitting, Yet today like the Granada & Koren vets ignored when Vetrans day rolls around except for my VVA group. way I feel is I am being spit on again. Ford let those who wished to return from Canada too. OH ya the Veterans day give a meal, What a joke on the vets. How many would go out to a resturant that day if it were not for the free meal. I sure wouldn't and still don't. You still have to buy the meal for your spouce or other half so they have made money they wouldn't have other wise. Isn't a vet worth 2 free meals? We had a saying in VN -uck it, don't mean nothin. Still hold true to me. Al
