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[Lizzie Zoom]

I have at last managed to watch the last in the series of 10 of the 18 hour documentary under the title The Vietnam War on PBS America (channel 91 on Freeview).

It was directed by Ken Burns and Lynn Novick, and what a fantastic, very comprehensive account of that war, majoring on the American involvement in it, it is.  All sides are covered, with full, no holds barred, input from witnesses from both the American and North Vietnamese sides, with the soldiers, politicians, the journalists, commentators, civilian witnesses, anti-war activists, and anyone else with reason to give their account of their involvement. These accounts, especially from the American participants, are so descriptive of how they felt about the war, and fall completely in line with what my American friends, one a Huey pilot, who served in that war, IF they talked about it, felt. All was accompanied by the contemporary pop music of the time and full, unedited, film of the various stages in the build up,the participation, and final withdrawal (defeat) by American forces with an up to date resume of the military, political and general life of Vietnam after 1975 with the reconciliation between the warring factions since.  Nothing is held back from the discussions and observations about this terrible, in all respects, conflict after the French had pulled out. It is a major piece of academic research, of an episode in our lives that most of us on here remember from watching the news footage at the time that made many of us anti-war, anti-American, and generally disgusted with what was transpiring.

For anyone interested in this major event post WW2 and Korea, with the distant involvement of both China and the USSR, that tested the USA beyond it's abilities, it is a must watch.  It is an historical account that fully gives the viewer and student everything they need for further individual study.  I wish it had been available when I studied one aspect of the Vietnam War at uni.

For an American tv channel this is some achievement, but they do tend to broadcast other credible and academic worthy historical accounts.  Full marks to them on this one.

Has anyone else been following this series?

[BazaJT]

I watched that too and found it an excellent series.PBS do some very good programmes I think.

[Sir Tigger KC]

I watched some and it was very good! 

There's a museum in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) about the 'American War' and the Cu Chi tunnels where the Viet Cong hung out on the outskirts of the city which are worth a looky see if anyone finds themselves in that part of the world. 

If we're ever allowed out of course...   

[Migv6 le Frog Fan]

Mention of the Vietnam war always brings two songs to mind. Both by the wonderful John Prine.

Sam Stone
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sl9ZkYViEIs

Flag decal
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sRCLHBhZPQ4

[Lizzie Zoom]

Mention of the Vietnam war always brings two songs to mind. Both by the wonderful John Prine.

Sam Stone
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sl9ZkYViEIs

Flag decal
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sRCLHBhZPQ4

Yes indeed.

This also includes many of the rock songs we sang along to when watching Vietnam news clips over those bad years:
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=H7yUyH0Dpz8

The songs sung by Hendrix, The Stones, Bob Dillon, the Beatles to name just a few were for me the soundtrack to that war. The many songs played during the PBS documentary certainly brought back the memories.

At that time we also believed that the Cold War would lead to our destruction, as highlighted by the first song of that YouTube clip.


 

[Andy B]

I've just Googled the war ..... I'd no idea it started as early as it did.

[Rangie]

I've seen it as well thought it was excellent.

[Shackeng]

The best book I’ve read on that war is: A Bright Shining Lie: John Paul Vann and America in Vietnam. It sums up how futile that war was.
I served briefly in the Phillipines towards the end, and felt very sorry for the Americans trying to fight a war that nobody wanted by then, but they were still expected to fight for something that none of them believed in.

[Doctor Gollum]

I've just Googled the war ..... I'd no idea it started as early as it did.

The French were busy stirring up the locals whilst the Yanks were in Korea...

[Olympia5776]

Mention of the Vietnam war always brings two songs to mind. Both by the wonderful John Prine.

Sam Stone
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sl9ZkYViEIs

Flag decal
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sRCLHBhZPQ4

This sums it all up for me .

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9MrciMvk9Ec

[STEMO]

Can't say I was that interested at the time, too busy enjoying myself.

[Nick W]

I've just Googled the war ..... I'd no idea it started as early as it did.

The French were busy stirring up the locals whilst the Yanks were in Korea...

It's what happens when you try to keep your empire when your power, money and influence have been spent elsewhere.


Imagine the effect we'd still be suffering if post-war Britain had tried the same thing.

[dave the builder]

Can't say I was that interested at the time, too busy enjoying myself.

I was only 5 when it ended ,so I was still playing with Lego 

[STEMO]

Can't say I was that interested at the time, too busy enjoying myself.

I was only 5 when it ended ,so I was still playing with Lego 

I wasn't very politically aware when I was younger. Wasn't interested in watching the news on the tellybox much and, of course, no social media.

[dave the builder]

Can't say I was that interested at the time, too busy enjoying myself.

I was only 5 when it ended ,so I was still playing with Lego 

I wasn't very politically aware when I was younger. Wasn't interested in watching the news on the tellybox much and, of course, no social media.

I know the "A team" and "Rambo" went to the Vietnam war , but i'm still unaware of what the war was about       

[redelitev6]

I watched this , the last few weeks when it was all collapsing were shocking to see , panic wasn't the word 

[Doctor Gollum]

Can't say I was that interested at the time, too busy enjoying myself.

I was only 5 when it ended ,so I was still playing with Lego 

I wasn't very politically aware when I was younger. Wasn't interested in watching the news on the tellybox much and, of course, no social media.

I know the "A team" and "Rambo" went to the Vietnam war , but i'm still unaware of what the war was about       

On the face of it, bailing out the French (a NATO ally) and besting the Commies. Under the surface war is always good for making money.

[STEMO]

Can't say I was that interested at the time, too busy enjoying myself.

I was only 5 when it ended ,so I was still playing with Lego 

I wasn't very politically aware when I was younger. Wasn't interested in watching the news on the tellybox much and, of course, no social media.

I know the "A team" and "Rambo" went to the Vietnam war , but i'm still unaware of what the war was about       

On the face of it, bailing out the French (a NATO ally) and besting the Commies. Under the surface war is always good for making money.

You're an expert on war as well?? Is there no end to your knowledge? 

[Doctor Gollum]

Don't recall saying anything of the sort. 

Doesn't mean that I can't have an opinion.

[Field Marshal Dr. Opti]

Can't say I was that interested at the time, too busy enjoying myself.

The Americans lost.

Not even John Wayne could save them.

[STEMO]

Can't say I was that interested at the time, too busy enjoying myself.

The Americans lost.

Not even John Wayne could save them.

I was more interested in getting something on the end of my old man 

[Doctor Gollum]

Can't say I was that interested at the time, too busy enjoying myself.

The Americans lost.

Not even John Wayne could save them.

I was more interested in getting something on the end of my old man 

Luv you looong time, only fifty dolla...

[Field Marshal Dr. Opti]

Can't say I was that interested at the time, too busy enjoying myself.

The Americans lost.

Not even John Wayne could save them.

I was more interested in getting something on the end of my old man 

You do know that a mental image of this in my head could lead to years of expensive therapy for PTSD.

[Raeturbo]

Read tunnels of Cu Chi  all about the job of the American ‘tunnel rats’ who were all volunteers, it was a crazy job the VC really put some terrible booby traps, and they had hospitals, and theatres underground it was a massive network of tunnels. A great read. Charlie Daniels done some great tunes such as,  Still in Saigon for example.

[Shackeng]

Also read Chickenhawk, a superb book about a Huey pilot. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chickenhawk_(book)

[Olympia5776]

Read tunnels of Cu Chi  all about the job of the American ‘tunnel rats’ who were all volunteers, it was a crazy job the VC really put some terrible booby traps, and they had hospitals, and theatres underground it was a massive network of tunnels. A great read. Charlie Daniels done some great tunes such as,  Still in Saigon for example.

I'll second that re " The tunnels of Cu Chi " by Tom Mangold .
I read it many years ago but still recall the story about the hand gun that the tunnel rats developed for close quarter fighting deep within the tunnels .Although a tremendous success it was outlawed under the Geneva Convention even though the VC employed the most barbaric methods against their enemy within the same tunnels.
There's also a riviting story about the effort required by the VC to extracate an artillery piece from within the bowels of the tunnels , assemble it , fire off a few rounds and then reverse the process . The VC moved it around the tunnel network  popping up in another area which had the Americans baffled . When it was eventually discovered and subsequently captured the Americans were in awe at the enormous effort required to fire just a couple of shells at them .

[456lbft]

I think this is the same series that was shown on BBC4, unfortunately no longer available on iplayer.  As I was born in 1965, I was always aware of the war, and remember it ending, but never knew how it started.  This filled in all the gaps in my knowledge and made all the films based on the war make more sense (even though the war was senseless).  A must watch series for any baby boomers like me.

[Lizzie Zoom]

I think this is the same series that was shown on BBC4, unfortunately no longer available on iplayer.  As I was born in 1965, I was always aware of the war, and remember it ending, but never knew how it started.  This filled in all the gaps in my knowledge and made all the films based on the war make more sense (even though the war was senseless).  A must watch series for any baby boomers like me.

The first episode premiered on PBS on September 17, 2017.

It took some time for me to catch on to it!