Community Chat

[Vivian]

My husband and I just can't bring ourselves to watch. I'm sure we will regret it some day, since we've seen all of Ken Burns' other series and they have been superb. It's just that it was such a painful time for those of us old enough to remember. That war tore families and friends apart, killed tens of thousands, led to distrust of government, and never brought closure. Maybe if we learned important lessons, the whole disaster might have had some value but I don't think we learned much for all that sacrifice.

[truffle]

I watched the first episode and it was brilliant and informative explained a lot that we were not told or had any knowledge of before. The people of France wanted their country out of Vietnam and they showed film footage of their soldiers returning to unhappy citizens  - this happened before it happened here and it was France who dropped the napalm first long before it was used by the U.S.  It explained just exactly who Ho Chi Minh was and how he traveled to the U.S. (lived and worked in Boston), travelled to  France and later to Russia and China in his quest to end colonialism in his country.  He wanted the French out long before the U.S. entered the fray which entered out of pressure to help their French ally. The anti colonialism rhetoric immediately came to the attention of communist russia and though Ho Chi Minh insisted he was a Vietnamese first and foremost...that fell on deaf ears and he would always be labeled as a communist and that of course became the ultimate reason for the U.S. to continue; their fear that communism would encroach into neighboring countries.  So sad for a man whose sole desire was independence for his country. The U.S. initally was an ally of Vietnam having just liberated Europe.  Watch the program, I'm pretty sure like me, you won't be sorry that you did.  

[Noel7]

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@truffle wrote:

I watched the first episode and it was brilliant and informative explained a lot that we were not told or had any knowledge of before. The people of France wanted their country out of Vietnam and they showed film footage of their soldiers returning to unhappy citizens  - this happened before it happened here and it was France who dropped the napalm first long before it was used by the U.S.  It explained just exactly who Ho Chi Minh was and how he traveled to the U.S. (lived and worked in Boston), travelled to  France and later to Russia and China in his quest to end colonialism in his country.  He wanted the French out long before the U.S. entered the fray which entered out of pressure to help their French ally. The anti colonialism rhetoric immediately came to the attention of communist russia and though Ho Chi Minh insisted he was a Vietnamese first and foremost...that fell on deaf ears and he would always be labeled as a communist and that of course became the ultimate reason for the U.S. to continue; their fear that communism would encroach into neighboring countries.  So sad for a man whose sole desire was independence for his country. The U.S. initally was an ally of Vietnam having just liberated Europe.  Watch the program, I'm pretty sure like me, you won't be sorry that you did.  

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Hi @truffle

Yes, there was a lot of talk about the domino effect.

[esmerelda]

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@Noel7 wrote:

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@Isobel Archer wrote:

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@Noel7 wrote:

@goldensrbest

There is a well respected book out saying a lot of the idea they were spit on and treated badly is myth.  Most reports were unsubstantiated.

I can't speak for others but I can tell you it was not true in San Francisco.  My husband and his Air Force friends were out and about all the time wearing their Air Force jackets and never experienced anything negative.

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http://www.military-money-matters.com/vietnam-veterans-spit-on-part-2.html#axzz4t41GRZzg

It happened everywhere - yes even SF.

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@Isobel Archer

No, sorry, there were no reported incidents in SF.  In fact, most servicemen who were early outs marched in anti war protests.

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@Noel7  Earlier you said it didn't happen in northern California.  Are you saying SF is northern California?

[Isobel Archer]

I'm fascinated with the parallels to the Korean conflict.  Korea was divided after the war by the Soviets and the U.S.   Then N. Korea - in an effort to reunify the contry - invaded the South.  We got involved to defend the South - also concerned that if we didn't Communism would take over.  Had we not done this, today, all of Korea would be the mess that is currently N. Korea.

So yes it was a mistake to back the French colonialists and to later continue the fight.  And Vietnam was not Korea and turned out very differently.  But we know all his in hindsight.  Actually, given the climate of the 60's and 70's, had we been fighting in Korea during this time, I think the protesters would have been just as adamant that we were wrong to be there.  I remember the anti-war crowd well and there was definiely a view that it was the Communist peasants who were the good guys and the capitalist west who were the bullies.  

[goldensrbest]

President Kennedy ,should had pulled out ,they said he thought if he did he would not be re elected.

[NicksmomESQ]

  Vietnam reminds me to much of a very dark time in our country's history. I can't & won't relive it.It's way to painful for me & DH. 

  There's also a lot of stressful & upsetting things happening today,in real time. I will not compound it by reliving the past. The present is difficult enough!!

[Winifred]

Will not watch it. I come from a military family but have no desire to re live the past via something on TV. I also believe strongly that entirely too much time is devoted to Vietnam involvement. Our military fought in other areas - no one group or area should be singled out for martyrdom in my opinion. By the way I lost my brother due to Agent Orange but we remember ALL of our family who fought in WWII, Korea and Vietnam and are equally proud of one and all.

[lulu2]

After watching the first two installments, one thing that really came to light (for me) was that the US was fighting two "enemies."  It was a given the Viet Cong were the Bad Guys, but Diem, his brother and their cronies were far from our allies.

Then there was the infamous Madame Nhu.  As I recall her younger brother strangled their parents. (they were living in exile here)

[RainCityWoman]

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@buddygrandma wrote:

I started to watch this....I served as an Army Nurse in Nam, 67=68......during the Tet....I couldn't finish watching it.....but then again, couldn't watch You Tube vidoes of the hospitals based in Afghanistan, either.  Perhaps we will never know the REAL reason for this war...for the one we thought was real, never, actually happened.

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I know that the Domino Theory was a reason given to the American Public who were brain washed on Red encroachment.  There have been many conjectures on our involvement there. At that point in time, there was an ideology that war is good business, and like other wars, some profited greatly at the sacrifice of our soldiers, the average age of whom was 19. Eisenhower warned of involvement in quagmires and of the power of the military industrial complex. There has also been speculation floated out there that the prospect of oil exploration in the Mekong Delta was an impetus for the U.S. going in and gaining control of it. Though by our past modus operandi,  it would not be out of the realm of possibility, nothing has happened in that region over the decades to confirm that at all. It is a shameful part of our past, but in my opinion no more shameful than our involvement in how many other wars, including those we are involved in now and are threatening to be in soon. If in Shakespeare's words, Man is " the paragon of animals, noble in reason, infinite in faculty, in form and movement express and admirable, in action like an angel, in apprehension like a god,  the beauty of the world," how have we failed so miserably in these expectations?