The Vietnam War
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The Vietnam War
Have been engrossed by the series directed by Ken Burns and Lynn Novice now showing on telly. Well worth a watch. Some very good aviation footage as well.
Seems to tell the story from both sides, without passing judgment, and is very sympathetic to all viewpoints. Very sad in places. A masterpiece of television.
Seems to tell the story from both sides, without passing judgment, and is very sympathetic to all viewpoints. Very sad in places. A masterpiece of television.
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Have been engrossed by the series directed by Ken Burns and Lynn Novice now showing on telly. Well worth a watch. Some very good aviation footage as well.
Seems to tell the story from both sides, without passing judgment, and is very sympathetic to all viewpoints. Very sad in places. A masterpiece of television.
Seems to tell the story from both sides, without passing judgment, and is very sympathetic to all viewpoints. Very sad in places. A masterpiece of television.
Salute!
You can watch the whole series here for at least a bit longer.
Episodes | The Vietnam War - New
I personally appreciated the series' treatment of we vets from that miserable time. Occupied ten years of my service and I had three tours ( two different jets).
They didn't cover the "real" last mission by a fighter-bomber, which I led BTW.
http://www.sluf.org/misc_pages/last_flt_out.jpg
Gums sends...
You can watch the whole series here for at least a bit longer.
Episodes | The Vietnam War - New
I personally appreciated the series' treatment of we vets from that miserable time. Occupied ten years of my service and I had three tours ( two different jets).
They didn't cover the "real" last mission by a fighter-bomber, which I led BTW.
http://www.sluf.org/misc_pages/last_flt_out.jpg
Gums sends...
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Very informative and well executed. I'm thoroughly enjoying this!
Here's the iPlayer link for the series: BBC iPlayer - The Vietnam War
Here's the iPlayer link for the series: BBC iPlayer - The Vietnam War
The treatment was better than I expected. Ken Burns does better when he has actual film to work with.
For my money, I think the piece makes Lyndon Johnson look like more of a victim than a President. I don't think Johnson ever understood the North Vietnamese leadership and that they could not be dealt with like a recalcitrant Congressman with threats and pressure. There was almost no mention of the handcuffing and micromanagement of the armed forces coming from the Johnson White House.
For my money, I think the piece makes Lyndon Johnson look like more of a victim than a President. I don't think Johnson ever understood the North Vietnamese leadership and that they could not be dealt with like a recalcitrant Congressman with threats and pressure. There was almost no mention of the handcuffing and micromanagement of the armed forces coming from the Johnson White House.
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WW2 Treasure Hunters on History Channel
Series one episode one is on catch up, narrated by Suggs they are excavating a Ju88.
Next weeks they are digging at Duxford looking for relics of Bader and the fliers. So the series looks like it may well have legs to it
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WW2 Treasure Hunters on History Channel
Series one episode one is on catch up, narrated by Suggs they are excavating a Ju88.
Next weeks they are digging at Duxford looking for relics of Bader and the fliers. So the series looks like it may well have legs to it
On search it is on at 9pm on Mondays and so far is promising.
Read McMaster's Book...."Dereliction of Duty"....if you want a better understanding of how the United States Military and Civilian Leadership set out to lose the War....and succeeded handsomely.
The real key change in the way the War was fought is when Westmoreland got the can tied to his tail (incompetence promoted upwards....) and Creighton Abrams took over.
The Book about Abrams...."Thunderbolt" is very informative.
Forty plus years later I have a much different understanding of the War than I did during my two Tours there flying Chinooks.
I also have lots of questions about for the Management that I would very much like answered.
The real key change in the way the War was fought is when Westmoreland got the can tied to his tail (incompetence promoted upwards....) and Creighton Abrams took over.
The Book about Abrams...."Thunderbolt" is very informative.
Forty plus years later I have a much different understanding of the War than I did during my two Tours there flying Chinooks.
I also have lots of questions about for the Management that I would very much like answered.
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Salute!
You can watch the whole series here for at least a bit longer.
Episodes | The Vietnam War - New
I personally appreciated the series' treatment of we vets from that miserable time. Occupied ten years of my service and I had three tours ( two different jets).
They didn't cover the "real" last mission by a fighter-bomber, which I led BTW.
http://www.sluf.org/misc_pages/last_flt_out.jpg
Gums sends...
You can watch the whole series here for at least a bit longer.
Episodes | The Vietnam War - New
I personally appreciated the series' treatment of we vets from that miserable time. Occupied ten years of my service and I had three tours ( two different jets).
They didn't cover the "real" last mission by a fighter-bomber, which I led BTW.
http://www.sluf.org/misc_pages/last_flt_out.jpg
Gums sends...
Just for info, PBS is not available in the UK. (Legitimately anyway).
I have two cousins who were eligible........one joined a seminary.......a more unlikely priest you could not meet! Didn't stay the course and didn't become a man of the cloth! The other was at an Ivy league college.....think he deferred somehow? My "college" cousins wife's brother flew Hueys.......wonder what he made of all that? Not making a judgement by the way.....but I suspect there will have been a fair few creative "deferments"? Just saying.
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Hands down the best programme on TV right now, and one of the best documentary series I've seen. Some of the footage and graphic images are being shown for the first time I believe.
I caught up with the first three episodes on I-Player and first thing I saw was the interview of Everett Alvarez (A4 pilot) whose hand I once shook circa mid eighties.
The inclusion of so much footage of North Vietnamese veteran interviews brings much needed perspective to what is a very recent conflict. Neil Sheehan's input is also so very valuable - I believe "Bright and Shining Lie" to be a truly epic piece of work.
It saddens me that 99% of our population would rather watch some unreality TV bilge, than try and learn something of value from the damn squawkbox in the living room.
And as for the 19 year olds that went out there (and their Vietnamese adversaries), I take my hat off and raise a glass to them all. Whatever the politics, them that fought, did so bravely and courageously, in many cases to the bitter end.
PS should anyone think, my remarks in any way glorify this vicious, brutal conflict, I've read "Dispatches" by Michael Herr, "...And a Hard Rain Fell" by John Ketwig. Say no more.
I caught up with the first three episodes on I-Player and first thing I saw was the interview of Everett Alvarez (A4 pilot) whose hand I once shook circa mid eighties.
The inclusion of so much footage of North Vietnamese veteran interviews brings much needed perspective to what is a very recent conflict. Neil Sheehan's input is also so very valuable - I believe "Bright and Shining Lie" to be a truly epic piece of work.
It saddens me that 99% of our population would rather watch some unreality TV bilge, than try and learn something of value from the damn squawkbox in the living room.
And as for the 19 year olds that went out there (and their Vietnamese adversaries), I take my hat off and raise a glass to them all. Whatever the politics, them that fought, did so bravely and courageously, in many cases to the bitter end.
PS should anyone think, my remarks in any way glorify this vicious, brutal conflict, I've read "Dispatches" by Michael Herr, "...And a Hard Rain Fell" by John Ketwig. Say no more.
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Quite simply the best documentary I have seen in years. Even-handed and measured documentary sets an almost impossible standard to beat. I urge people to view it.
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My impression during my three Arclight tours was that our leaders had no idea of how to win the thing, or end it, just a determination not to be the ones stuck carrying the can when we lost.
Curtis LeMay's "bomb 'em back to the stone age" tactic did work, once it was tried, but by then all we wanted was an opportunity to quit, which North Vietnam 'graciously' allowed us. They then more-or-less instantly occupied the eastern borders of Laos and Cambodia in preparation for their eventual takeover of the south.
Curtis LeMay's "bomb 'em back to the stone age" tactic did work, once it was tried, but by then all we wanted was an opportunity to quit, which North Vietnam 'graciously' allowed us. They then more-or-less instantly occupied the eastern borders of Laos and Cambodia in preparation for their eventual takeover of the south.
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Agree with all the comments above, the latest episode was to me notable for two things, the first being film of a B-57 swooping low over the forest on a bombing run and the second the appearance (twice, the series no matter how good it is still follows the modern media dirty little habit of using some shots twice or more in the same episode ) of all things Commer minibuses on the streets of Saigon, how did they get there !
Was hoping for an entire episode on the ' Air Campaign ' and the problems facing those brave men in the F-105s over the North, I don't thing it's going to happen now which I think is all a bit sad, I'd like to have seen some interviews with the Thud drivers before they're all gone.
Was hoping for an entire episode on the ' Air Campaign ' and the problems facing those brave men in the F-105s over the North, I don't thing it's going to happen now which I think is all a bit sad, I'd like to have seen some interviews with the Thud drivers before they're all gone.