Ken Burns - The Vietnam War

Acrodustertoo

Acrodustertoo

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anybody else excited to see this? His "The War" is still one of the greatest documentaries I have ever watched. I have the dvd set and watch it quite often. It is very moving on so many levels.

I have watched many of his other series but have been waiting for this one with much anticipation.
http://kenburns.com/films/vietnam/
 
I would like to watch that. I spend a lot of time there, and have visited the War Remnants Museum and the Reunification Palace (old South Vietnamese headquarters during the war) in Ho Chi Minh City countless times. You would expect to encounter animosity towards Americans there, but you don't, even in the north.
 
His work is impeccable. I have a picture book on VN by him from maybe 10 years ago. It's everything you'd expect.
 
OkieFlyer said:
He does good work. I'd like to see it.
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Me, too. I fought the Battle of the Atlantic in the Viet Nam war (never in WestPac let alone in-country) and feel a frequent need to find out more to share a common experience with my generation...

-Skip
 
My dad went over in '66. Seems like yesterday to me because I'm old enough to remember him leaving. But it's ancient history to a lot of people < 40yo. It will be interesting to see what kind of spin gets put on it, and the reactions it generates.
 
Skip Miller said:
Me, too. I fought the Battle of the Atlantic in the Viet Nam war (never in WestPac let alone in-country) and feel a frequent need to find out more to share a common experience with my generation...

-Skip
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I feel the same way, although I was Army a generation later. Most of the senior officers and NCO's had done tours in Vietnam. All of the training scenarios and props at the Infantry school in Fort Benning were based on Vietnam. I'm sure by now all of the references to "Mekong" have been replaced with "Fallujah."
 
Vietnam today is still a very divided country, and the southern Vietnamese have a fundamental distrust (and to some extent dislike) of the northern Vietnamese, and vice versa, that goes back well before the war and even the French occupation. If you go visit the various government run museums and exhibits, such as the Cuchi tunnels and VC hideout mock ups set up in the mangrove swamps, you would get the sense that it was 'The country of Vietnam vs. the Americans.' Well, no, it was a full blown civil war, which would have occurred with or without our involvement.
 
I used to work with a guy who eventually was a refugee. He had stories of hiding in the trees when "the Communists" came into his village. He did say things got easier once he decided he didn't care if he got killed, he just didn't give a **** anymore and that took all the pressure off. Eventually he and a couple relatives escaped on a boat. After dealing with pirates, starvation, and dehydration, he gave up and rolled himself over the side. Someone dragged him back in and his female cousin beat him up for leaving her behind and trying to take the easy way out. He was a tough SOB when I knew him, and so was she. I knew her, too. I heard they've since moved back to VN.
 
Looks like a good series. Wish I had DVR or something to record it.
 
Sac Arrow said:
I would like to watch that. I spend a lot of time there, and have visited the War Remnants Museum and the Reunification Palace (old South Vietnamese headquarters during the war) in Ho Chi Minh City countless times. You would expect to encounter animosity towards Americans there, but you don't, even in the north.
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Yeah, that really caught me by surprise. I went there with 30 other musicians on a cultural exchange, about 10 years ago.

The most stunning moment was climbing the Marble Mountain just outside Da Nang (which had been a VC hideout during the war), where we ran into an old toothless guy in a ratty VC uniform, who insisted on shaking everyone's hands. Didn't speak a word of English, but the huge toothless grin was unmistakable.
 
Acrodustertoo said:
I am really hoping our @Shepard was in it!

I am going to send Ken Burns a letter and try to get him to do a Documentary on @Shepard!
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Ken Burns contacted a lot of us, myself included. I declined to be interviewed. A lot of us did.

I'm already immortalized in a documentary on Vietnam. There is a scene of me dropping napalm on a target, and making a gun run.
There is also a very (mercifully) short clip of myself and the Marines who rescued me in a firefight with the Peoples Army at a forward fire control base up near the DMZ.
That clip is hysterically funny. Thank God there is no audio. I remember, vividly, what was going on and what I was saying. It was not my finest hour.
About once a year the History Channel trots it out and I get to relive those glorious years all over again.
Thanks History Channel.
 
When I was in the Army ('90-94), we had an old deuce and a half that was from that era in our company. It had some pieces patched and holed from its time there.
 
Shepherd said:
Ken Burns contacted a lot of us, myself included. I declined to be interviewed. A lot of us did.

I'm already immortalized in a documentary on Vietnam. There is a scene of me dropping napalm on a target, and making a gun run.
There is also a very (mercifully) short clip of myself and the Marines who rescued me in a firefight with the Peoples Army at a forward fire control base up near the DMZ.
That clip is hysterically funny. Thank God there is no audio. I remember, vividly, what was going on and what I was saying. It was not my finest hour.
About once a year the History Channel trots it out and I get to relive those glorious years all over again.
Thanks History Channel.
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Do you have a link to the clip(s)?
 
ChemGuy said:
When I was in the Army ('90-94), we had an old deuce and a half that was from that era in our company. It had some pieces patched and holed from its time there.
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A lot of that hardware is still over there. Some of the Jeeps and deuces are still being used by the locals for hauling purposes, and I've even seen completely reconditioned jeeps with new paint driving around on the streets. There is a military ramp at Tan Son Nhat airport that has a bunch of Russian helicopters used by the Vietnamese military and next to it is a row of Hueys painted in Vietnamese markings. I understand a couple still fly.

You see the same type of thing, by the way, in Myanmar (Burma), the only difference being that the age of the equipment goes back to WWII.
 
Acrodustertoo said:
anybody else excited to see this? His "The War" is still one of the greatest documentaries I have ever watched. I have the dvd set and watch it quite often. It is very moving on so many levels.

I have watched many of his other series but have been waiting for this one with much anticipation.
http://kenburns.com/films/vietnam/
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...I was there...and in video coming...at 20...TET/68-69 River Div 511 CTF116 Brown Water Navy PBR...but how, I don't know for I never saw a camera...but there I am...with ass in air!!
Google : US Navy Binh Thuy Vietnam...cho hoi!!!...#3 black beret!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
...I also flew Bronco OV 10...out of Binh Thuy/Can Tho


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
I hope you guys don't mind if I take the opportunity to thank those of you that served in Vietnam. My uncle was a Captain in the 101st and served as a sniper. It was a tough gig, and he still has a hard time with the memories sometimes, but he made it to that freedom bird. A big thank you to you fellas.
 
Shepherd said:
No. It's not something I spread around.
On both occasions, while the films were being shot, a lot of good people died.
All those years ago, and it still hurts to think about them.
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Sorry about that. Wasn't trying to be an insensitive prick.

I feel the same way about Katrina, the stuff I dud and the fine people I had to pull out ten days to late, some I had to "deflate" to get them out. Still yo this day I cannot look at any pictures of that fiasco or watch anything on tv about that hurricane. The worst part was I lost my cat and the wife lost her dog, the poor things. Anyway....
 
I am actually keen to see the new Dunkirk movie, the battle scenes are meant to be more realistic than saving private Ryan
 
Acrodustertoo said:
Sorry about that. Wasn't trying to be an insensitive prick.

I feel the same way about Katrina, the stuff I dud and the fine people I had to pull out ten days to late, some I had to "deflate" to get them out. Still yo this day I cannot look at any pictures of that fiasco or watch anything on tv about that hurricane. The worst part was I lost my cat and the wife lost her dog, the poor things. Anyway....
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NO, no. Nothing to be sorry about.
Weirdly, Vietnam was the best thing to ever happen to me. It formed who I am today.
Where else does someone give a 22 year old kid a multi-million dollar jet and tell you "Go fly all you want and blow shxt up"?
I can honestly say, I've never had a single problem (other than a few persistent aches and pains) post Vietnam. No PTSD, no nightmares, no issues. I never even dream about it.
It was a grand adventure, fueled by testosterone, adrenaline, and JP-4. I would go back in a heartbeat, if I had the chance to fly one more mission.
It's just in these later years, I reflect more on the guys who didn't make it back and never had the chance to, get married, have kids, grandkids, and a lifetime of flying adventures.
 
Shepherd said:
NO, no. Nothing to be sorry about.
Weirdly, Vietnam was the best thing to ever happen to me. It formed who I am today.
Where else does someone give a 22 year old kid a multi-million dollar jet and tell you "Go fly all you want and blow shxt up"?
I can honestly say, I've never had a single problem (other than a few persistent aches and pains) post Vietnam. No PTSD, no nightmares, no issues. I never even dream about it.
It was a grand adventure, fueled by testosterone, adrenaline, and JP-4. I would go back in a heartbeat, if I had the chance to fly one more mission.
It's just in these later years, I reflect more on the guys who didn't make it back and never had the chance to, get married, have kids, grandkids, and a lifetime of flying adventures.
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That is wonderful. I tell you, I really enjoy your stories. You have lived one grand life and have the personality to back it up.
Still waiting for your book. Would be a fascinating read.

That is the reason I love to read biographies about our military men in wars past. They weren't privileged or elite people when they signed up. They are just ordinary people that made a choice to serve. I never had an opportunity to serve and I regret not having the chance but am also glad that nothing happened to where I had to. You are a treasure and I look forward to your stories every chance I get.
 
cweinacker said:
...I also flew Bronco OV 10...out of Binh Thuy/Can Tho


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
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Love that bird!
Cross-trained in it in '71? (Have to go back and look.).
Could never understand why they couldn't make it a little faster, but it could bank and yank like a boss.
 
Scrabo said:
I am actually keen to see the new Dunkirk movie, the battle scenes are meant to be more realistic than saving private Ryan
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Each and EVERY member of congress should be FORCED to watch the opening scenes of that beach landing before they ever vote on any kind of military intervention !!!!!
 
Was friends with a fella in NC, we lived in a town called mocksville, he was an OV-10 pilot and had some great stories. Coincidentally that is the town where Major Thomas Ferebee was from and lived. He was the bobardier on the Enola Gay!
 
Art VanDelay said:
Each and EVERY member of congress should be FORCED to watch the opening scenes of that beach landing before they ever vote on any kind of military intervention !!!!!
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Actually, they should be forced to go in the first wave after they vote to go somewhere.

Vietnam was a stupid war. Yes our troops fought valiantly which they always seem to do regardless of the wisdom of the war or the reasons behind it but it was a fight we never should have been in. We need to stop sticking our noses in places we have no business being in. Since WWII about the only military action that I believe was 100% justified was the hunt for that goat shagger bin laden. Our other excursions in the mid east were unjustified especially Iraq. If there is a threat to the stability of the mideast let the saudis or jordanians or other countries we have provided weapons to take care of it. It's their backyard, not ours.
 
DutchRoller said:
Actually, they should be forced to go in the first wave after they vote to go somewhere.

Vietnam was a stupid war. Yes our troops fought valiantly which they always seem to do regardless of the wisdom of the war or the reasons behind it but it was a fight we never should have been in. We need to stop sticking our noses in places we have no business being in. Since WWII about the only military action that I believe was 100% justified was the hunt for that goat shagger bin laden. Our other excursions in the mid east were unjustified especially Iraq. If there is a threat to the stability of the mideast let the saudis or jordanians or other countries we have provided weapons to take care of it. It's their backyard, not ours.
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+1 :yeahthat:
 
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