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Traildust · 09-18-2017, 03:20 PM

We met as soul mates
On Parris Island
We left as inmates
From an asylum
And we were sharp
As sharp as knives
And we were so gung ho
To lay down our lives

We came in spastic
Like tameless horses
We left in plastic
As numbered corpses
And we learned fast
To travel light
Our arms were heavy
But our bellies were tight

We had no home front
We had no soft soap
They sent us Playboy
They gave us Bob Hope
We dug in deep
And shot on sight
And prayed to Jesus Christ
With all of our might

We had no cameras
To shoot the landscape
We passed the hash pipe
And played our Doors tapes
And it was dark
So dark at night
And we held on to each other
Like brother to brother
We promised our mothers we’d write
And we would all go down together
We said we’d all go down together
Yes we would all go down together

Remember Charlie
Remember Baker
They left their childhood
On every acre
And who was wrong?
And who was right?
It didn’t matter in the thick of the fight

We held the day
In the palm
Of our hand
They ruled the night
And the night
Seemed to last as long as six weeks
On Parris Island

We held the coastline
They held the highlands
And they were sharp
As sharp as knives
They heard the hum of our motors
They counted the rotors
And waited for us to arrive
And we would all go down together
We said we’d all go down together
Yes we would all go down together

A song by Billy Joel called "Goodnight Saigon" this one really gets to me when you talk about getting choked up.
Bill

Cooperhawk · 09-19-2017, 09:12 AM

This is very interesting.

Ken Burns' Vietnam: Episode 1. Very Good, But 2 Omissions | Daily Wire

Melvo · 09-19-2017, 09:16 AM

TV is limited to opinions and media driven - Somethings you just don't forget like - sirens going off, sounds of rockets exploding, smell of pot in the bunkers, just had to be there to really experience it. Still remember waking up to "Good Morning Vietnam"

Mdh1950 · 09-19-2017, 09:21 AM

All 10 episodes (15hr) are viewable on the PBS website now, no waiting.

**JohnRR** · 09-19-2017, 09:59 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hawk43

Time and passing will heal the pain.

For some, but not all.

Radacravitz · 09-20-2017, 10:55 AM

thx for asking.

due to a health issue we are dealing with i was only able to view the last 20 mins or so ... i hope to catch up on it later when i’m “off duty”.

from what i saw it appeared to be up to typical kb standards. i was especially appreciative of the opposing / multiple perspective inclusion.

as i said, i hope to return to it soon.

how about you, what did you think?

Cooperhawk · 09-22-2017, 08:01 AM

Last night seemed to take a dark turn. Suddenly GIs are murdering women and children and the anti war demonstrators are the really thoughtful intelligent ones. I was kinda expecting this but still it really offended me.

There are several technical things that I have observed such as showing film clips of Chinook helicopters in eras long before they arrived in country. I think this nothing but sloppy editing on their part.

So we now have our military brothers and sisters looking foolish as they try to win the "Unwinnable War". Also they make the North VNs look brave and patriotic. I'm sure some were, but I also know that a lot of their forces were far from volunteers. They were conscripts and in the case of the VC, were forcibly taken from their homes and forced to serve.

Just my take so far. More to follow.

Leland0311 · 09-22-2017, 08:42 AM

After 8 months of Amphib Raider school in the Far East, I climbed down a cargo net with the 9th Marine Expeditionary Brigade. I was 18, it was March 8, 1965, Red Beach, Danang.

DW started having nightmares so we skipped watching real time. This stuff doesn't touch me.

We fought with courage and honor. The NVA and VC had their own political agenda. The US, like the French and others, were invaders. They won, we lost. Both sides had corruption and did things not approved by the Geneva Convention.

If this series offends anyone, I suggest you don't watch it. Can't say whether things will be presented as fair and balanced. Everyone has an opinion on what happened.

After 2 infantry tours and a stint in Intel, and reading every book available on VN, I have drawn my own conclusions. Burns is but one opinion -- and he didn't fight in the war. That says a lot.

Cooperhawk · 09-22-2017, 09:00 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Leland0311

If this series offends anyone, I suggest you don't watch it. Can't say whether things will be presented as fair and balanced. Everyone has an opinion on what happened.

After 2 infantry tours and a stint in Intel, and reading every book available on VN, I have drawn my own conclusions. Burns is but one opinion -- and he didn't fight in the war. That says a lot.

Well said.

PJStough · 09-22-2017, 09:13 AM

So far I have found the series to be informative, but too, have noticed a couple of things out of place or out of time, but dont see it as a big issue. I havent seen anything that I believe is untrue. The big picture that I have gotten so far is that Ho Chi Minh and Le Duan were communists first and foremost and even though I could understand them want foreigners out of their country, but replacing colonial rule with communism is jumping from the frying pan into the fire. So far as to battles and such I cant relate, as I didnt get over there until 1970.

skypilot_1 · 09-22-2017, 09:22 AM

"After 2 infantry tours and a stint in Intel, and reading every book available on VN, I have drawn my own conclusions. Burns is but one opinion -- and he didn't fight in the war."

Even though you and I were there and have first hand experience .....ours is still a very small perspective on the whole war...just sayn

Dale & Mark Bruss · 09-22-2017, 09:24 AM

I watched the first four episodes. My time in Viet Nam was Nov 1965 thru Sep 1968.
So far I have learned a lot about the pre-1965 years and some of things that were happening at home while I was away. Like the video of US troops setting buildings on fire on a TV report. Too bad the VC didn't have TV cameras to show their actions.

My observations, the data supplied is classic Ken Burns, factual. The interpretation voiced is biased.

An example. The troops from Australia and New Zealand were almost mentioned and yet their percentage of population involvement approached ours but you have to exclude them because they do not fit the story about the Viet Nam War being a mistake of 5 presidents. The presence of Australia is proof of the concern about the falling dominoes to Communism because they were at the end of the Dominoes.

Maybe some vets who thought they did a good job for balance?

Serious omission of the fact that the main mission of the US in Viet Nam was to stop the spread of Communism regardless of the civil war. And that was done for 10 years.

Cooperhawk · 09-22-2017, 09:44 AM

When I first got there we were 300 Americans and 65 Aussies. Later on we were joined by Australian Infantry in much larger numbers. Loved those Aussies. They were a fun loving bunch.

We also had Koreans close by. Not so much fun as the Aussies though.

JohnBoyToo · 09-22-2017, 11:39 AM

I am recording them and really waiting to see if it is too biased like MOST Hollyweird stuff... So far most of you have given it the ok...

I was in college at the time and had to wait on the lottery...

and was not called - I can remember sitting in a Physics class as they called the numbers and students were walking out of class because their number was called early and were going no matter what or very late and would not be going...

BUT, I still got a "Greetings and Salutations" letter - we read through it and was ready to go.... THEN the last page had my College Student deferment!

Had friends that went and we stayed in touch, I telling him how much we appreciated it then and he telling me even on a pt boat up the rivers how tough it was.. and he had GOOD duty posts..