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Missing from Ken Burns’ ‘Vietnam’: The patriotism and pride of those who fought
NY Post ^ | 19 September 2017 | Bing West

Posted on 09/21/2017 9:20:30 AM PDT by oh8eleven

Most of the interviewees talk in the lugubrious tones of the defeated. We all know the story ends badly. But when it’s over, we aren’t told why we lost. The music is more memorable than the pictures, and the pictures are more compelling than the narration. We are deluged by sights and sounds but not enlightened as to cause and effect.

The film casts the antiwar movement in a moderately favorable light. Are the protesters the real heroes here? What about the valiant US soldiers, 75 percent of whom were volunteers?

(Excerpt) Read more at nypost.com ...


TOPICS: Culture/Society; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: 60s; defundpbs; documentary; kenburns; moviereview; vietnam; war
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To: shhrubbery!

Good for you! You woke up early!

I was raised conservative, my dad was a Democrat not a new deal Democrat by any means- but there was not one thing he would have in common with Democrats now. Even then my parents had more in common with conservatives than Democrats. I knew many that served in the war, many in my family have served and are now serving in the military. It was never a question for me who or what I supported.

It was far harder for people like you that had to put some thought into what was going on, process it and decide it was not something you were going to go with.


161 posted on 09/21/2017 3:45:45 PM PDT by Tammy8 (Please be a regular supporter of Free Republic !)
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To: Tammy8
Unless you were actually there you have no idea what was going on before during or after so shut the F up.

You shut the F up.

162 posted on 09/21/2017 3:46:19 PM PDT by Snickering Hound
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To: Snickering Hound

You are some sort of loon for sure. You would likely fit in far better at DU.


163 posted on 09/21/2017 3:48:42 PM PDT by Tammy8 (Please be a regular supporter of Free Republic !)
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To: Yardstick

They called it Indochine.


164 posted on 09/21/2017 3:48:46 PM PDT by Chainmail (A simple rule of life: if you can be blamed, you're responsible.)
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To: Doche2X2

Cronkite was a liberal pimp who maintained his popularity by spouting the Party Line. He did more to dispirit the American tv viewing audience night after night with his incessant negativity and hopelessness.


165 posted on 09/21/2017 3:50:08 PM PDT by LouAvul (The most High ruleth in the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever he will.)
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To: Chainmail

My brother and husband said the same.


166 posted on 09/21/2017 3:51:17 PM PDT by Tammy8 (Please be a regular supporter of Free Republic !)
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To: Tammy8

And you sound like a fat chick.

167 posted on 09/21/2017 3:51:43 PM PDT by Snickering Hound
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To: rollo tomasi
January 31, 1968 - The turning point of the war occurs as 84,000 Viet Cong guerrillas aided by NVA troops launch the Tet Offensive attacking a hundred cities and towns throughout South Vietnam.

February 2, 1968 - President Johnson labels the Tet Offensive "a complete failure."

For the North Vietnamese, the Tet Offensive is both a military and political failure in Vietnam. The "general uprising" they had hoped to ignite among South Vietnamese peasants against the Saigon government never materialized. Viet Cong had also come out of hiding to do most of the actual fighting, suffered devastating losses, and never regained their former strength. As a result, most of the fighting will be taken over by North Vietnamese regulars fighting a conventional war. Tet's only success, and an unexpected one, was in eroding grassroots support among Americans and in Congress for continuing the war indefinitely.

April 30, 1969 - U.S. troop levels peak at 543,400. There have been 33,641 Americans killed by now, a total greater than the Korean War.

August 23, 1972 - The last U.S. combat troops depart Vietnam.

January 27, 1973 - Secretary of Defense Melvin Laird announces the draft is ended in favor of voluntary enlistment.

January 27, 1973 - The last American soldier to die in combat in Vietnam, Lt. Col. William B. Nolde, is killed.

March 29, 1973 - The last remaining American troops withdraw from Vietnam as President Nixon declares "the day we have all worked and prayed for has finally come."

168 posted on 09/21/2017 3:51:57 PM PDT by kabar
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To: Doche2X2

Yes the media was lying, and Congress were cowards. Most did not realize it then, but you are right.


169 posted on 09/21/2017 3:55:35 PM PDT by Tammy8 (Please be a regular supporter of Free Republic !)
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To: oh8eleven

Yes exactly. Traitors among us gave them the will to keep fighting.


170 posted on 09/21/2017 3:57:10 PM PDT by Tammy8 (Please be a regular supporter of Free Republic !)
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To: Snickering Hound; kabar

Ignore the Snickering Pooch: he has delusions of adequacy. The RVN collapsed after the dingbat Lefty Democrats made a big show of cutting support and since they had successfully eliminated President Nixon, the massive air support we provided during the ‘73 Easter Offensive wasn’t coming and they knew it.

The smirking mutt is a DU agitator.


171 posted on 09/21/2017 3:58:48 PM PDT by Chainmail (A simple rule of life: if you can be blamed, you're responsible.)
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To: vigilence

You are right we did not lose the war. Liberals revised history for their agenda just as they have been and still are.


172 posted on 09/21/2017 3:59:33 PM PDT by Tammy8 (Please be a regular supporter of Free Republic !)
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To: Snickering Hound
After the US left, ARVN got the equipment left behind. They had the 4th largest Air Force in the world. And legendary graft. US aid wasn't cut off but it was reduced from $1 billion to $700 million in 1974. That shouldn't have been enough to cause their collapse in 1975.

Congress placed a $1 billion ceiling on military aid to South Vietnam for fiscal year 1974. This figure was trimmed further to $700 million by August 11. Military aid to South Vietnam in fiscal year 1973 was $2.8 billion; in 1975 it would be cut to $300 million. Once aid was cut, it took the North Vietnamese only 55 days to defeat the South Vietnamese forces when they launched their final offensive in 1975.

The biggest failure was not to defend South Vietnam as we promised to do if the North Vietnamese violated the Paris Peace Agreement. The ARVN suffered a total of 254,256 combat deaths.

173 posted on 09/21/2017 4:00:20 PM PDT by kabar
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To: kabar
President Johnson labels the Tet Offensive "a complete failure." (For the Viet Cong in reality)

Which I stated, hence Cronkite was a tool because he was spouting lies for a purpose (Comprehension please).

My contention is the military commanders who saw this, yet promoted the lie, should not be treated with honor, only contempt. After Tet there was a huge opportunity to counter-attack and GO NORTH (Would of been nice at least taking out their logistics/energy/infrastructure etc..). Not happening because suburbanites swallowed Cronkite's/LBJ's "blue pills" while military commanders were happily (Pensions $$$$ in their eyes) "black pills".
174 posted on 09/21/2017 4:03:05 PM PDT by rollo tomasi (Working hard to pay for deadbeats and corrupt politicians.)
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To: kabar
Congress placed a $1 billion ceiling on military aid to South Vietnam for fiscal year 1974. This figure was trimmed further to $700 million by August 11. Military aid to South Vietnam in fiscal year 1973 was $2.8 billion; in 1975 it would be cut to $300 million. Once aid was cut, it took the North Vietnamese only 55 days to defeat the South Vietnamese forces when they launched their final offensive in 1975.

Question is where did all those spare parts and ammunition go? They don't expire just because aid was cut back.

During the 75' invasion, ARVN was trying to reload spent brass and was even washing and re-using bandages. Ammunition expenditure was strictly rationed.

Not nearly enough gas either but this can be blamed on the mid 70s oil crisis.

175 posted on 09/21/2017 4:07:01 PM PDT by Snickering Hound
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To: PROCON

Thank you for sharing that, I have never heard from someone who was there at that time. Very interesting.


176 posted on 09/21/2017 4:08:34 PM PDT by Tammy8 (Please be a regular supporter of Free Republic !)
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To: Mears

I have only heard Liberals blame Nixon, they love to call it “Nixon’s War” to deflect that their guy LBJ was in charge and was a total failure.

It was LBJ’s war, Nixon just did what he could with what he was handed and considering what he was handed he did as well as can be expected.


177 posted on 09/21/2017 4:11:19 PM PDT by Tammy8 (Please be a regular supporter of Free Republic !)
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To: rollo tomasi
The war was micromanaged by LBJ. The slow escalation of our response allowed the enemy to respond to each escalation. It was another limited war similar to Korea. The North Vietnamese were supported by the Soviets and the Chinese.

There are many things we could do like bombing the dikes. Operation linebacker I in response to the NVA Eastertide Offensive in 1972 provided a glimpse of what we could do if the shackles were taken off. Victory was never an objective.

May 8, 1972 - In response to the ongoing NVA Eastertide Offensive, President Nixon announces Operation Linebacker I, the mining of North Vietnam's harbors along with intensified bombing of roads, bridges, and oil facilities. The announcement brings international condemnation of the U.S. and ignites more anti-war protests in America.

October 22, 1972 - Operation Linebacker I ends. U.S. warplanes flew 40,000 sorties and dropped over 125,000 tons of bombs during the bombing campaign which effectively disrupted North Vietnam's Eastertide Offensive.

During the failed offensive, the North suffered an estimated 100,000 military casualties and lost half its tanks and artillery. Leader of the offensive, legendary General Vo Nguyen Giap, the victor at Dien Bien Phu, was then quietly ousted in favor of his deputy Gen. Van Tien Dung. 40,000 South Vietnamese soldiers died stopping the offensive, in the heaviest fighting of the entire war.

178 posted on 09/21/2017 4:19:41 PM PDT by kabar
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To: Tammy8

Nixon continued the excursion for a long time after being elected (Promising to end the draft in ‘69 if elected, never happened that year). Intel was probably the primary reason because militarily we were extremely passive/only played defense in SV, there were “US Spooks” all over North Vietnam doing Intel on the USSR/China. Knew a guy who would deliver supplies in NV right in the middle of a jungle. Places he could go are described as concrete structures/some mansion and plantation types/ filled with wall-to-wall computers.


179 posted on 09/21/2017 4:19:50 PM PDT by rollo tomasi (Working hard to pay for deadbeats and corrupt politicians.)
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To: beelzepug

My husband said it was PA & E...Pacific Architects and Engineers and they had engineers, architects, mechanics, plumbers, electricians...you name it. He is pretty sure they became Brown and Root later...


180 posted on 09/21/2017 4:20:46 PM PDT by Tammy8 (Please be a regular supporter of Free Republic !)
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