Vietnam in HD

FinsnFur · November 10, 2011, 06:34:47 PM

Anyone been watching this on History Channel?
I'm not sure how close what they are showing is to what actually happened. But Wow!

I'm sorry...and if there's anyone hear that served over there, you are all the true definition of unsung heros.

KySongDog · November 10, 2011, 07:18:38 PM

I've been watching it. And it is accurate.

Bopeye · November 11, 2011, 02:13:16 AM

Been watching it myself. It's a little after 2:00 a.m. right now, but just had to see the last one. The U.S. military won every battle and the guys in the suits lost the war. In my mind it's one of worst situations any military has ever been put into in modern history.

possumal · November 11, 2011, 03:37:57 AM

My nephew, "Yote Yoda", was just a kid when they dropped him over there to be a "Cave rat". He exterminated his share, and got sent home with a message about his mother dying. As it turned out,it was my mother, his grandmother, who passed which was bad enough for all concerned, but a good deal different than your own mother passing. When he went back, he exterminated a bunch more, but like most guys who served over there, especially in the capacity he served, they carry some luggage from it forever. Now he takes it out on coyotes.

You can bet he saw the program, as he doesn't miss anything connected to the Marines. His dad was wounded at Iwo Jima, within sight of Mt. Surabachi, and had his two best friends killed in the same mortar barrage that wounded him and sent him home. He named Yote Yoda after those two departed friends, Daniel and Ray, and teared up the rest of his life when he heard the Marine song or anything connected to our great country.

I hope any of you guys who served over there or any other campaign know how much guys like me appreciate you. My two oldest sons served with honors, and I know they feel the same way. Semper Fi!

CCP · November 11, 2011, 05:11:17 AM

QuoteI hope any of you guys who served over there or any other campaign know how much guys like me appreciate you.

The Vietnam war is one of the reasons I hate hippies.

Ladobe · November 11, 2011, 01:13:18 PM

Quote from: CCP on November 11, 2011, 05:11:17 AM
The Vietnam war is one of the reasons I hate hippies.

I didn't see the show referred to, didn't know it was running or I would have watched it. But some opinions vary obviously.

Mine are from serving 1967-71, the highest American casualty years in Vietnam, stationed in the SF Bay Area twice (the Hippies, Black Panthers and Hells Angels world headquarters), and in the Tonkin Gulf with an A-7 attack squadron.

The Black Panthers and Hells Angels were not a problem for servicemen in the BA, and the hippies greeted them with open arms... and none of them caused Vietnam. I was attending classes at UCB when some of the protests, demonstrations or rallies turned into riots. Just by being there for classes I got caught in a couple even though I was not participating in them. I was tear gassed and billy clubbed despite a military haircut , clean civilian attire and trying to leave peacefully (I couldn't get involved or fight back - the Navy would take away the privialge of attending school if I did). But I can assure you it was not the hippies/students that turned them violent at those two anyway, LE and the NG did.

Floating around on an aircraft carrier in the gulf was dangerous, as was all the flying I did, but was total zip dangerous when compared to what our brave young men faced pounding the soil. So in the end about 60K died doing their job, another 150K wounded with many maimed for life, and countless more died later from remnants brought back from their Vietnam experience. So the American death toll from Vietnam is much higher. My cancers are attributed to chemical exposures while serving my country, and they will eventually kill me as well.

So what I hated most about Vietnam (besides that we should have never been there) is the way the general public treated all of us who voluntarily served this country, both during and after that era. In CA anyway getting a good post service job was hard unless you were far more qualified than a non server who applied. Even after we pulled out of Vietnam (and I was living in another state) employers and some workmates still gave me flak for being a Vietnam era vet. It took the Middle East to finally put it to rest. The attitudes of the general American public all those years has never been forgotten, and it will never be forgiven.

possumal · November 12, 2011, 04:57:44 AM

Here is the text of an email received from my son, Vincent, who was a Marine Sgt. during Operation Desert Storm. Some of you have seen it before, but I believe it never gets old:

US Marine
Over two centuries of ramping, stomping, hell, death and destruction. The finest fighting machine the world has ever seen. They were born in a bomb crater, their mother was a M16, and their father was the devil. Each moment they live is an additional threat upon your life. They eat concertina wire and piss napalm; they can put a round in a flea's ass at 500 meters.
They're roughish looki...ng, cocky, self-centered, dirty, nasty, stinky, sweaty, filthy, overbearing, and beautiful sons of a bitches who's kept the wolf away from the door for 236 yrs. They don't know the meaning of fear for they are fear itself. They're green amphibious monsters made of blood and guts who arose from the sea. Whose sole purpose in life is to perpetuate death and destruction upon the festering anti-Americans throughout the globe whenever they may arise. When their time comes they'll die a glorious death on the battlefield, giving their life for the brother or sister next to them, family, freedom, God and country.
They stole the Eagle from the Air Force, the Anchor from the Navy, and the rope from the Army. Then on the 7th day when God rested they overran his perimeter and stole the Globe so they've been running the show ever since. They live like soldiers, talk like sailors, but will slap the shit out of both of them.
They're Fighters by day, Lovers by night, Drunkards by choice, but a United States Marine by the act of God.
If you can read this thank a Teacher, if you can read this in English thank a Marine

yotefever · November 25, 2011, 01:16:19 AM

Since I don't have cable ( when I first got it there were no commercials) I'll have to see if my son has a copy of the show.
I was too young and missed Vietnam by eight months. I didn't think about enlisting and going into the military because of the way returning vets were treated and being young and dumb myself.
Since then I was fortunate to have a friend and shooting spotter that did two tours there and taught me that when I see the Vietnam Vet hat or shirt to go over and shake there hand and say 'welcome home'. It's nice to see a smile on there face and it's nice to know my daughter has learned the habit and does it on her own. I even had the honor to shake hands with a Medal of Honor Recipient from Vietnam when I worked at the Oak Creek power plant this summer. Gary is still working as an operating engineer with one arm. Super nice guy too.

Welcome Home to all the served there.

shaddragger · November 25, 2011, 07:22:08 AM

Being born in 71 I was unavailable for The Conflict but I have always found information about it interesting. Like most of the rest of you, I have found the stories of the war they fought when they got home much more apalling, especially after seeing the History channel's HD version. So much more footage and a much truer acount from what our local vets have told me. Excellent TV!