Vietnam in HD - E06: Peace With Honor (1970-1975)

[RonaldVaughan]

Thanks for this posting. I heard the special was 5 1/2 hours long. I was 19 in 1969 and threatened to be sent off to 'Nam....from Houston,Texas. A friend had to tape this for me,but the tape got lost in the mail. I'm a pacifist. The USA should never get involved in such a war,ever again.

Also thanks,because Jennifer Love Hewitt did some narration in this show. :)

[sacthienha]

kill usa

[ladron187]

Watched all of the parts and now i am able to say i finnaly understand the Vietnam war a bit. Whe in Holland dont get to learn anything about it in school and i found this docu very helpfull to get some knowladge about it.

[LongTimeNoEatPho]

@ladron187 I don't think so, I sit in vwo 3 and in history lesson we've got lessons about Communist from begining (beginning of Soviet) till the Vietnam war.

[ladron187]

@LongTimeNoEatPho I did vmbo myself and whe did not get any education about it. Good to hear they do give it to you guys on vwo.

[tiensinhtung]

TIM PHU DE DI

[xeng1993]

i love it

[phungvietanhao]

Damn shame, it's seemed that America never wants to admit the wrong war they made and that they lost it :| Was it hard, though ???

[ccryan75]

@phungvietanhao No man is prescient. Only hindsight is 20/20. We did what we believed was right and just at the time. That is all that can be asked of anyone. As far as "losing" is concerned. The communist sympathizers (leftists) organized an effective propaganda campaign within the U.S. that decimated public support. Political considerations in the face of the loss of public support kept us from "victory."  We never "lost" a military engagement.

[phungvietanhao]

@ccryan75 Since u picked to fight us, u're already lost. U fought an enemy that gained better reputation and prestige at their homeland and were better in the eyes of people that u wanted to give "freedom". Next, u hold on a theory of fighting communism that was heavily distorted on ur interest without understanding the true side of enemy. Thirdly, when ur people became more awaken and more conscious of the true horror of the war that u created, u called it propaganda :| ...

[phungvietanhao]

@ccryan75 20 years of war and all the superior power, u couldnt even break the enemy's fighting spirit, u made the whole country hate u and even ur all people turned side. Prolonging the war would have divided ur country and broke it into pieces, ur government understood that and decided to withdraw in 'honor'. Never losing a military engagement? Please, did u win any proper one to win the war? The only thing kept ur fighting fall apart is ur airpower. Please, be conscious, mate :D

[catthirteen]

@phungvietanhao

The way you publicly display your stupidity is breath taking!

[phungvietanhao]

@catthirteen Finding facts to overcome my so-called stupidity is better than say it, mate :D. I'm friendly and all but dont troll me again :D

[ccryan75]

@phungvietanhao ...and I agree that catthirteen's comment was uncalled for. It's obvious that your not stupid. Just misguided :)

[ccryan75]

@phungvietanhao "Never losing a military engagement? Please, did u win any proper one to win the war?" We turned back the Tet Offensive, and came within a few km of the NVA HQ in Cambodia. The Communist propagandists inside America destroyed our national will and our politicians caved. That is why Saigon fell. Facts are stubborn things...mate.

[phungvietanhao]

@ccryan75 Well, Tet Offensive, i agree that was a NVA loss in term of military tactic since the Northern leaders miscalculate the movement of Southern civilians; however, i have to say it's not a total loss for them, neither USA total victory. This Offensive is better described as an open-ended mission with a lot of planned outcomes. The first one was delivering a quick victory to end the war and failed as i mentioned. The second one was the answer to Westmoreland's ...

[phungvietanhao]

@ccryan75 ... 'announcement' of war-end in 1967; this was to prove that no matter the effort USA tried, NVA would always be determined to fight and there would be just a matter of time that USA would have to leave. In fact, they were succeeded by making USA people perceive the truth that USA would never got out of 'Nam with a victory but an 'honor' negotiation. The last attempt in 1970-1972 only worsen the USA domestic and IMO, USA would be broken if American still stays in 'Nam ...

[phungvietanhao]

@ccryan75 ... Back to the fighting, in 1969-1971, all fronts were calm but only to see a bigger blow of the NVA into the Southern defenses: Northern tanks appear for the first time, they also gain more significant victories. For example: failure of operation Lam Son 179 proves the failure of VietNamization policy, predicting the end of SVN when American leaves. And the end came as we all know, negotiation ended in favor of NVA and with no USA airpower, SVN lost rapidly. True story :D

[phungvietanhao]

@ccryan75 Hope my little 'textbook' (My understanding of the War") helps ya :D. Dont think the Communist propagandists win over ur American, it's the true horror of the war that u made upon distorted perception that defeated u. This war, also, is nothing but sorrow for both countries and proof of how little-minded and selfish that USA acts in foreign affairs. Look how USA, by herself, 'raised' the power of Chinese and those extreme Muslims in the last 40 years. See it urself :D

[ccryan75]

@phungvietanhao For some reason, a previous comment of mine was deleted, perhaps by moderators. No matter. I only have a few points to make.

1. "Red Scare" was pervasive and cogent within the US after WWII and through the end of the Vietnam war. Any decisions that were made (right and wrong) must be judged through the lens of history (we must place ourselves in the shoes of those people, Kissinger, McNamara, Johnson, Westmoreland, etc...)

[phungvietanhao]

@ccryan75 Feel free to answer ;), i'm more than happy to discuss about this.

1. I understand about the 'Red Scare', however, it's the idea government of USA of abandoning all the support of VietNam in 1945-early 1946 that caused the two prolong wars in 1946-1975 and the instability of Indochina and South East Asian; pulling the Chinese's influence in the region. In short, it's the USA's fault to cause her own "Red paranoia" and eventually, took the whole bitter medicine.

[ccryan75]

@phungvietanhao

2. Vietnam was not a "fight that WE picked" The trouble began when the French in formerly French Indo-China were massacred by communists. If you want to speak about creation of the "horrors of war" then why don't we be intellectually honest and start there?

[phungvietanhao]

@ccryan75 This point is covered largely by my previous answer, I just want to add a bit of history: by the help of USA, 9-2-1945, HCM, announced the declaration of independence, quoting ur idea of freedom that everyone is equal and free to pursuit their happiness. National election was held and HCM won the president of the free VietNam. Further on, HCM sent out letter to Truman, requesting for friendship between 2 countries and intervention on French greed but He got refused, instead.

[phungvietanhao]

@ccryan75 This point is covered largely by my previous answer, I just want to add a bit of history: by the help of USA, 9-2-1945, HCM, announced the declaration of independence, quoting ur idea of freedom that everyone is equal and free to pursuit their happiness. National election was held and HCM won the president of the free VietNam. Further on, HCM sent out letter to Truman, requesting for friendship between 2 countries and intervention on French greed but He got refused, instead.

[phungvietanhao]

@ccryan75 So, that's when French came back and USA left us nothing but a 'broken heart' and bloody wars :(. USA claimed to support the freedom movement of colonies but supported French to colonize us again, sad day, hey? Anyway, standing on a neutral point, that's just a choice that USA had to made in the beginning of Cold War, no hate on that part. The only regret is that Roosevelt died too early, if he lived until at least 1947, we may have avoided that sad history.

[ccryan75]

@phungvietanhao 3. We agree that the the US was forced into a negotiation because the American public did not support the war. We disagree about WHY they did not support the war. My position, and evidence is overwhelming, is that communists had been infiltrating all facets of American society since the end of WWII. The ant-war movement during that time was one successful manifestation of the Communist propaganda machine.

[phungvietanhao]

@ccryan75 On ur 3rd point, i continue to disagree, the turning-point of the war is not caused by communist propaganda, it's ur government's failure in delivering commitment. US army tried to create a free-commie-country without understanding the situation there. Those commies were the first one dared to fight for independence of VietNam and u, by dividing the country, could only be viewed as bad invaders. That's how u lost the VNese 'heart and mind' ...

[phungvietanhao]

@ccryan75 ... Tet offensive, plus the free era of state media, only drove the Americans into having more attention into the cause of the war and to know how it's all started. As long as they know the cause, they became more sympathized with the Viet Cong and that's all ur 'enemies' wanted to achieve, they wanted to prove their true intention and righteousness. U already lost when u picked us to fight, rather than to stand by our side. That's, sadly, just how history went, no hate! :D

[ccryan75]

@phungvietanhao I have enjoyed having this discussion. Regards.

[phungvietanhao]

@ccryan75 Thanks for the kind words, even though there are some points we still dont agree with each other. :D, Best regard :D