Has everyone gotten their initial Ken Burns fix? The first episode was 90 minutes last night and just excellent. Most of what I saw was new to me. I expect to learn so much from this series. Last night did not disappoint. I had no idea that the beginning issues went back to 1858.
Like much that happened post WWII, we sure misread that one, and of course, sacrificed another generation of young men as a result. 57,000 names on a wall is just too many names–too many names for something we shouldn’t have been involved in.
Start looking for parallels. How long will we be involved in our current wars? Is there an end in sight? Bush, Obama and Trump have all been swallowed up by our current wars.
When will we ever learn?
Meanwhile, enjoy a fine documentary. I look forward to seeing all sides. Each show is 90 minutes and it runs for 2 weeks. For those who miss an episode, there are lots of opportunities the next day to catch a missed show. The last few episodes appear to be 120 minutes each. The series runs 18 hours in all.
Excellent show. I am learning so much. Its very sad. We should have never been there. Too bad Johnson gets the major blame. It goes back a lot further than that.
Am I crazy or is 57,000 a lot of names?
I would say its a lot.
Started watching on Roku, based your recommendation. Excellent documentary so far.
I think The Vietnam War is Ken Burn’s best work yet.
I am sad that many people I know don’t seem to be watching. I got depressed over the weekend that no knew episodes were on.
I do want LBJ to get his full share of wrath over that war. I thought early in the episodes that he had perhaps been less of a villain than I originally had thought. Nah…he deserves it. Just so do Kennedy, Eisenhower, et al.
It’s good show!
I’ve been watching it. What amazes me is the amount of footage from
both sides. The photographers were heroes in a way, IMO.
Of special interest to me, since my son’s Vietnamese father-in-law worked
with the US military. His wife had a chance to leave with their baby, my
daughter-in-law, but she refused to leave her husband. After the peace accords he, as all South Vietnamese who had worked with US, had trouble getting work. Fortunately, he wasn’t sent to a “re-training” camp.
It’s harrowing to see all the innocent people; the eyes of the women and
children crouching in fear ….
Who can forget “Peace with Honor” !!!
Wow, you have your own history right there, Punchak. I think the photographers absolutely were heroes!
I am going to have to rewatch, especially the first week. So many facts I didnt know.
Having been there, done that, one of my major problems is the lies that were told to the American public time and time again by all the leadership involved. Those lies resulted in the 57,000 names on the Vietnam Memorial and who knows how many Vietnamese “enemies” and ordinary civilians were killed. I suspect it is more than 100,000. Now we are seeing basically the same thing in Afghanistan, Syria and Iraq. How many lies have been told to the American public about these wars? I don’t suppose we will ever know until another Ken Burns comes along one of these days to document the history of these war that have rally been going on far longer than what we are led to believe. Despite the fact that some 2.5 MILLION have served in these wars, no one seems to be concerned except those who love lost a loved one. There have been no riots or flag burnings. There is no draft so draft cards don’t get burned. We just plod along, offering our young men and women up to the gods of war. All will come home, some will be in boxes and the rest will have suffered “life altering injuries” or be haunted with the horror of war for the rest of their lives. Some will do what the enemy could not do-they will destroy themselves in an act of suicide.
Where have all the husbands gone, long time passing?
Where have all the husbands gone, long time ago?
Where have all the husbands gone?
Gone for soldiers everyone
Oh, when will they ever learn?
Oh, when will they ever learn?
Where have all the soldiers gone, long time passing?
Where have all the soldiers gone, long time ago?
Where have all the soldiers gone?
Gone to graveyards, everyone.
Oh, when will they ever learn?
Oh, when will they ever learn?
George, I think you make excellent points. I can say that I sure bought into a bunch of lies back during the Vietnam War.
The entire Iraq War was built on a lie.
As an aside, I don’t think we will ever learn. We elected a bombastic egomaniac who currently is goading an immature dictator into something drastic. I throw up my hands. What can we do? We haven’t even finished with the other wars we are in.