Anyone watching Ken Burns' / Lynn Novick's Vietnam?

[Anonymous]

I posted on another thread in Politics:
I am a native Virginian, and I am certain I never studied the Vietnam War in high school. Every American history classs was either up until or after this time period.
In college sure, but never in the 80's or 90's.

[Anonymous]

Yes, and I am getting so much out of it. I think it's fairly balanced, presenting personal stories from both sides, as well as in the narrative. What do others think?

As far as learning in school, this was in FCPS. I graduated late 70s. We glazed over it. We also glazed over concentration camps in WWII. But we sure did cover the Civil War!

[Anonymous]

We are watching & agree with PPs that it is riveting. I also listened to a Mark Maron WTF podcast where he interviewed Ken & Lynn abt making it. It sounded like a really interesting process making it. They would play portions of it to the other factions (like the Vietnamese recollections to American military & vice versa) & that *they* were riveted by it, because they too had never heard the other side before. They went and added/redid whole sections because of the fascinating stuff they found out. Also that they didn't want to focus on big names so they deliberately didn't have McCain in it present-day, but that they showed him the whole thing & he was involved. Amazing. Gives me so much respect and empathy and gratitude for those who served. I always felt that way but now am even more outraged at the politicians of the day. Every time they show a clip of an American with their rifle jamming it makes me cringe.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We are watching & agree with PPs that it is riveting. I also listened to a Mark Maron WTF podcast where he interviewed Ken & Lynn abt making it. It sounded like a really interesting process making it. They would play portions of it to the other factions (like the Vietnamese recollections to American military & vice versa) & that *they* were riveted by it, because they too had never heard the other side before. They went and added/redid whole sections because of the fascinating stuff they found out. Also that they didn't want to focus on big names so they deliberately didn't have McCain in it present-day, but that they showed him the whole thing & he was involved. Amazing. Gives me so much respect and empathy and gratitude for those who served. I always felt that way but now am even more outraged at the politicians of the day. Every time they show a clip of an American with their rifle jamming it makes me cringe.

Yes I loved that Burns and Novick focused on the experiences of 4-5 veterans who aren't famous.

[Anonymous]

Anyone here from Vietnam - North or South? I'd love to hear feedback on the show from someone who experienced (or learned about) the war from other perspectives.

[Anonymous]

I watched episode 3 last night. Where they show the document stating that expanding the war was 70% to save face -- on a document, in black and white.

That they knew the war was unwinable from 1965...and yet kept sacrificing lives.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We are watching & agree with PPs that it is riveting. I also listened to a Mark Maron WTF podcast where he interviewed Ken & Lynn abt making it.

Are their "folks" still alive?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I watched episode 3 last night. Where they show the document stating that expanding the war was 70% to save face -- on a document, in black and white.

That they knew the war was unwinable from 1965...and yet kept sacrificing lives.

I've always praised Caro's LBJ books. I've called them life-changing. He really short-shrifts Vietnam.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We are watching & agree with PPs that it is riveting. I also listened to a Mark Maron WTF podcast where he interviewed Ken & Lynn abt making it.

Are their "folks" still alive?

Who are Lynn's guys?

[Anonymous]

I keep thinking how it sure puts our current political strife in perspective. People in that era would have cheerfully traded their problems with our ungrateful athlete/Dumbo President situation. I just can't imagine losing someone I loved to such nonsense. And wow, all the lying from the government we suspect goes on now truly was going on then, with much higher stakes.