Ken Burns series "Vietnam" on PBS

[braumeister]

The son of a good friend (who just barely survived the war) spent several days in Hanoi on his honeymoon a few years ago and they loved it.

I asked my friend if it made him nervous to see them go over there and he said "I don't like to even think about it, but it's a very different world today."

I've often thought about visiting but I can't bring myself to do it. Nor to watch this series. Personal problem, and I'm glad so many are getting so much out of it.

 

[brett]

My spouse was reluctant to go to Vietnam. She did not realize that she really did want to go. It was on my bucket list and we were already in Cambodia.

So we went for a month. From Phu Quok in the far south to Hanoi. Had a wonderful time. Beautiful country, wonderful people. It opened our eyes.

She wants to go back this winter. Not certain if we have time.

 

[Big_Hitter]

We have Vietnamese friends we ran into on two separate cruises......and with whom we still maintain contact......42 year residents of Houston......next time, (and with luck there'll be a next time), we're on board together I'll have to raise the topic.

LOTS of Vietnamese in Houston. I went do HS and college (and was friends with) dozens of them. Love the food too. Htown has some of the best Vietnamese food in the country.

I recall that most of them immigrated (or is it emigrated?) to Htown during the mid-70s. I guess they were refugees after the fall of Saigon?

 

[audreyh1]

I know at least five people who have traveled to Vietnam in recent years (and this doesn't include Anthony Bourdain ) who rave about it, and in particular how nice the Vietnamese people are.

I met someone recently who raved about visiting it as a tourist. They had also been to Thailand (more than once?) but for some reason Vietnam really stuck out as a great experience for them.

 

[googily]

LOTS of Vietnamese in Houston. I went do HS and college (and was friends with) dozens of them. Love the food too. Htown has some of the best Vietnamese food in the country.

I recall that most of them immigrated (or is it emigrated?) to Htown during the mid-70s. I guess they were refugees after the fall of Saigon?

I think the humidity reminds them of home.

 

[audreyh1]

LOTS of Vietnamese in Houston. I went do HS and college (and was friends with) dozens of them. Love the food too. Htown has some of the best Vietnamese food in the country.

I recall that most of them immigrated (or is it emigrated?) to Htown during the mid-70s. I guess they were refugees after the war ended?

We'd see pictures of Dat Nguyen at his family's restaurant in Rockport, TX

I was in Houston in the late 70s. I remember some controversy at the time as Vietnamese refugees became a big part of the shrimping industry.

 

[tfudtuckerpucker]

I had a coworker whose dad was fairly high up in the SV military. When the north finally invaded, their family went on a boat, a few miles off the coast, hoping to be picked up by the US. They ran out of water, but eventually were saved. They emigrated to the south side of Chicago, where the only job his dad could find was as a night janitor. He went through K-12 school there. He is fairly small, but he said he learned how to fight to defend himself. He got good grades and put himself though engineering school. I had a lot of admiration for him.

 

[Texas Proud]

LOTS of Vietnamese in Houston. I went do HS and college (and was friends with) dozens of them. Love the food too. Htown has some of the best Vietnamese food in the country.

I recall that most of them immigrated (or is it emigrated?) to Htown during the mid-70s. I guess they were refugees after the fall of Saigon?

I had a BIL who was in Vietnam as a contractor for a construction company... his military days already being over...


I know that he sponsored a number of families when they came over when the war was ending... they all held him up as a hero... even their kids were taught who he was and what he had done for their family...

I remember him telling me about one family who had (IIRC) 5 kids... everyone of them became a doctor or had a PhD.... contributing a great deal to our country...

Yes, Htown has a thriving Vietnam community and in fact the street signs are in their language... far enough away from me that I do not go...

 

[Nemo2]

I recall that most of them immigrated (or is it emigrated?) to Htown during the mid-70s. I guess they were refugees after the fall of Saigon?

Presume so, but it's never come up in conversation....one day I'll ask.

 

[Ed_The_Gypsy]

United States Army 1966-1969. Never went to 'Nam, but where I was, got the real skinny. Most of my family served in one war or another--and came back. I do not watch war movies or TV ('Allo, allo' and 'Hogan's Heros' appalled me--confession: I liked 'Ba-ba Black Sheep; I know the story) and I don't plan to watch Ken's work just yet. It still hurts.

 

[Ed_The_Gypsy]

I have no beef with the people. Ho Chi Minh was a big fan of our Constitution and Jefferson. They struggled for independence from many dominators. I am terribly sad that we wound up where we were.

 

[dtbach]

I've been watching and love it. I got a college deferment and then a very high draft number (still remember that moment). But as fate would have it ended up joining the Navy flying A-6 Intruders (but after the war.) All of the senior officers in the squadron flew multiple tours in 'Nam and told lots of stories. Then I ended up on a ground tour during the first Gulf war so missed that and then retired before the second Gulf war. Just lucky I guess.

Just read "Hue 1968" by Mark Bowden. Riveting. That was the turning point. Before Hue the effort was to win the war, after that it was how to leave with honor.

CDR USN 78-99

 

[samclem]

So my dad was a Korean War vet but the Vietnam war was a major arguing point in my childhood home as my mom was a civil rights attorney and despised the fact that my dad served his country, was wounded and recieved the silver star and had to return home to a segregated city.


lol, let's just say there were many "heated" conversations....

It was similar in my house. Dad was fairly conservative politically and Mom worked for the county as a social worker, was at the very opposite end of the spectrum. One bright spot: If I was in danger of getting into trouble over my report card, etc, I knew if I could steer the dinner table conversation to the presidency of FDR, they'd go off onto that track and my misdeeds would get scant attention.

I admit I never knew much about it except for the vets took much of the brunt of the countrys anger.

Yep. Don't blame the warrior for the war.

 

[audreyh1]

I admit I never knew much about it except for the vets took much of the brunt of the countrys anger.

I never really understood this very sad aspect particularly since the draft was on. There must have been some shame felt by those at home?

I wasn't in the US at the time and a bit too young, so I didn't experience that aspect. I do know that other countries were very critical of the US involvement.

 

[48Fire]

We'd see pictures of Dat Nguyen at his family's restaurant in Rockport, TX

I was in Houston in the late 70s. I remember some controversy at the time as Vietnamese refugees became a big part of the shrimping industry.

Bruce Springsteen wrote Galveston Bay about this. A chilling song...

https://video.search.yahoo.com/yhs/...31ea7007ead61a74b68c7753eac3d66d&action=click

 

[NW-Bound]

I did not know about this documentary until I saw this thread. I have not watched any episode during a broadcast, but may watch it later if the streaming is still on, or if I can find it on youtube.

In 1983, there was a documentary called "Vietnam: A Television History" by PBS. I watched all 13 parts of this. I scanned through this thread, and did not see anyone mention this, though I might have missed it.

See: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vietnam:_A_Television_History.

 

[Birdie Num Nums]

It seems America wasn't fighting only North Vietnam, but Russia and China as well. Was the American people ever told that? Russia supplied NVN with much of its arms, right? And, IIRC, in one of the very early episodes, it mentioned that China had sent some 350,000 troops to protect Hanoi in order to free up NVM folks to fight SVN and the USA. ~350,000!! No wonder we didn't "win."

 

[dtbach]

It seems America wasn't fighting only North Vietnam, but Russia and China as well. Was the American people ever told that? Russia supplied NVN with much of its arms, right? And, IIRC, in one of the very early episodes, it mentioned that China had sent some 350,000 troops to protect Hanoi in order to free up NVM folks to fight SVN and the USA. ~350,000!! No wonder we didn't "win."

That was the entire nature of the "Cold War". Our influence vs theirs. The tragedy is that the Vietnamese just wanted to unite as a country. If the US had let the UN vote to proceed in 1955 the ordinary Vietnamese in the south would have voted 80% for unity with the North. As a result, the election was voided and resulted in 20 more years of war but with the same eventual result.

 

[GrayHare]

The timing of the broadcast is probably just coincidence, but what can we learn from the Vietnam experience to apply to North/South Korea?

 

[NW-Bound]

I do not believe South Korea wants to unite with North Korea under the terms of the latter. Same with South and North Vietnam. Same with Taiwan and mainland China. Visitors to these communist countries do not appreciate the iron fist that the citizens have to live under. There is no such thing as free speech.

 

[dtbach]

I do not believe South Korea wants to unite with North Korea under the terms of the latter. Same with South and North Vietnam. Same with Taiwan and mainland China. Visitors to these communist countries do not appreciate the iron fist that the citizens have to live under. There is no such thing as free speech.

I'm not sure that was true of Vietnam. The vast majority of citizens were rural peasants and they just wanted to live in peace. The US dropped more bombs on South Vietnam than the entire WWII effort. Almost 3 times as many as were dropped on the North. And most didn't appreciate having their villages burned to "save them"

 

[NW-Bound]

It still doesn't mean they care for unification. . It only meant the war was very poorly executed.

Look at Hong Kong. The people who could emigrate did. Those stuck behind are now busy protesting the decree that mainland now pre-approves all candidates. Yes, they can vote for whom they want as long as the party approves him. That's political freedom according to the communist party.

 

[Marita40]

My town has a very large population of Hmong refugees from Laos, settling here mostly in the 1980s. I have worked with them as a volunteer ESL instructor. I'd like to know more of their story and hope the series mentions them.

 

[frayne]

May sound strange coming from a vet who served and lost friends in Nam but I have nothing but respect, compassion and admiration for the Vietnamese people and would love to go back some day. In our infantry platoon we had a Vietnamese chu hoi or Kit Carson scout as they were known (one of the VC that came over to our side to help us) that actually saved and alerted us to what could have become some very bad situations. He became a very good friend and kind of my protector while I was there. He told me that he would make sure I would go home to my family, and he did, for which I am eternally grateful.

 

[audreyh1]

May sound strange coming from a vet who served and lost friends in Nam but I have nothing but respect, compassion and admiration for the Vietnamese people and would love to go back some day. In our infantry platoon we had a Vietnamese chu hoi or Kit Carson scout as they were known (one of the VC that came over to our side to help us) that actually saved and alerted us to what could have become some very bad situations. He became a very good friend and kind of my protector while I was there. He told me that he would make sure I would go home to my family, and he did, for which I am eternally grateful.

Friends tell me it's a great place to visit now, so I hope you have the opportunity.