The ugly truth about Vietnam

[Standing Wolf]

Based on this guy’s haircut, style of glasses and clothing I’d say this video was made around 1978 to 1980.

Yeah, I think someone else posted information to the effect that it was recorded in 1990. Still, that was thirty years ago and certainly explains my own confusion.

[Tahuyaman]

There are several ugly truths about Vietnam.

[Captain Obvious]

There are several ugly truths about Vietnam.

Thanks for this valuable information.

[Tahuyaman]

Thanks for this valuable information.

Shut up.

[stephenpe]

The month I turned 18 they abolished the draft. I thank God often. I have read dozens of books, mostly written by grunts on the ground in Vietnam. The op mentioned a clstrffkkk. That is my description for years. I think we wanted to wash the bad taste of Korea out of our national mouths with another clear cut victory like WW2. I think Eisnenhower was correct about the military industrial complex. Lots of profit in war. I think the media back then were honestly trying to figure it out. Uncle Walter may have turned the tide when he commented about it in this famous speech.

[jet57]

When was that video made? Is it old? Because the speaker doesn't look old enough to have been in Vietnam during the conflict. The last time I was there was in 1975, 45 years ago when I was 21, and that was during the evacuation of Saigan. U.S. ground combat troops were out by March of 1973.

Anyway...a great book about Vietnam is "A Rumor of War' by Philip Caputo. He was a young Marine officer assigned there in 1965, and ten years later came back as a civilian journalist, so he had a front row seat for the entire conflict.

Yeah, he was there. That interview was done not that long after he got back. He's in Ken Burns' PBS documentary on Vietnam. I missed Vietnam by a hair myself. My best friend was at Pleiku with the 526 Combat Engineers from Oct 66-Oct 67. It was really over before we even got there. A sad situation that really cost us. I'll look for the book; I've heard of it.

[jet57]

It would be nice to learn the truth and not what one wishes to hear.

Read the Pentagon papers. That and the '68 Tet Offensive sealed the deal for us. Ho chi Mihn actually came to US for help first. But John Foster Dulles convinced Truman that Vietnam was a French problem...

[montana]

[rgf]

Another great book on Vietnam is A Bright Shinning Lie-John Paul Van and the American Experience In Vietnam. Back in the day (late sixties-early seventies) I had many discussions with my dad about Vietnam and this conservative Republican changed course fairly early and opposed the war. His main argument was that it was no place for US troops as you couldn't rely on any allies in the region. His thinking was shaped by his 2 year service with the OSS in China-Burma-India. I guess he was spot on.

[Orion Rules]

Based on this guy’s haircut, style of glasses and clothing I’d say this video was made around 1978 to 1980.

The interview was in 1990. This is stated below the video by David Hoffman:

"To support my efforts to create more clips please donate to me at www.patreon.com/allinaday. In 1990 I did interviews with 180 baby boomers talking about their early life during the 1960s for my television series, Making Sense of the Sixties. This is a clip of poet and educator Bill Ehrhart from one of those interviews - a very articulate Vietnam veteran who joined the military with patriotism in his heart. He has written a book on his experiences - Vietnam-Perkasie: A Combat Marine Memoir, Search the word "Vietnam" on my YouTube channel to find more related clips. Including one more by this man. Here is his background of service - W. D. Ehrhart served with 1st Battalion, 1st Marines, from early February 1967 to late February 1968. His service number is 2279361. He holds the Purple Heart Medal, Navy Combat Action Ribbon, Presidential Unit Citation (2), Good Conduct Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Republic of Vietnam Service Medal, Cross of Gallantry Meritorious Unit Citation, Civic Action Meritorious Unit Citation, Vietnamese Campaign Medal. The last three were all awarded by the now-extinct government of the Republic of Vietnam. He received the PUC and the two Vietnamese unit citations as a member of 1st Battalion, 1st Marine Regiment. You can find more at his website -www.wdehrhart.com. #vietnam #marine #ehrhart"