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ANNOUNCER: MAJOR SUPPORT
FOR "THE VIETNAM WAR"
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WAS PROVIDED BY MEMBERS
OF THE BETTER ANGELS SOCIETY,
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INCLUDING JONATHAN
AND JEANNIE LAVINE,
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DIANE AND HAL BRIERLEY,
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AMY AND DAVID ABRAMS,
undefined
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THE FULLERTON FAMILY
CHARITABLE FUND,
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THE MONTRONE FAMILY,
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FAMILY FOUNDATION,
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THE LYNCH FOUNDATION,
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THE ROGER AND ROSEMARY
ENRICO FOUNDATION,
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AND BY THESE ADDITIONAL FUNDERS.
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MAJOR FUNDING WAS ALSO PROVIDED
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BY DAVID H. KOCH...
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THE BLAVATNIK
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THE PARK FOUNDATION,
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THE NATIONAL ENDOWMENT
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ANNOUNCER: BANK OF AMERICA
PROUDLY SUPPORTS
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KEN BURNS' AND LYNN NOVICK'S
FILM "THE VIETNAM WAR"
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BECAUSE FOSTERING
DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVES
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AND CIVIL DISCOURSE
AROUND IMPORTANT ISSUES
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FURTHERS PROGRESS, EQUALITY,
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AND A MORE CONNECTED SOCIETY.
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GO TO BANKOFAMERICA.COM/
BETTERCONNECTED TO LEARN MORE.
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(radio chatter)
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(distant helicopter blades
beating)
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ROGER HARRIS:
Soldiers adapt.
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You go over there
with one mindset, you know,
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and then you adapt.
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You adapt to the atrocities
of war.
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You adapt to...
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...killing and dying, you know.
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After a while
it doesn't bother you.
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Well, I should say it doesn't
bother you as much.
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When I first arrived in Vietnam,
there were some...
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(sighs)
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there were some interesting
things that happened
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and I questioned
some of the Marines.
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I was made to realize that this
is war, and this is what we do.
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And that stuck in my head.
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This is war.
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This is what we do.
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And after a while
you embrace that.
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This is war.
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This is what we do.
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("Are You Experienced?" by the
Jimi Hendrix Experience playing)
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This evening I came here
to speak to you about Vietnam.
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There is progress
in the war itself,
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rather dramatic progress
considering the situation
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that actually prevailed when we
sent our troops there in 1965.
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The grip of the Viet Cong
on the people is being broken.
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HENDRIX:
♪ If you can just
get your mind together ♪
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(rapid gunfire)
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♪ Then come across to me
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NARRATOR:
In the summer of 1967,
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the men overseeing the war
in Vietnam
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remained outwardly optimistic--
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whatever private doubts
they may have held.
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HENDRIX:
♪ But first
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♪ Are you experienced?
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(airplane flying overhead)
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(explosion)
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♪ Have you ever been
experienced? ♪
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NARRATOR:
The American military command
in Vietnam, MACV,
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claimed to have killed
200,000 enemy troops
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and had told the president
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that the all-important
"crossover point"--
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the moment when U.S. and ARVN
forces were killing
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more Viet Cong
and North Vietnamese troops
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than the enemy could replace--
appeared to have been reached
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in almost all of South Vietnam.
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But the United States
had suffered
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nearly 75,000 casualties.
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By July 4,
14,624 Americans had died,
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and, off the record,
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many officers were much less
sanguine than their commanders.
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From Saigon, R.W. Apple
of theNew York Time s
summarized
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their views: "Victory is not
close at hand," he wrote.
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In fact,
"It may be beyond reach."
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("Are You Experienced?" by the
Jimi Hendrix Experience playing)
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(rapid gunfire)
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It was true that the enemy
rarely won a battle
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in the traditional military
sense that they drove
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the Americans from the field.
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But it was also true
that no American victory
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seemed to matter.
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Battered enemy units were
quickly reinforced and rearmed.
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Pacification--
winning the hearts and minds
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of the South Vietnamese people--
was not working.
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Saigon still controlled
only a fraction of a country
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roughly the size of Florida,
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and its government remained
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unpopular and riddled
with corruption.
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President Johnson had been
forced to raise taxes
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to meet the war's
ever-climbing cost.
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His ambitious social program--
his War on Poverty--
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was in retreat.
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HENDRIX:
♪ Trumpets and violins
I can hear in the distance ♪
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NARRATOR:
That summer, racial unrest
would grip American cities.
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HENDRIX:
♪ Maybe now
you can't hear them ♪
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♪ But you will
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NARRATOR:
The president would have to send
the Army into Detroit
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to end five days of rioting
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that left 43 dead and hundreds
of buildings razed.
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Twenty-six more died
in Newark, New Jersey,
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demonstrating yet again
how wide a gap
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remained between black
and white Americans.
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Only a third of the country saw
any sign of progress in Vietnam,
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and half of the country
now disapproved
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of the president's handling
of the war.
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Meanwhile,
Le Duan and his comrades
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who ran things in Hanoi,
were secretly planning
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a new offensive that they
believed would destroy
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what they called the puppet
government in Saigon
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and convince the United States
the war could never be won
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on the battlefield.
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JAMES WILLBANKS:
There's the old apocryphal story
that, in 1967,
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they went to the basement
of the Pentagon
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when the mainframe computers
took up the whole basement,
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and they put on the old
punch cards everything
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you could quantify--
numbers of ships,
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numbers of airplanes, numbers of
tanks, numbers of helicopters,
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artillery, machine gun, ammo--
everything you could quantify,
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put it in the hopper and said,
"When will we win in Vietnam?"
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Went away on Friday.
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The thing ground away
all weekend.
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Came back on Monday and there
was one card in the output tray
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and it said, "You won in 1965."
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The only problem
is the enemy gets a vote
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and they weren't
on the punch cards.
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NARRATOR:
There were nearly half a million
American soldiers in Vietnam
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by the middle of 1967,
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with thousands more on the way.
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Only 20% would ever
be in combat.
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The rest served
in support units.
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None of them had been taught
very much about the people
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against whom-- and for whom--
they had been asked to fight.
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Troops called the Vietnamese
"gooks"--
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00:08:35,899 --> 00:08:39,200
a term first used
by U.S. Marines to refer
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to the people of Haiti
and Nicaragua
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during the American occupation
of those countries,
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and then applied
to the Asian enemy in Korea.
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Or "slopes," an epithet for the
Japanese during the Pacific War,
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or "dinks," an Australian term
for the Chinese.
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And so in basic training
they taught you
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that you were going to be
fighting gooks.
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It was part of the song
that you sang
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as you jogged down the road.
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As you went through
bayonet training,
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you were not talking about
Vietnamese.
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You were always
talking about gooks.
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Vietnamese might be people,
but gooks are-are...
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are close to being animals.
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NARRATOR:
GIs called Vietnamese homes
"hooches"--
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a corruption of the Japanese
word for dwelling places
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00:09:30,200 --> 00:09:33,466
that they had learned during
the battle for Okinawa
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in the Second World War.
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Soldiers referred to older
Vietnamese women as "mama sans,"
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the term they used for women
who ran whorehouses
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in occupied Japan.
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The Viet Cong
and the North Vietnamese
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called GIs "invaders,"
"imperialists,"
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and (speaking Vietnamese)--
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"American bandits."
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South Vietnam had been divided
into four tactical zones.
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By the summer of 1967,
American troops were fighting
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in all four of them.
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In IV Corps,
the "Brown Water Navy"
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patrolled the rivers
and canals and marshes
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of the densely populated
Mekong Delta,
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searching for the enemy.
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In III Corps, the Army continued
to sweep the thick jungles
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of the Iron Triangle,
the Viet Cong sanctuary
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near Saigon that was supposed
to have been permanently denied
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00:10:40,533 --> 00:10:45,966
to the enemy by big American
operations earlier in the year.
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In II Corps,
a series of bloody battles
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in the Central Highlands
around Dak To temporarily drove
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North Vietnamese troops
back into Cambodia and Laos.
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But some of the most intense
combat would take place
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00:11:03,932 --> 00:11:08,299
in I Corps-- made up of the
five northernmost provinces
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00:11:08,399 --> 00:11:11,432
of South Vietnam--
where the Marines would bear
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00:11:11,533 --> 00:11:13,865
the brunt of the fighting.
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More than two-and-a-half million
people lived there,
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all but 2% of them within
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00:11:19,600 --> 00:11:21,899
the narrow rice-growing
river valleys
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along the South China Sea.
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00:11:24,799 --> 00:11:28,566
The Marines wanted to eradicate
the Viet Cong there,
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and provide security
to the people,
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00:11:31,066 --> 00:11:33,932
village by village,
hamlet by hamlet.
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00:11:34,033 --> 00:11:37,700
The vast, largely empty
highlands that stretched
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00:11:37,799 --> 00:11:41,033
westward all the way to Laos,
the Marines argued,
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00:11:41,133 --> 00:11:43,899
could be left to the enemy.
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00:11:44,000 --> 00:11:46,500
"The real war is among
the people,"
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00:11:46,600 --> 00:11:49,466
said Marine lieutenant
general Victor Krulak,
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00:11:49,566 --> 00:11:52,200
"and not among the mountains."
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00:11:52,299 --> 00:11:54,700
But General William
Westmoreland,
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00:11:54,799 --> 00:11:57,799
the American commander,
feared that thousands
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00:11:57,899 --> 00:12:01,700
of North Vietnamese Army
regulars-- the NVA--
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00:12:01,799 --> 00:12:06,000
were planning to seize
the two northernmost provinces.
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Finding and destroying them
remained his first goal.
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00:12:11,365 --> 00:12:12,932
(helicopter blades beating)
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00:12:13,033 --> 00:12:15,832
He insisted
the Third Marine Division
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00:12:15,932 --> 00:12:18,166
move north to meet
that challenge,
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00:12:18,265 --> 00:12:23,666
establish a base at Dong Ha and
man strongpoints at Gio Linh,
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00:12:23,765 --> 00:12:31,166
Con Thien, Cam Lo, Camp Carroll,
the Rockpile and Khe Sanh.
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00:12:31,265 --> 00:12:34,865
Khe Sanh overlooked Route 9,
the East-West highway
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00:12:34,966 --> 00:12:38,600
that Westmoreland hoped would
one day carry American troops
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00:12:38,700 --> 00:12:42,700
across the border into Laos,
where North Vietnamese men
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00:12:42,799 --> 00:12:46,633
and supplies were streaming
south on the Ho Chi Minh Trail.
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00:12:50,033 --> 00:12:53,033
But the thousands of Marines
monitoring the border
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00:12:53,133 --> 00:12:56,232
would find themselves within
range of highly accurate
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00:12:56,332 --> 00:12:59,966
North Vietnamese artillery
and rocket launchers
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00:13:00,066 --> 00:13:01,932
hidden within the DMZ.
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("I'm a Man" by The Spencer
Davis Group playing"
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00:13:03,899 --> 00:13:09,033
(explosions)
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JOHN LAURENCE:
Tell me...
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You came here at full strength?
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I had 13 men when I came.
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00:13:14,865 --> 00:13:17,432
And it's four days later now
and how many are still here?
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Six.
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("I'm a Man" continues)
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The rifles have been jamming,
the mud's been...
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00:13:27,633 --> 00:13:29,133
it slowed everything down.
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00:13:29,232 --> 00:13:30,765
And the artillery comes in
everywhere.
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00:13:30,865 --> 00:13:33,299
And, ah, it just gets
pretty futile
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00:13:33,399 --> 00:13:34,665
and frustrating sometimes.
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00:13:34,765 --> 00:13:36,765
("I'm a Man" continues)
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00:13:38,765 --> 00:13:41,533
I can't say that I'm scared
stiff, but I'm scared.
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00:13:41,633 --> 00:13:44,732
I mean, after a while,
you know it's going to come.
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00:13:44,832 --> 00:13:46,133
And you can't do nothing
about it.
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00:13:46,232 --> 00:13:47,533
And you just look to God.
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SPENCER DAVIS GROUP:
♪ Well, my pad is very messy
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00:13:49,365 --> 00:13:50,966
♪ And there's whiskers
on my chin. ♪
244
00:13:51,066 --> 00:13:54,033
NARRATOR:
Private First Class
John Musgrave
245
00:13:54,133 --> 00:13:56,799
of Fairmount, Missouri,
who had volunteered to join
246
00:13:56,899 --> 00:13:58,700
the 3rd Marine Division,
247
00:13:58,799 --> 00:14:02,700
was sent to the battle-scarred
countryside around Con Thien,
248
00:14:02,799 --> 00:14:06,200
a few kilometers south
of the DMZ.
249
00:14:06,299 --> 00:14:08,832
(explosion)
250
00:14:08,932 --> 00:14:12,600
JOHN MUSGRAVE:
For the Marines in northern I
Corps in the 3rd Marine Division
251
00:14:12,700 --> 00:14:16,332
in the spring and summer of 1967
we called the DMZ
252
00:14:16,432 --> 00:14:17,865
the "Dead Marine Zone."
253
00:14:17,966 --> 00:14:21,765
NARRATOR:
Musgrave's 1st Battalion
had already suffered
254
00:14:21,865 --> 00:14:25,399
so many casualties in a series
of bloody sweeps
255
00:14:25,500 --> 00:14:29,133
that it was believed to be
a hard-luck outfit.
256
00:14:29,232 --> 00:14:32,700
They were called
the "Walking Dead."
257
00:14:32,799 --> 00:14:35,700
SPENCER DAVIS GROUP:
♪ I'm a man, yes I am,
and I can't... ♪
258
00:14:35,799 --> 00:14:39,500
MUSGRAVE:
I joined the Marine Corps
to be in the varsity.
259
00:14:39,600 --> 00:14:43,066
And I felt like I wasn't varsity
unless I was up north
260
00:14:43,165 --> 00:14:44,466
fighting the NVA.
261
00:14:44,566 --> 00:14:47,700
I have never regretted
that decision.
262
00:14:47,799 --> 00:14:52,200
There were times when
we were under artillery fire,
263
00:14:52,299 --> 00:14:55,865
where I thought, you know,
"What-what were you thinking?"
264
00:14:55,966 --> 00:15:01,666
Here it is in a nutshell:
if I lived to be 63 years old,
265
00:15:01,765 --> 00:15:03,865
I didn't want to look
in the mirror some morning
266
00:15:03,966 --> 00:15:06,332
and have a guy looking back at
me that hadn't done everything
267
00:15:06,432 --> 00:15:08,232
for what he believed,
268
00:15:08,332 --> 00:15:12,100
that let somebody else
do the harder part.
269
00:15:16,799 --> 00:15:19,765
Every major contact I remember
with the NVA was initiated
270
00:15:19,865 --> 00:15:21,399
by them ambushing us.
271
00:15:21,500 --> 00:15:24,832
They wouldn't hit us
unless they outnumbered us.
272
00:15:24,932 --> 00:15:26,832
And we were fighting
in their yard.
273
00:15:29,832 --> 00:15:31,166
They knew the ground; we didn't.
274
00:15:35,000 --> 00:15:36,932
They were just really good.
275
00:15:47,265 --> 00:15:49,232
LE VAN CHO:
276
00:15:55,633 --> 00:15:58,566
NARRATOR:
The North Vietnamese
carried Soviet-made,
277
00:15:58,665 --> 00:16:01,633
seemingly indestructible AK-47s.
278
00:16:03,033 --> 00:16:07,932
The Marines had to fight
with newly issued M-16 rifles
279
00:16:08,033 --> 00:16:12,232
that had for a time
a potentially fatal design flaw:
280
00:16:12,332 --> 00:16:15,066
they needed constant cleaning
281
00:16:15,166 --> 00:16:18,299
and often jammed
in the middle of firefights.
282
00:16:18,399 --> 00:16:21,466
MUSGRAVE:
Their rifles worked;
ours didn't.
283
00:16:21,566 --> 00:16:24,966
The M-16 was a piece of shit.
284
00:16:25,066 --> 00:16:26,666
You can't throw
your bullets at the enemy
285
00:16:26,765 --> 00:16:28,066
and have them be effective.
286
00:16:28,166 --> 00:16:32,600
And that rifle
malfunctioned on us repeatedly.
287
00:16:38,700 --> 00:16:41,600
(gunfire)
288
00:16:44,665 --> 00:16:47,133
HO HUU LAN:
289
00:16:58,232 --> 00:17:01,332
My hatred for them
was pure.
290
00:17:01,432 --> 00:17:03,033
Pure.
291
00:17:03,133 --> 00:17:05,032
I hated them so much.
292
00:17:06,365 --> 00:17:07,732
And I was so scared of them.
293
00:17:08,833 --> 00:17:11,133
Boy, I was terrified of them.
294
00:17:11,232 --> 00:17:13,566
And the scareder I got,
the more I hated them.
295
00:17:40,500 --> 00:17:43,799
MUSGRAVE:
I only killed one human being
in Vietnam.
296
00:17:43,900 --> 00:17:47,165
And that was the first man
that I ever killed.
297
00:17:47,266 --> 00:17:51,299
And I was sick with guilt
about killing that guy
298
00:17:51,400 --> 00:17:53,432
and thinking I'm going
to have to do this
299
00:17:53,532 --> 00:17:54,700
for the next 13 months.
300
00:17:54,799 --> 00:17:57,266
I'm-I'm going to go crazy.
301
00:17:57,365 --> 00:18:00,165
And I saw a Marine step
on a bouncing Betty mine,
302
00:18:00,266 --> 00:18:03,465
and that's when I made
my deal with the devil
303
00:18:03,566 --> 00:18:07,299
and that I said, "I will never
kill another human being
304
00:18:07,400 --> 00:18:09,633
"as long as I'm in Vietnam.
305
00:18:09,732 --> 00:18:14,833
"However, I will waste
as many gooks as I can find.
306
00:18:14,932 --> 00:18:18,299
"I'll wax as many dinks
as I can find.
307
00:18:18,400 --> 00:18:21,432
"I'll smoke as many zips
as I can find.
308
00:18:21,532 --> 00:18:24,599
But I ain't gonna kill anybody,"
you know?
309
00:18:24,700 --> 00:18:28,032
Turn the subject into an object.
310
00:18:28,133 --> 00:18:30,133
It's Racism 101.
311
00:18:30,232 --> 00:18:32,333
It turns out to be
a very necessary tool
312
00:18:32,432 --> 00:18:35,000
when you have children
fighting your wars,
313
00:18:35,099 --> 00:18:37,833
for them to stay sane
doing their work.
314
00:18:44,232 --> 00:18:46,799
NARRATOR:
On one early patrol,
Musgrave watched
315
00:18:46,900 --> 00:18:51,566
an American fighter swoop down
to drop napalm on enemy troops
316
00:18:51,665 --> 00:18:54,000
hidden behind a hedgerow.
317
00:18:54,099 --> 00:18:57,799
He could hear their AK-47s
firing at the plane
318
00:18:57,900 --> 00:19:01,566
until the instant
they were engulfed in flames.
319
00:19:01,665 --> 00:19:05,400
"If the enemy is willing to die
like that," he thought,
320
00:19:05,500 --> 00:19:08,400
"this is going to be
one very long war."
321
00:19:10,900 --> 00:19:13,133
MUSGRAVE:
They knew if they would pop
the ambush close
322
00:19:13,232 --> 00:19:14,833
and then get amongst you,
323
00:19:14,932 --> 00:19:18,465
we couldn't or would hesitate
to call in air on ourselves.
324
00:19:21,566 --> 00:19:25,732
So that... firefights
like that we called brawls.
325
00:19:25,833 --> 00:19:27,700
They were very intimate.
326
00:19:27,799 --> 00:19:29,299
And they were very deadly.
327
00:19:29,400 --> 00:19:32,232
And they were
absolutely terrifying.
328
00:19:36,266 --> 00:19:40,465
NARRATOR:
The Marines were spread too thin
to hold any of the territory
329
00:19:40,566 --> 00:19:43,032
they fought so hard to take.
330
00:19:43,133 --> 00:19:47,633
Again and again, they were sent
out from one stronghold
331
00:19:47,732 --> 00:19:51,833
or another along the DMZ,
looking for enemy soldiers.
332
00:19:51,932 --> 00:19:55,566
MUSGRAVE:
The disillusionment for me began
when I was going back
333
00:19:55,665 --> 00:19:58,732
to fight at places
we'd already fought before.
334
00:19:58,833 --> 00:20:02,365
We had fought, captured,
and then left
335
00:20:02,465 --> 00:20:04,532
and the NVA came right back.
336
00:20:04,633 --> 00:20:06,799
You don't like getting wounded
337
00:20:06,900 --> 00:20:08,633
in places you've already
been before.
338
00:20:10,900 --> 00:20:13,232
War is a real estate
business.
339
00:20:13,333 --> 00:20:16,200
We're supposed to take
real estate away from the enemy
340
00:20:16,299 --> 00:20:20,165
and then deny the enemy access
to that real estate.
341
00:20:20,266 --> 00:20:26,465
NARRATOR:
On the morning of July 2, 1967,
the 1st Battalion launched
342
00:20:26,566 --> 00:20:30,865
yet another sweep of the area
northeast of Con Thien.
343
00:20:30,965 --> 00:20:34,732
When they reached a crossroads
called "The Marketplace,"
344
00:20:34,833 --> 00:20:39,200
barely a mile and quarter from
their base, they were ambushed.
345
00:20:39,299 --> 00:20:42,700
One company
was virtually annihilated.
346
00:20:46,365 --> 00:20:51,232
John Musgrave's company
rushed to rescue the survivors,
347
00:20:51,333 --> 00:20:54,232
only to be pinned down there
as well.
348
00:20:57,000 --> 00:21:01,833
It was one of the worst days the
Marine Corps endured in Vietnam:
349
00:21:01,932 --> 00:21:08,133
53 dead and 190 wounded were
carried off the battlefield.
350
00:21:08,232 --> 00:21:12,299
Thirty-four more dead
had to be left behind,
351
00:21:12,400 --> 00:21:16,133
and when Marines fought
their way back two days later
352
00:21:16,232 --> 00:21:19,066
to retrieve their bodies,
they found that a number
353
00:21:19,165 --> 00:21:25,232
had died because their M-16s had
jammed as the enemy closed in.
354
00:21:25,333 --> 00:21:28,532
Many had been executed,
shot in the face
355
00:21:28,633 --> 00:21:31,432
or back of the head
at close range.
356
00:21:31,532 --> 00:21:34,465
Some bodies had been
booby-trapped,
357
00:21:34,566 --> 00:21:37,432
others mutilated.
358
00:21:37,532 --> 00:21:40,766
MUSGRAVE:
Marine amphibious force
headquarters
359
00:21:40,865 --> 00:21:44,633
was so desperate to get
North Vietnamese prisoners,
360
00:21:44,732 --> 00:21:47,932
that they offered us
three day in-country RandR
361
00:21:48,032 --> 00:21:50,133
if we'd bring a prisoner in.
362
00:21:50,232 --> 00:21:51,599
Yeah, good luck.
363
00:21:51,700 --> 00:21:53,099
You know?
364
00:21:53,200 --> 00:21:55,500
Don't you know who...
what we're doing up here?
365
00:21:55,599 --> 00:21:57,299
Do you know who we're fighting?
366
00:21:59,066 --> 00:22:01,665
I want to make this clear,
we did not torture prisoners
367
00:22:01,766 --> 00:22:04,665
and we did not mutilate them.
368
00:22:11,133 --> 00:22:14,700
But to be a prisoner you had to
make it to the rear, you know.
369
00:22:14,799 --> 00:22:18,133
If he was with...
fell into our hands
370
00:22:18,232 --> 00:22:20,133
he was just one sorry fucker.
371
00:22:30,932 --> 00:22:33,266
I don't know how to explain it
that it would make sense.
372
00:22:34,865 --> 00:22:38,165
("Green Onions" by
Booker T. and the M.G.s playing)
373
00:22:41,365 --> 00:22:42,500
HARRIS:
Roxbury, where I grew up,
374
00:22:42,599 --> 00:22:44,333
was the African-American
neighborhood,
375
00:22:44,432 --> 00:22:48,266
and South Boston was
the Irish-Catholic bastion.
376
00:22:48,365 --> 00:22:50,165
You know,
there was a lot of hate.
377
00:22:50,266 --> 00:22:53,900
South Boston folks hated us,
we hated them.
378
00:22:54,000 --> 00:22:55,266
And ironically, um...
379
00:22:55,365 --> 00:22:57,833
(sighs)
380
00:22:57,932 --> 00:22:59,665
You know, you end up in a war.
381
00:23:01,500 --> 00:23:03,732
And the Vietnamese didn't care
382
00:23:03,833 --> 00:23:05,566
whether you were from
Roxbury or South Boston.
383
00:23:05,665 --> 00:23:07,665
They saw you as American.
384
00:23:07,766 --> 00:23:11,000
And they wanted to kill you
because you're American.
385
00:23:11,099 --> 00:23:15,400
NARRATOR:
Private Roger Harris had joined
the Marines in part, he said,
386
00:23:15,500 --> 00:23:17,865
because he wanted to be
"a gladiator,"
387
00:23:17,965 --> 00:23:21,099
a killer of his country's
enemies.
388
00:23:21,200 --> 00:23:24,432
On July 28, two weeks after
389
00:23:24,532 --> 00:23:28,599
John Musgrave's badly mangled
1st Battalion was pulled back
390
00:23:28,700 --> 00:23:30,432
to rest and recover,
391
00:23:30,532 --> 00:23:34,566
Roger Harris and the 2nd
Battalion moved out of Con Thien
392
00:23:34,665 --> 00:23:38,432
and into the southern half of
the Demilitarized Zone itself.
393
00:23:40,599 --> 00:23:42,133
HARRIS:
We wanted the
North Vietnamese Army
394
00:23:42,232 --> 00:23:44,566
to expose themselves.
395
00:23:44,665 --> 00:23:47,599
So, basically,
you put the bait out there,
396
00:23:47,700 --> 00:23:52,032
and then we could call in
and rain hell on them.
397
00:23:52,133 --> 00:23:56,465
NARRATOR:
Roger Harris's battalion
advanced into the DMZ
398
00:23:56,566 --> 00:24:01,066
along a rough cart track
that led to the Ben Hai River.
399
00:24:01,165 --> 00:24:05,400
But planners had failed to see
that a concrete bridge
400
00:24:05,500 --> 00:24:07,400
over an impassable stream
401
00:24:07,500 --> 00:24:11,900
was too narrow and too weak
to carry armored vehicles.
402
00:24:12,000 --> 00:24:16,766
Now the Marines had no choice
but to violate a cardinal rule
403
00:24:16,865 --> 00:24:18,400
of infantry tactics--
404
00:24:18,500 --> 00:24:23,532
turn around and try to go back
the way they had come.
405
00:24:23,633 --> 00:24:26,766
The enemy was waiting.
406
00:24:26,865 --> 00:24:29,566
(explosion, rapid gunfire)
407
00:24:32,833 --> 00:24:35,665
Massive ambushes and...
408
00:24:35,766 --> 00:24:37,232
(gunfire, shouting)
409
00:24:37,333 --> 00:24:41,299
...and, um, a lot of death.
410
00:24:41,400 --> 00:24:43,299
And...
411
00:24:44,799 --> 00:24:46,465
...craziness.
412
00:24:46,566 --> 00:24:51,465
NARRATOR:
The Marines were forced to run
a bloody gauntlet of mortars,
413
00:24:51,566 --> 00:24:55,400
machine gun fire and
rocket-propelled grenades.
414
00:24:55,500 --> 00:25:00,200
HARRIS:
I had the utmost respect for the
North Vietnamese Army soldiers.
415
00:25:00,299 --> 00:25:06,566
When you see someone jump out
and confront a tank, you know,
416
00:25:06,665 --> 00:25:08,799
with a big 50-caliber
machine gun on it
417
00:25:08,900 --> 00:25:11,833
and a 90-millimeter cannon
on it,
418
00:25:11,932 --> 00:25:16,133
and an individual takes on
the tank,
419
00:25:16,232 --> 00:25:17,865
I think that says something.
420
00:25:19,500 --> 00:25:22,299
NARRATOR:
Roger Harris's company
held up the rear,
421
00:25:22,400 --> 00:25:26,266
hounded by enemy
soldiers on all sides.
422
00:25:28,566 --> 00:25:31,865
The Marines staggered back
out of the DMZ
423
00:25:31,965 --> 00:25:35,066
alongside the battered
armored vehicles
424
00:25:35,165 --> 00:25:38,965
heaped with dead
and wounded Americans.
425
00:25:39,066 --> 00:25:41,965
The battalion suffered
214 casualties.
426
00:25:45,099 --> 00:25:48,566
HARRIS:
Wasn't a good day
for Marines at all.
427
00:25:48,665 --> 00:25:49,932
A lot of people died.
428
00:25:50,032 --> 00:25:51,232
People got their legs shot off.
429
00:25:51,333 --> 00:25:53,232
People got run over by tanks.
430
00:25:55,865 --> 00:25:58,766
I don't want to talk about it
because it's...
431
00:26:02,000 --> 00:26:04,500
it's not a good day,
wasn't a good day.
432
00:26:12,099 --> 00:26:14,000
LO KHAC TAM:
433
00:27:13,299 --> 00:27:16,665
This is "bau cu",
the day of voting in Vietnam,
434
00:27:16,766 --> 00:27:19,665
and it's a solemn day
in the village of Hung Thao Phu
435
00:27:19,766 --> 00:27:22,400
and in other villages
throughout the country.
436
00:27:22,500 --> 00:27:24,965
And these people have dressed up
in their Sunday best for it.
437
00:27:27,833 --> 00:27:30,833
NARRATOR:
South Vietnamese prime minister
Nguyen Cao Ky
438
00:27:30,932 --> 00:27:34,833
had crushed
his Buddhist opponents in 1966,
439
00:27:34,932 --> 00:27:37,333
but he had been forced
by the Americans
440
00:27:37,432 --> 00:27:40,766
and his political rivals
to make at least tentative moves
441
00:27:40,865 --> 00:27:44,532
toward democracy--
election of a national assembly,
442
00:27:44,633 --> 00:27:47,799
a new constitution,
and a promise of elections
443
00:27:47,900 --> 00:27:51,099
for president
and vice president.
444
00:27:51,200 --> 00:27:56,000
But when Ky's old adversary
Nguyen Van Thieu declared
445
00:27:56,099 --> 00:27:58,900
he wanted to challenge Ky
for the top spot,
446
00:27:59,000 --> 00:28:02,165
things in Saigon had threatened
to come apart again.
447
00:28:04,599 --> 00:28:07,165
PHAN QUANG TUE:
We were watching the rivalry
between Thieu and Ky.
448
00:28:07,266 --> 00:28:09,333
And that was a game.
449
00:28:09,432 --> 00:28:12,333
In Vietnam, the country
was watching like a...
450
00:28:12,432 --> 00:28:15,200
we were watch...
watching a movie.
451
00:28:15,299 --> 00:28:17,500
And Thieu and Ky
was watching as to,
452
00:28:17,599 --> 00:28:20,400
not whoever had the support
of the people,
453
00:28:20,500 --> 00:28:24,833
but who had the support of the
Americans and the White House.
454
00:28:24,932 --> 00:28:28,266
NARRATOR:
Ellsworth Bunker,
the American ambassador,
455
00:28:28,365 --> 00:28:31,833
called both men to his residence
and warned that
456
00:28:31,932 --> 00:28:35,700
the United States would not
tolerate another power struggle:
457
00:28:35,799 --> 00:28:39,365
Thieu and Ky needed to meet
with their fellow generals
458
00:28:39,465 --> 00:28:41,965
and decide who would run
for president
459
00:28:42,066 --> 00:28:44,599
and who would be
his running mate.
460
00:28:44,700 --> 00:28:47,133
Thieu emerged on top.
461
00:28:47,232 --> 00:28:50,200
He was unassuming
and unflappable,
462
00:28:50,299 --> 00:28:52,865
interested largely
in accumulating power
463
00:28:52,965 --> 00:28:56,099
and personal wealth
and was thought unlikely
464
00:28:56,200 --> 00:28:58,932
ever to embarrass Washington.
465
00:28:59,032 --> 00:29:02,500
Ky would be his vice president.
466
00:29:02,599 --> 00:29:07,566
Together, they won with only
35% of the vote.
467
00:29:07,665 --> 00:29:10,766
No one who had called
for an end to the war
468
00:29:10,865 --> 00:29:13,099
had been allowed to run.
469
00:29:13,200 --> 00:29:15,732
Many Buddhists had boycotted
the election,
470
00:29:15,833 --> 00:29:20,932
and Viet Cong intimidation had
kept many more from the polls.
471
00:29:21,032 --> 00:29:24,000
But the State Department
immediately declared
472
00:29:24,099 --> 00:29:27,000
the election
an important "step forward."
473
00:29:28,900 --> 00:29:32,333
Some South Vietnamese
did believe that a measure
474
00:29:32,432 --> 00:29:35,566
of stability had finally
been achieved.
475
00:29:35,665 --> 00:29:38,700
Others were not so sure.
476
00:29:40,266 --> 00:29:44,500
TUE:
In terms of corruption,
yes, they were corrupt.
477
00:29:44,599 --> 00:29:49,266
Both Thieu and Ky,
they abused their position.
478
00:29:49,365 --> 00:29:53,232
We pay a very high price
for having leaders
479
00:29:53,333 --> 00:29:56,000
like a Ky and Thieu.
480
00:29:56,099 --> 00:29:58,500
And we continue
to pay the price.
481
00:30:00,266 --> 00:30:03,732
("Soul Dressing" by
Booker T. and The M.G.s playing)
482
00:30:03,833 --> 00:30:06,665
EVA JEFFERSON PATERSON:
My father was in
the United States Army.
483
00:30:06,766 --> 00:30:09,400
And then when the Air Force
came about he switched over
484
00:30:09,500 --> 00:30:11,833
to the Air Force.
485
00:30:11,932 --> 00:30:16,732
I grew up out of the country in
desegregated settings.
486
00:30:16,833 --> 00:30:19,700
I was usually the only
little black girl in the class.
487
00:30:19,799 --> 00:30:21,799
If you look
at my class pictures I look
488
00:30:21,900 --> 00:30:25,500
like the little chocolate chip
in the vanilla ice cream.
489
00:30:25,599 --> 00:30:28,500
I was always a good student.
490
00:30:28,599 --> 00:30:31,333
I remember people saying,
"Oh, you speak so well."
491
00:30:31,432 --> 00:30:33,299
And the unstated part
is "for a black girl,"
492
00:30:33,400 --> 00:30:36,099
probably a Negro girl
or colored girl, at that point.
493
00:30:36,200 --> 00:30:40,833
NARRATOR:
Eva Jefferson's father
had served a year on airbases
494
00:30:40,932 --> 00:30:44,532
in Vietnam and returned home
convinced the United States
495
00:30:44,633 --> 00:30:47,165
had no business being there.
496
00:30:47,266 --> 00:30:50,865
But when his daughter entered
Northwestern University
497
00:30:50,965 --> 00:30:56,032
in the Chicago suburb
of Evanston in September 1967,
498
00:30:56,133 --> 00:31:00,432
the war was not uppermost
in students' minds.
499
00:31:00,532 --> 00:31:03,833
PATERSON:
The war was not really an issue.
500
00:31:03,932 --> 00:31:05,766
It's like,
"Well, no, the president has
501
00:31:05,865 --> 00:31:07,833
"our best interests at heart.
502
00:31:07,932 --> 00:31:09,732
"He, of course,
would only prosecute a war
503
00:31:09,833 --> 00:31:11,200
that made sense."
504
00:31:11,299 --> 00:31:14,066
And I think most of America
felt that way.
505
00:31:14,165 --> 00:31:16,133
("Strange Brew"
by Cream playing)
506
00:31:16,232 --> 00:31:18,266
NARRATOR:
At the University of Nebraska,
507
00:31:18,365 --> 00:31:21,299
Jack Todd also supported
the war.
508
00:31:21,400 --> 00:31:25,766
He had felt so strongly about it
in 1966 that he had signed up
509
00:31:25,865 --> 00:31:28,833
for Marine officer training.
510
00:31:28,932 --> 00:31:31,532
I went into the Marine Corps
511
00:31:31,633 --> 00:31:33,932
thinking this was
all I wanted to do.
512
00:31:34,032 --> 00:31:35,965
I mean my...
my goal was to be commander,
513
00:31:36,066 --> 00:31:37,365
a platoon commander in Vietnam.
514
00:31:38,900 --> 00:31:42,232
NARRATOR:
But as time went by
and the war went on,
515
00:31:42,333 --> 00:31:44,700
Todd and many of his
fellow students
516
00:31:44,799 --> 00:31:46,465
began to change their minds.
517
00:31:47,799 --> 00:31:50,232
TODD:
All young people
go through changes.
518
00:31:50,333 --> 00:31:53,165
But we were going through
astronomical changes
519
00:31:53,266 --> 00:31:55,500
at such a rapid rate.
520
00:31:57,400 --> 00:32:01,066
All the music, the culture,
everything that we listened to,
521
00:32:01,165 --> 00:32:03,266
everything that we thought
was transforming
522
00:32:03,365 --> 00:32:07,165
and the core of it all
was Vietnam, Vietnam, Vietnam.
523
00:32:07,266 --> 00:32:09,099
It just kept going
in the background.
524
00:32:09,200 --> 00:32:10,900
First, it was kind of like
a background noise
525
00:32:11,000 --> 00:32:12,865
and then it got to be
the elephant in the room.
526
00:32:12,965 --> 00:32:14,932
And then it was the elephant
sitting on your head
527
00:32:15,032 --> 00:32:16,665
and we...
we couldn't escape this.
528
00:32:16,766 --> 00:32:20,099
NARRATOR:
Todd attended
officer training school
529
00:32:20,200 --> 00:32:22,900
at Camp Upshur
in Quantico, Virginia.
530
00:32:23,000 --> 00:32:25,900
But doubts about the war
followed him there, too.
531
00:32:28,965 --> 00:32:30,732
TODD:
I guess the emotional things
that were happening
532
00:32:30,833 --> 00:32:33,333
on the ground, the photographs
that we saw, the news images,
533
00:32:33,432 --> 00:32:36,400
and the fact that there
was no discernible progress,
534
00:32:36,500 --> 00:32:39,833
that really started to eat away
at what we thought.
535
00:32:39,932 --> 00:32:43,032
In the summer of '67,
I was at Camp Upshur, you know,
536
00:32:43,133 --> 00:32:45,532
wanting to go
kill Vietnamese people.
537
00:32:45,633 --> 00:32:50,000
And in October, I was
completely against the war.
538
00:32:53,299 --> 00:32:55,865
JOHNSON:
Westmoreland came in
last night to me...
539
00:32:55,965 --> 00:33:00,000
And he says that he has
concentrated more firepower
540
00:33:00,099 --> 00:33:03,665
and bombing in the last week
on the DMZ
541
00:33:03,766 --> 00:33:07,599
and they've concentrated more
on us than has ever been
542
00:33:07,700 --> 00:33:09,799
concentrated
in any equivalent period
543
00:33:09,900 --> 00:33:11,432
in the history of warfare...
544
00:33:11,532 --> 00:33:12,700
EVERETT DIRKSEN:
Yeah.
545
00:33:12,799 --> 00:33:13,965
JOHNSON:
...much more than was ever
poured on
546
00:33:14,066 --> 00:33:15,400
Berlin or Tokyo,
547
00:33:15,500 --> 00:33:19,900
and that his only defense
of the DMZ to stop
548
00:33:20,000 --> 00:33:22,900
this aggression up there
with the North Vietnamese
549
00:33:23,000 --> 00:33:26,665
trying to come in
is bombing their gun positions.
550
00:33:26,766 --> 00:33:28,232
DIRKSEN:
Yeah.
551
00:33:28,333 --> 00:33:30,133
JOHNSON:
And it would just be suicide
if we stopped the bombing
552
00:33:30,232 --> 00:33:32,465
as these idiots talking about.
553
00:33:32,566 --> 00:33:34,232
When you say stop the bombing
554
00:33:34,333 --> 00:33:37,099
you say,
"Kill more American Marines."
555
00:33:37,200 --> 00:33:38,099
That's all it means.
556
00:33:38,200 --> 00:33:39,465
DIRKSEN:
Yeah.
557
00:33:39,566 --> 00:33:42,799
JOHNSON:
Now if we stop bombing,
without their talking
558
00:33:42,900 --> 00:33:45,665
and without any reciprocity
on their part,
559
00:33:45,766 --> 00:33:47,833
it just means we kill more
Americans, that's all
560
00:33:47,932 --> 00:33:48,865
DIRKSEN:
Yeah.
561
00:33:55,965 --> 00:33:59,532
NARRATOR:
Neither the ongoing bombing
of the North,
562
00:33:59,633 --> 00:34:03,066
nor the concentrated bombing
around the DMZ,
563
00:34:03,165 --> 00:34:05,099
nor the behind-the-scenes offers
564
00:34:05,200 --> 00:34:07,799
made by President Johnson
to stop it
565
00:34:07,900 --> 00:34:10,833
had any discernible effect
on Le Duan
566
00:34:10,932 --> 00:34:14,300
and the other men
who ran North Vietnam.
567
00:34:14,400 --> 00:34:17,365
But Le Duan,
like Lyndon Johnson,
568
00:34:17,465 --> 00:34:19,432
was in trouble that summer.
569
00:34:19,532 --> 00:34:22,400
The war with the Americans
had produced little more
570
00:34:22,500 --> 00:34:24,432
than a bloody stalemate.
571
00:34:24,532 --> 00:34:27,500
Some Viet Cong commanders
in the South
572
00:34:27,599 --> 00:34:31,865
resented Hanoi's insistence
on directing their tactics.
573
00:34:31,965 --> 00:34:36,166
Many North Vietnamese civilians
were weary of the war
574
00:34:36,266 --> 00:34:39,166
and of the bombing
that had disrupted their lives
575
00:34:39,266 --> 00:34:42,800
and destroyed so much
of their infrastructure.
576
00:34:42,900 --> 00:34:45,465
The country's most revered
figures,
577
00:34:45,565 --> 00:34:50,065
Ho Chi Minh and Vo Nguyen Giap,
were urging patience,
578
00:34:50,166 --> 00:34:54,233
continuing to wage a war of
attrition, they still believed,
579
00:34:54,333 --> 00:34:57,432
would pay off in the end.
580
00:34:57,532 --> 00:35:01,065
Hanoi's Soviet and Chinese
patrons offered
581
00:35:01,166 --> 00:35:04,065
conflicting advice, as well.
582
00:35:04,166 --> 00:35:08,400
To silence his critics
and break the stalemate,
583
00:35:08,500 --> 00:35:10,965
Le Duan began to devise
and promote
584
00:35:11,065 --> 00:35:14,432
a new and riskier version
of the plan for victory
585
00:35:14,532 --> 00:35:18,000
he had tried in 1964.
586
00:35:18,099 --> 00:35:23,565
He called it the "General
Offensive, General Uprising."
587
00:35:23,666 --> 00:35:27,400
North Vietnamese and Viet Cong
units would launch
588
00:35:27,500 --> 00:35:31,733
scores of coordinated attacks
on South Vietnamese cities
589
00:35:31,833 --> 00:35:34,965
and towns and military bases.
590
00:35:35,065 --> 00:35:37,300
That offensive,
Le Duan believed,
591
00:35:37,400 --> 00:35:40,932
would ignite
a mass civilian uprising.
592
00:35:41,032 --> 00:35:45,500
These simultaneous blows
would destroy the Saigon regime
593
00:35:45,599 --> 00:35:49,532
and leave Washington with
no choice but to withdraw.
594
00:36:40,632 --> 00:36:42,166
WILLBANKS:
We talk about our own hubris.
595
00:36:42,266 --> 00:36:44,400
There's some hubris
on their side as well.
596
00:36:44,500 --> 00:36:46,365
And once they had
convinced themselves
597
00:36:46,465 --> 00:36:49,199
that this was going to be
a great success,
598
00:36:49,300 --> 00:36:52,300
it is what some wags have called
drinking your own bathwater.
599
00:36:53,733 --> 00:36:55,032
They decided it's going to be
a victory,
600
00:36:55,132 --> 00:36:57,132
even though there are people
in the South saying,
601
00:36:57,233 --> 00:36:58,666
"Hey, this is not a great idea."
602
00:36:58,766 --> 00:37:02,532
But these people are charged
with subjectivism
603
00:37:02,632 --> 00:37:05,266
and basically are told
to shut up and keep rolling.
604
00:37:05,365 --> 00:37:09,666
NARRATOR:
Le Duan neutralized those
who opposed his plan.
605
00:37:09,766 --> 00:37:12,900
Members of General Giap's staff
were arrested.
606
00:37:13,000 --> 00:37:15,565
So was Ho Chi Minh's secretary.
607
00:37:17,333 --> 00:37:19,333
HUY DUC:
608
00:37:32,233 --> 00:37:36,932
NARRATOR:
Hundreds of less prominent
figures-- journalists, students,
609
00:37:37,032 --> 00:37:40,266
even highly decorated heroes
of the French War--
610
00:37:40,365 --> 00:37:42,500
were also rounded up.
611
00:37:42,599 --> 00:37:45,432
Many were locked up
in the old French prison
612
00:37:45,532 --> 00:37:49,233
that the American POWs
also confined there called
613
00:37:49,333 --> 00:37:51,800
the "Hanoi Hilton."
614
00:37:51,900 --> 00:37:55,632
The date eventually chosen
for the attack would be
615
00:37:55,733 --> 00:37:59,300
January 31, 1968,
616
00:37:59,400 --> 00:38:03,432
the first day of the Vietnamese
Lunar New Year celebration,
617
00:38:03,532 --> 00:38:06,400
known as Tet.
618
00:38:06,500 --> 00:38:10,465
Hundreds, then thousands,
of North Vietnamese regulars
619
00:38:10,565 --> 00:38:13,666
in civilian clothes
began slipping southward
620
00:38:13,766 --> 00:38:18,400
to join tens of thousands
of Viet Cong already in place.
621
00:38:20,099 --> 00:38:21,532
HO HUU LAN:
622
00:38:43,199 --> 00:38:46,865
HUY DUC:
623
00:39:29,365 --> 00:39:31,632
NARRATOR:
In preparation
for the coming offensive,
624
00:39:31,733 --> 00:39:34,432
the North Vietnamese hoped
to lure American
625
00:39:34,532 --> 00:39:37,699
and South Vietnamese forces
away from cities
626
00:39:37,800 --> 00:39:40,065
and big military bases.
627
00:39:40,166 --> 00:39:43,599
To do that, they would mount
a series of assaults
628
00:39:43,699 --> 00:39:49,233
on remote outposts near
Cambodia, Laos, and the DMZ.
629
00:39:49,333 --> 00:39:54,300
These preliminary attacks became
known as the "Border Battles."
630
00:39:54,400 --> 00:39:57,733
Con Thien would be the first.
631
00:40:01,000 --> 00:40:03,199
In September and October,
632
00:40:03,300 --> 00:40:06,300
John Musgrave's
and Roger Harris's outfits
633
00:40:06,400 --> 00:40:08,865
took turns defending Con Thien
634
00:40:08,965 --> 00:40:12,865
as the North Vietnamese
tightened the noose around them.
635
00:40:12,965 --> 00:40:16,599
The only way in or out
was by helicopter.
636
00:40:18,900 --> 00:40:23,233
Con Thien in Vietnamese means
"Hill of Angels."
637
00:40:23,333 --> 00:40:25,300
(explosion)
638
00:40:25,400 --> 00:40:28,865
MUSGRAVE:
Time at Con Thien
was time in the barrel.
639
00:40:28,965 --> 00:40:33,099
(multiple explosions)
640
00:40:33,199 --> 00:40:36,233
We were the fish,
they had the shotguns,
641
00:40:36,333 --> 00:40:38,400
they stuck in the barrel
and blasted away.
642
00:40:38,500 --> 00:40:41,199
And they were gonna hit
something every shot.
643
00:40:41,300 --> 00:40:44,300
Because Con Thien
was such a small area,
644
00:40:44,400 --> 00:40:46,333
and they pounded it
with that artillery
645
00:40:46,432 --> 00:40:48,432
from North Vietnam,
they couldn't miss.
646
00:40:49,565 --> 00:40:51,400
HO HUU LAN:
647
00:40:55,400 --> 00:40:59,599
I've never been, uh, as afraid.
648
00:40:59,699 --> 00:41:01,965
In fact that's why I'm not
afraid of anything now.
649
00:41:02,065 --> 00:41:04,432
I mean...
650
00:41:04,532 --> 00:41:05,865
there's nothing you can do.
651
00:41:05,965 --> 00:41:09,632
You just listen to the sounds
of the rockets coming over.
652
00:41:09,733 --> 00:41:13,266
And you just pray
that they don't land on you.
653
00:41:13,365 --> 00:41:16,000
The big question really seems
to be whether or not
654
00:41:16,099 --> 00:41:19,365
the North Vietnamese
intend to overrun Con Thien.
655
00:41:19,465 --> 00:41:22,300
The Marines have tripled
the number of troops
656
00:41:22,400 --> 00:41:23,733
guarding the outpost,
657
00:41:23,833 --> 00:41:25,333
and they've moved up more
battalions to be ready
658
00:41:25,432 --> 00:41:27,000
to reinforce.
659
00:41:27,099 --> 00:41:29,032
MUSGRAVE:
I sat in water.
660
00:41:29,132 --> 00:41:30,932
I slept in water.
661
00:41:31,032 --> 00:41:34,699
I ate in water,
because our holes were full.
662
00:41:34,800 --> 00:41:36,965
I mean a flooded foxhole
could drown a wounded man.
663
00:41:37,065 --> 00:41:39,666
HARRIS:
Spend your day
filling up sand bags,
664
00:41:39,766 --> 00:41:43,432
trying to create barriers that
you just put another layer on,
665
00:41:43,532 --> 00:41:45,199
put another layer on.
666
00:41:45,300 --> 00:41:49,766
A lot of mud, blood, uh...
667
00:41:49,865 --> 00:41:51,065
and artillery.
668
00:41:52,233 --> 00:41:53,532
MUSGRAVE:
It's red clay up there.
669
00:41:53,632 --> 00:41:56,266
And it's real sticky
and it could just grab onto you
670
00:41:56,365 --> 00:41:58,166
and pull your boots off.
671
00:41:58,266 --> 00:41:59,632
It's hard to run in that stuff.
672
00:41:59,733 --> 00:42:01,432
And running,
when you're at a place
673
00:42:01,532 --> 00:42:03,065
where they're firing
heavy artillery at you,
674
00:42:03,166 --> 00:42:04,365
running's pretty important.
675
00:42:07,132 --> 00:42:09,199
During the siege
in the fall of 1967,
676
00:42:09,300 --> 00:42:11,432
we were getting newspaper
articles in the mail
677
00:42:11,532 --> 00:42:14,865
from our families and we were
being called the Alamo.
678
00:42:14,965 --> 00:42:17,833
You know, hey,
we knew what the Alamo was.
679
00:42:17,932 --> 00:42:20,000
We knew what happened there.
680
00:42:20,099 --> 00:42:23,699
(explosions)
681
00:42:23,800 --> 00:42:25,699
(men shouting)
682
00:42:25,800 --> 00:42:27,900
(explosions continue)
683
00:42:28,000 --> 00:42:30,900
HARRIS:
Like almost like every hour
there'd be a barrage.
684
00:42:32,965 --> 00:42:36,632
People get blown to bits,
literally blown to bits.
685
00:42:36,733 --> 00:42:40,432
You find a...
a boot with a leg in it, right.
686
00:42:40,532 --> 00:42:42,932
And so is the leg
white or black?
687
00:42:43,032 --> 00:42:44,965
So who... who was
the white Marine that was here?
688
00:42:45,065 --> 00:42:46,132
Who was the black?
689
00:42:46,233 --> 00:42:48,333
So then you try to remember
and you tag it
690
00:42:48,432 --> 00:42:49,800
and put that in the green bag.
691
00:42:49,900 --> 00:42:52,565
And that's what goes back,
you know,
692
00:42:52,666 --> 00:42:54,932
as Marine Lance Corporal
so and so.
693
00:42:55,032 --> 00:42:58,065
And so, but sometimes you're not
even sure because the body
694
00:42:58,166 --> 00:43:00,166
has literally been blown
to bits, and the only thing
695
00:43:00,266 --> 00:43:02,833
that's left is a foot
or a piece of an arm.
696
00:43:02,932 --> 00:43:07,500
MUSGRAVE:
I carried a wallet calendar
from Clifford Forlow Insurance.
697
00:43:07,599 --> 00:43:09,733
He was my dad's insurance agent.
698
00:43:09,833 --> 00:43:13,365
And I marked off
each of the days religiously.
699
00:43:13,465 --> 00:43:18,032
And then in October,
we went up to Con Thien again.
700
00:43:18,132 --> 00:43:23,000
I just stopped, because
I thought, "This is pointless.
701
00:43:23,099 --> 00:43:25,233
"I'm not getting...
I'm not gonna go home.
702
00:43:25,333 --> 00:43:26,733
"I'm not gonna make it home.
703
00:43:26,833 --> 00:43:28,766
What...
you know, what's the point?"
704
00:43:28,865 --> 00:43:30,766
So I just quit marking them off.
705
00:43:32,365 --> 00:43:34,565
HARRIS:
I had the opportunity
to call my mother, you know.
706
00:43:34,666 --> 00:43:37,233
And I was telling my mother
what was happening over there
707
00:43:37,333 --> 00:43:39,465
and I was telling her
how she shouldn't believe
708
00:43:39,565 --> 00:43:43,365
what she sees in the newspaper
and-and sees on television
709
00:43:43,465 --> 00:43:45,666
because we're losing the war.
710
00:43:45,766 --> 00:43:48,266
And I said, "You'll probably
never see me again
711
00:43:48,365 --> 00:43:51,632
"because we're the most northern
outpost that the Marines have,
712
00:43:51,733 --> 00:43:53,132
"you know.
713
00:43:53,233 --> 00:43:55,365
"We could literally could look
right into North Vietnam.
714
00:43:55,465 --> 00:43:57,932
We could see the sparks
when the guns fired on us."
715
00:43:58,032 --> 00:44:01,300
And I said, "And everybody
in my unit is dying, you know.
716
00:44:01,400 --> 00:44:03,266
And I probably won't be
coming back."
717
00:44:03,365 --> 00:44:05,465
And my mother said,
"No, you're coming back."
718
00:44:05,565 --> 00:44:08,400
She said, "I talk to God
every day and you're special.
719
00:44:08,500 --> 00:44:10,733
You're coming back."
720
00:44:10,833 --> 00:44:13,199
And I said, "Ma, everybody's
mother thinks that
721
00:44:13,300 --> 00:44:14,900
"they're special, you know.
722
00:44:15,000 --> 00:44:16,965
I'm putting pieces
of special people in bags."
723
00:44:19,065 --> 00:44:20,865
And I was feeling
that my mother's in denial.
724
00:44:20,965 --> 00:44:23,233
She just doesn't want to face
the fact that her only son
725
00:44:23,333 --> 00:44:25,266
is gonna die in Vietnam.
726
00:44:25,365 --> 00:44:26,865
And I said,
"Ma, this isn't a joke."
727
00:44:26,965 --> 00:44:28,565
I said, "Everybody's dying
over here, you know.
728
00:44:28,666 --> 00:44:29,733
Everybody's dying."
729
00:44:29,833 --> 00:44:31,365
And she said,
"You're not gonna die.
730
00:44:31,465 --> 00:44:32,865
You're not gonna die."
731
00:44:32,965 --> 00:44:35,199
And, uh, the last thing
she said to me was,
732
00:44:35,300 --> 00:44:37,365
"God has a plan for you."
733
00:44:37,465 --> 00:44:38,599
And I said, "Yeah, right."
734
00:44:38,699 --> 00:44:39,699
And I hung up.
735
00:44:40,632 --> 00:44:42,300
(explosion)
736
00:44:44,565 --> 00:44:47,300
Mr. Stout, during what period
of time were you in Vietnam?
737
00:44:47,400 --> 00:44:50,565
I was in Vietnam
from September of 1966
738
00:44:50,666 --> 00:44:52,865
to September of 1967,
one year.
739
00:44:52,965 --> 00:44:54,333
And with what unit?
740
00:44:54,432 --> 00:44:56,199
With the 1st Brigade
of the 101st Airborne.
741
00:44:56,300 --> 00:44:58,666
During the time
that you were in Vietnam,
742
00:44:58,766 --> 00:45:00,800
did you personally witness
any atrocities
743
00:45:00,900 --> 00:45:02,833
on the part
of American troops?
744
00:45:02,932 --> 00:45:03,833
Yes, I did.
745
00:45:05,500 --> 00:45:08,900
NARRATOR:
Dennis Stout from
Phoenix, Arizona, had enlisted
746
00:45:09,000 --> 00:45:13,800
in the Army at 20, and
served nine months in combat.
747
00:45:13,900 --> 00:45:17,400
Wounded three times,
he became an Army reporter
748
00:45:17,500 --> 00:45:23,266
covering the 327th Regiment
of the 101st Airborne.
749
00:45:23,365 --> 00:45:27,699
He would spend most of his time
with a unique commando platoon
750
00:45:27,800 --> 00:45:29,199
called "Tiger Force"--
751
00:45:29,300 --> 00:45:32,532
small, handpicked teams,
capable of remaining
752
00:45:32,632 --> 00:45:35,365
in the jungle
for weeks at a time,
753
00:45:35,465 --> 00:45:38,099
fast-moving and deadly,
754
00:45:38,199 --> 00:45:41,965
intended to
"out-guerrilla the guerrillas."
755
00:45:43,300 --> 00:45:46,000
Tiger Force fought in six
different provinces,
756
00:45:46,099 --> 00:45:49,199
repeatedly suffering
heavy losses.
757
00:45:49,300 --> 00:45:50,632
(rapid gunfire)
758
00:45:52,432 --> 00:45:55,699
RION CAUSEY:
If you've lost your best friend
and you want revenge,
759
00:45:55,800 --> 00:45:59,032
it's the officers who say,
"No, you can't do that."
760
00:45:59,132 --> 00:46:02,233
And if you do it,
then there's consequences.
761
00:46:02,333 --> 00:46:05,065
But when the officers, and
it includes the platoon leader
762
00:46:05,166 --> 00:46:08,099
and the battalion commander,
are telling you that this is
763
00:46:08,199 --> 00:46:12,833
what you're supposed to do, then
it gets completely out of hand.
764
00:46:12,932 --> 00:46:16,932
NARRATOR:
Some at MACV worried that such
a freewheeling outfit,
765
00:46:17,032 --> 00:46:20,800
operating on its own,
would be difficult to control.
766
00:46:20,900 --> 00:46:22,500
(gunfire)
767
00:46:22,599 --> 00:46:26,132
But General Westmoreland
and commanders in the field
768
00:46:26,233 --> 00:46:30,766
admired Tiger Force
for its reliable ferocity.
769
00:46:30,865 --> 00:46:34,900
In the summer of 1967,
Tiger Force was sent
770
00:46:35,000 --> 00:46:37,500
to the fertile Song Ve Valley.
771
00:46:37,599 --> 00:46:40,532
The entire population
had already been herded
772
00:46:40,632 --> 00:46:45,199
from their homes and crowded
into a refugee camp.
773
00:46:45,300 --> 00:46:48,532
But some had come back
to resume the farming
774
00:46:48,632 --> 00:46:50,900
they had always done.
775
00:46:52,400 --> 00:46:55,565
The valley had officially been
declared a free-fire zone,
776
00:46:55,666 --> 00:46:59,766
and Tiger Force's
officers took that literally.
777
00:46:59,865 --> 00:47:03,733
"There are no friendlies,"
one lieutenant told his men.
778
00:47:03,833 --> 00:47:06,666
"Shoot anything that moves."
779
00:47:10,166 --> 00:47:13,132
Over a seven-month period,
they killed scores
780
00:47:13,233 --> 00:47:15,733
of unarmed civilians.
781
00:47:15,833 --> 00:47:19,333
Among their victims
were two blind brothers;
782
00:47:19,432 --> 00:47:23,932
an elderly Buddhist monk;
women, children, and old people
783
00:47:24,032 --> 00:47:26,199
hiding in underground shelters;
784
00:47:26,300 --> 00:47:29,565
and three farmers
trying to plant rice.
785
00:47:29,666 --> 00:47:34,065
All were reported as
"enemy-- killed in action."
786
00:47:36,932 --> 00:47:40,865
STOUT:
These atrocities were
committed by soldiers
787
00:47:40,965 --> 00:47:43,199
of units I was assigned to
as a reporter
788
00:47:43,300 --> 00:47:45,132
for the Army newspapers,
such as...
789
00:47:45,233 --> 00:47:48,699
NARRATOR:
Tiger Force was not
the only platoon
790
00:47:48,800 --> 00:47:52,365
Dennis Stout covered
that crossed the line.
791
00:47:52,465 --> 00:47:55,532
One such incident was
the rape and killing
792
00:47:55,632 --> 00:47:57,432
of a Vietnamese girl.
793
00:47:57,532 --> 00:48:02,333
She was captured,
kept for interrogation.
794
00:48:02,432 --> 00:48:05,300
Over a two-day period,
she was raped, then,
795
00:48:05,400 --> 00:48:07,132
on the morning of the third day,
she was killed.
796
00:48:07,233 --> 00:48:10,632
Was she raped
by more than one person?
797
00:48:10,733 --> 00:48:14,300
Yes, all but the medic
and myself,
798
00:48:14,400 --> 00:48:16,132
and possibly one other man
from the platoon.
799
00:48:16,233 --> 00:48:17,233
Did you protest?
800
00:48:17,333 --> 00:48:19,400
Did you try in any way
to have them stopped?
801
00:48:19,500 --> 00:48:22,766
Yes. After the rape incident,
I complained
802
00:48:22,865 --> 00:48:27,266
to the battalion sergeant major,
and his response was that
803
00:48:27,365 --> 00:48:29,632
this type of thing happens
in all wars,
804
00:48:29,733 --> 00:48:33,032
and that I was not to mention
it; it was a common occurrence.
805
00:48:33,132 --> 00:48:37,432
Then later, I went to
the chaplain, told him about it,
806
00:48:37,532 --> 00:48:39,766
he made
an investigation himself,
807
00:48:39,865 --> 00:48:42,132
found that this was true,
went with me
808
00:48:42,233 --> 00:48:43,666
to the sergeant major.
809
00:48:43,766 --> 00:48:47,833
The sergeant major then
said that...
810
00:48:47,932 --> 00:48:49,800
well, he told the chaplain
to stick to religion,
811
00:48:49,900 --> 00:48:53,432
sent him away, and then
he told me to keep quiet,
812
00:48:53,532 --> 00:48:57,199
that I did nothave t o return
from the next operation.
813
00:48:58,733 --> 00:49:01,800
NARRATOR:
Years later, another soldier
came forward
814
00:49:01,900 --> 00:49:04,599
with more allegations
of war crimes,
815
00:49:04,699 --> 00:49:08,166
and an Army investigation
would find probable cause
816
00:49:08,266 --> 00:49:13,166
to try 18 members of Tiger Force
for murder or assault.
817
00:49:14,266 --> 00:49:16,766
But no charges
were ever brought.
818
00:49:16,865 --> 00:49:20,000
The official records were buried
in the archives.
819
00:49:21,900 --> 00:49:23,800
WILLBANKS:
They should have all
gone to jail.
820
00:49:23,900 --> 00:49:25,365
They were guilty of murder.
821
00:49:25,465 --> 00:49:26,833
Period.
822
00:49:26,932 --> 00:49:30,365
At the same time,
I felt like that incident,
823
00:49:30,465 --> 00:49:33,632
which I think was an aberration,
not the norm,
824
00:49:33,733 --> 00:49:36,333
tarred all veterans, and
there are hundreds of thousands
825
00:49:36,432 --> 00:49:38,199
of veterans who went
and did their duty,
826
00:49:38,300 --> 00:49:40,733
and as honorable
as they possibly could,
827
00:49:40,833 --> 00:49:42,599
and they're tarred
with the same brush.
828
00:49:44,699 --> 00:49:47,965
KARL MARLANTES:
One of the things that I learned
in the war is that
829
00:49:48,065 --> 00:49:52,699
we're not the top species on
the planet because we're nice.
830
00:49:52,800 --> 00:49:55,965
We are a very aggressive
species.
831
00:49:56,065 --> 00:49:57,733
It is in us.
832
00:49:57,833 --> 00:50:01,166
And people talk a lot about
how, "Well, the military turns
833
00:50:01,266 --> 00:50:04,233
kids into killing machines"
and stuff.
834
00:50:05,833 --> 00:50:08,565
And I'll always argue that
it's just finishing school.
835
00:50:08,666 --> 00:50:13,300
What we do with civilization
is that we learn to inhibit
836
00:50:13,400 --> 00:50:16,733
and rope in these
aggressive tendencies.
837
00:50:16,833 --> 00:50:19,166
And we have to recognize them.
838
00:50:19,266 --> 00:50:23,065
I worry about a whole country
that doesn't recognize it.
839
00:50:23,166 --> 00:50:25,032
'Cause you think of how
many times we get ourselves
840
00:50:25,132 --> 00:50:28,465
in scrapes as a nation because
we're always the good guys.
841
00:50:28,565 --> 00:50:31,432
Sometimes, I think if we thought
that we weren't always
842
00:50:31,532 --> 00:50:33,865
the good guys, we might actually
get in less wars.
843
00:50:37,199 --> 00:50:38,199
(static humming)
844
00:50:38,300 --> 00:50:39,565
REPORTER:
Mr. Rubin,
845
00:50:39,666 --> 00:50:42,400
how do you realistically expect
to shut down the Pentagon?
846
00:50:42,500 --> 00:50:45,599
The Pentagon represents
the murder of people
847
00:50:45,699 --> 00:50:46,965
throughout the world.
848
00:50:47,065 --> 00:50:49,199
And the American people
have no control
849
00:50:49,300 --> 00:50:50,699
of what their government's
doing.
850
00:50:50,800 --> 00:50:54,266
And so we're going to go there
in the scores of thousands,
851
00:50:54,365 --> 00:50:57,432
and block doors
and fill hallways,
852
00:50:57,532 --> 00:50:59,565
so the work
of the Pentagon stops.
853
00:50:59,666 --> 00:51:01,800
Because the work
of the Pentagon should stop.
854
00:51:01,900 --> 00:51:04,099
The only thing to do with
the Pentagon is to shut it down.
855
00:51:04,199 --> 00:51:06,800
("Waist Deep in the Big Muddy"
by Pete Seeger playing)
856
00:51:06,900 --> 00:51:09,565
♪ It was back in 1942
857
00:51:09,666 --> 00:51:11,932
♪ I was a member
of a good platoon ♪
858
00:51:12,032 --> 00:51:15,266
♪ We were on maneuvers
in Louisiana ♪
859
00:51:15,365 --> 00:51:17,266
♪ One night
by the light of the moon ♪
860
00:51:17,365 --> 00:51:20,932
♪ The captain told us
to ford a river ♪
861
00:51:21,032 --> 00:51:23,632
♪ That's how it all begun
862
00:51:23,733 --> 00:51:26,166
♪ We were knee deep
in the Big Muddy ♪
863
00:51:26,266 --> 00:51:29,032
♪ The big fool says to push on
864
00:51:29,132 --> 00:51:32,800
BILL ZIMMERMAN:
There was a major demonstration
either in New York
865
00:51:32,900 --> 00:51:37,465
or in Washington
every fall and every spring.
866
00:51:37,565 --> 00:51:40,599
We decided that we would go to
the demonstration
867
00:51:40,699 --> 00:51:44,266
in Washington at the Lincoln
Memorial in the fall of '67,
868
00:51:44,365 --> 00:51:46,965
but we would take as many
people out of that demonstration
869
00:51:47,065 --> 00:51:50,865
as we could and lead them
to the Pentagon.
870
00:51:50,965 --> 00:51:55,432
And at the Pentagon, try to do
something more militant
871
00:51:55,532 --> 00:51:59,166
than simply stand around and
make speeches opposing the war,
872
00:51:59,266 --> 00:52:02,233
which is what these
demonstrations had become.
873
00:52:02,333 --> 00:52:03,733
SEEGER:
♪ No man will be able to swim.
874
00:52:03,833 --> 00:52:07,132
ZIMMERMAN:
And when the time came
to lead people away
875
00:52:07,233 --> 00:52:09,400
from the Lincoln Memorial
toward the Pentagon,
876
00:52:09,500 --> 00:52:12,065
50,000 people marched.
877
00:52:12,166 --> 00:52:14,465
SEEGER:
♪ Men, follow me, I'll lead on
878
00:52:14,565 --> 00:52:17,500
♪ We were neck deep
in the Big Muddy ♪
879
00:52:17,599 --> 00:52:20,599
♪ The big fool says
to push on. ♪
880
00:52:20,699 --> 00:52:24,500
NARRATOR:
Bill Zimmerman, now an assistant
professor of psychology
881
00:52:24,599 --> 00:52:27,233
at Brooklyn College,
had been against the war
882
00:52:27,333 --> 00:52:29,166
since the beginning.
883
00:52:29,266 --> 00:52:33,699
ZIMMERMAN:
Then we found when we got there
concentric defense perimeters
884
00:52:33,800 --> 00:52:36,900
that had been set up
around the Pentagon to keep us
885
00:52:37,000 --> 00:52:38,599
at a distance from the building.
886
00:52:38,699 --> 00:52:43,099
We pushed against them,
we tore down their fences.
887
00:52:43,199 --> 00:52:45,065
SEEGER:
♪ With the captain
dead and gone ♪
888
00:52:45,166 --> 00:52:46,766
♪ We stripped and dived
and found his body. ♪
889
00:52:46,865 --> 00:52:49,666
LESLIE YELLOW:
I was working that weekend day.
890
00:52:49,766 --> 00:52:54,032
The secretaries who were working
in my area were frightened
891
00:52:54,132 --> 00:52:58,666
to hell what these
Vietnam protesters would do.
892
00:52:58,766 --> 00:53:00,099
They thought they were
going to come into the building
893
00:53:00,199 --> 00:53:01,333
and rape them.
894
00:53:01,432 --> 00:53:03,800
Some of them actually
came over the walls.
895
00:53:03,900 --> 00:53:05,833
SEEGER:
♪ The big fool said
to push on. ♪
896
00:53:05,932 --> 00:53:09,333
GELB:
It was a sense of revolution.
897
00:53:09,432 --> 00:53:10,432
(crowd yelling)
898
00:53:10,532 --> 00:53:12,365
SEEGER:
♪ Waist deep in the Big Muddy
899
00:53:12,465 --> 00:53:14,333
♪ The big fool says to push on
900
00:53:14,432 --> 00:53:17,266
♪ Waist deep in the Big Muddy
901
00:53:17,365 --> 00:53:19,400
♪ The big fool says
to push on. ♪
902
00:53:19,500 --> 00:53:23,733
ZIMMERMAN:
God knows what we were going to
do when we got in the building.
903
00:53:23,833 --> 00:53:25,766
Some people, the hippies,
904
00:53:25,865 --> 00:53:27,699
said they were going
to levitate the building.
905
00:53:27,800 --> 00:53:31,166
Other people wanted to commit
vandalism in the building.
906
00:53:31,266 --> 00:53:33,632
Other people wanted to
distribute antiwar literature
907
00:53:33,733 --> 00:53:36,000
in the building, talk to people.
908
00:53:36,099 --> 00:53:39,500
Just the idea of getting
into the headquarters
909
00:53:39,599 --> 00:53:41,666
of the United States military...
910
00:53:43,465 --> 00:53:46,766
It was the first time
that antiwar demonstrators
911
00:53:46,865 --> 00:53:51,266
had confronted active-duty
military personnel.
912
00:53:51,365 --> 00:53:53,965
We didn't consider them
the enemy.
913
00:53:54,065 --> 00:53:57,532
We considered them
victims of the war.
914
00:53:57,632 --> 00:54:02,733
But we began to see our own
government as the enemy.
915
00:54:02,833 --> 00:54:07,099
NARRATOR:
President Johnson believed
that international communism
916
00:54:07,199 --> 00:54:09,699
was somehow behind
the demonstration.
917
00:54:09,800 --> 00:54:13,166
He had directed the CIA
to come up with the evidence,
918
00:54:13,266 --> 00:54:17,032
and was furious
when it found none.
919
00:54:19,300 --> 00:54:20,199
DWIGHT EISENHOWER:
Mr. President?
920
00:54:20,300 --> 00:54:21,166
LYNDON JOHNSON:
Yes.
921
00:54:21,266 --> 00:54:22,166
This is
General Eisenhower.
922
00:54:22,266 --> 00:54:23,400
How've you been,
Mr. President?
923
00:54:23,500 --> 00:54:26,432
I'm doing fine
under the circumstances.
924
00:54:26,532 --> 00:54:29,166
But we just had hell,
and these college students,
925
00:54:29,266 --> 00:54:31,132
I've had Hoover in after them.
926
00:54:31,233 --> 00:54:34,666
They came marched here,
and we arrested 600 of them,
927
00:54:34,766 --> 00:54:37,865
and we gave 29 of them
pretty tough times.
928
00:54:37,965 --> 00:54:41,300
We found most of them
really were mentally diseased.
929
00:54:41,400 --> 00:54:45,465
Hoover's taken 256 that turned
in supposedly their draft cards.
930
00:54:45,565 --> 00:54:47,932
So, you're dealing
with mental problems,
931
00:54:48,032 --> 00:54:50,166
I think that we talk
too damn much
932
00:54:50,266 --> 00:54:52,465
about civil liberties
and constitutional rights
933
00:54:52,565 --> 00:54:54,032
of the individual
and not enough
934
00:54:54,132 --> 00:54:55,565
about the rights
of the masses.
935
00:54:55,666 --> 00:54:56,932
EISENHOWER:
That's why we have it.
936
00:54:57,032 --> 00:54:59,000
We have freely elected people
and we've got to
937
00:54:59,099 --> 00:55:00,500
stand behind them.
938
00:55:00,599 --> 00:55:03,065
JOHNSON:
I think your government's
in trouble, General.
939
00:55:03,166 --> 00:55:05,032
I think it's in...
I don't want to say this.
940
00:55:05,132 --> 00:55:06,833
But I think we're in
more danger
941
00:55:06,932 --> 00:55:08,833
from these
left-wing influences now
942
00:55:08,932 --> 00:55:11,800
than we've ever been
in 37 years I've been here.
943
00:55:11,900 --> 00:55:14,932
And they're working
in my party from within.
944
00:55:15,032 --> 00:55:17,599
And Bobby thinks he's going
to get the nomination.
945
00:55:17,699 --> 00:55:21,932
NARRATOR:
Allard Lowenstein, a 38-year-old
attorney from New York,
946
00:55:22,032 --> 00:55:25,065
shared the antiwar fervor
of the protestors,
947
00:55:25,166 --> 00:55:26,965
but he believed
the most effective way
948
00:55:27,065 --> 00:55:30,766
to end the fighting was to work
within the political system,
949
00:55:30,865 --> 00:55:32,666
not outside it.
950
00:55:32,766 --> 00:55:35,500
The answer, he said,
was to stop Lyndon Johnson
951
00:55:35,599 --> 00:55:39,166
from getting
a second full term as president.
952
00:55:39,266 --> 00:55:43,432
He had traveled the country
all year in search of someone
953
00:55:43,532 --> 00:55:46,166
willing to challenge
the president in the upcoming
954
00:55:46,266 --> 00:55:48,199
Democratic primaries.
955
00:55:48,300 --> 00:55:51,500
He asked Senator Robert Kennedy
of New York,
956
00:55:51,599 --> 00:55:54,599
who had begun to criticize
the Johnson administration
957
00:55:54,699 --> 00:55:56,099
over the war.
958
00:55:56,199 --> 00:55:59,500
He asked
Lieutenant General James Gavin.
959
00:55:59,599 --> 00:56:03,565
He asked Senator George McGovern
of South Dakota.
960
00:56:03,666 --> 00:56:05,800
They all turned him down.
961
00:56:05,900 --> 00:56:09,532
Lowenstein kept looking.
962
00:56:14,532 --> 00:56:19,632
At Fort Sill, Oklahoma,
on November 17, 1967,
963
00:56:19,733 --> 00:56:22,965
friends and family
of a fallen soldier gathered
964
00:56:23,065 --> 00:56:26,532
for a funeral,
one of five military funerals
965
00:56:26,632 --> 00:56:29,032
held there that month.
966
00:56:29,132 --> 00:56:33,865
First Sergeant Pascal Cleatus
Poolaw had been killed
967
00:56:33,965 --> 00:56:36,465
as he tried to drag
one of his wounded men
968
00:56:36,565 --> 00:56:41,333
off the battlefield near
the village of Loc Ninh.
969
00:56:41,432 --> 00:56:46,565
He was a remarkable soldier,
had been awarded one Silver Star
970
00:56:46,666 --> 00:56:52,132
in World War II, two more in
Korea, and was awarded a fourth,
971
00:56:52,233 --> 00:56:56,465
posthumously,
for his gallantry in Vietnam.
972
00:56:56,565 --> 00:56:59,632
He was a Kiowa Indian.
973
00:56:59,733 --> 00:57:02,599
He and three of his sons
were among
974
00:57:02,699 --> 00:57:07,699
the 42,000 Native Americans
who would serve in Vietnam,
975
00:57:07,800 --> 00:57:11,500
the highest per capita
service rate of any ethnic group
976
00:57:11,599 --> 00:57:13,766
in the United States.
977
00:57:13,865 --> 00:57:18,800
Pascal Poolaw's widow spoke
at the ceremony.
978
00:57:18,900 --> 00:57:22,532
"He has followed the trail
of the great chiefs," she said.
979
00:57:22,632 --> 00:57:27,833
"His people hold him in honor
and highest esteem.
980
00:57:27,932 --> 00:57:32,132
"He has given his life
for the people and the country
981
00:57:32,233 --> 00:57:36,400
he loved so much."
982
00:57:39,766 --> 00:57:41,032
("Somebody to Love" by
Jefferson Airplane playing)
983
00:57:41,132 --> 00:57:42,432
♪ When the truth is found
984
00:57:42,532 --> 00:57:46,565
♪ To be lies
985
00:57:46,666 --> 00:57:49,500
♪ And all the joy
986
00:57:49,599 --> 00:57:53,932
♪ Within you dies
987
00:57:54,032 --> 00:57:56,400
♪ Don't you want somebody
to love? ♪
988
00:57:56,500 --> 00:58:00,000
♪ Don't you need somebody
to love? ♪
989
00:58:00,099 --> 00:58:03,766
♪ Wouldn't you love somebody
to love? ♪
990
00:58:03,865 --> 00:58:08,233
♪ You better find somebody
to love ♪
991
00:58:08,333 --> 00:58:10,166
♪ Love.
992
00:58:14,900 --> 00:58:17,833
MUSGRAVE:
I didn't hear the word "hippie"
until I was at Con Thien
993
00:58:17,932 --> 00:58:19,266
and we got aPlaybo y, somebody
got aPlayboy in the mail,
994
00:58:19,365 --> 00:58:22,266
which was obviously very
important to us.
995
00:58:22,365 --> 00:58:24,465
And there was an article
on Haight-Ashbury
996
00:58:24,565 --> 00:58:26,132
and pictures of the girls
running around
997
00:58:26,233 --> 00:58:27,865
without their tops,
you know, free love.
998
00:58:27,965 --> 00:58:29,365
And they were hippies.
999
00:58:29,465 --> 00:58:31,965
And we thought it was
"hip pie" cause it had two Ps.
1000
00:58:32,065 --> 00:58:33,833
You know,
"Hey, I'm gonna go home
1001
00:58:33,932 --> 00:58:35,266
"and be one of these hip pies
1002
00:58:35,365 --> 00:58:36,865
"because the girls
don't wear no clothes.
1003
00:58:36,965 --> 00:58:39,365
You know, and they'll
go to bed with anybody."
1004
00:58:39,465 --> 00:58:40,733
You know, even I could score.
1005
00:58:40,833 --> 00:58:44,766
But the only information I had
of the peace movement
1006
00:58:44,865 --> 00:58:46,500
came fromStars and Stripes.
1007
00:58:46,599 --> 00:58:50,132
And that wasn't
a real objective newspaper.
1008
00:58:50,233 --> 00:58:52,565
And so I hated them
1009
00:58:52,666 --> 00:58:54,565
before I ever even knew
anything about them.
1010
00:58:54,666 --> 00:58:57,233
("Somebody to Love" continues)
1011
00:59:00,865 --> 00:59:04,965
NARRATOR:
The monsoon rains continued
to make life miserable
1012
00:59:05,065 --> 00:59:08,465
for John Musgrave and
the other Marines at Con Thien.
1013
00:59:08,565 --> 00:59:12,565
But by early November, the
worst of the shelling had ended.
1014
00:59:12,666 --> 00:59:16,166
American airstrikes,
artillery, and Navy fire
1015
00:59:16,266 --> 00:59:19,565
had taken a fearful toll
on the besieging enemy.
1016
00:59:21,365 --> 00:59:26,833
Before dawn on November 7, two
companies of Musgrave's outfit
1017
00:59:26,932 --> 00:59:29,666
were sent half a mile
into the countryside
1018
00:59:29,766 --> 00:59:33,065
northwest of the base
to sweep the area again.
1019
00:59:34,932 --> 00:59:38,565
MUSGRAVE:
We got into an area
that was old hedgerows
1020
00:59:38,666 --> 00:59:40,766
that's grown over with jungle.
1021
00:59:40,865 --> 00:59:43,233
Very difficult to see very far.
1022
00:59:43,333 --> 00:59:46,400
In the clear area, we had three
NVA show themselves
1023
00:59:46,500 --> 00:59:50,000
and start just spraying
30 rounds out of their AKs
1024
00:59:50,099 --> 00:59:51,099
and then booking.
1025
00:59:51,199 --> 00:59:52,400
(gunfire)
1026
00:59:52,500 --> 00:59:56,365
The company commander himself
said, "I want their bodies.
1027
00:59:56,465 --> 00:59:57,900
Bring me their bodies."
1028
00:59:58,000 --> 01:00:01,266
Everything's about body count,
right?
1029
01:00:01,365 --> 01:00:04,365
We said, "Man, this is as
old as Custer.
1030
01:00:04,465 --> 01:00:06,865
"These guys are showing
themselves to draw us
1031
01:00:06,965 --> 01:00:08,099
"into an ambush.
1032
01:00:08,199 --> 01:00:10,733
"Lieutenant, don't do this,"
you know.
1033
01:00:10,833 --> 01:00:14,432
"Please, these guys are bait."
1034
01:00:14,532 --> 01:00:16,733
Well, the skipper says,
"We got to go.
1035
01:00:16,833 --> 01:00:18,865
We got to go."
1036
01:00:18,965 --> 01:00:22,266
And... we went.
1037
01:00:23,400 --> 01:00:25,099
(gunfire)
1038
01:00:25,199 --> 01:00:27,565
And I can't tell you
a whole lot about the ambush.
1039
01:00:27,666 --> 01:00:29,699
I was one of the first people
to be shot.
1040
01:00:29,800 --> 01:00:31,599
One round put me down.
1041
01:00:31,699 --> 01:00:33,233
(gunfire)
1042
01:00:33,333 --> 01:00:36,800
And my grenadier was down, and
we were trying to get him back.
1043
01:00:36,900 --> 01:00:41,000
And Marines, from the first day
in boot camp,
1044
01:00:41,099 --> 01:00:43,599
you learn that Marines
don't leave their dead,
1045
01:00:43,699 --> 01:00:47,233
and they never,
never leave their wounded.
1046
01:00:48,666 --> 01:00:51,365
And that's why I'm alive today.
1047
01:00:51,465 --> 01:00:55,733
First guy that came for me--
I was lying on my face...
1048
01:00:55,833 --> 01:00:57,233
(gunfire)
1049
01:00:57,333 --> 01:00:59,766
he reached down and stuck his
arms under my shoulders
1050
01:00:59,865 --> 01:01:04,233
and lifted me up and the machine
gun wasn't any far,
1051
01:01:04,333 --> 01:01:09,932
was maybe nine feet, ten feet
at the most, away from me.
1052
01:01:10,032 --> 01:01:11,565
This is a very
intimate ambush.
1053
01:01:11,666 --> 01:01:12,666
It's a brawl.
1054
01:01:12,766 --> 01:01:14,166
(gunfire)
1055
01:01:14,266 --> 01:01:18,333
And he fired a burst into my
chest that blew me out
1056
01:01:18,432 --> 01:01:21,965
of the Marine's arms that was
holding me and then he was shot.
1057
01:01:22,065 --> 01:01:24,532
(gunfire)
1058
01:01:24,632 --> 01:01:30,865
Another very brave young Marine,
this 18-year-old from Louisiana,
1059
01:01:30,965 --> 01:01:34,000
his first firefight,
had seen what happened
1060
01:01:34,099 --> 01:01:37,266
and still came for me.
1061
01:01:37,365 --> 01:01:42,032
And he reached for me, and he
was shot I think in the forearm.
1062
01:01:42,132 --> 01:01:44,932
And he was laying beside me.
1063
01:01:45,032 --> 01:01:46,800
Now, I've got a hole
through my chest big enough
1064
01:01:46,900 --> 01:01:48,465
to stick your fist through.
1065
01:01:49,432 --> 01:01:50,632
I'm dying and I know it.
1066
01:01:50,733 --> 01:01:51,865
(gunfire)
1067
01:01:51,965 --> 01:01:54,565
And I heard this horrible
screaming going on,
1068
01:01:54,666 --> 01:01:58,333
and I was trying to figure out
who was screaming like that,
1069
01:01:58,432 --> 01:01:59,699
because it sounded so...
1070
01:01:59,800 --> 01:02:02,766
(distant gunfire)
1071
01:02:06,666 --> 01:02:08,333
And then I realized it was me.
1072
01:02:11,065 --> 01:02:13,500
When they began to drag us out,
they were being pursued
1073
01:02:13,599 --> 01:02:17,400
by the North Vietnamese,
and they would drop us
1074
01:02:17,500 --> 01:02:19,166
and lay on top of us.
1075
01:02:19,266 --> 01:02:20,599
They knew... we were both dying.
1076
01:02:20,699 --> 01:02:24,032
The grenadier had been shot
in the right side of his chest.
1077
01:02:24,132 --> 01:02:26,233
They knew... we were both dead.
1078
01:02:26,333 --> 01:02:29,000
But we were still alive.
1079
01:02:29,099 --> 01:02:30,632
So, they weren't gonna leave us.
1080
01:02:30,733 --> 01:02:32,833
They would die before
they would leave us.
1081
01:02:32,932 --> 01:02:34,900
And they covered us with their
bodies and fired back
1082
01:02:35,000 --> 01:02:38,233
at the NVA and then they'd jump
up and drag us a little farther
1083
01:02:38,333 --> 01:02:40,666
and then drop us and
lay back on top of us.
1084
01:02:40,766 --> 01:02:43,632
And I kept telling them
to leave me.
1085
01:02:43,733 --> 01:02:45,365
And I meant it.
I meant it.
1086
01:02:45,465 --> 01:02:49,599
But all of a sudden I got scared
that they might really leave me.
1087
01:02:50,965 --> 01:02:51,965
(distant gunfire)
1088
01:02:52,065 --> 01:02:54,532
I was triaged three times.
1089
01:02:54,632 --> 01:02:57,465
And the senior corpsman said,
1090
01:02:57,565 --> 01:02:59,199
"He's either shot through
the heart or the lungs.
1091
01:02:59,300 --> 01:03:00,432
There's nothing
I can do for him."
1092
01:03:00,532 --> 01:03:02,199
And he just turned away.
1093
01:03:02,300 --> 01:03:04,400
I went, "Well, okay."
1094
01:03:05,365 --> 01:03:09,032
And then, a helicopter came in.
1095
01:03:09,132 --> 01:03:10,699
And they threw me into the bird.
1096
01:03:10,800 --> 01:03:13,099
(distant helicopter blades
humming)
1097
01:03:13,199 --> 01:03:16,432
And the corpsman on the bird
straddled me, stood over me,
1098
01:03:16,532 --> 01:03:19,532
and looked down at me, and then
looked up at the door gunner
1099
01:03:19,632 --> 01:03:23,432
and went...
get me out of the way
1100
01:03:23,532 --> 01:03:24,532
because he couldn't work on me.
1101
01:03:24,632 --> 01:03:26,166
I was a dead man.
1102
01:03:26,266 --> 01:03:28,132
(muted helicopter blades
beating)
1103
01:03:28,233 --> 01:03:30,132
And they flew me
to Participate With that Dong Ha.
1104
01:03:30,233 --> 01:03:34,266
And I thought,
"Okay, I made it this far."
1105
01:03:34,365 --> 01:03:36,000
And this doctor comes
over and looks at me
1106
01:03:36,099 --> 01:03:37,666
and I'm conscious.
1107
01:03:37,766 --> 01:03:40,000
I'm lucid.
1108
01:03:40,099 --> 01:03:41,500
And he checks
a couple of things.
1109
01:03:41,599 --> 01:03:42,800
And I've got this huge hole
in me.
1110
01:03:42,900 --> 01:03:44,365
And he looks at me
right in the eye, and he says,
1111
01:03:44,465 --> 01:03:46,233
"What's your religion, Marine?"
1112
01:03:46,333 --> 01:03:48,400
And I said,
"Well, I'm a Protestant."
1113
01:03:48,500 --> 01:03:49,565
And he says,
"Get a chaplain over here.
1114
01:03:49,666 --> 01:03:51,266
I can't help this man."
1115
01:03:51,365 --> 01:03:52,266
And then he walked away.
1116
01:03:53,733 --> 01:03:59,000
Another surgeon walks by,
and he looked at me,
1117
01:03:59,099 --> 01:04:03,199
and I was raised
to always be nice to people.
1118
01:04:03,300 --> 01:04:07,099
And when he looked at me,
I smiled at him and nodded.
1119
01:04:07,199 --> 01:04:11,365
And he said, "Why isn't
somebody helping this man?"
1120
01:04:11,465 --> 01:04:12,766
And inside I'm going,
1121
01:04:12,865 --> 01:04:14,500
"Yeah, why isn't somebody
helping this man?"
1122
01:04:15,699 --> 01:04:18,632
When they put me to sleep,
I thought,
1123
01:04:18,733 --> 01:04:21,766
"Boy, this is really it,"
you know.
1124
01:04:21,865 --> 01:04:24,465
And it was kind of,
"Okay, God,
1125
01:04:24,565 --> 01:04:27,166
into your hands,
I deliver my spirit."
1126
01:04:28,365 --> 01:04:30,233
And I thought that was it.
1127
01:04:32,233 --> 01:04:34,432
And when I woke up in the
surgical intensive care ward,
1128
01:04:34,532 --> 01:04:36,932
which was a Quonset hut,
1129
01:04:37,032 --> 01:04:39,565
I thought, "Holy mackerel."
1130
01:04:39,666 --> 01:04:43,699
I just couldn't...
I couldn't believe it.
1131
01:04:47,400 --> 01:04:48,900
Yesterday over Hanoi,
1132
01:04:49,000 --> 01:04:50,766
three American planes
were shot down
1133
01:04:50,865 --> 01:04:53,500
and at least two
of their pilots captured.
1134
01:04:53,599 --> 01:04:57,132
One of them was Lieutenant
Commander John McCain III,
1135
01:04:57,233 --> 01:05:00,400
the son of the U.S. Naval
commander in Europe.
1136
01:05:01,733 --> 01:05:04,166
BAO NINH:
1137
01:05:37,932 --> 01:05:41,500
NARRATOR:
Hanoi was so pleased to have
captured the son
1138
01:05:41,599 --> 01:05:45,000
of an American admiral that they
allowed a French journalist
1139
01:05:45,099 --> 01:05:47,632
to interview McCain
in the hospital.
1140
01:05:47,733 --> 01:05:52,032
He had just had his broken bones
set without even an aspirin
1141
01:05:52,132 --> 01:05:53,565
for the pain.
1142
01:05:53,666 --> 01:05:54,865
INTERVIEWER:
What is your name?
1143
01:05:54,965 --> 01:05:58,032
Lieutenant Commander
John McCain.
1144
01:05:58,132 --> 01:06:01,199
How many raids have you done
until the last one?
1145
01:06:01,300 --> 01:06:03,065
About 23.
1146
01:06:03,166 --> 01:06:07,865
In which circumstances
have you been shot down?
1147
01:06:07,965 --> 01:06:12,733
I was on a flight
over the city of Hanoi,
1148
01:06:12,833 --> 01:06:19,932
and I was bombing and I was hit
by either a missile
1149
01:06:20,032 --> 01:06:21,733
or anti-aircraft fire.
1150
01:06:21,833 --> 01:06:28,833
I'm not sure which, and the
plane continued straight down,
1151
01:06:28,932 --> 01:06:37,500
and I ejected
and broke my leg and both arms
1152
01:06:37,599 --> 01:06:44,365
and went into a lake;
parachuted into a lake.
1153
01:06:44,465 --> 01:06:49,333
And I was picked up by some
North Vietnamese
1154
01:06:49,432 --> 01:06:55,500
and taken to the hospital,
where I almost died.
1155
01:06:55,599 --> 01:06:57,865
I would just like to tell...
1156
01:07:02,233 --> 01:07:04,666
...my wife...
1157
01:07:05,465 --> 01:07:08,032
...I will get well...
1158
01:07:10,565 --> 01:07:17,300
...and I love her
and I hope to see her soon.
1159
01:07:18,800 --> 01:07:21,400
NARRATOR:
After the interview,
McCain was beaten
1160
01:07:21,500 --> 01:07:25,565
for not expressing sufficient
gratitude to his captors.
1161
01:07:31,599 --> 01:07:33,266
(soldiers conversing)
1162
01:07:33,365 --> 01:07:37,800
NARRATOR:
All through the fall of 1967,
the North Vietnamese
1163
01:07:37,900 --> 01:07:41,632
and the Viet Cong continued
their series of "Border Battles"
1164
01:07:41,733 --> 01:07:44,266
in preparation
for their surprise offensive,
1165
01:07:44,365 --> 01:07:46,300
still months away.
1166
01:07:46,400 --> 01:07:50,199
Con Thien, where John Musgrave
was wounded,
1167
01:07:50,300 --> 01:07:51,766
had been the first.
1168
01:07:51,865 --> 01:07:55,599
Then came the ARVN base
at Song Be.
1169
01:07:55,699 --> 01:07:58,166
The South Vietnamese outpost
adjacent to
1170
01:07:58,266 --> 01:08:01,400
the provincial capital
of Loc Ninh was next.
1171
01:08:01,500 --> 01:08:04,432
There, large units of
North Vietnamese
1172
01:08:04,532 --> 01:08:08,333
and Viet Cong regulars
mounted a coordinated attack,
1173
01:08:08,432 --> 01:08:11,800
and then fought for five days
to hold on to the ground
1174
01:08:11,900 --> 01:08:15,766
they'd gained, something they
had never done before.
1175
01:08:15,865 --> 01:08:19,466
American commanders
were puzzled.
1176
01:08:19,565 --> 01:08:24,199
Then, in early November,
reports reached MACV
1177
01:08:24,300 --> 01:08:26,565
that five North Vietnamese
regiments
1178
01:08:26,666 --> 01:08:30,966
and a Viet Cong battalion--
some 7,000 men in all--
1179
01:08:31,065 --> 01:08:33,666
had begun massing
in the Central Highlands
1180
01:08:33,765 --> 01:08:38,432
around the U.S. Special Forces
camp at Dak To again.
1181
01:08:38,533 --> 01:08:43,166
Among the North Vietnamese
regulars was Nguyen Thanh Son,
1182
01:08:43,265 --> 01:08:46,565
who had been so eager to fight
that he too had filled
1183
01:08:46,666 --> 01:08:50,765
his pockets with rocks
to pass his physical.
1184
01:08:51,932 --> 01:08:54,666
NGUYEN THANH SON:
1185
01:09:04,899 --> 01:09:08,365
NARRATOR:
As the NVA deployed
their troops,
1186
01:09:08,466 --> 01:09:11,399
Westmoreland sent his to Dak To,
1187
01:09:11,500 --> 01:09:15,065
exactly what
the enemy wanted him to do.
1188
01:09:15,166 --> 01:09:20,399
Among the Americans were the
men of the elite 173rd Airborne,
1189
01:09:20,500 --> 01:09:24,100
Westmoreland's Fire Brigade.
1190
01:09:28,500 --> 01:09:32,699
MATT HARRISON:
We all knew in a general sense
that we wouldn't be brought back
1191
01:09:32,800 --> 01:09:35,733
if there wasn't something big
going on.
1192
01:09:35,832 --> 01:09:41,265
You just knew that the area was
crawling with North Vietnamese,
1193
01:09:41,365 --> 01:09:45,899
and that they were there
not to avoid contact with us,
1194
01:09:46,000 --> 01:09:48,733
but they were there
to have contact with us.
1195
01:09:50,132 --> 01:09:52,399
NARRATOR:
First Lieutenant
Matthew Harrison was now
1196
01:09:52,500 --> 01:09:55,265
with Alpha Company
of the 2nd Battalion,
1197
01:09:55,365 --> 01:09:57,899
the same rifle company
that had been ambushed
1198
01:09:58,000 --> 01:10:03,233
and so badly shattered back in
June on the slopes of Hill 1338,
1199
01:10:03,332 --> 01:10:06,000
just 14 miles to the east.
1200
01:10:06,100 --> 01:10:09,733
HARRISON:
This wasn't like the Viet Cong
where if you could find them,
1201
01:10:09,832 --> 01:10:11,100
you could kill them.
1202
01:10:11,199 --> 01:10:12,500
Our problem wasn't finding them.
1203
01:10:12,600 --> 01:10:14,832
Our problem was what to do
with them once you found them.
1204
01:10:14,932 --> 01:10:20,100
NARRATOR:
The 174th NVA Regiment
was waiting.
1205
01:10:20,199 --> 01:10:24,000
Nguyen Thanh Son and his men
were already dug in
1206
01:10:24,100 --> 01:10:27,166
on the high ground they knew
the Americans would want
1207
01:10:27,265 --> 01:10:32,000
to command: Hill 875.
1208
01:10:32,100 --> 01:10:34,199
NGUYEN THANH SON:
1209
01:10:53,166 --> 01:10:58,399
NARRATOR:
On Sunday morning,
November 19, 1967,
1210
01:10:58,500 --> 01:11:02,000
Alpha, Charlie, and
Delta Companies were ordered
1211
01:11:02,100 --> 01:11:05,000
to take Hill 875.
1212
01:11:05,100 --> 01:11:08,565
Matt Harrison had been wounded
in an earlier fight
1213
01:11:08,666 --> 01:11:11,500
and was not permitted
to accompany his men.
1214
01:11:11,600 --> 01:11:15,899
He anxiously followed
their progress over the radio.
1215
01:11:16,000 --> 01:11:20,699
Heavy artillery and flights
of F-100s blasted the hillside
1216
01:11:20,800 --> 01:11:24,632
ahead of them, meant to
knock out enemy positions
1217
01:11:24,733 --> 01:11:27,932
before the paratroopers
ever got within range.
1218
01:11:29,565 --> 01:11:31,733
NGUYEN THANH SON:
1219
01:11:44,800 --> 01:11:47,199
NARRATOR:
The three companies
moved up the slope,
1220
01:11:47,300 --> 01:11:49,733
Charlie and Delta in the lead,
1221
01:11:49,832 --> 01:11:53,033
Alpha bringing up the rear.
1222
01:11:53,132 --> 01:11:56,600
The paratroopers stepped warily
into a clearing
1223
01:11:56,699 --> 01:11:59,932
filled with fallen trees
from the morning's bombardment
1224
01:12:00,033 --> 01:12:04,832
and only a little over 300 yards
from the summit.
1225
01:12:05,600 --> 01:12:08,800
NGUYEN THANH SON:
1226
01:12:18,265 --> 01:12:19,932
(gunfire)
1227
01:12:20,033 --> 01:12:23,033
NARRATOR:
Thousands of automatic weapon
rounds ripped through the air.
1228
01:12:23,132 --> 01:12:26,199
Chinese-made grenades came
rolling and bumping
1229
01:12:26,300 --> 01:12:27,699
down the slopes.
1230
01:12:27,800 --> 01:12:32,033
The Americans sought cover where
they could behind fallen trees,
1231
01:12:32,132 --> 01:12:34,733
scrabbled at the earth
with their helmets,
1232
01:12:34,832 --> 01:12:37,033
trying to dig fighting holes.
1233
01:12:37,132 --> 01:12:39,865
(gunfire)
1234
01:12:39,966 --> 01:12:41,332
(soldiers yelling)
1235
01:12:41,432 --> 01:12:43,733
(rapid gunfire)
1236
01:12:43,832 --> 01:12:46,733
Charlie and Delta companies
were pinned down
1237
01:12:46,832 --> 01:12:49,733
and being torn to pieces.
1238
01:12:49,832 --> 01:12:51,065
(gunfire)
1239
01:12:51,166 --> 01:12:53,000
Meanwhile,
near the foot of the hill,
1240
01:12:53,100 --> 01:12:56,199
other North Vietnamese troops
surprised Alpha Company
1241
01:12:56,300 --> 01:12:57,632
from behind.
1242
01:12:57,733 --> 01:13:00,800
They were first spotted
moving up through the trees
1243
01:13:00,899 --> 01:13:04,600
by a private from the Bronx
named Carlos Lozada.
1244
01:13:04,699 --> 01:13:07,865
As the men of his
company scrambled up the slope,
1245
01:13:07,966 --> 01:13:09,765
dragging their wounded
with them,
1246
01:13:09,865 --> 01:13:12,432
Lozada provided
what cover he could,
1247
01:13:12,533 --> 01:13:15,300
firing his M-60 machine gun
from his hip--
1248
01:13:15,399 --> 01:13:18,132
before a bullet
hit him in the head.
1249
01:13:19,500 --> 01:13:24,332
He would be awarded
a posthumous Medal of Honor.
1250
01:13:24,432 --> 01:13:28,332
Back home, the battle led
the nightly news.
1251
01:13:28,432 --> 01:13:30,033
(helicopter humming)
1252
01:13:30,132 --> 01:13:33,033
WALTER CRONKITE:
The Battle of Dak To is now on
its 19th day,
1253
01:13:33,132 --> 01:13:35,432
and already ranks
among the bloodiest campaigns
1254
01:13:35,533 --> 01:13:36,966
of the Vietnam War.
1255
01:13:37,065 --> 01:13:38,699
There's no sign yet
of any let-up.
1256
01:13:38,800 --> 01:13:40,332
Over the weekend,
three companies
1257
01:13:40,432 --> 01:13:44,432
of the 173rd Airborne Brigade
moved down this river valley,
1258
01:13:44,533 --> 01:13:47,432
up which North Vietnamese
normally infiltrate,
1259
01:13:47,533 --> 01:13:50,600
until they got down here
by Hill 875.
1260
01:13:50,699 --> 01:13:53,033
Then, they came under heavy fire
from the hill.
1261
01:13:53,132 --> 01:13:55,233
Two of the three companies
charged the hill,
1262
01:13:55,332 --> 01:13:57,199
the other stayed back
as a rear guard.
1263
01:13:57,300 --> 01:13:58,632
They found a...
1264
01:13:58,733 --> 01:14:01,865
HARRISON:
By early afternoon,
the three companies
1265
01:14:01,966 --> 01:14:04,233
had basically been decapitated.
1266
01:14:04,332 --> 01:14:06,132
The company commanders
were dead;
1267
01:14:06,233 --> 01:14:09,300
most of the officers and
most of the NCOs were dead.
1268
01:14:09,399 --> 01:14:11,100
(soldiers yelling)
1269
01:14:11,199 --> 01:14:13,899
NARRATOR:
The survivors from all three
companies clustered
1270
01:14:14,000 --> 01:14:16,699
in the clearing
and did their best to set up
1271
01:14:16,800 --> 01:14:18,466
a defensive circle.
1272
01:14:18,565 --> 01:14:23,199
American bombs and napalm
pounded enemy positions
1273
01:14:23,300 --> 01:14:26,800
until it grew
almost too dark to see.
1274
01:14:27,765 --> 01:14:29,666
NGUYEN THANH SON:
1275
01:14:55,065 --> 01:14:59,899
NARRATOR:
Then, another American plane
roared in and dropped two bombs.
1276
01:15:00,000 --> 01:15:03,000
One landed among
the hidden enemy troops.
1277
01:15:04,233 --> 01:15:08,800
The other fell directly
on the Americans.
1278
01:15:08,899 --> 01:15:13,699
In a fraction of a second,
42 were killed.
1279
01:15:13,800 --> 01:15:17,733
A badly hit lieutenant managed
to find a working radio.
1280
01:15:17,832 --> 01:15:21,265
"No more fucking planes,"
he shouted into it.
1281
01:15:21,365 --> 01:15:24,100
"You're killingus up here."
1282
01:15:24,199 --> 01:15:25,565
(explosion)
1283
01:15:25,666 --> 01:15:27,932
The fighting
on the hillside continued.
1284
01:15:28,033 --> 01:15:32,466
The men ran out of water,
began to run out of ammunition.
1285
01:15:32,565 --> 01:15:37,300
Helicopters that tried to ferry
in supplies were shot down.
1286
01:15:38,666 --> 01:15:45,765
The following day, Matt Harrison
was able to chopper in.
1287
01:15:45,865 --> 01:15:47,466
HARRISON:
It was chaos.
1288
01:15:47,565 --> 01:15:50,365
It was collections of guys
who had who had tunneled
1289
01:15:50,466 --> 01:15:52,666
and dug down behind trees.
1290
01:15:52,765 --> 01:15:56,199
These were guys who had gone
without water in that heat
1291
01:15:56,300 --> 01:15:57,800
for two days.
1292
01:15:57,899 --> 01:16:01,899
And almost every one of them
was wounded.
1293
01:16:02,000 --> 01:16:06,033
And then all around were bodies,
1294
01:16:06,132 --> 01:16:10,432
guys who had been shot
and blown up.
1295
01:16:10,533 --> 01:16:12,166
It was the third circle of hell.
1296
01:16:14,932 --> 01:16:19,399
NARRATOR:
On November 23, two fresh
battalions of the 173rd
1297
01:16:19,500 --> 01:16:22,033
finally made it
to the top of the hill,
1298
01:16:22,132 --> 01:16:24,966
for which so many had died.
1299
01:16:25,065 --> 01:16:26,832
But the night before,
1300
01:16:26,932 --> 01:16:29,832
the surviving North Vietnamese
troops had slipped down
1301
01:16:29,932 --> 01:16:36,166
the other side and disappeared
into Cambodia and Laos.
1302
01:16:36,265 --> 01:16:38,899
The powers that be
decided it would be important
1303
01:16:39,000 --> 01:16:43,466
to our morale for us to be in on
the taking the top of the hill.
1304
01:16:43,565 --> 01:16:48,800
I had 26 guys left out of a
company that started out of 140,
1305
01:16:48,899 --> 01:16:51,565
and all 26 had been wounded.
1306
01:16:51,666 --> 01:16:55,966
NARRATOR:
Then Harrison and his exhausted
men were helicoptered
1307
01:16:56,065 --> 01:16:57,832
to the top of yet another hill.
1308
01:16:57,932 --> 01:16:59,632
(helicopter blades whirring)
1309
01:17:03,565 --> 01:17:05,800
It was Thanksgiving.
1310
01:17:05,899 --> 01:17:09,166
Chinook helicopters clattered
down out of the sky,
1311
01:17:09,265 --> 01:17:12,899
carrying huge containers of
hot turkey and mashed potatoes
1312
01:17:13,000 --> 01:17:17,500
and cranberry sauce so that
the 173rd could have
1313
01:17:17,600 --> 01:17:19,533
their Thanksgiving dinner.
1314
01:17:19,632 --> 01:17:22,199
If there are any more remote
or dangerous spots
1315
01:17:22,300 --> 01:17:24,265
to spend Thanksgiving Day
in Vietnam than this one,
1316
01:17:24,365 --> 01:17:26,500
then most of these men
have never seen them.
1317
01:17:26,600 --> 01:17:30,000
HARRISON:
There was a TV cameraman
and reporter off to the side
1318
01:17:30,100 --> 01:17:31,699
using us as a backdrop.
1319
01:17:31,800 --> 01:17:34,500
And I remember hearing
the reporter intone,
1320
01:17:34,600 --> 01:17:37,666
"Today is November 23,
Thanksgiving Day,"
1321
01:17:37,765 --> 01:17:41,533
and I was really angry.
1322
01:17:41,632 --> 01:17:45,533
It's as though
we were entertainers.
1323
01:17:47,033 --> 01:17:52,832
NARRATOR:
107 Americans had died
taking Hill 875;
1324
01:17:52,932 --> 01:17:55,800
another 282 were wounded.
1325
01:17:55,899 --> 01:17:57,632
Ten more were missing.
1326
01:17:57,733 --> 01:18:01,565
The number of North Vietnamese
casualties is unknown,
1327
01:18:01,666 --> 01:18:05,632
but their losses are thought
to have been staggering.
1328
01:18:07,199 --> 01:18:11,565
Back in June, Matt Harrison had
lost two West Point classmates
1329
01:18:11,666 --> 01:18:14,300
on Hill 1338.
1330
01:18:14,399 --> 01:18:17,432
He lost two more on Hill 875.
1331
01:18:17,533 --> 01:18:21,166
Of the eight with whom he had
served in the 2nd Battalion,
1332
01:18:21,265 --> 01:18:25,565
four were now dead
and two had been wounded.
1333
01:18:28,132 --> 01:18:31,600
HARRISON:
To take tops of mountains
in a triple canopy jungle
1334
01:18:31,699 --> 01:18:34,832
along the Cambodian-Laotian
border accomplished nothing
1335
01:18:34,932 --> 01:18:37,100
of any importance.
1336
01:18:38,832 --> 01:18:43,399
The Battle for Hill 875 was,
in my thinking today,
1337
01:18:43,500 --> 01:18:46,865
a microcosm of what we were
doing and what went wrong
1338
01:18:46,966 --> 01:18:48,399
in Vietnam.
1339
01:18:48,500 --> 01:18:52,233
There was no reason to take
that hill.
1340
01:18:52,332 --> 01:18:56,033
We literally got to the top
of the hill
1341
01:18:56,132 --> 01:19:02,899
about mid-day on November 23
and sat there for,
1342
01:19:03,000 --> 01:19:04,832
I don't know,
half an hour, an hour,
1343
01:19:04,932 --> 01:19:08,899
just kind of gathering ourselves
and everything together.
1344
01:19:09,000 --> 01:19:12,265
Chinooks came in,
took us off the hill.
1345
01:19:12,365 --> 01:19:16,233
And I doubt that there's been
an American on Hill 875
1346
01:19:16,332 --> 01:19:18,399
since November 23.
1347
01:19:18,500 --> 01:19:20,765
We accomplished nothing.
1348
01:19:20,865 --> 01:19:24,399
WILLIAM WESTMORELAND:
A new phase is now starting.
1349
01:19:24,500 --> 01:19:27,432
We have reached an important
point when the end
1350
01:19:27,533 --> 01:19:29,800
begins to come into view.
1351
01:19:31,500 --> 01:19:35,065
NARRATOR:
As Matt Harrison and his men
fought for Hill 875,
1352
01:19:35,166 --> 01:19:37,800
the Johnson administration
was in the midst
1353
01:19:37,899 --> 01:19:39,699
of a "Success Offensive,"
1354
01:19:39,800 --> 01:19:44,666
a PR campaign aimed at
shoring up support for the war
1355
01:19:44,765 --> 01:19:47,265
and the way it was being waged.
1356
01:19:47,365 --> 01:19:51,666
MACV released a new and
surprisingly low estimate
1357
01:19:51,765 --> 01:19:55,699
of enemy forces to show how much
damage the United States
1358
01:19:55,800 --> 01:19:57,166
had done to them.
1359
01:19:57,265 --> 01:20:01,632
It was only two-thirds of the
total suggested by the CIA,
1360
01:20:01,733 --> 01:20:04,166
because, after a bitter
and prolonged debate
1361
01:20:04,265 --> 01:20:07,132
behind the scenes,
Westmoreland had chosen
1362
01:20:07,233 --> 01:20:10,300
to exclude from it
the part-time guerrillas--
1363
01:20:10,399 --> 01:20:14,432
farmers, old men, women,
even children--
1364
01:20:14,533 --> 01:20:18,265
who helped place the mines,
grenades, and booby traps
1365
01:20:18,365 --> 01:20:20,432
that accounted
for more than a third
1366
01:20:20,533 --> 01:20:23,065
of all American casualties.
1367
01:20:23,166 --> 01:20:26,199
General Westmoreland
also told the press
1368
01:20:26,300 --> 01:20:29,832
that the impressive body counts
his commanders reported
1369
01:20:29,932 --> 01:20:32,533
were "very, very conservative."
1370
01:20:32,632 --> 01:20:35,100
It probably represented,
he said,
1371
01:20:35,199 --> 01:20:39,765
"50 percent or even less of the
enemy that has been killed."
1372
01:20:39,865 --> 01:20:43,565
Ambassador Ellsworth Bunker
joined the chorus,
1373
01:20:43,666 --> 01:20:47,365
using a metaphor first used
13 years earlier
1374
01:20:47,466 --> 01:20:50,000
by the French commander
in Vietnam,
1375
01:20:50,100 --> 01:20:54,666
not long before their great
defeat at Dien Bien Phu.
1376
01:20:54,765 --> 01:20:58,000
And I think we're now
beginning to see light
1377
01:20:58,100 --> 01:20:59,466
at the end
of the tunnel.
1378
01:20:59,565 --> 01:21:02,699
Mr. Ambassador, you talk about
light at the end of the tunnel.
1379
01:21:02,800 --> 01:21:04,332
How long is this tunnel?
1380
01:21:04,432 --> 01:21:07,000
Well, I don't think that
you can put it
1381
01:21:07,100 --> 01:21:12,899
into any particular timeframe,
a situation like this.
1382
01:21:14,432 --> 01:21:18,765
NARRATOR:
LBJ's Success Offensive
succeeded.
1383
01:21:18,865 --> 01:21:22,199
The number of Americans
who believed the United States
1384
01:21:22,300 --> 01:21:26,966
was making real progress
in the war grew.
1385
01:21:27,065 --> 01:21:30,399
Secretary of Defense
Robert McNamara
1386
01:21:30,500 --> 01:21:34,565
did not take part in
the public relations campaign.
1387
01:21:34,666 --> 01:21:38,300
He had become so disillusioned
with the war he'd done so much
1388
01:21:38,399 --> 01:21:40,899
to plan and prosecute
that he wrote
1389
01:21:41,000 --> 01:21:43,332
another secret memo
to the president,
1390
01:21:43,432 --> 01:21:47,365
advising Johnson to freeze
American troop levels,
1391
01:21:47,466 --> 01:21:51,100
turn over ground operations
to the South Vietnamese,
1392
01:21:51,199 --> 01:21:53,600
and halt the bombing
of North Vietnam
1393
01:21:53,699 --> 01:21:56,699
"in order to bring about
negotiations."
1394
01:21:56,800 --> 01:22:00,432
There was no reason to believe,
McNamara wrote,
1395
01:22:00,533 --> 01:22:04,233
that the prolonged "infliction
of grievous casualties,
1396
01:22:04,332 --> 01:22:07,000
"or the heavy punishment
of air bombardment,
1397
01:22:07,100 --> 01:22:10,065
"will suffice to break the will
of the North Vietnamese
1398
01:22:10,166 --> 01:22:11,600
"and Viet Cong.
1399
01:22:11,699 --> 01:22:14,832
"The continuation of our
present course of action
1400
01:22:14,932 --> 01:22:19,800
"in Southeast Asia would be
dangerous, costly in lives,
1401
01:22:19,899 --> 01:22:23,132
and unsatisfactory
to the American people."
1402
01:22:23,233 --> 01:22:26,432
Johnson never responded.
1403
01:22:26,533 --> 01:22:29,565
Instead, he arranged
for McNamara to become
1404
01:22:29,666 --> 01:22:32,600
the president of the World Bank.
1405
01:22:32,699 --> 01:22:36,533
McNamara would keep silent
about the doubts he had harbored
1406
01:22:36,632 --> 01:22:38,733
since the beginning
of the ground war
1407
01:22:38,832 --> 01:22:42,332
for the next 28 years.
1408
01:22:42,432 --> 01:22:45,432
His successor as
defense secretary would be
1409
01:22:45,533 --> 01:22:46,765
Clark Clifford,
1410
01:22:46,865 --> 01:22:50,432
a prominent Washington lawyer
and trusted counselor
1411
01:22:50,533 --> 01:22:54,000
to Democratic presidents,
whom Johnson was sure would be
1412
01:22:54,100 --> 01:22:55,832
supportive of the war.
1413
01:22:55,932 --> 01:22:58,000
Students of Harvard...
1414
01:22:58,100 --> 01:23:01,399
NARRATOR:
Meanwhile, Allard Lowenstein's
yearlong search
1415
01:23:01,500 --> 01:23:03,932
for a Democratic challenger
to the president
1416
01:23:04,033 --> 01:23:06,065
had finally succeeded.
1417
01:23:06,166 --> 01:23:12,132
It's November 30, 1967, in Minnesota
senator Eugene McCarthy
1418
01:23:12,233 --> 01:23:14,100
announced that he would run.
1419
01:23:14,199 --> 01:23:16,832
This is an issue
which has to be taken
1420
01:23:16,932 --> 01:23:20,365
to the people of the country
in the campaign of 1968.
1421
01:23:20,466 --> 01:23:21,500
(crowd cheers)
1422
01:23:23,565 --> 01:23:26,565
NARRATOR:
By the end of 1967,
1423
01:23:26,666 --> 01:23:32,132
20,057 Americans
had died in Vietnam.
1424
01:23:32,233 --> 01:23:35,500
The time had come,
General Westmoreland said,
1425
01:23:35,600 --> 01:23:39,466
for an "all-out offensive
on all fronts."
1426
01:23:43,100 --> 01:23:46,733
But the enemy was just a month
away from launching
1427
01:23:46,832 --> 01:23:49,865
an all-out offensive
of its own.
1428
01:23:51,300 --> 01:23:53,199
("Paint in Black"
by the Rolling Stones playing)
1429
01:24:04,966 --> 01:24:10,865
♪ I see a red door
and I want it painted black ♪
1430
01:24:10,966 --> 01:24:16,865
♪ No colors anymore,
I want them to turn black ♪
1431
01:24:16,966 --> 01:24:19,166
♪ I see the girls walk by
1432
01:24:19,265 --> 01:24:22,966
♪ Dressed in
their summer clothes ♪
1433
01:24:23,065 --> 01:24:29,166
♪ I have to turn my head
until my darkness goes ♪
1434
01:24:29,265 --> 01:24:34,966
♪ I see a line of cars
and they're all painted black ♪
1435
01:24:35,065 --> 01:24:40,966
♪ With flowers and my love,
both never to come back ♪
1436
01:24:41,065 --> 01:24:47,033
♪ I see people turn their heads
and quickly look away ♪
1437
01:24:47,132 --> 01:24:53,199
♪ Like a newborn baby,
it just happens every day ♪
1438
01:24:53,300 --> 01:24:59,199
♪ I look inside myself
and see my heart is black ♪
1439
01:24:59,300 --> 01:25:05,199
♪ I see my red door and
must have it painted black ♪
1440
01:25:05,300 --> 01:25:11,233
♪ Maybe then I'll fade away
and not have to face the facts ♪
1441
01:25:11,332 --> 01:25:17,432
♪ It's not easy facing up
when your whole world is black ♪
1442
01:25:17,533 --> 01:25:23,666
♪ No more will my green sea
go turn a deeper blue ♪
1443
01:25:23,765 --> 01:25:29,899
♪ I could not foresee
this thing happening to you ♪
1444
01:25:30,000 --> 01:25:35,800
♪ If I look hard enough
into the setting sun ♪
1445
01:25:35,899 --> 01:25:41,865
♪ My love will laugh with me
before the morning comes ♪
1446
01:25:41,966 --> 01:25:47,932
♪ I see a red door
and I want it painted black ♪
1447
01:25:48,033 --> 01:25:53,966
♪ No colors anymore,
I want them to turn black ♪
1448
01:25:54,065 --> 01:25:56,100
♪ I see the girls walk by
1449
01:25:56,199 --> 01:26:00,033
♪ Dressed in
their summer clothes ♪
1450
01:26:00,132 --> 01:26:06,132
♪ I have to turn my head
until my darkness goes ♪
1451
01:26:06,233 --> 01:26:10,966
(humming)
1452
01:26:11,065 --> 01:26:12,432
♪ I wanna see it painted
1453
01:26:12,533 --> 01:26:16,233
♪ Painted, painted,
painted black ♪
1454
01:26:16,332 --> 01:26:18,233
♪ Yeah.
1455
01:26:18,332 --> 01:26:42,533
(humming)
1456
01:26:43,600 --> 01:26:44,800
ANNOUNCER: LEARN MORE
ABOUT THE FILM
1457
01:26:44,800 --> 01:26:47,666
AND FIND ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
AT PBS.ORG/VIETNAMWAR
1458
01:26:47,666 --> 01:26:51,600
AND JOIN THE CONVERSATION
USING HASHTAG VIETNAMWARPBS.
1459
01:26:51,600 --> 01:26:53,065
"THE VIETNAM WAR" IS AVAILABLE
1460
01:26:53,065 --> 01:26:54,733
ON BLU-RAY
AND DVD.
1461
01:26:54,733 --> 01:26:56,399
THE COMPANION BOOK,
SOUNDTRACK,
1462
01:26:56,399 --> 01:26:57,800
AND ORIGINAL SCORE
FROM THE FILM
1463
01:26:57,800 --> 01:26:58,932
ARE ALSO
AVAILABLE.
1464
01:26:58,932 --> 01:27:01,100
TO ORDER, VISIT
SHOPPBS.ORG
1465
01:27:01,100 --> 01:27:03,565
OR CALL
1-800-PLAY-PBS.
1466
01:27:03,565 --> 01:27:05,000
EPISODES OF
THIS SERIES ALSO
1467
01:27:05,000 --> 01:27:06,100
AVAILABLE
FOR DOWNLOAD
1468
01:27:06,100 --> 01:27:07,199
FROM iTUNES.
1469
01:27:10,466 --> 01:27:12,600
ANNOUNCER: BANK OF AMERICA
PROUDLY SUPPORTS
1470
01:27:12,600 --> 01:27:17,500
KEN BURNS' AND LYNN NOVICK'S
FILM "THE VIETNAM WAR"
1471
01:27:17,500 --> 01:27:19,899
BECAUSE FOSTERING
DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVES
1472
01:27:19,899 --> 01:27:22,500
AND CIVIL DISCOURSE
AROUND IMPORTANT ISSUES
1473
01:27:22,500 --> 01:27:24,800
FURTHERS PROGRESS, EQUALITY,
1474
01:27:24,800 --> 01:27:26,800
AND A MORE CONNECTED SOCIETY.
1475
01:27:31,265 --> 01:27:35,300
GO TO BANKOFAMERICA.COM/
BETTERCONNECTED TO LEARN MORE.
1476
01:27:38,765 --> 01:27:40,199
ANNOUNCER: MAJOR SUPPORT
FOR "THE VIETNAM WAR"
1477
01:27:40,199 --> 01:27:43,699
WAS PROVIDED BY MEMBERS
OF THE BETTER ANGELS SOCIETY,
1478
01:27:43,699 --> 01:27:47,666
INCLUDING JONATHAN
AND JEANNIE LAVINE,
1479
01:27:47,666 --> 01:27:50,565
DIANE AND HAL BRIERLEY,
1480
01:27:50,565 --> 01:27:52,966
AMY AND DAVID ABRAMS,
1481
01:27:52,966 --> 01:27:55,466
JOHN AND CATHERINE DEBS,
1482
01:27:55,466 --> 01:27:58,365
THE FULLERTON FAMILY
CHARITABLE FUND,
1483
01:27:58,365 --> 01:28:00,432
THE MONTRONE FAMILY,
1484
01:28:00,432 --> 01:28:02,832
LYNDA AND STEWART RESNICK,
1485
01:28:02,832 --> 01:28:05,600
THE PERRY AND DONNA GOLKIN
FAMILY FOUNDATION,
1486
01:28:05,600 --> 01:28:06,600
THE LYNCH FOUNDATION,
1487
01:28:06,600 --> 01:28:09,466
THE ROGER AND ROSEMARY
ENRICO FOUNDATION,
1488
01:28:09,466 --> 01:28:12,899
AND BY THESE ADDITIONAL FUNDERS.
1489
01:28:12,899 --> 01:28:14,800
MAJOR FUNDING WAS ALSO PROVIDED
1490
01:28:14,800 --> 01:28:16,533
BY DAVID H. KOCH...
1491
01:28:18,832 --> 01:28:21,033
THE BLAVATNIK
FAMILY FOUNDATION...
1492
01:28:23,365 --> 01:28:25,800
THE PARK FOUNDATION,
1493
01:28:25,800 --> 01:28:27,966
THE NATIONAL ENDOWMENT
FOR THE HUMANITIES,
1494
01:28:27,966 --> 01:28:30,166
THE PEW CHARITABLE TRUSTS,
1495
01:28:30,166 --> 01:28:32,832
THE JOHN S. AND JAMES L.
KNIGHT FOUNDATION,
1496
01:28:32,832 --> 01:28:35,600
THE ANDREW W. MELLON FOUNDATION,
1497
01:28:35,600 --> 01:28:38,199
THE ARTHUR VINING DAVIS
FOUNDATIONS,
1498
01:28:38,199 --> 01:28:40,399
THE FORD FOUNDATION JUSTFILMS,
1499
01:28:40,399 --> 01:28:41,600
BY THE CORPORATION
1500
01:28:41,600 --> 01:28:42,832
FOR PUBLIC BROADCASTING,
1501
01:28:42,832 --> 01:28:44,800
AND BY VIEWERS LIKE YOU.
1502
01:28:44,800 --> 01:28:45,932
THANK YOU.