1 00:00:05,160 --> 00:00:08,080 1965 North Vietnam prepares for Total 2 00:00:08,080 --> 00:00:10,639 War infiltration of Northern soldiers 3 00:00:10,639 --> 00:00:14,280 into the South increases 4 00:00:21,080 --> 00:00:27,920 [Music] 5 00:00:27,920 --> 00:00:30,519 dramatically Saigon 6 00:00:30,519 --> 00:00:34,239 1965 fun capital of a country at War it 7 00:00:34,239 --> 00:00:36,559 is a bizarre contrast to the gunfire 8 00:00:36,559 --> 00:00:39,239 just moments 9 00:00:40,239 --> 00:00:42,520 away Americans question the 10 00:00:42,520 --> 00:00:45,760 determination of their South Vietnamese 11 00:00:45,760 --> 00:00:48,280 Ally the American Military led by 12 00:00:48,280 --> 00:00:50,920 General William W Morland takes over the 13 00:00:50,920 --> 00:00:53,920 war 14 00:00:54,170 --> 00:01:28,170 [Music] 15 00:01:39,200 --> 00:01:41,759 the US sends half a million troops their 16 00:01:41,759 --> 00:01:44,360 strategy is attrition kill more soldiers 17 00:01:44,360 --> 00:01:47,399 than North Vietnam can afford to lose 18 00:01:47,399 --> 00:01:49,119 we're still uh looking beating through 19 00:01:49,119 --> 00:01:50,799 the bush we estimate there were three to 20 00:01:50,799 --> 00:01:55,880 five of them over hey Doc patch them 21 00:01:56,320 --> 00:02:00,600 up what you say 22 00:02:01,799 --> 00:02:03,640 this guy's a local Force type but he 23 00:02:03,640 --> 00:02:06,320 claims there were 30 NVA with him be 24 00:02:06,320 --> 00:02:08,560 careful though if there 30 of them out 25 00:02:08,560 --> 00:02:10,039 there and you make contact you'll have a 26 00:02:10,039 --> 00:02:13,720 fight on your hands over Freedom was in 27 00:02:13,720 --> 00:02:16,239 Jeopardy and the struggling people had 28 00:02:16,239 --> 00:02:21,480 been brought almost to their knees by 29 00:02:21,480 --> 00:02:24,879 aggression when William West 30 00:02:24,879 --> 00:02:28,519 Moran was called to Urgent 31 00:02:28,519 --> 00:02:32,519 Duty his mission was to deny aggression 32 00:02:32,519 --> 00:02:34,160 its 33 00:02:34,160 --> 00:02:36,920 Conquest it was a mission simple enough 34 00:02:36,920 --> 00:02:38,360 to 35 00:02:38,360 --> 00:02:41,280 state but to execute that 36 00:02:41,280 --> 00:02:44,280 mission he had to fight the most complex 37 00:02:44,280 --> 00:02:47,959 war in All American 38 00:02:54,040 --> 00:02:57,920 history between 1965 and 68 the period 39 00:02:57,920 --> 00:03:00,440 of Maximum us combat involvement 40 00:03:00,440 --> 00:03:02,239 the conduct of the ground war is the 41 00:03:02,239 --> 00:03:04,120 responsibility of General William West 42 00:03:04,120 --> 00:03:07,599 Morland Westy to his 43 00:03:07,599 --> 00:03:11,319 troops our mission was to to protect 44 00:03:11,319 --> 00:03:14,680 South Vietnam arm from being overwhelmed 45 00:03:14,680 --> 00:03:17,920 by the aggressive forces from the 46 00:03:17,920 --> 00:03:23,680 north and uh I was told by Mr mmar to on 47 00:03:23,680 --> 00:03:26,480 numerable occasions that I should ask 48 00:03:26,480 --> 00:03:29,560 for the troops I felt needed to bring 49 00:03:29,560 --> 00:03:32,720 about that end result and I should not 50 00:03:32,720 --> 00:03:34,760 worry about a public opinion I should 51 00:03:34,760 --> 00:03:37,000 not worry about the economy I should not 52 00:03:37,000 --> 00:03:38,799 even concern myself as to the 53 00:03:38,799 --> 00:03:41,400 availability of the 54 00:03:41,400 --> 00:03:43,599 troops March 55 00:03:43,599 --> 00:03:46,599 1965 the first American combat troops 56 00:03:46,599 --> 00:03:48,519 3500 land at 57 00:03:48,519 --> 00:03:51,159 dang their initial mission is to defend 58 00:03:51,159 --> 00:03:54,040 US Air bases but as the US bombs the 59 00:03:54,040 --> 00:03:55,720 North and the Communists attack air 60 00:03:55,720 --> 00:03:58,319 bases in the South General West Morin 61 00:03:58,319 --> 00:04:02,000 then requests more Comm M trops the 62 00:04:02,000 --> 00:04:05,200 strategy that had been uh enunciated by 63 00:04:05,200 --> 00:04:08,159 Washington at that time was through the 64 00:04:08,159 --> 00:04:11,000 use of air power the graduated 65 00:04:11,000 --> 00:04:13,680 response it was essential that our 66 00:04:13,680 --> 00:04:15,199 airfields be 67 00:04:15,199 --> 00:04:20,359 secure we had sufficient instance to to 68 00:04:20,359 --> 00:04:21,600 convince 69 00:04:21,600 --> 00:04:24,720 me that since the strategy was dependent 70 00:04:24,720 --> 00:04:27,080 on those airfields we could not totally 71 00:04:27,080 --> 00:04:30,440 depend on the Vietnamese to defend them 72 00:04:30,440 --> 00:04:33,680 the initial ground troops were were 73 00:04:33,680 --> 00:04:37,600 asked for to defend key 74 00:04:37,600 --> 00:04:40,720 airfields in 65 the main US Air bases 75 00:04:40,720 --> 00:04:44,160 are at Danang in the north at Quan and 76 00:04:44,160 --> 00:04:50,479 banoa near saon and at caman bay on the 77 00:04:51,320 --> 00:04:54,840 coast now once those troops were at 78 00:04:54,840 --> 00:04:55,639 those 79 00:04:55,639 --> 00:04:57,720 bases 80 00:04:57,720 --> 00:05:00,560 uh it it made no sense at all to have 81 00:05:00,560 --> 00:05:05,199 them dig in and go strictly in on the 82 00:05:05,199 --> 00:05:09,240 defensive uh in addition to that uh this 83 00:05:09,240 --> 00:05:13,199 is uh very injurious to to the morale of 84 00:05:13,199 --> 00:05:16,800 your troops uh because they realize that 85 00:05:16,800 --> 00:05:19,800 they're sitting ducks to be attacked 86 00:05:19,800 --> 00:05:22,039 based on the initiatives of the enemy 87 00:05:22,039 --> 00:05:24,800 who selects the time in place of attack 88 00:05:24,800 --> 00:05:26,560 and therefore they are sitting ducks to 89 00:05:26,560 --> 00:05:29,199 become very vulnerable this is basic to 90 00:05:29,199 --> 00:05:31,520 any anybody who's had any military 91 00:05:31,520 --> 00:05:33,800 experience has any understanding of 92 00:05:33,800 --> 00:05:35,840 military 93 00:05:35,840 --> 00:05:38,600 tactics some policy makers argue for a 94 00:05:38,600 --> 00:05:40,960 cautious military strategy saying the 95 00:05:40,960 --> 00:05:43,120 defense of these bases or Enclave 96 00:05:43,120 --> 00:05:46,319 positions is enough presidential adviser 97 00:05:46,319 --> 00:05:49,759 Kenneth galb then The Enclave policy 98 00:05:49,759 --> 00:05:52,360 which was perhaps the most popular 99 00:05:52,360 --> 00:05:54,759 solution with which I was in identified 100 00:05:54,759 --> 00:05:58,240 was that we just pull back and wait and 101 00:05:58,240 --> 00:06:01,120 wait and event ually some sort of a 102 00:06:01,120 --> 00:06:04,960 negotiated solution uh would emerge in 103 00:06:04,960 --> 00:06:07,120 meantime there wouldn't be very many 104 00:06:07,120 --> 00:06:09,720 lives lost either on our side and the 105 00:06:09,720 --> 00:06:11,800 country or the country side and that 106 00:06:11,800 --> 00:06:14,759 time would work its own solution to 107 00:06:14,759 --> 00:06:17,319 surrender the initiative uh to to the 108 00:06:17,319 --> 00:06:20,360 enemy and uh to dig in and on caves on 109 00:06:20,360 --> 00:06:21,199 the 110 00:06:21,199 --> 00:06:24,520 defensive uh was in my opinion a 111 00:06:24,520 --> 00:06:27,199 self-defeating 112 00:06:27,360 --> 00:06:30,520 procedure in 1965 the South Vietnamese 113 00:06:30,520 --> 00:06:33,199 Army is losing the 114 00:06:33,199 --> 00:06:36,440 war it numbers half a million men this 115 00:06:36,440 --> 00:06:38,759 is five times the size of the Communist 116 00:06:38,759 --> 00:06:41,560 Force but it is poorly motivated and 117 00:06:41,560 --> 00:06:43,280 poorly 118 00:06:43,280 --> 00:06:46,039 led the Vietnamese were losing a 119 00:06:46,039 --> 00:06:48,639 battalion about a battalion a week 120 00:06:48,639 --> 00:06:51,360 Battalion after Battalion were was being 121 00:06:51,360 --> 00:06:53,560 destroyed by virtue of the North 122 00:06:53,560 --> 00:06:56,840 Vietnamese troops or the the so-called 123 00:06:56,840 --> 00:07:00,400 vetcon main Force troops 124 00:07:00,400 --> 00:07:02,879 but in Saigon nightclubs everything's 125 00:07:02,879 --> 00:07:03,960 coming up 126 00:07:03,960 --> 00:07:06,560 roses as American Aid pours in a 127 00:07:06,560 --> 00:07:08,639 luxurious lifestyle develops within 128 00:07:08,639 --> 00:07:10,320 earshot of the 129 00:07:10,320 --> 00:07:17,529 [Music] 130 00:07:18,360 --> 00:07:21,120 war at base camp the Americans fight the 131 00:07:21,120 --> 00:07:25,360 day battles each night over a 15 cent 132 00:07:25,360 --> 00:07:28,000 beer the Officers Club of the helicopter 133 00:07:28,000 --> 00:07:30,280 support company out outside the 134 00:07:30,280 --> 00:07:33,639 temperature is 95 inside it is air 135 00:07:33,639 --> 00:07:38,080 conditioned the music is always State 136 00:07:39,319 --> 00:07:41,800 Side Wells quite an operation we have to 137 00:07:41,800 --> 00:07:42,599 they 138 00:07:42,599 --> 00:07:45,120 one after the nightly movie The Talk 139 00:07:45,120 --> 00:07:48,319 usually centers on the war on the action 140 00:07:48,319 --> 00:07:49,319 hours 141 00:07:49,319 --> 00:07:51,840 earlier good job I saw you splatter one 142 00:07:51,840 --> 00:07:53,599 right in the back with the rocket Ro got 143 00:07:53,599 --> 00:07:56,319 lucky again that a lucky shot number 144 00:07:56,319 --> 00:08:00,120 really blew the other one about 10 ft 145 00:08:00,120 --> 00:08:01,599 I got the other two with the machine 146 00:08:01,599 --> 00:08:05,159 guns and it's very satisfying to know 147 00:08:05,159 --> 00:08:07,039 sometimes you do kill people with these 148 00:08:07,039 --> 00:08:10,400 things in 1965 there is confidence that 149 00:08:10,400 --> 00:08:13,280 the war can be won the first US combat 150 00:08:13,280 --> 00:08:15,740 troops are pouring 151 00:08:15,740 --> 00:08:16,879 [Music] 152 00:08:16,879 --> 00:08:20,039 in and politically the US now feels it 153 00:08:20,039 --> 00:08:23,080 has a reliable Ally a military Council 154 00:08:23,080 --> 00:08:26,000 takes power in mid 65 there's a new 155 00:08:26,000 --> 00:08:29,159 prime minister air marshall NN CI 156 00:08:29,159 --> 00:08:32,360 premier key is a tough flamboyant figure 157 00:08:32,360 --> 00:08:36,279 he heads the 10th government in 20 158 00:08:38,539 --> 00:08:41,599 [Music] 159 00:08:43,159 --> 00:08:45,920 months the US military commander General 160 00:08:45,920 --> 00:08:51,360 West Morland key was had a lot of 161 00:08:51,360 --> 00:08:55,720 Charisma uh he uh he had a flare and uh 162 00:08:55,720 --> 00:08:58,360 he was well liked by the the troops and 163 00:08:58,360 --> 00:09:00,800 very like very well like by the 164 00:09:00,800 --> 00:09:04,880 Vietnamese he was a man of action he was 165 00:09:04,880 --> 00:09:07,279 uh he was swash bookle 166 00:09:07,279 --> 00:09:10,079 but uh at the same 167 00:09:10,079 --> 00:09:13,839 time he was highly 168 00:09:13,959 --> 00:09:16,519 intelligent Premier key fully supports 169 00:09:16,519 --> 00:09:18,640 the increasing us combat commitment in 170 00:09:18,640 --> 00:09:20,640 South 171 00:09:20,640 --> 00:09:23,920 Vietnam I think it's normal that when 172 00:09:23,920 --> 00:09:27,720 Vietnam as a part of free world country 173 00:09:27,720 --> 00:09:32,120 was attack uh was attacked by 174 00:09:32,120 --> 00:09:35,160 communist with the Chinese at that time 175 00:09:35,160 --> 00:09:38,240 and Russian behind them so I think it's 176 00:09:38,240 --> 00:09:43,680 a duty of American to come for 177 00:09:46,720 --> 00:09:49,480 rescue West morland's Main tactic is 178 00:09:49,480 --> 00:09:52,480 called Search and Destroy the intention 179 00:09:52,480 --> 00:09:54,680 is to locate communist main Force units 180 00:09:54,680 --> 00:09:57,480 in the jungle and fight 181 00:09:57,480 --> 00:10:00,640 them we run 182 00:10:00,640 --> 00:10:03,000 the Vietnamese tactic is Ambush quick 183 00:10:03,000 --> 00:10:05,160 engagement and quick 184 00:10:05,160 --> 00:10:07,560 Retreat according to the Vietnamese the 185 00:10:07,560 --> 00:10:10,079 Americans have bogged down Hano 186 00:10:10,079 --> 00:10:13,160 strategist haran 187 00:10:17,120 --> 00:10:20,519 La the GI was a fighter who we believed 188 00:10:20,519 --> 00:10:23,240 had a certain Technical and theoretical 189 00:10:23,240 --> 00:10:26,240 education 190 00:10:31,279 --> 00:10:34,160 he was very well equipped and trained 191 00:10:34,160 --> 00:10:35,800 nevertheless even though he was a 192 00:10:35,800 --> 00:10:38,040 fighter in an army as sophisticated as 193 00:10:38,040 --> 00:10:40,720 the American Army he did not adapt 194 00:10:40,720 --> 00:10:45,360 easily to the conditions of war in 195 00:10:48,600 --> 00:10:51,760 Vietnam particularly in the jungle in 196 00:10:51,760 --> 00:10:54,600 the swamps and the 197 00:10:54,600 --> 00:10:57,720 countryside he was so heavily equipped 198 00:10:57,720 --> 00:11:00,160 that he could not move around EAS 199 00:11:00,160 --> 00:11:02,360 and made himself a vulnerable Target for 200 00:11:02,360 --> 00:11:04,560 our 201 00:11:06,120 --> 00:11:08,360 gorillas as the infiltration from the 202 00:11:08,360 --> 00:11:10,680 north increases West Morland requires 203 00:11:10,680 --> 00:11:11,959 more and more 204 00:11:11,959 --> 00:11:15,279 reinforcements by mid 1966 his first 205 00:11:15,279 --> 00:11:18,880 year in command he gets almost 300,000 206 00:11:18,880 --> 00:11:22,320 combat troops 207 00:11:29,360 --> 00:11:31,279 communist units are located massive 208 00:11:31,279 --> 00:11:33,880 Firepower is brought in within minutes 209 00:11:33,880 --> 00:11:36,820 fighter bombers can reach any 210 00:11:36,820 --> 00:11:41,579 [Music] 211 00:11:42,760 --> 00:11:46,399 area Naval Firepower destroyers can hit 212 00:11:46,399 --> 00:11:50,720 targets 23 M inland 213 00:12:01,360 --> 00:12:03,399 West [ __ ] develops a new tactic called 214 00:12:03,399 --> 00:12:06,200 Firebase support these are Hilltop 215 00:12:06,200 --> 00:12:09,279 artillery positions from these combat 216 00:12:09,279 --> 00:12:11,120 patrols move within range of the 217 00:12:11,120 --> 00:12:13,160 supporting 218 00:12:13,160 --> 00:12:15,720 fire West Mand is under intense 219 00:12:15,720 --> 00:12:18,079 political pressure to reduce his combat 220 00:12:18,079 --> 00:12:20,480 casualties field units can call for 221 00:12:20,480 --> 00:12:21,959 Swift 222 00:12:21,959 --> 00:12:24,639 evacuation using medivac or ambulance 223 00:12:24,639 --> 00:12:26,320 helicopters the wounded are lifted 224 00:12:26,320 --> 00:12:28,399 direct from combat zones to base 225 00:12:28,399 --> 00:12:30,120 hospitals 226 00:12:30,120 --> 00:12:32,160 West Marin's multi-purpose helicopter 227 00:12:32,160 --> 00:12:35,240 War greatly reduces troop losses for the 228 00:12:35,240 --> 00:12:37,360 seriously wounded the survival rate is 229 00:12:37,360 --> 00:12:40,639 twice that of the Korean 230 00:12:43,160 --> 00:12:46,320 Moore give me emergency every type of 231 00:12:46,320 --> 00:12:50,040 surgery is close to the combat 232 00:12:52,600 --> 00:12:56,040 zone get at them [ __ ] now the 233 00:12:56,040 --> 00:12:58,480 Communist too remain close to the battle 234 00:12:58,480 --> 00:13:00,680 and with their sanctuaries in neutral LA 235 00:13:00,680 --> 00:13:04,800 and Cambodia they can choose when to 236 00:13:04,800 --> 00:13:09,440 fight their strategy is to outweight 237 00:13:11,880 --> 00:13:14,120 America I've had three meetings with 238 00:13:14,120 --> 00:13:16,240 Ambassador bunker and three with General 239 00:13:16,240 --> 00:13:18,120 West Mullen I had coffee with him at 240 00:13:18,120 --> 00:13:21,639 length this morning just before I came 241 00:13:21,639 --> 00:13:25,320 here our American people like when we 242 00:13:25,320 --> 00:13:27,519 get in a contest of any kind whether 243 00:13:27,519 --> 00:13:31,279 it's in a war or an election or in a 244 00:13:31,279 --> 00:13:34,440 football game or what it is they want it 245 00:13:34,440 --> 00:13:37,120 decided and decided quickly and get in 246 00:13:37,120 --> 00:13:39,399 or get out and they like for that curve 247 00:13:39,399 --> 00:13:43,399 to rise like this and they like for the 248 00:13:43,399 --> 00:13:45,760 opposition to go down like 249 00:13:45,760 --> 00:13:48,440 this despite President Johnson's public 250 00:13:48,440 --> 00:13:52,240 show of optimism his cabinet is 251 00:13:52,240 --> 00:13:55,040 divided defense secretary mamar has 252 00:13:55,040 --> 00:13:57,759 serious doubts he wants to stop raising 253 00:13:57,759 --> 00:13:59,050 the troop level 254 00:13:59,050 --> 00:14:02,730 [Music] 255 00:14:02,959 --> 00:14:04,839 the bombing of North Vietnam is still 256 00:14:04,839 --> 00:14:07,519 Johnson's main strategy he again 257 00:14:07,519 --> 00:14:10,160 increases the air strikes the North in 258 00:14:10,160 --> 00:14:13,040 turn intensifies the ground war and West 259 00:14:13,040 --> 00:14:17,079 Morland again requests more 260 00:14:20,240 --> 00:14:23,600 troops because of the intelligence that 261 00:14:23,600 --> 00:14:26,639 we're receiving uh on the movement of 262 00:14:26,639 --> 00:14:28,759 North Vietnamese troops from north to 263 00:14:28,759 --> 00:14:30,320 south 264 00:14:30,320 --> 00:14:33,560 and the general buildup of the enemy 265 00:14:33,560 --> 00:14:38,000 forces um from the standpoint of myself 266 00:14:38,000 --> 00:14:40,079 the military commander responsible on 267 00:14:40,079 --> 00:14:41,480 the 268 00:14:41,480 --> 00:14:46,120 scene if uh if we had not responded uh 269 00:14:46,120 --> 00:14:48,839 to that buildup we could have found 270 00:14:48,839 --> 00:14:51,680 ourselves fighting with odds against 271 00:14:51,680 --> 00:14:57,020 us each side responds with more troops 272 00:14:57,020 --> 00:15:00,080 [Music] 273 00:15:01,120 --> 00:15:04,880 October 66 another 15,000 troops are 274 00:15:04,880 --> 00:15:06,000 welcomed to 275 00:15:06,000 --> 00:15:08,519 shore within days they will be fighting 276 00:15:08,519 --> 00:15:11,160 in the remote 277 00:15:13,040 --> 00:15:16,000 Highlands West Morland Now commands 278 00:15:16,000 --> 00:15:19,279 350,000 troops and on his recommendation 279 00:15:19,279 --> 00:15:22,199 Johnson agrees to a huge increase within 280 00:15:22,199 --> 00:15:24,210 a few months there will be half a 281 00:15:24,210 --> 00:15:27,800 [Music] 282 00:15:27,800 --> 00:15:30,920 million by now America's Pacific allies 283 00:15:30,920 --> 00:15:36,360 are in the war South Korea sends 45,000 284 00:15:37,519 --> 00:15:39,959 troops Thailand sends a volunteer 285 00:15:39,959 --> 00:15:42,240 Infantry Regiment the Philippines 286 00:15:42,240 --> 00:15:46,000 dispatches a 2,000 man Civic action team 287 00:15:46,000 --> 00:15:48,519 the Australians the first to arrive 288 00:15:48,519 --> 00:15:51,959 increased their combat Force to 7,000 289 00:15:51,959 --> 00:15:55,120 troops New Zealand dispatches a 500 man 290 00:15:55,120 --> 00:15:58,680 artillery battery 291 00:15:59,839 --> 00:16:03,199 and when forces were 292 00:16:03,199 --> 00:16:06,519 committed I tried to put enough force or 293 00:16:06,519 --> 00:16:09,360 put enough military power into the 294 00:16:09,360 --> 00:16:12,000 effort that would assure success but 295 00:16:12,000 --> 00:16:15,000 also minimize 296 00:16:16,279 --> 00:16:19,800 casualties in 1965 West Morland is Time 297 00:16:19,800 --> 00:16:23,040 magazine's Man Of The Year the US forces 298 00:16:23,040 --> 00:16:25,639 are steadily taking over the war the 299 00:16:25,639 --> 00:16:27,720 strategy calls for the Saigon government 300 00:16:27,720 --> 00:16:30,120 to build a nation collect everything 301 00:16:30,120 --> 00:16:33,560 there's a lot of gear in here we want it 302 00:16:35,480 --> 00:16:39,199 all in February 1966 key is invited to 303 00:16:39,199 --> 00:16:41,480 meet President Johnson after the 304 00:16:41,480 --> 00:16:43,600 constant change of leadership key and 305 00:16:43,600 --> 00:16:48,079 his wife ma provide an image of 306 00:16:48,279 --> 00:16:50,920 stability as Kei leaves Saigon his 307 00:16:50,920 --> 00:16:55,120 priority is to get more economic 308 00:16:55,399 --> 00:16:58,199 aid President Johnson enthusiastically 309 00:16:58,199 --> 00:16:59,399 agrees 310 00:16:59,399 --> 00:17:01,800 he wants victory in what he calls the 311 00:17:01,800 --> 00:17:03,640 other 312 00:17:03,640 --> 00:17:06,679 war in Hawaii Johnson tells key we are 313 00:17:06,679 --> 00:17:09,360 here to talk peace we are determined to 314 00:17:09,360 --> 00:17:11,880 win not only military Victory but 315 00:17:11,880 --> 00:17:16,240 victory over Hunger disease and 316 00:17:17,480 --> 00:17:20,039 despair ke gets dramatic evidence of 317 00:17:20,039 --> 00:17:21,480 American 318 00:17:21,480 --> 00:17:24,120 Support he asks for a television network 319 00:17:24,120 --> 00:17:26,760 to promote social 320 00:17:26,760 --> 00:17:31,880 reforms within a month TV has come to 321 00:17:38,600 --> 00:17:41,799 Vietnam to fight the economic War the US 322 00:17:41,799 --> 00:17:45,160 in 1966 commits 3/4 of a billion dollar 323 00:17:45,160 --> 00:17:47,880 in Road building materials and equipment 324 00:17:47,880 --> 00:17:50,320 in Iron and Steel products chemicals 325 00:17:50,320 --> 00:17:52,600 Pharmaceuticals and vehicles of every 326 00:17:52,600 --> 00:17:55,600 kind 327 00:17:59,679 --> 00:18:01,480 he and his wife provide the military 328 00:18:01,480 --> 00:18:03,799 regime with a populist image he 329 00:18:03,799 --> 00:18:07,159 demonstrates style and 330 00:18:08,000 --> 00:18:09,880 [Music] 331 00:18:09,880 --> 00:18:12,159 conscience he even warns his fellow 332 00:18:12,159 --> 00:18:16,120 generals against corruption in their own 333 00:18:19,200 --> 00:18:22,000 families America is pleased but 334 00:18:22,000 --> 00:18:24,320 according to key the American Aid is 335 00:18:24,320 --> 00:18:27,320 also a corruptive 336 00:18:27,320 --> 00:18:30,600 influence Vietnam was poor Vietnamese 337 00:18:30,600 --> 00:18:33,000 people are 338 00:18:33,000 --> 00:18:37,120 poor so of course when half a million 339 00:18:37,120 --> 00:18:40,159 American soers were present in the soil 340 00:18:40,159 --> 00:18:41,440 of 341 00:18:41,440 --> 00:18:43,760 Vietnam they brought with 342 00:18:43,760 --> 00:18:46,600 us a living 343 00:18:46,600 --> 00:18:49,400 condition that compared to the the 344 00:18:49,400 --> 00:18:53,640 Vietnamese living conditions is so high 345 00:18:53,640 --> 00:18:56,120 you know so 346 00:18:56,120 --> 00:18:59,880 comfortable that uh in many 347 00:18:59,880 --> 00:19:03,120 ways it 348 00:19:04,480 --> 00:19:07,000 corrupted items go directly from the 349 00:19:07,000 --> 00:19:08,720 base to the 350 00:19:08,720 --> 00:19:13,200 streets conac wine scotch and always 351 00:19:13,200 --> 00:19:14,440 beer and 352 00:19:14,440 --> 00:19:16,760 cigarettes the black market employs 353 00:19:16,760 --> 00:19:19,000 thousands of Street 354 00:19:19,000 --> 00:19:21,440 vendors American affluence creates 355 00:19:21,440 --> 00:19:25,200 resentment among Vietnamese troops and 356 00:19:25,200 --> 00:19:27,480 officials South Vietnam's chief of 357 00:19:27,480 --> 00:19:30,919 pacification colonel wi Bay a COR like 358 00:19:30,919 --> 00:19:33,559 myself get only $70 a 359 00:19:33,559 --> 00:19:37,240 month so at the meantime an interpreter 360 00:19:37,240 --> 00:19:38,960 or a girl who are working for the 361 00:19:38,960 --> 00:19:43,760 Americans get at least $200 to $300 a 362 00:19:43,760 --> 00:19:46,799 month and to compare the salary of the 363 00:19:46,799 --> 00:19:48,360 president or a 364 00:19:48,360 --> 00:19:51,880 minister in the Zan side get at least 365 00:19:51,880 --> 00:19:56,840 only1 $150 a month corruption spreads on 366 00:19:56,840 --> 00:19:59,200 a huge scale 367 00:19:59,200 --> 00:20:00,679 often there is little check on 368 00:20:00,679 --> 00:20:03,120 government 369 00:20:05,960 --> 00:20:09,240 Imports Premier key investigates he 370 00:20:09,240 --> 00:20:11,400 finds enough cement on order to turn the 371 00:20:11,400 --> 00:20:15,520 whole of Vietnam into a concrete 372 00:20:15,679 --> 00:20:18,600 platform when Saigon Imports 40 garbage 373 00:20:18,600 --> 00:20:21,080 trucks many are 374 00:20:21,080 --> 00:20:24,400 stolen vehicle thefts become an industry 375 00:20:24,400 --> 00:20:26,640 even tanks and helicopters are being 376 00:20:26,640 --> 00:20:30,640 sold to the Communists 377 00:20:35,240 --> 00:20:37,159 there are broel outside all large 378 00:20:37,159 --> 00:20:40,080 American bases the girls are usually War 379 00:20:40,080 --> 00:20:44,480 refugees tens of thousands become 380 00:20:47,559 --> 00:20:50,919 prostitutes in 1966 the US Army reports 381 00:20:50,919 --> 00:20:53,840 that one in every four GIS has venial 382 00:20:53,840 --> 00:20:56,840 disease 383 00:21:00,480 --> 00:21:02,240 for 2 and a half million Young American 384 00:21:02,240 --> 00:21:06,200 men Vietnam is a part of growing up I 385 00:21:06,200 --> 00:21:08,159 think the women are too fast for us boys 386 00:21:08,159 --> 00:21:11,679 here too fast fast I don't have any 387 00:21:11,679 --> 00:21:15,679 opinion I'm married I love them myself 388 00:21:15,679 --> 00:21:19,440 the military bases are like little 389 00:21:21,760 --> 00:21:26,400 America when you're alone and is you 390 00:21:26,400 --> 00:21:30,400 lonely go 391 00:21:31,000 --> 00:21:32,780 you 392 00:21:32,780 --> 00:21:40,640 [Music] 393 00:21:40,640 --> 00:21:42,960 all here saon 394 00:21:42,960 --> 00:21:47,440 Cowboy saon VC for the gis the Sho shine 395 00:21:47,440 --> 00:21:50,159 boys are an institution for the street 396 00:21:50,159 --> 00:21:54,159 kids the Americans are a National 397 00:21:55,039 --> 00:21:56,760 Resort 398 00:21:56,760 --> 00:22:00,159 change I'm going change you got 399 00:22:00,159 --> 00:22:02,200 parting the gis from their money is a 400 00:22:02,200 --> 00:22:04,799 widespread game the objective is to 401 00:22:04,799 --> 00:22:07,440 shine their shoes if necessary and get 402 00:22:07,440 --> 00:22:10,420 the shirts off their backs if 403 00:22:10,420 --> 00:22:13,529 [Music] 404 00:22:17,480 --> 00:22:19,760 possible Americans are aware of their 405 00:22:19,760 --> 00:22:22,200 cultural impact an officer who did 406 00:22:22,200 --> 00:22:25,320 official studies Brian Jenkins where the 407 00:22:25,320 --> 00:22:28,000 American Soldier goes so goes American 408 00:22:28,000 --> 00:22:32,000 culture but in perhaps never before to 409 00:22:32,000 --> 00:22:33,520 the 410 00:22:33,520 --> 00:22:37,480 degree that was the case in Vietnam our 411 00:22:37,480 --> 00:22:40,279 our the wealth of our country our 412 00:22:40,279 --> 00:22:41,960 technology 413 00:22:41,960 --> 00:22:47,919 permitted us to to carry this to absurd 414 00:22:47,919 --> 00:22:51,279 lengths uh and the absurdities are are 415 00:22:51,279 --> 00:22:55,080 are are numerous uh the Armed Forces 416 00:22:55,080 --> 00:22:58,880 television station in Vietnam brought 417 00:22:58,880 --> 00:23:01,679 casting daily the weather reports of the 418 00:23:01,679 --> 00:23:04,120 United 419 00:23:05,760 --> 00:23:08,279 States reports on weather conditions 420 00:23:08,279 --> 00:23:11,360 Stateside Vietnam and RNR here's that 421 00:23:11,360 --> 00:23:15,159 bubbling bundle of barometric 422 00:23:15,600 --> 00:23:18,960 Brilliance now first in big day you Long 423 00:23:18,960 --> 00:23:21,880 Tall Texans out there had a cool fair 424 00:23:21,880 --> 00:23:25,039 day of 68 moving down through the Swan 425 00:23:25,039 --> 00:23:28,799 River to the Miami Beach area was a cool 426 00:23:28,799 --> 00:23:32,080 day of 77 that's the way the weather has 427 00:23:32,080 --> 00:23:33,440 been in our part of the world this 428 00:23:33,440 --> 00:23:35,480 evening this is Bobby saying good night 429 00:23:35,480 --> 00:23:37,520 for American forces Vietnam Network and 430 00:23:37,520 --> 00:23:39,039 this evening I'd like to send a special 431 00:23:39,039 --> 00:23:41,120 salute to the fellas out there of the 432 00:23:41,120 --> 00:23:44,120 92nd helicop Assault Helicopter Company 433 00:23:44,120 --> 00:23:46,520 and thank you fellas for watching until 434 00:23:46,520 --> 00:23:48,440 Monday have a pleasant evening 435 00:23:48,440 --> 00:23:52,140 weatherwise and yall know of course 436 00:23:52,140 --> 00:23:55,240 [Music] 437 00:23:55,240 --> 00:23:57,919 otherwise weather a look at tomorrow's 438 00:23:57,919 --> 00:24:00,200 conditions today today with Channel 11's 439 00:24:00,200 --> 00:24:03,159 weather girl 440 00:24:03,679 --> 00:24:08,039 Bob Miss America goes to 441 00:24:13,080 --> 00:24:15,840 Vietnam all Uber Vietnam entertainers 442 00:24:15,840 --> 00:24:18,860 follow the combat troops 443 00:24:18,860 --> 00:24:20,130 [Applause] 444 00:24:20,130 --> 00:24:31,039 [Music] 445 00:24:32,360 --> 00:24:34,399 for Young Americans raised on the images 446 00:24:34,399 --> 00:24:38,440 of World War II Vietnam seems unreal 447 00:24:38,440 --> 00:24:40,559 Soldier Jim Web one of the hardest 448 00:24:40,559 --> 00:24:42,279 things you know for me to really adjust 449 00:24:42,279 --> 00:24:44,080 in my mind was to step off of an air 450 00:24:44,080 --> 00:24:45,480 conditioned plane where I just watched a 451 00:24:45,480 --> 00:24:48,200 first run movie uh and you know have 452 00:24:48,200 --> 00:24:50,679 this German stewardess you know have a 453 00:24:50,679 --> 00:24:52,960 nice 454 00:24:54,159 --> 00:24:58,840 war in the field an aerial delivery 455 00:24:58,840 --> 00:25:01,679 inside a can of cool 456 00:25:01,679 --> 00:25:04,679 beer the war is unpredictable in its 457 00:25:04,679 --> 00:25:08,080 Terror and its Comforts Soldier Tim 458 00:25:08,080 --> 00:25:10,840 O'Brien we had our own personal mascots 459 00:25:10,840 --> 00:25:13,240 for example or valet little kids seven 460 00:25:13,240 --> 00:25:15,360 or eight would would hook up with a 461 00:25:15,360 --> 00:25:17,399 soldier and would you know would wash 462 00:25:17,399 --> 00:25:19,640 his socks for him clean his rifle for 463 00:25:19,640 --> 00:25:21,720 him sometimes carry his rifle for him if 464 00:25:21,720 --> 00:25:24,159 we were exceptionally tired that day dig 465 00:25:24,159 --> 00:25:26,799 our fox holes for us at night it was it 466 00:25:26,799 --> 00:25:28,600 was like a circus in some sense this is 467 00:25:28,600 --> 00:25:30,559 a going through town going across this 468 00:25:30,559 --> 00:25:32,200 beach where the soldiers would be lined 469 00:25:32,200 --> 00:25:35,559 up and then behind us like a tail on a 470 00:25:35,559 --> 00:25:39,440 kite would be 150 Vietnamese kind of 471 00:25:39,440 --> 00:25:41,760 coming along for the ride I had my my 472 00:25:41,760 --> 00:25:44,279 asse my my fellow I called him Champion 473 00:25:44,279 --> 00:25:46,840 was his name as I recall a nice kid who 474 00:25:46,840 --> 00:25:49,120 who I would who would uh give me a back 475 00:25:49,120 --> 00:25:51,039 rub after a hard day on the March who 476 00:25:51,039 --> 00:25:53,320 would uh would clean my rifle for me 477 00:25:53,320 --> 00:25:54,919 this little kid 7 years old knew how to 478 00:25:54,919 --> 00:25:59,159 take an M16 apart I didn't 479 00:26:00,039 --> 00:26:02,000 friendly relations in one region can 480 00:26:02,000 --> 00:26:05,279 change into night marriage incidents in 481 00:26:05,279 --> 00:26:07,840 another civilians and guerillas cannot 482 00:26:07,840 --> 00:26:09,840 be told 483 00:26:09,840 --> 00:26:13,480 apart with the civilians um you know in 484 00:26:13,480 --> 00:26:14,960 many areas of the anall base and they 485 00:26:14,960 --> 00:26:17,520 actively operated against us and the the 486 00:26:17,520 --> 00:26:20,120 worst incident that I had that uh my 487 00:26:20,120 --> 00:26:22,200 platoon went through began when 488 00:26:22,200 --> 00:26:24,000 approximately seven-year-old girl lured 489 00:26:24,000 --> 00:26:25,880 one of my teams into an ambush into a 490 00:26:25,880 --> 00:26:29,320 North Vietnamese Ambush uh so we had we 491 00:26:29,320 --> 00:26:31,360 had that level we had continually to 492 00:26:31,360 --> 00:26:33,679 deal with uh civilians who were either 493 00:26:33,679 --> 00:26:35,039 hostile or 494 00:26:35,039 --> 00:26:38,720 numb in 1966 serious anti-American 495 00:26:38,720 --> 00:26:40,520 demonstrations break out in the port 496 00:26:40,520 --> 00:26:42,919 city of 497 00:26:52,440 --> 00:26:55,159 dang Premier key sends in troops to 498 00:26:55,159 --> 00:26:59,480 suppress the Buddhist Le protest 499 00:27:00,399 --> 00:27:02,159 similar demonstrations had led to the 500 00:27:02,159 --> 00:27:04,159 overthrow and assassination of President 501 00:27:04,159 --> 00:27:07,360 Dam 3 years 502 00:27:12,760 --> 00:27:15,520 earlier he forces managed to put down 503 00:27:15,520 --> 00:27:18,120 the Rebellion the military command 504 00:27:18,120 --> 00:27:20,480 applauds Kei for what it calls a solid 505 00:27:20,480 --> 00:27:23,640 political Victory but among Americans in 506 00:27:23,640 --> 00:27:26,320 Vietnam there's a growing uneasiness a 507 00:27:26,320 --> 00:27:28,880 feeling they alone are doing the real 508 00:27:28,880 --> 00:27:32,600 fighting by now 350,000 American troops 509 00:27:32,600 --> 00:27:35,200 are in action mostly along the coastal 510 00:27:35,200 --> 00:27:38,620 lowlands and in the Foothills north of 511 00:27:38,620 --> 00:27:41,870 [Applause] 512 00:27:47,000 --> 00:27:48,760 Saigon in 513 00:27:48,760 --> 00:27:53,960 1966 5,000 Americans die in 514 00:27:54,399 --> 00:27:58,200 battle by 1967 West Morin claims a major 515 00:27:58,200 --> 00:28:00,679 turn about he says Americans are now 516 00:28:00,679 --> 00:28:03,440 ambushing the 517 00:28:05,360 --> 00:28:07,720 Communists but critics begin to accuse 518 00:28:07,720 --> 00:28:10,399 west morand of false optimism in 519 00:28:10,399 --> 00:28:13,440 November 67 he visits 520 00:28:13,440 --> 00:28:15,559 Washington I could quote a number of 521 00:28:15,559 --> 00:28:18,440 meaningful statistics such as the roads 522 00:28:18,440 --> 00:28:19,679 that are being 523 00:28:19,679 --> 00:28:22,159 open increasing number of enemy have 524 00:28:22,159 --> 00:28:23,240 been 525 00:28:23,240 --> 00:28:26,240 killed a number of defectors that are 526 00:28:26,240 --> 00:28:27,960 coming in from the Communist side the 527 00:28:27,960 --> 00:28:28,880 Govern 528 00:28:28,880 --> 00:28:31,919 government the number of weapons being 529 00:28:31,919 --> 00:28:35,559 captured and other statistical 530 00:28:35,559 --> 00:28:37,919 information which suggests that we are 531 00:28:37,919 --> 00:28:40,640 making progress and we are winning West 532 00:28:40,640 --> 00:28:42,919 Morland stresses that Victory depends on 533 00:28:42,919 --> 00:28:46,360 American resolve he asks for 50,000 more 534 00:28:46,360 --> 00:28:49,279 troops defense secretary McNamara is 535 00:28:49,279 --> 00:28:52,120 strongly against 536 00:28:53,120 --> 00:28:55,679 this President Johnson decides on a 537 00:28:55,679 --> 00:28:59,480 firsthand assessment in December 67 he 538 00:28:59,480 --> 00:29:03,279 visits Cameran Bay Johnson agrees to 539 00:29:03,279 --> 00:29:04,080 more 540 00:29:04,080 --> 00:29:09,480 [Music] 541 00:29:09,480 --> 00:29:13,240 troops West morland's tactics remain 542 00:29:13,240 --> 00:29:16,000 unchanged but then the tracks we found 543 00:29:16,000 --> 00:29:17,399 in the Stream indicate that there was 544 00:29:17,399 --> 00:29:18,919 somebody going down this way in the 545 00:29:18,919 --> 00:29:21,279 Stream So maybe there's three of them 546 00:29:21,279 --> 00:29:24,720 we'll find it 547 00:29:30,200 --> 00:29:35,120 who's that you come hey Sam Dr down over 548 00:29:35,120 --> 00:29:36,559 there machine gun is got to stay in 549 00:29:36,559 --> 00:29:38,760 place stay down there around the CP and 550 00:29:38,760 --> 00:29:41,120 guard the 551 00:29:44,679 --> 00:29:47,279 CP take your time and try to toss it 552 00:29:47,279 --> 00:29:48,440 right in 553 00:29:48,440 --> 00:29:52,919 there don't expose yourself too 554 00:29:55,960 --> 00:29:58,919 long get all the way down when grenade 555 00:29:58,919 --> 00:30:01,279 hit the 556 00:30:03,399 --> 00:30:05,440 ground all right that was a good one 557 00:30:05,440 --> 00:30:08,120 that one was dead in there hey don't 558 00:30:08,120 --> 00:30:09,480 throw any more grenades in there that's 559 00:30:09,480 --> 00:30:12,480 enough to kill a damn 560 00:30:13,960 --> 00:30:15,760 horse 561 00:30:15,760 --> 00:30:18,720 hey Scott back out the way Johnson is 562 00:30:18,720 --> 00:30:21,360 going in there with a 563 00:30:22,240 --> 00:30:24,640 pistol 564 00:30:24,640 --> 00:30:27,679 lir the US military issues a daily body 565 00:30:27,679 --> 00:30:28,600 count 566 00:30:28,600 --> 00:30:31,240 critics point to conflicting statistics 567 00:30:31,240 --> 00:30:33,919 Victory is claimed but the war keeps 568 00:30:33,919 --> 00:30:37,000 enlarging Soldier Matt Martin that 569 00:30:37,000 --> 00:30:38,159 should do 570 00:30:38,159 --> 00:30:41,200 it they loved high body 571 00:30:41,200 --> 00:30:45,120 caner well sometimes he you exaggerated 572 00:30:45,120 --> 00:30:49,200 a little and the more regular you were 573 00:30:49,200 --> 00:30:51,440 regular service regular Marine regular 574 00:30:51,440 --> 00:30:55,440 army the higher the body count was we 575 00:30:55,440 --> 00:30:59,320 had uh a colonel call in and he was all 576 00:30:59,320 --> 00:31:01,840 excited he said what's the body count 577 00:31:01,840 --> 00:31:03,480 what's the body count cuz we had called 578 00:31:03,480 --> 00:31:05,360 in a lot of heavy artillery you know we 579 00:31:05,360 --> 00:31:07,840 were really putting a job on this one 580 00:31:07,840 --> 00:31:10,399 Village so he wanted a real heavy body 581 00:31:10,399 --> 00:31:12,679 count well this second Louis we had with 582 00:31:12,679 --> 00:31:14,880 us he he had come up through the ranks 583 00:31:14,880 --> 00:31:16,600 and he yelled over 584 00:31:16,600 --> 00:31:19,080 300 so then the radio man said you can't 585 00:31:19,080 --> 00:31:21,240 give them an even number they're not 586 00:31:21,240 --> 00:31:23,919 going to go for an even number so he 587 00:31:23,919 --> 00:31:27,559 said well okay 311 so they called in and 588 00:31:27,559 --> 00:31:31,519 said we got got 311 Flatout Deads sure 589 00:31:31,519 --> 00:31:35,639 kills well this officer loved it he 590 00:31:35,639 --> 00:31:38,679 started yelling great great did a great 591 00:31:38,679 --> 00:31:41,880 job well actually what had happened was 592 00:31:41,880 --> 00:31:43,600 is one of our Jeeps had turned over and 593 00:31:43,600 --> 00:31:45,440 killed this old 594 00:31:45,440 --> 00:31:50,039 man and we had one sure kill cuz that 595 00:31:50,039 --> 00:31:52,799 sucker was dead and it was an accident 596 00:31:52,799 --> 00:31:54,919 you 597 00:31:55,399 --> 00:31:58,000 know the southern communist guerillas 598 00:31:58,000 --> 00:31:59,840 operate from Jungle bases and 599 00:31:59,840 --> 00:32:02,679 sympathetic Villages they control half 600 00:32:02,679 --> 00:32:05,320 the countryside North Vietnamese troops 601 00:32:05,320 --> 00:32:08,760 are infiltrating in large numbers by 602 00:32:08,760 --> 00:32:12,960 1967 nearly 200,000 have entered the 603 00:32:12,960 --> 00:32:15,639 South some form conventional combat 604 00:32:15,639 --> 00:32:18,399 units to guard the supply routes others 605 00:32:18,399 --> 00:32:21,679 blend into the countryside in the 606 00:32:21,679 --> 00:32:24,679 South inside South Vietnam they go 607 00:32:24,679 --> 00:32:27,039 underground a network of tunnels is 608 00:32:27,039 --> 00:32:30,240 constructed some extending for a dozen 609 00:32:30,240 --> 00:32:32,880 miles they can hide companies of several 610 00:32:32,880 --> 00:32:34,159 hundred 611 00:32:34,159 --> 00:32:36,880 men from the tunnels as they operate in 612 00:32:36,880 --> 00:32:40,000 small highly mobile 613 00:32:40,000 --> 00:32:43,080 units this US army training firm shows 614 00:32:43,080 --> 00:32:45,519 American counter measures specially 615 00:32:45,519 --> 00:32:48,440 trained GIS called tunnel rats destroy 616 00:32:48,440 --> 00:32:50,600 the 617 00:32:55,279 --> 00:32:57,559 entrances the tunnels are intricate with 618 00:32:57,559 --> 00:33:01,200 special ially constructed bamboo 619 00:33:05,919 --> 00:33:08,399 Chambers hand grenades are often rolled 620 00:33:08,399 --> 00:33:10,639 in to close up the 621 00:33:10,639 --> 00:33:12,919 entrances but the tunnels have many 622 00:33:12,919 --> 00:33:15,760 exits and explosives have little effect 623 00:33:15,760 --> 00:33:18,880 a later technique uses a settlin gas the 624 00:33:18,880 --> 00:33:23,000 gas is pumped from drums into the tunnel 625 00:33:25,279 --> 00:33:28,559 complex then detonated by Dynamite 626 00:33:28,559 --> 00:33:30,519 this destroys the entire length of the 627 00:33:30,519 --> 00:33:32,919 tunnel but the tunnels account for many 628 00:33:32,919 --> 00:33:35,480 communist 629 00:33:36,840 --> 00:33:39,760 successes to sustain the war North 630 00:33:39,760 --> 00:33:42,679 Vietnam is getting massive communist Aid 631 00:33:42,679 --> 00:33:44,840 War material from China and the Soviet 632 00:33:44,840 --> 00:33:47,240 Union is truck several hundred miles 633 00:33:47,240 --> 00:33:49,399 along border infiltration routes to the 634 00:33:49,399 --> 00:33:51,799 fighting 635 00:33:53,279 --> 00:33:55,639 zones during the height of the war 636 00:33:55,639 --> 00:33:57,880 1966-68 637 00:33:57,880 --> 00:34:00,000 Soviet and Chinese Aid is estimated at 638 00:34:00,000 --> 00:34:02,600 more than $2 billion including 639 00:34:02,600 --> 00:34:06,600 sophisticated weapons for defense of the 640 00:34:07,639 --> 00:34:12,720 north a senior Hanoi Diplomat haran 641 00:34:13,639 --> 00:34:17,000 La the socialist countries the National 642 00:34:17,000 --> 00:34:19,800 Liberation movement and the forces of 643 00:34:19,800 --> 00:34:22,480 peace and Justice in the world including 644 00:34:22,480 --> 00:34:25,879 the American people and above all the 645 00:34:25,879 --> 00:34:28,679 socialist countries aided us materially 646 00:34:28,679 --> 00:34:31,320 from a military point of view in order 647 00:34:31,320 --> 00:34:33,359 to help us in the resistance against 648 00:34:33,359 --> 00:34:35,520 American 649 00:34:35,520 --> 00:34:38,200 aggression we considered this a very 650 00:34:38,200 --> 00:34:41,839 important factor in our Victory a factor 651 00:34:41,839 --> 00:34:44,480 that can't be 652 00:34:48,440 --> 00:34:50,839 overlooked the aid funnel South is 653 00:34:50,839 --> 00:34:52,800 stockpiled in hundreds of underground 654 00:34:52,800 --> 00:34:55,240 shelters it enables the Communists to 655 00:34:55,240 --> 00:34:57,119 sustain their hard-hitting mobile 656 00:34:57,119 --> 00:34:58,520 tactics 657 00:34:58,520 --> 00:35:00,720 with Russian Aid increasing and with 658 00:35:00,720 --> 00:35:03,440 every sign of a long War Premier key 659 00:35:03,440 --> 00:35:06,079 wants to invade the north he doubts 660 00:35:06,079 --> 00:35:09,119 America's Staying Power American when 661 00:35:09,119 --> 00:35:09,920 you 662 00:35:09,920 --> 00:35:13,000 look at their you know 663 00:35:13,000 --> 00:35:16,800 past they are impatient 664 00:35:16,800 --> 00:35:20,359 people and that I told Mr Johnson I told 665 00:35:20,359 --> 00:35:23,480 Mr nion many 666 00:35:24,480 --> 00:35:29,240 time if you decide to go to the War go 667 00:35:29,240 --> 00:35:33,480 it fast and quick and win it 668 00:35:33,480 --> 00:35:35,960 over for a 669 00:35:35,960 --> 00:35:39,920 frustrated and L sustained War 15 years 670 00:35:39,920 --> 00:35:43,000 10 years 20 671 00:35:44,200 --> 00:35:48,200 years you canot because you are very 672 00:35:48,200 --> 00:35:50,680 impatient 673 00:35:50,680 --> 00:35:53,240 people Americans in turn Express 674 00:35:53,240 --> 00:35:55,040 impatience with the South Vietnamese 675 00:35:55,040 --> 00:36:00,359 Army calling its operations search and 676 00:36:00,839 --> 00:36:03,960 avoid us advisers privately describe the 677 00:36:03,960 --> 00:36:08,960 South Vietnamese military as 80% 678 00:36:09,599 --> 00:36:11,839 ineffective Americans increasingly 679 00:36:11,839 --> 00:36:13,720 believe that South Vietnam is doing 680 00:36:13,720 --> 00:36:16,480 little to defend 681 00:36:16,480 --> 00:36:19,000 itself hundreds of thousands of young 682 00:36:19,000 --> 00:36:21,680 South Vietnamese are dodging the 683 00:36:21,680 --> 00:36:24,280 draft I remember one time going into 684 00:36:24,280 --> 00:36:28,599 dang to watch a a Bob Hope Show 685 00:36:28,599 --> 00:36:31,640 and we were going in on a convoy all 686 00:36:31,640 --> 00:36:34,599 these guys on six buys and all that and 687 00:36:34,599 --> 00:36:36,839 getting into the heart of dang and 688 00:36:36,839 --> 00:36:38,760 watching all these kids on Honda 689 00:36:38,760 --> 00:36:41,359 motorcycles that were 18 Vietnamese kids 690 00:36:41,359 --> 00:36:45,240 18 or 19s and me seeing the day before 691 00:36:45,240 --> 00:36:47,200 my buddies getting blown away of saying 692 00:36:47,200 --> 00:36:49,400 hey what the hell is happening here 693 00:36:49,400 --> 00:36:51,560 these guys V invited me this country 694 00:36:51,560 --> 00:36:54,760 invited me over here to fight for their 695 00:36:54,760 --> 00:36:57,040 democracy and yet these guys are running 696 00:36:57,040 --> 00:36:58,920 around and H the motorcycles what the 697 00:36:58,920 --> 00:37:01,920 hell's happening over 698 00:37:02,520 --> 00:37:05,319 here but Americans continue to support 699 00:37:05,319 --> 00:37:08,040 prime minister 700 00:37:12,440 --> 00:37:16,000 key at heart key remains a military 701 00:37:16,000 --> 00:37:20,079 man he is flamboyant blunt and 702 00:37:20,079 --> 00:37:22,319 undiplomatic he is close to the US 703 00:37:22,319 --> 00:37:24,920 Commander West Morland but key is 704 00:37:24,920 --> 00:37:28,880 considered a poor politician 705 00:37:31,119 --> 00:37:33,480 after two years in power he is moved 706 00:37:33,480 --> 00:37:36,480 aside by his fellow 707 00:37:37,720 --> 00:37:40,560 generals key contends that the South 708 00:37:40,560 --> 00:37:42,920 Vietnamese forces were undercut by the 709 00:37:42,920 --> 00:37:45,760 Americans most of the time during the 710 00:37:45,760 --> 00:37:49,640 war they were trying to do things by 711 00:37:49,640 --> 00:37:52,800 themselves you know it's a very funny 712 00:37:52,800 --> 00:37:56,839 and and also very traged that it happen 713 00:37:56,839 --> 00:37:58,640 the Vietnamese communist and the 714 00:37:58,640 --> 00:38:00,119 Communist 715 00:38:00,119 --> 00:38:02,880 World always treat 716 00:38:02,880 --> 00:38:07,160 us as a puppet of America but then 717 00:38:07,160 --> 00:38:09,800 American people 718 00:38:09,800 --> 00:38:14,920 themselves Al all also consider us as a 719 00:38:14,920 --> 00:38:18,640 puppet of America not a true leaders of 720 00:38:18,640 --> 00:38:21,200 the Vietnamese people there was a 721 00:38:21,200 --> 00:38:25,440 paradox here in 722 00:38:26,440 --> 00:38:31,400 which on the one hand uh the 723 00:38:31,400 --> 00:38:34,920 leadership of South Vietnam was 724 00:38:34,920 --> 00:38:39,079 perceived as the as the puppets of the 725 00:38:39,079 --> 00:38:41,880 Americans uh by almost everyone except 726 00:38:41,880 --> 00:38:45,119 the Americans themselves who then got 727 00:38:45,119 --> 00:38:47,280 none of the benefits of if if they 728 00:38:47,280 --> 00:38:49,359 indeed had been puppets then we could 729 00:38:49,359 --> 00:38:52,880 have indeed manipulated them it was the 730 00:38:52,880 --> 00:38:55,520 worst of of Both Worlds in a sense that 731 00:38:55,520 --> 00:38:59,440 they were perceived as puppets 732 00:38:59,480 --> 00:39:02,119 and yet could not be 733 00:39:02,119 --> 00:39:04,599 manipulated the US military wants as 734 00:39:04,599 --> 00:39:07,240 many officers as possible to get combat 735 00:39:07,240 --> 00:39:10,680 experience by late 1967 when Premier key 736 00:39:10,680 --> 00:39:12,960 leaves office a million troops have 737 00:39:12,960 --> 00:39:14,720 rotated through 738 00:39:14,720 --> 00:39:16,760 Vietnam a 739 00:39:16,760 --> 00:39:18,800 tour 740 00:39:18,800 --> 00:39:20,880 for 741 00:39:20,880 --> 00:39:25,280 American uh general or American 742 00:39:25,280 --> 00:39:29,200 officers was only one year or two year 743 00:39:29,200 --> 00:39:32,680 maximum how you can expect them for a 744 00:39:32,680 --> 00:39:36,280 short period of just one year two years 745 00:39:36,280 --> 00:39:38,760 that they could arrive to understand 746 00:39:38,760 --> 00:39:40,480 fully the 747 00:39:40,480 --> 00:39:44,920 Vietnamese not not me mental but even 748 00:39:44,920 --> 00:39:48,560 they they were not able to speak a few 749 00:39:48,560 --> 00:39:50,880 world of Vietnamese 750 00:39:50,880 --> 00:39:54,280 world so I can say that the M the the 751 00:39:54,280 --> 00:39:55,880 mutual 752 00:39:55,880 --> 00:39:59,510 understanding was none 753 00:39:59,510 --> 00:40:04,209 [Music] 754 00:40:04,640 --> 00:40:08,200 Zero by early 1968 US troops are on a 755 00:40:08,200 --> 00:40:10,920 broad offensive there is widespread 756 00:40:10,920 --> 00:40:14,480 confidence that the war can be 757 00:40:16,000 --> 00:40:18,800 won the full technology of American 758 00:40:18,800 --> 00:40:21,960 Firepower is brought to 759 00:40:26,319 --> 00:40:29,440 bear us officials speak of the war being 760 00:40:29,440 --> 00:40:32,440 almost over of seeing light at the end 761 00:40:32,440 --> 00:40:33,359 of the 762 00:40:33,359 --> 00:40:35,880 tunnel the guilla supply routes along 763 00:40:35,880 --> 00:40:38,520 the hoim trail are being threatened the 764 00:40:38,520 --> 00:40:40,079 southern gorillas have been driven 765 00:40:40,079 --> 00:40:42,440 underground but in their tunnels they 766 00:40:42,440 --> 00:40:44,400 are planning a major thrust that will 767 00:40:44,400 --> 00:40:48,800 prove to be the turning point of the 768 00:40:53,520 --> 00:40:58,319 war T at Great cost 80 ,000 communist 769 00:40:58,319 --> 00:41:01,800 troops attack a 100 towns and 770 00:41:01,800 --> 00:41:04,400 cities Washington is dismayed by the 771 00:41:04,400 --> 00:41:06,680 ferocity of the 772 00:41:06,680 --> 00:41:09,200 offensive West Morland calls the Ted 773 00:41:09,200 --> 00:41:11,960 offensive a military failure he then 774 00:41:11,960 --> 00:41:15,440 asks for another 200,000 troops critic 775 00:41:15,440 --> 00:41:17,839 Arthur slesinger General West morland's 776 00:41:17,839 --> 00:41:20,960 only solution for such thing for every 777 00:41:20,960 --> 00:41:22,319 time he got into more trouble he asked 778 00:41:22,319 --> 00:41:24,960 for more men culminating the final 779 00:41:24,960 --> 00:41:27,359 request in and after the Ted offensive 780 00:41:27,359 --> 00:41:32,480 in 1968 and uh the kinds of of 781 00:41:32,480 --> 00:41:35,280 recommendations he made were finally 782 00:41:35,280 --> 00:41:36,800 recognized by the United States 783 00:41:36,800 --> 00:41:40,560 government as as as 784 00:41:40,560 --> 00:41:43,680 fud a military analyst Brian Jenkins 785 00:41:43,680 --> 00:41:45,880 compiled several official studies on 786 00:41:45,880 --> 00:41:47,000 what was 787 00:41:47,000 --> 00:41:50,200 wrong we may not have won but we were 788 00:41:50,200 --> 00:41:52,720 always uh always in a sense winning 789 00:41:52,720 --> 00:41:55,440 whether one dealt with the body count or 790 00:41:55,440 --> 00:41:57,920 or whatever aspect of it 791 00:41:57,920 --> 00:42:00,160 uh was so that these successes were in 792 00:42:00,160 --> 00:42:03,079 turn rewarded or at least there 793 00:42:03,079 --> 00:42:06,720 were Damn Few visible failures the other 794 00:42:06,720 --> 00:42:09,079 part of it of course that were 795 00:42:09,079 --> 00:42:11,880 were is that the military success when 796 00:42:11,880 --> 00:42:14,599 there was military success measured 797 00:42:14,599 --> 00:42:16,400 either in geographic terms occupying 798 00:42:16,400 --> 00:42:19,040 something or defeating something did not 799 00:42:19,040 --> 00:42:23,400 translate into Political success people 800 00:42:23,400 --> 00:42:26,559 fought over and were many died taking 801 00:42:26,559 --> 00:42:28,760 Hills 802 00:42:28,760 --> 00:42:31,839 that meant nothing 3 days later it 803 00:42:31,839 --> 00:42:34,960 wasn't in a sense of that occupying 804 00:42:34,960 --> 00:42:38,520 terrain had great meaning an unusual 805 00:42:38,520 --> 00:42:41,200 type War a month after tet West Morland 806 00:42:41,200 --> 00:42:43,160 is removed from command and promoted to 807 00:42:43,160 --> 00:42:46,000 Chief of Staff President Johnson freezes 808 00:42:46,000 --> 00:42:48,319 troop 809 00:42:51,520 --> 00:42:53,960 levels former assistant Secretary of 810 00:42:53,960 --> 00:42:56,119 Defense Paul 811 00:42:56,119 --> 00:42:58,680 Nitti well I I know him to be an 812 00:42:58,680 --> 00:43:01,000 absolutely outstanding 813 00:43:01,000 --> 00:43:03,359 man man 814 00:43:03,359 --> 00:43:06,040 of Great Character 815 00:43:06,040 --> 00:43:07,599 and 816 00:43:07,599 --> 00:43:10,400 honor so that isn't the questioned issue 817 00:43:10,400 --> 00:43:14,520 the questioned issue 818 00:43:15,000 --> 00:43:19,160 is whether he was as subtle a general 819 00:43:19,160 --> 00:43:21,960 and as wise in his dispositions and in 820 00:43:21,960 --> 00:43:25,760 his actions as one could have hoped for 821 00:43:25,760 --> 00:43:27,640 his military predictions were wrong and 822 00:43:27,640 --> 00:43:29,400 his military strategy was wrong he was 823 00:43:29,400 --> 00:43:31,480 trying to fight a war of attrition of 824 00:43:31,480 --> 00:43:34,480 large units a conventional War uh 825 00:43:34,480 --> 00:43:36,440 against guerillas I think it can be said 826 00:43:36,440 --> 00:43:39,119 that General West Morland was the most 827 00:43:39,119 --> 00:43:41,440 disastrous American General since 828 00:43:41,440 --> 00:43:45,319 custard and throughout the war we never 829 00:43:45,319 --> 00:43:48,599 uh lost a battle we had some companies 830 00:43:48,599 --> 00:43:52,599 that were badly uh hurt through ambushes 831 00:43:52,599 --> 00:43:55,319 and associated with combat 832 00:43:55,319 --> 00:43:58,599 actions but we did not lose a battle of 833 00:43:58,599 --> 00:44:02,119 of consequence in my opinion by early 834 00:44:02,119 --> 00:44:04,440 during the uh 835 00:44:04,440 --> 00:44:07,520 6869 time frame we had as fine a 836 00:44:07,520 --> 00:44:10,160 military force as America's ever 837 00:44:10,160 --> 00:44:12,079 assembled a force that could have 838 00:44:12,079 --> 00:44:13,920 brought the war to an end if it hadn't 839 00:44:13,920 --> 00:44:15,559 been for political decisions that 840 00:44:15,559 --> 00:44:18,160 prohibited 841 00:44:18,880 --> 00:44:22,440 that after T the American public grows 842 00:44:22,440 --> 00:44:25,240 weary of Vietnam there is widespread 843 00:44:25,240 --> 00:44:27,359 belief that South Vietnam should fight 844 00:44:27,359 --> 00:44:30,079 their own War but the South Vietnamese 845 00:44:30,079 --> 00:44:33,200 Army continually fails in combat many 846 00:44:33,200 --> 00:44:35,480 South Vietnamese leaders blame this 847 00:44:35,480 --> 00:44:38,680 failure on US military policy former 848 00:44:38,680 --> 00:44:42,520 ambassador to Washington bu DM I think 849 00:44:42,520 --> 00:44:45,680 that there are millions of millions of 850 00:44:45,680 --> 00:44:47,000 South 851 00:44:47,000 --> 00:44:50,520 Vietnamese who were willing to Bear 852 00:44:50,520 --> 00:44:53,440 their own responsibilities in waging the 853 00:44:53,440 --> 00:44:57,839 war and if they had been asked and if 854 00:44:57,839 --> 00:45:00,440 one can explain to them what they have 855 00:45:00,440 --> 00:45:03,119 to do I would say that they would do the 856 00:45:03,119 --> 00:45:05,280 job 857 00:45:05,280 --> 00:45:07,960 willingly but by the time South Vietnam 858 00:45:07,960 --> 00:45:10,559 begins to take over the war the South 859 00:45:10,559 --> 00:45:15,200 Vietnam American Alliance is severely 860 00:45:16,800 --> 00:45:19,760 strained the Vietnam war is seen by many 861 00:45:19,760 --> 00:45:23,480 Americans as a tragic error as military 862 00:45:23,480 --> 00:45:26,119 commander General West Morland is viewed 863 00:45:26,119 --> 00:45:27,480 as a major office 864 00:45:27,480 --> 00:45:29,960 of this 865 00:45:30,000 --> 00:45:32,760 mistake of course I I've read Kipling 866 00:45:32,760 --> 00:45:34,960 and he I I'm I'm very fond of him 867 00:45:34,960 --> 00:45:37,240 because he's kind of the Soldier's poet 868 00:45:37,240 --> 00:45:39,760 the end of the fight is a tombstone 869 00:45:39,760 --> 00:45:42,760 white with the name of the late 870 00:45:42,760 --> 00:45:44,960 deceased and the 871 00:45:44,960 --> 00:45:49,240 EP Dreer a fool lies here who tries to 872 00:45:49,240 --> 00:45:50,920 hustle the 873 00:45:50,920 --> 00:45:54,240 East and uh having read Kipling I I I 874 00:45:54,240 --> 00:45:57,280 was aware of that and u i I didn't take 875 00:45:57,280 --> 00:45:58,559 quite to 876 00:45:58,559 --> 00:46:03,319 heart I was center stage and uh the war 877 00:46:03,319 --> 00:46:06,079 became uh considerably unpopular and 878 00:46:06,079 --> 00:46:08,040 needless to say a lot of that rubbed off 879 00:46:08,040 --> 00:46:09,520 on 880 00:46:09,520 --> 00:46:13,240 me was not elated uh with uh some of the 881 00:46:13,240 --> 00:46:15,800 Venom that was cast my 882 00:46:15,800 --> 00:46:18,559 way but uh as a 883 00:46:18,559 --> 00:46:21,480 soldier prays for peace he must be 884 00:46:21,480 --> 00:46:23,559 prepared to cope with the hardships of 885 00:46:23,559 --> 00:46:24,920 war and bear its 886 00:46:24,920 --> 00:46:29,079 scars and I uh I I have I've born 887 00:46:29,079 --> 00:46:33,640 furtively scars between 1965 and 68 888 00:46:33,640 --> 00:46:37,000 30,000 American troops die in Vietnam 889 00:46:37,000 --> 00:46:39,960 West Morland leaves Vietnam July 890 00:46:39,960 --> 00:46:42,880 68 American strategy then centers on the 891 00:46:42,880 --> 00:46:46,280 means of withdrawal the policy is called 892 00:46:46,280 --> 00:46:48,520 Vietnamization handing back the war to 893 00:46:48,520 --> 00:46:49,800 the South 894 00:46:49,800 --> 00:46:53,640 Vietnamese but ending the war takes 4 895 00:46:53,640 --> 00:46:55,400 years 896 00:46:55,400 --> 00:46:59,240 I gave the effort to the best that I 897 00:46:59,240 --> 00:47:03,280 had an effort born of uh experience in 898 00:47:03,280 --> 00:47:06,280 two other Wars and many years in 899 00:47:06,280 --> 00:47:09,599 uniform I did my utmost to carry out my 900 00:47:09,599 --> 00:47:11,160 duties 901 00:47:11,160 --> 00:47:15,000 loyally and conscientiously and 902 00:47:15,000 --> 00:47:17,599 professionally and with the satisfaction 903 00:47:17,599 --> 00:47:20,559 of knowing that I conducted myself that 904 00:47:20,559 --> 00:47:23,319 way I I I have no 905 00:47:23,319 --> 00:47:26,000 regrets and I have nothing to apologize 906 00:47:26,000 --> 00:47:28,839 for 907 00:47:32,450 --> 00:48:13,149 [Music]