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Would you like to inspect the original subtitles? These are the user uploaded subtitles that are being translated: 1 00:00:07,844 --> 00:00:09,411 MICHAEL C. HALL: For three years, 2 00:00:09,455 --> 00:00:12,806 peace talks between the United States and North Vietnam 3 00:00:12,849 --> 00:00:16,244 have been going on in Paris with little or no progress. 4 00:00:23,976 --> 00:00:28,633 In January of 1971, the talks remain deadlocked, 5 00:00:28,676 --> 00:00:31,462 as do the private meetings between national security 6 00:00:31,505 --> 00:00:35,335 advisor Henry Kissinger and North Vietnamese negotiator Le 7 00:00:35,379 --> 00:00:35,988 Duc Tho. 8 00:00:39,861 --> 00:00:43,343 Nonetheless, President Nixon is moving ahead with his policy 9 00:00:43,387 --> 00:00:47,608 of Vietnamization, the plan to eventually turn over all combat 10 00:00:47,652 --> 00:00:50,742 responsibilities to the South Vietnamese Army, known 11 00:00:50,785 --> 00:00:51,395 as the ARVN. 12 00:00:57,096 --> 00:00:59,315 [machine gun fire] 13 00:01:01,448 --> 00:01:03,581 Bravo! 14 00:01:03,624 --> 00:01:06,584 As a result of the ongoing US withdrawals, 15 00:01:06,627 --> 00:01:09,500 pressure is increasing, not only on the ARVN, 16 00:01:09,543 --> 00:01:11,893 but also on the remaining Americans 17 00:01:11,937 --> 00:01:14,330 to carry the full load of combat operations. 18 00:01:14,374 --> 00:01:15,593 [helicopter whirring] 19 00:01:15,636 --> 00:01:17,116 [MUSIC - DEEP PURPLE, "SMOKE ON THE WATER"] 20 00:01:17,159 --> 00:01:22,774 [SINGING] We all came out to Montreux on a Lake Geneva 21 00:01:22,817 --> 00:01:24,340 shoreline. 22 00:01:24,384 --> 00:01:26,430 YOUNG BOB CLEWELL [VOICEOVER]: Every one of these guys 23 00:01:26,473 --> 00:01:28,780 thinks he's a damn cowboy. 24 00:01:28,823 --> 00:01:32,523 I'm the lucky guy that gets to lead 'em into battle. 25 00:01:32,566 --> 00:01:34,873 MICHAEL C. HALL: Twenty-nine-year-old Major Bob 26 00:01:34,916 --> 00:01:39,704 Clewell was a military advisor to the ARVN in 1964. 27 00:01:39,747 --> 00:01:42,707 He returns to Vietnam as a company commander 28 00:01:42,750 --> 00:01:45,927 in the 101st Assault Helicopter Battalion. 29 00:01:45,971 --> 00:01:48,060 [helicopter whirring] 30 00:01:48,103 --> 00:01:52,107 YOUNG BOB CLEWELL [VOICEOVER]: My captains are experienced. 31 00:01:52,151 --> 00:01:53,326 Some of my PILOT 1s are all-- 32 00:01:53,369 --> 00:01:55,371 --recently commissioned. 33 00:01:55,415 --> 00:01:58,200 With a few exceptions, they were all on pretty much 34 00:01:58,244 --> 00:01:59,332 their first tours. 35 00:01:59,375 --> 00:02:01,334 [helicopter whirring] 36 00:02:01,377 --> 00:02:03,945 YOUNG BOB CLEWELL [VOICEOVER]: Of course, when it comes down 37 00:02:03,989 --> 00:02:08,210 to it, every one of them knows exactly what's expected of him. 38 00:02:08,254 --> 00:02:11,431 And they're more than prepared to do what I ask, 39 00:02:11,475 --> 00:02:13,781 which is a hell of a comfort because I've just gotten orders 40 00:02:13,825 --> 00:02:15,957 saying we're about to get into a big operation. 41 00:02:19,221 --> 00:02:21,702 MICHAEL C. HALL: Since the start of the war, 42 00:02:21,746 --> 00:02:24,879 the Ho Chi Minh Trail, the enemy's main supply route 43 00:02:24,923 --> 00:02:29,188 into the south, has been a thorn in the side of the Americans 44 00:02:29,231 --> 00:02:32,365 and the South Vietnamese. 45 00:02:32,408 --> 00:02:35,934 After years of heavy bombing failed to sever the trail, 46 00:02:35,977 --> 00:02:39,111 a 1970 ground incursion into Cambodia 47 00:02:39,154 --> 00:02:42,810 finally succeeded in destroying a massive amount of enemy 48 00:02:42,854 --> 00:02:47,075 weapons and ammunition. 49 00:02:47,119 --> 00:02:50,514 Now US and ARVN commanders hope that a similar assault 50 00:02:50,557 --> 00:02:53,995 against the northern end of the trail, located in Laos, 51 00:02:54,039 --> 00:02:56,520 will result in the destruction of an even greater amount 52 00:02:56,563 --> 00:03:00,045 of supplies and disrupt enemy operations long enough 53 00:03:00,088 --> 00:03:01,742 for Vietnamization to take hold. 54 00:03:04,745 --> 00:03:08,967 Codenamed Operation Lam Son 719, the plan 55 00:03:09,010 --> 00:03:12,100 is to send an armored South Vietnamese force speeding down 56 00:03:12,144 --> 00:03:15,713 Highway 9 to the village of Tchephone, which is believed 57 00:03:15,756 --> 00:03:18,585 to be a major enemy supply depot. 58 00:03:18,629 --> 00:03:22,197 At the same time, US helicopter units, including Major Bob 59 00:03:22,241 --> 00:03:25,766 Clewell and his men, will insert ARVN ground troops 60 00:03:25,810 --> 00:03:29,553 north and south of the highway to act as a blocking force 61 00:03:29,596 --> 00:03:31,424 and destroy any additional supply 62 00:03:31,467 --> 00:03:32,730 caches in the immediate area. 63 00:03:39,475 --> 00:03:42,304 In total, 12,000 South Vietnamese 64 00:03:42,348 --> 00:03:43,828 are heading into Laos. 65 00:03:43,871 --> 00:03:46,221 And for the first time since American forces 66 00:03:46,265 --> 00:03:48,876 took over primary military leadership, 67 00:03:48,920 --> 00:03:52,967 they will do all of the ground fighting. 68 00:03:53,011 --> 00:03:55,274 A congressional amendment enacted a month 69 00:03:55,317 --> 00:03:57,885 earlier prohibits US ground forces 70 00:03:57,929 --> 00:04:01,106 from setting foot outside South Vietnam. 71 00:04:01,149 --> 00:04:05,545 Lam Son 719 will be the first real test of whether or not 72 00:04:05,589 --> 00:04:08,504 the South Vietnamese military is prepared to lead 73 00:04:08,548 --> 00:04:09,723 the war by themselves. 74 00:04:12,334 --> 00:04:14,859 YOUNG BOB CLEWELL [VOICEOVER]: Right as we're about to take 75 00:04:14,902 --> 00:04:17,296 off, a couple of my pilots ask, who the hell 76 00:04:17,339 --> 00:04:19,385 are we supposed to talk to on the ground in Laos, 77 00:04:19,428 --> 00:04:21,343 since none of the ARVN we're dropping off there 78 00:04:21,387 --> 00:04:23,737 speak English? 79 00:04:23,781 --> 00:04:25,304 I tell them not to worry, because we've 80 00:04:25,347 --> 00:04:28,350 got translators standing by. 81 00:04:28,394 --> 00:04:31,484 But in the back of my mind, I have a terrible feeling 82 00:04:31,527 --> 00:04:32,572 that we're heading into trouble. 83 00:04:39,318 --> 00:04:41,842 REPORTER 1: Heavy fighting has broken out in Laos again today 84 00:04:41,886 --> 00:04:43,365 after three days of-- 85 00:04:43,409 --> 00:04:46,281 REPORTER 2: Four cameramen are reported missing in Laos 86 00:04:46,325 --> 00:04:48,283 tonight, and it's believed that they were killed 87 00:04:48,327 --> 00:04:49,589 in a helicopter crash. 88 00:04:49,633 --> 00:04:51,373 MICHAEL C. HALL: One of the journalists killed 89 00:04:51,417 --> 00:04:55,464 covering Lam Son 719 is a friend of UPI correspondent Joe 90 00:04:55,508 --> 00:04:57,728 Galloway. 91 00:04:57,771 --> 00:05:00,818 Galloway was last in Vietnam during the IA Drang Valley 92 00:05:00,861 --> 00:05:03,777 battles, almost six years earlier. 93 00:05:03,821 --> 00:05:06,824 His boss now requests he return to take 94 00:05:06,867 --> 00:05:07,868 the place of his friend. 95 00:05:11,045 --> 00:05:14,266 JOE GALLOWAY: Although I had fought to get there 96 00:05:14,309 --> 00:05:17,878 the first time, I left there thinking I never 97 00:05:17,922 --> 00:05:19,445 wanted to come back again. 98 00:05:19,488 --> 00:05:26,365 I had seen the war, and I thought, my part of it's over. 99 00:05:26,408 --> 00:05:33,764 I told my wife, and she said, you can't do that. 100 00:05:33,807 --> 00:05:36,070 You're still grieving for your friends, 101 00:05:36,114 --> 00:05:38,594 and you're going to go there and put yourself 102 00:05:38,638 --> 00:05:40,074 in the same situation? 103 00:05:40,118 --> 00:05:43,338 And I said, well, I have to do it. 104 00:05:43,382 --> 00:05:46,690 And she said, well, if you go, I may not 105 00:05:46,733 --> 00:05:49,823 be here when you come back. 106 00:05:49,867 --> 00:05:53,174 And I said, I may not come back. 107 00:05:53,218 --> 00:05:56,700 I begin to think we're all supposed to die in that place. 108 00:06:04,446 --> 00:06:06,405 [explosion] 109 00:06:06,448 --> 00:06:08,624 [artillery fire] 110 00:06:08,668 --> 00:06:11,279 MICHAEL C. HALL: Galloway arrives during the second week 111 00:06:11,323 --> 00:06:15,544 of Lam Son 719 and finds the military situation even 112 00:06:15,588 --> 00:06:17,503 grimmer than he expected. 113 00:06:17,546 --> 00:06:21,768 Nearly 60,000 NVA are massing to launch vicious assaults 114 00:06:21,812 --> 00:06:25,250 against the 12,000 South Vietnamese. 115 00:06:25,293 --> 00:06:30,951 The armored column is stopped only halfway to Tchephone. 116 00:06:30,995 --> 00:06:33,388 Finally, during the third week of fighting, 117 00:06:33,432 --> 00:06:36,565 a quick decision is made to break west and establish 118 00:06:36,609 --> 00:06:41,570 three landing zones known as Lolo, Liz, and Sophia. 119 00:06:41,614 --> 00:06:45,357 With the armored columns still bogged down on Highway 9, 120 00:06:45,400 --> 00:06:49,535 ARVN and US commanders plan to helicopter approximately 1,600 121 00:06:49,578 --> 00:06:53,191 ARVN ground troops into these LZs in the hopes 122 00:06:53,234 --> 00:06:56,498 that they can jumpstart the advance to Tchephone. 123 00:06:56,542 --> 00:06:57,717 [radio chatter] 124 00:06:57,761 --> 00:06:59,240 PILOT 1 [ON RADIO]: Rich Loyal 1-2, 125 00:06:59,284 --> 00:07:01,808 can you pick up [inaudible] going into the LZ? 126 00:07:01,852 --> 00:07:03,375 OFFICER 1 [ON RADIO]: Get that altitude. 127 00:07:03,418 --> 00:07:04,768 PILOT 1 [ON RADIO]: Yep. 128 00:07:04,811 --> 00:07:07,292 MICHAEL C. HALL: Major Bob Clewell and his company 129 00:07:07,335 --> 00:07:10,208 are among the 30 choppers selected for the missions at LZ 130 00:07:10,251 --> 00:07:11,513 Lolo. 131 00:07:11,557 --> 00:07:12,776 PILOT 2 [ON RADIO]: And Chop 6 has taken fire. 132 00:07:13,646 --> 00:07:14,821 [rattling] 133 00:07:14,865 --> 00:07:15,430 OFFICER 2 [ON RADIO]: Say it again. 134 00:07:15,474 --> 00:07:16,040 You cut out. 135 00:07:18,956 --> 00:07:21,610 PILOT 3 [ON RADIO]: --is down just west of-- 136 00:07:21,654 --> 00:07:22,655 [radio chatter] 137 00:07:22,698 --> 00:07:23,787 PILOT 4 [ON RADIO]: This is BO6. 138 00:07:23,830 --> 00:07:25,440 Say your location. 139 00:07:25,484 --> 00:07:27,138 YOUNG BOB CLEWELL [VOICEOVER]: Jesus, man, what the hell 140 00:07:27,181 --> 00:07:28,879 is going on out there? 141 00:07:28,922 --> 00:07:30,663 PILOT 3 [ON RADIO]: Mayday, mayday, mayday. 142 00:07:30,706 --> 00:07:32,056 [inaudible] is down. 143 00:07:32,099 --> 00:07:33,579 YOUNG BOB CLEWELL [VOICEOVER]: Over the radios, 144 00:07:33,622 --> 00:07:35,407 we can hear the choppers ahead of us. 145 00:07:35,450 --> 00:07:38,018 They're taking heavy fire from all over the LZ. 146 00:07:38,062 --> 00:07:39,759 PILOT 4 [ON RADIO]: Sir, 2-9er is the lead. 147 00:07:39,803 --> 00:07:40,847 Our lead aircraft was hit. 148 00:07:54,426 --> 00:07:56,297 YOUNG BOB CLEWELL [VOICEOVER]: I look down 149 00:07:56,341 --> 00:08:02,390 and it's like the terrain is moving beneath us. 150 00:08:02,434 --> 00:08:04,566 There must be several hundred enemy soldiers heavily 151 00:08:04,610 --> 00:08:06,220 camouflaged. 152 00:08:06,264 --> 00:08:08,353 --heavy camouflaged, all moving together like a carpet, 153 00:08:08,396 --> 00:08:10,094 you know? 154 00:08:10,137 --> 00:08:12,748 And then as we got close to Lam Son-- 155 00:08:12,792 --> 00:08:14,794 [machine gun fire] 156 00:08:14,838 --> 00:08:19,973 BOB CLEWELL: --began as a mass to shoot at the helicopter. 157 00:08:20,017 --> 00:08:20,756 [machine gun fire] 158 00:08:20,800 --> 00:08:21,757 MAN: Keep moving! 159 00:08:21,801 --> 00:08:23,368 Keep moving. 160 00:08:23,411 --> 00:08:28,155 [indistinct radio chatter] 161 00:08:28,199 --> 00:08:29,853 YOUNG BOB CLEWELL [VOICEOVER]: Within minutes, 162 00:08:29,896 --> 00:08:32,856 two of my choppers are shot down. 163 00:08:32,899 --> 00:08:35,815 Over the radio, I can hear our pilots calling for rescue, 164 00:08:35,859 --> 00:08:37,643 but nobody can get down to get them. 165 00:08:37,686 --> 00:08:40,037 [machine gun fire] 166 00:08:40,080 --> 00:08:43,040 [indistinct radio chatter] 167 00:08:43,083 --> 00:08:45,216 MICHAEL C. HALL: Clewell and the remaining choppers 168 00:08:45,259 --> 00:08:47,174 are determined to rescue the eight downed 169 00:08:47,218 --> 00:08:50,090 Americans from their company. 170 00:08:50,134 --> 00:08:52,745 For over an hour, they circle the LZ. 171 00:08:52,788 --> 00:08:55,443 [sustained rapid fire] 172 00:08:55,487 --> 00:08:58,882 But with their fuel and ammunition nearly depleted, 173 00:08:58,925 --> 00:09:02,320 they are finally forced to head back to the base at Khe Sanh. 174 00:09:02,363 --> 00:09:04,713 I have no contact with my leadership at the present time. 175 00:09:04,757 --> 00:09:06,324 [helicopter whirring] 176 00:09:19,685 --> 00:09:21,992 YOUNG BOB CLEWELL [VOICEOVER]: When we get to Khe Sanh, 177 00:09:22,035 --> 00:09:23,950 everyone's exhausted, but there's 178 00:09:23,994 --> 00:09:27,954 no way I'm going to leave our guys out there. 179 00:09:27,998 --> 00:09:29,956 So I gather everyone together and I ask the guys, 180 00:09:30,000 --> 00:09:31,610 I say look-- 181 00:09:31,653 --> 00:09:33,177 BOB CLEWELL: I said now, look, I said, you know, guys are still 182 00:09:33,220 --> 00:09:34,743 alive out there. 183 00:09:34,787 --> 00:09:36,484 And I said, we're going to go back out and get our guys, 184 00:09:36,528 --> 00:09:39,226 make an effort. 185 00:09:39,270 --> 00:09:40,793 You don't have to come with us, but I'd 186 00:09:40,836 --> 00:09:42,490 like to see a show of hands of those 187 00:09:42,534 --> 00:09:44,318 that do want to come with us. 188 00:09:44,362 --> 00:09:45,885 And sure enough, everybody raised their hand. 189 00:09:54,850 --> 00:09:57,201 YOUNG BOB CLEWELL [VOICEOVER]: As we head back towards Lolo, 190 00:09:57,244 --> 00:09:58,985 I feel an incredible sense of pride. 191 00:10:03,468 --> 00:10:06,427 This is what being part of a chopper crew is all about. 192 00:10:19,092 --> 00:10:21,225 MICHAEL C. HALL: In March of 1971, 193 00:10:21,268 --> 00:10:24,315 South Vietnamese ground troops are in battle against the North 194 00:10:24,358 --> 00:10:25,969 Vietnamese. 195 00:10:26,012 --> 00:10:29,233 And for the first time, they're without US advisors or ground 196 00:10:29,276 --> 00:10:30,582 support. 197 00:10:30,625 --> 00:10:33,715 Only US air crews, including Major Bob Clewell 198 00:10:33,759 --> 00:10:37,502 and his choppers, are in the thick of the fight. 199 00:10:37,545 --> 00:10:40,940 They are speeding towards landing zone Lolo in Laos 200 00:10:40,984 --> 00:10:43,551 to rescue the eight men from his company who were shot down 201 00:10:43,595 --> 00:10:44,204 by the NVA. 202 00:10:48,817 --> 00:10:50,167 [machine gun fire] 203 00:10:50,210 --> 00:10:51,646 YOUNG BOB CLEWELL [VOICEOVER]: My mind's racing 204 00:10:51,690 --> 00:10:53,605 a mile a minute, running through every possible scenario. 205 00:10:56,869 --> 00:10:59,263 Only one thing's for sure. 206 00:10:59,306 --> 00:11:04,094 We've got men down there and we aren't leaving without them. 207 00:11:04,137 --> 00:11:06,183 [helicopter whirring] 208 00:11:06,226 --> 00:11:10,143 These men are some of the most courageous, most dedicated 209 00:11:10,187 --> 00:11:12,493 soldiers I have ever met. 210 00:11:12,537 --> 00:11:16,019 Every one of them knew exactly what kind of hell was out here. 211 00:11:16,062 --> 00:11:19,413 And yet, not a single one even hesitated 212 00:11:19,457 --> 00:11:21,633 at the thought of coming back for their friends. 213 00:11:21,676 --> 00:11:22,547 [explosion] 214 00:11:22,590 --> 00:11:23,852 [gunshots] 215 00:11:23,896 --> 00:11:26,986 [helicopter whirring] 216 00:11:27,030 --> 00:11:29,989 MICHAEL C. HALL: In total, seven choppers are shot down 217 00:11:30,033 --> 00:11:34,472 and two American lives lost at LZ Lolo. 218 00:11:34,515 --> 00:11:36,474 But thanks to the courage and determination 219 00:11:36,517 --> 00:11:39,303 of Clewell and his fellow pilots and crewmen, 220 00:11:39,346 --> 00:11:43,133 no American, dead or alive, is left behind. 221 00:11:46,136 --> 00:11:48,051 YOUNG BOB CLEWELL [VOICEOVER]: In all my years 222 00:11:48,094 --> 00:11:51,706 in the military, I've never been more proud 223 00:11:51,750 --> 00:11:54,535 or more awed by the bravery of men. 224 00:12:02,326 --> 00:12:04,067 MICHAEL C. HALL: Three days later, the push 225 00:12:04,110 --> 00:12:08,114 continues as 120 American choppers lift off 226 00:12:08,158 --> 00:12:10,769 to deliver 800 additional ARVN ground 227 00:12:10,812 --> 00:12:14,251 troops within striking distance of their ultimate target, 228 00:12:14,294 --> 00:12:17,210 Tchephone. 229 00:12:17,254 --> 00:12:20,387 [helicopter whirring] 230 00:12:33,661 --> 00:12:37,056 They arrive to find the NVA have stripped the village of almost 231 00:12:37,100 --> 00:12:40,015 everything of value. 232 00:12:40,059 --> 00:12:43,497 Tchephone is not even close to being the massive enemy supply 233 00:12:43,541 --> 00:12:45,847 depot military commanders expected. 234 00:12:45,891 --> 00:12:48,067 [vietnamese chatter] 235 00:12:49,764 --> 00:12:51,331 [explosion] 236 00:12:53,072 --> 00:12:56,467 Over the next three weeks, as the 17,000 ARVN troops, 237 00:12:56,510 --> 00:12:59,165 now inside Laos, begin to withdraw, 238 00:12:59,209 --> 00:13:01,950 the North Vietnamese lay siege to those furthest 239 00:13:01,994 --> 00:13:02,908 inside the country. 240 00:13:02,951 --> 00:13:06,433 [machine gun fire] 241 00:13:08,392 --> 00:13:10,655 With their troops surrounded and outnumbered, 242 00:13:10,698 --> 00:13:13,179 inexperienced South Vietnamese commanders 243 00:13:13,223 --> 00:13:16,661 begin to lose control, forcing US choppers to come 244 00:13:16,704 --> 00:13:19,838 to their rescue. 245 00:13:19,881 --> 00:13:22,101 [helicopter whirring] 246 00:13:36,115 --> 00:13:37,769 YOUNG JOE GALLOWAY [VOICEOVER]: Our pilots 247 00:13:37,812 --> 00:13:42,687 risk their own lives to save them, going in again and again. 248 00:13:42,730 --> 00:13:45,342 Some of them are being shot down, two, three-- 249 00:13:45,385 --> 00:13:48,345 JOE GALLOWAY: --two, three times a day. 250 00:13:48,388 --> 00:13:53,393 They'd be shot down, rescued, go back, get another helicopter, 251 00:13:53,437 --> 00:13:58,311 fly back out, get shot down again, absolutely insane. 252 00:14:01,619 --> 00:14:07,973 You'd go in the club at night, and all of their pilots 253 00:14:08,016 --> 00:14:13,500 and crew had their name tags on cup hooks hanging 254 00:14:13,544 --> 00:14:15,459 behind the bar. 255 00:14:15,502 --> 00:14:17,504 And you could come in and take a look. 256 00:14:17,548 --> 00:14:22,727 And those who got killed that day, they turned upside down. 257 00:14:22,770 --> 00:14:27,340 So you could scan the roster, as it were, and see who was alive 258 00:14:27,384 --> 00:14:28,036 still. 259 00:14:41,267 --> 00:14:43,965 MICHAEL C. HALL: By the time Operation Lam Son 719 260 00:14:44,009 --> 00:14:49,536 concludes, nearly 3,800 ARVN have been killed. 261 00:14:49,580 --> 00:14:57,240 253 Americans are dead and over 1,100 wounded. 262 00:14:57,283 --> 00:14:59,807 JOE GALLOWAY: It was a disaster. 263 00:14:59,851 --> 00:15:04,551 It was supposed to prove that the South Vietnamese were 264 00:15:04,595 --> 00:15:09,339 competent and capable and could take over the American role. 265 00:15:09,382 --> 00:15:10,514 That was the graduation-- 266 00:15:10,557 --> 00:15:12,211 YOUNG JOE GALLOWAY [VOICEOVER]: --that 267 00:15:12,255 --> 00:15:13,386 was the graduation exercise. 268 00:15:13,430 --> 00:15:15,780 But I'm afraid all it's shown is even 269 00:15:15,823 --> 00:15:18,870 though the South Vietnamese soldiers fought valiantly, 270 00:15:18,913 --> 00:15:22,308 their leadership is nowhere near ready to take control 271 00:15:22,352 --> 00:15:24,963 of this war. 272 00:15:25,006 --> 00:15:27,095 MICHAEL C. HALL: But that is not the message President Nixon 273 00:15:27,139 --> 00:15:29,663 delivers to the nation. 274 00:15:29,707 --> 00:15:31,752 PRESIDENT NIXON: Did the Laotian operations contribute 275 00:15:31,796 --> 00:15:34,364 to the goals we sought? 276 00:15:34,407 --> 00:15:36,931 I just completed my assessment of that operation, 277 00:15:36,975 --> 00:15:39,412 and here are my conclusions. 278 00:15:39,456 --> 00:15:41,893 The South Vietnamese demonstrated 279 00:15:41,936 --> 00:15:46,463 that without American advisors, they could fight effectively 280 00:15:46,506 --> 00:15:48,682 against the very best troops North Vietnam could put 281 00:15:48,726 --> 00:15:49,509 in the field. 282 00:15:49,553 --> 00:15:50,902 The South Vietnamese-- 283 00:15:50,945 --> 00:15:55,863 JOE GALLOWAY: They wanted to spin it as a success, 284 00:15:55,907 --> 00:16:01,869 but that it should be amply evident to anyone who looked 285 00:16:01,913 --> 00:16:08,267 at the situation and be able to understand this war is lost. 286 00:16:14,360 --> 00:16:17,494 [MEN SINGING "BRING OUR SOLDIERS HOME NOW"] 287 00:16:20,061 --> 00:16:22,368 MICHAEL C. HALL: Less than three weeks after President Nixon 288 00:16:22,412 --> 00:16:25,893 delivers his assessment of Lam Son 719, 289 00:16:25,937 --> 00:16:29,680 a five-day-long demonstration in Washington DC, 290 00:16:29,723 --> 00:16:32,726 organized by Vietnam veterans against the war, 291 00:16:32,770 --> 00:16:36,121 garners huge publicity and controversy. 292 00:16:36,164 --> 00:16:37,905 [indistinct shouting] 293 00:16:37,949 --> 00:16:42,170 On the fourth day of the event, VVAW spokesman, John Kerry, 294 00:16:42,214 --> 00:16:44,825 testifies before Congress. 295 00:16:44,869 --> 00:16:48,568 He is the first Vietnam veteran to do so. 296 00:16:48,612 --> 00:16:50,962 JOHN KERRY: Each day, to facilitate the process 297 00:16:51,005 --> 00:16:55,009 by which the United States washes her hands of Vietnam, 298 00:16:55,053 --> 00:16:58,709 someone has to give up his life so that the United States 299 00:16:58,752 --> 00:17:01,973 doesn't have to admit something that the entire world already 300 00:17:02,016 --> 00:17:07,239 knows, so that we can't say that we've made a mistake. 301 00:17:07,282 --> 00:17:11,417 And we are asking Americans to think about that, because how 302 00:17:11,461 --> 00:17:15,813 do you ask a man to be the last man to die in Vietnam? 303 00:17:15,856 --> 00:17:17,162 [cheers] 304 00:17:17,205 --> 00:17:19,643 MICHAEL C. HALL: The day after Kerry's testimony, 305 00:17:19,686 --> 00:17:22,123 the veterans converge in front of the Capitol 306 00:17:22,167 --> 00:17:24,778 for their final day of demonstrations. 307 00:17:24,822 --> 00:17:27,346 Among them is former second lieutenant Barry Romo. 308 00:17:30,741 --> 00:17:32,960 YOUNG BARRY ROMO [VOICEOVER]: When we get to the Capital, 309 00:17:33,004 --> 00:17:35,006 everyone lines up. 310 00:17:35,049 --> 00:17:38,531 And every single person, one at a time, 311 00:17:38,575 --> 00:17:44,189 takes the medals they had won in Vietnam and throws them away. 312 00:17:44,232 --> 00:17:46,974 [cheers, applause] 313 00:17:48,802 --> 00:17:51,239 And when it's my turn to step forward and throw it down-- 314 00:17:51,283 --> 00:17:53,459 BARRY ROMO: --all I said was these aren't worth shit. 315 00:17:53,503 --> 00:17:55,983 I couldn't say anything else. 316 00:17:56,027 --> 00:17:57,942 All I could think about, my nephew, 317 00:17:57,985 --> 00:18:01,075 how he was awarded a bronze star with a V. And of course, 318 00:18:01,119 --> 00:18:02,555 he died to get his. 319 00:18:05,645 --> 00:18:10,998 And so all I could think about was the sacrifice that he had 320 00:18:11,042 --> 00:18:13,131 made for-- for the same thing that I had done. 321 00:18:13,174 --> 00:18:14,611 [MUSIC - CREEDENCE CLEARWATER REVIVAL, 322 00:18:14,654 --> 00:18:16,439 "HAVE YOU EVER SEEN THE RAIN?"] 323 00:18:16,482 --> 00:18:20,355 [SINGING] Someone told me long ago, 324 00:18:20,399 --> 00:18:23,663 there's a calm before the storm. 325 00:18:23,707 --> 00:18:31,671 I know, it's been coming for some time. 326 00:18:31,715 --> 00:18:39,679 I want to know, have you ever seen the rain? 327 00:18:39,723 --> 00:18:42,334 Coming down-- 328 00:18:42,377 --> 00:18:44,945 [helicopter whirring] 329 00:18:50,706 --> 00:18:53,231 YOUNG BOB CLEWELL [VOICEOVER]: I can't say I'll miss this place, 330 00:18:53,274 --> 00:18:56,277 but I sure as hell will miss these guys. 331 00:18:58,449 --> 00:19:00,364 Although, from the looks of things, 332 00:19:00,408 --> 00:19:04,107 they'll all be following me home soon enough. 333 00:19:04,150 --> 00:19:06,109 MICHAEL C. HALL: In July of 1971, 334 00:19:06,152 --> 00:19:09,286 Major Bob Clewell completes his tour of duty, 335 00:19:09,329 --> 00:19:13,072 having flown over 600 combat hours as company commander. 336 00:19:15,031 --> 00:19:16,815 YOUNG BOB CLEWELL [VOICEOVER]: No matter 337 00:19:16,859 --> 00:19:21,037 what anyone says, we came here to fight for democracy, 338 00:19:21,080 --> 00:19:24,257 just like our fathers did in World War II. 339 00:19:24,301 --> 00:19:27,086 Just like them, we wanted to spare our families 340 00:19:27,130 --> 00:19:30,220 from the horrors of war, the things 341 00:19:30,263 --> 00:19:33,397 that they had seen that they couldn't talk about. 342 00:19:33,441 --> 00:19:36,705 You know, as a consequence, we felt that deep commitment 343 00:19:36,748 --> 00:19:39,708 to serve our country in Vietnam. 344 00:19:42,188 --> 00:19:44,669 YOUNG BOB CLEWELL [VOICEOVER]: This war may not be the most 345 00:19:44,713 --> 00:19:47,280 popular anymore, but we know that we 346 00:19:47,324 --> 00:19:50,501 did what we were asked to do to the best of our abilities. 347 00:19:55,985 --> 00:19:59,249 MICHAEL C. HALL: Throughout 1971, US forces accelerate 348 00:19:59,292 --> 00:20:01,556 their withdrawal from Vietnam. 349 00:20:01,599 --> 00:20:03,862 The difficulties demonstrated by the ARVN's 350 00:20:03,906 --> 00:20:06,952 first major operation without US ground support 351 00:20:06,996 --> 00:20:10,303 hasn't lessened Nixon's determination to turn the war 352 00:20:10,347 --> 00:20:11,609 over to the South Vietnamese. 353 00:20:22,925 --> 00:20:25,318 [sustained rapid fire] 354 00:20:27,016 --> 00:20:30,193 In March of 1972, with US troop strength the lowest 355 00:20:30,236 --> 00:20:34,502 it has been in seven years, the NVA suddenly stunned the world 356 00:20:34,545 --> 00:20:36,895 by launching a massive three-pronged attack 357 00:20:36,939 --> 00:20:37,679 into the south. 358 00:20:37,722 --> 00:20:40,159 [sustained rapid fire] 359 00:20:40,203 --> 00:20:44,250 Nearly 150,000 enemy troops, along with supporting armor 360 00:20:44,294 --> 00:20:48,254 and artillery units, launched conventional frontal assaults 361 00:20:48,298 --> 00:20:50,692 against thinly-held ARVN defensive lines. 362 00:20:50,735 --> 00:20:52,694 [artillery fire] 363 00:20:54,260 --> 00:20:56,959 As some South Vietnamese units begin to crumble, 364 00:20:57,002 --> 00:21:00,876 President Nixon once again goes on national television, 365 00:21:00,919 --> 00:21:04,227 this time, to try to help a faltering ally by building 366 00:21:04,270 --> 00:21:06,185 a case for a new phase of the war. 367 00:21:06,229 --> 00:21:09,101 [machine gun fire] 368 00:21:09,145 --> 00:21:11,234 Throughout the war in Vietnam, the United States 369 00:21:11,277 --> 00:21:13,497 has exercised a degree of restraint 370 00:21:13,541 --> 00:21:15,804 unprecedented in the annals of war. 371 00:21:15,847 --> 00:21:18,458 [roaring engine] 372 00:21:18,502 --> 00:21:22,898 However, when the enemy abandons all restraint, throws 373 00:21:22,941 --> 00:21:26,597 its whole army in the battle in the territory of its neighbor, 374 00:21:26,641 --> 00:21:30,688 refuses to negotiate, we simply face a new situation. 375 00:21:36,564 --> 00:21:39,262 In these circumstances, any president 376 00:21:39,305 --> 00:21:42,352 who failed to act decisively would 377 00:21:42,395 --> 00:21:45,007 have betrayed the trust of his country 378 00:21:45,050 --> 00:21:48,010 and betrayed the cause of world peace. 379 00:21:48,053 --> 00:21:50,708 [roaring engine] 380 00:21:53,363 --> 00:21:55,234 MICHAEL C. HALL: After a three-year suspension, 381 00:21:55,278 --> 00:21:59,761 the US begins large-scale bombings inside North Vietnam. 382 00:21:59,804 --> 00:22:03,242 For the first time, the North Vietnamese capital of Hanoi 383 00:22:03,286 --> 00:22:03,634 is targeted. 384 00:22:10,249 --> 00:22:13,644 [explosions] 385 00:22:18,127 --> 00:22:22,958 Over the next five and a half months, 200,000 tons of bombs 386 00:22:23,001 --> 00:22:27,397 rain down on the north, while US forces complete 387 00:22:27,440 --> 00:22:29,181 their final withdrawal from the south. 388 00:22:33,359 --> 00:22:36,406 President Nixon, who is running for re-election, 389 00:22:36,449 --> 00:22:40,149 is under pressure to bring the troops home. 390 00:22:40,192 --> 00:22:45,110 And so despite the ongoing bombing, on August 11, 1972, 391 00:22:45,154 --> 00:22:49,811 the last US ground combat unit departs South Vietnam. 392 00:22:49,854 --> 00:22:53,858 America's ground operations officially end, 393 00:22:53,902 --> 00:22:57,557 but the war in Vietnam does not. 394 00:22:57,601 --> 00:23:01,431 Without a signed peace treaty, the future of South Vietnam, 395 00:23:01,474 --> 00:23:04,695 as well as more than 500 American prisoners of war 396 00:23:04,739 --> 00:23:08,177 who are awaiting release in the north remains uncertain. 397 00:23:12,747 --> 00:23:15,010 Finally, in October, Henry Kissinger 398 00:23:15,053 --> 00:23:17,534 announces a breakthrough in his negotiation 399 00:23:17,577 --> 00:23:21,799 with North Vietnam's Le Duc Tho. 400 00:23:21,843 --> 00:23:25,629 HENRY KISSINGER: Peace is at hand. 401 00:23:25,673 --> 00:23:31,983 We believe that an agreement is within sight. 402 00:23:32,027 --> 00:23:33,724 MICHAEL C. HALL: But days after Kissinger's 403 00:23:33,768 --> 00:23:38,207 optimistic announcement, South Vietnam's President Thieu 404 00:23:38,250 --> 00:23:40,339 rejects the treaty when he learns 405 00:23:40,383 --> 00:23:45,344 it allows North Vietnamese troops to remain in the south. 406 00:23:45,388 --> 00:23:47,869 Resolution of the POW issue goes on hold. 407 00:23:51,699 --> 00:23:55,441 For Anne Purcell, whose husband Ben was captured almost five 408 00:23:55,485 --> 00:23:58,531 years before, it is almost unbearable. 409 00:24:01,534 --> 00:24:02,927 ANNE PURCELL: It was a roller coaster. 410 00:24:02,971 --> 00:24:05,843 We felt hopeful, and then we would-- 411 00:24:05,887 --> 00:24:08,628 our hope would be dashed, and then again a hope, 412 00:24:08,672 --> 00:24:09,847 and then dashed again. 413 00:24:09,891 --> 00:24:12,676 It was just a roller coaster one-- 414 00:24:12,720 --> 00:24:15,113 one week after the other. 415 00:24:15,157 --> 00:24:18,900 And I remember saying to the Lord in prayer, 416 00:24:18,943 --> 00:24:20,945 I don't know how much longer I can hold on. 417 00:24:28,344 --> 00:24:30,259 MICHAEL C. HALL: Negotiations continue for the next three 418 00:24:30,302 --> 00:24:32,130 months. 419 00:24:32,174 --> 00:24:37,048 Until, on January 27, 1973, after continued bombing 420 00:24:37,092 --> 00:24:40,095 of the north and much US pressure on the south, 421 00:24:40,138 --> 00:24:42,401 all parties finally signed the Paris Peace Accords. 422 00:24:47,102 --> 00:24:49,844 Hostilities are to cease immediately, 423 00:24:49,887 --> 00:24:51,846 but North Vietnamese troops are allowed 424 00:24:51,889 --> 00:24:55,023 to stay inside the south on the condition 425 00:24:55,066 --> 00:24:57,460 that they do not continue to build up their forces 426 00:24:57,503 --> 00:24:58,896 or resume aggressions. 427 00:25:05,250 --> 00:25:07,557 PRESIDENT NIXON: I have asked for this radio and television 428 00:25:07,600 --> 00:25:12,954 time tonight for the purpose of announcing that we, today, have 429 00:25:12,997 --> 00:25:16,131 concluded an agreement to end the war 430 00:25:16,174 --> 00:25:19,656 and bring peace with honor in Vietnam and in Southeast Asia. 431 00:25:24,052 --> 00:25:26,141 [cheers, applause] 432 00:25:26,184 --> 00:25:29,057 MICHAEL C. HALL: years earlier, at the end of World War II, 433 00:25:29,100 --> 00:25:31,320 Times Square and New York City erupted 434 00:25:31,363 --> 00:25:32,800 in spontaneous celebration. 435 00:25:32,843 --> 00:25:35,890 [cheers, applause] 436 00:25:39,154 --> 00:25:41,547 Not so in 1973. 437 00:25:41,591 --> 00:25:43,636 [thunder cracking] 438 00:25:45,290 --> 00:25:46,770 NEWSCASTER 2: This is [inaudible] in Times Square 439 00:25:46,814 --> 00:25:49,381 in New York City, where the major visible observance 440 00:25:49,425 --> 00:25:51,993 as the end of the war is the great sign "Peace" down 441 00:25:52,036 --> 00:25:54,386 the side of the Allied Chemical building. 442 00:25:54,430 --> 00:25:57,302 The sign flashed on, and the moving newswire below it 443 00:25:57,346 --> 00:25:59,827 signaled the word over and over for a minute. 444 00:25:59,870 --> 00:26:01,829 And on this rainy, cold evening here, there 445 00:26:01,872 --> 00:26:03,482 were a few around to see it. 446 00:26:03,526 --> 00:26:06,050 Times Square, which had filled again and again over the years 447 00:26:06,094 --> 00:26:08,748 with crowds demanding peace, and a rather smaller crowd 448 00:26:08,792 --> 00:26:10,620 to celebrate its arrival. 449 00:26:10,663 --> 00:26:14,189 There were other observances as the hour came-- 450 00:26:14,232 --> 00:26:16,408 MICHAEL C. HALL: Eight years after the Marines first 451 00:26:16,452 --> 00:26:20,282 landed in Vietnam, the war that divided a nation is finally 452 00:26:20,325 --> 00:26:20,935 over. 453 00:26:24,982 --> 00:26:29,073 And the unwinding of America's involvement can begin. 454 00:26:38,343 --> 00:26:41,781 [applause] 455 00:26:44,480 --> 00:26:46,047 [indistinct chatter] 456 00:26:48,049 --> 00:26:51,182 Three weeks after the Paris Peace agreement is signed, 457 00:26:51,226 --> 00:26:56,231 the return of America's prisoners of war begins. 458 00:26:56,274 --> 00:26:59,234 For hundreds of families across America, 459 00:26:59,277 --> 00:27:01,627 it's the end of an emotional journey. 460 00:27:01,671 --> 00:27:04,848 [cheers, applause] 461 00:27:18,557 --> 00:27:22,300 After five and a half years, I know what makes America great. 462 00:27:22,344 --> 00:27:24,346 It's you, the people. 463 00:27:24,389 --> 00:27:27,218 Thank you so much for your support. 464 00:27:27,262 --> 00:27:28,741 I love you this much. 465 00:27:28,785 --> 00:27:29,481 I love you this much. 466 00:27:44,366 --> 00:27:47,064 YOUNG ANNE PURCELL [VOICEOVER]: My stomach is in knots. 467 00:27:47,108 --> 00:27:48,457 For five years, I've done nothing 468 00:27:48,500 --> 00:27:49,501 but dream about this moment. 469 00:27:57,335 --> 00:28:00,599 "Dear Mrs. Benjamin Purcell, on behalf of the-- 470 00:28:00,643 --> 00:28:06,475 --Secretary of the Army, I wish to inform you--" 471 00:28:06,518 --> 00:28:07,911 I can't do it. 472 00:28:07,955 --> 00:28:10,827 [sobbing softly] 473 00:28:13,525 --> 00:28:14,135 Give me a minute. 474 00:28:26,190 --> 00:28:31,804 Isn't that strange, that I'd cry when I knew he was coming home? 475 00:28:31,848 --> 00:28:34,982 [sobbing softly] 476 00:28:36,374 --> 00:28:39,203 [indistinct chatter] 477 00:28:40,683 --> 00:28:42,511 [cheers, applause] 478 00:28:42,554 --> 00:28:46,428 We all were transported by bus or sedan to the airport, 479 00:28:46,471 --> 00:28:52,477 and we were all waiting in our little groups. 480 00:28:52,521 --> 00:28:54,697 And we were all waiting and waiting and waiting 481 00:28:54,740 --> 00:28:56,003 till the plane came. 482 00:28:56,046 --> 00:28:58,266 And they had the red carpet. 483 00:28:58,309 --> 00:29:04,054 They had all these bank of microphones for them 484 00:29:04,098 --> 00:29:06,839 to each one speak as they got off. 485 00:29:06,883 --> 00:29:08,624 Ben was the highest ranking-- 486 00:29:08,667 --> 00:29:10,887 YOUNG ANNE PURCELL [VOICEOVER]: --the highest ranking 487 00:29:10,930 --> 00:29:12,758 on the plane and they let him off first. 488 00:29:12,802 --> 00:29:16,675 Distinguished arrival, Colonel Benjamin H. Purcell. 489 00:29:16,719 --> 00:29:18,634 [cheers, applause] 490 00:29:18,677 --> 00:29:20,375 YOUNG ANNE PURCELL [VOICEOVER]: As soon 491 00:29:20,418 --> 00:29:23,291 as Ben steps out the door, our children start screaming. 492 00:29:23,334 --> 00:29:26,772 They're so excited, they can barely control themselves. 493 00:29:26,816 --> 00:29:30,428 Even I can hardly keep myself together. 494 00:29:30,472 --> 00:29:35,912 Fellow Georgians, some five and a half years ago-- 495 00:29:35,955 --> 00:29:38,001 YOUNG ANNE PURCELL [VOICEOVER]: I'm trying so hard 496 00:29:38,045 --> 00:29:41,222 to control myself and wait for him to finish speaking. 497 00:29:41,265 --> 00:29:45,008 But all I want to do is just touch him 498 00:29:45,052 --> 00:29:47,663 so that I can be sure that this is for real, 499 00:29:47,706 --> 00:29:49,752 and that he's real. 500 00:29:49,795 --> 00:29:50,405 --the Gulf of Mexico. 501 00:29:53,147 --> 00:29:54,583 Instead, he found-- 502 00:29:54,626 --> 00:29:56,541 YOUNG ANNE PURCELL [VOICEOVER]: I can't take it anymore, 503 00:29:56,585 --> 00:29:58,587 so in the middle of his speech, I run out of the crowd 504 00:29:58,630 --> 00:29:59,501 and straight up to him. 505 00:29:59,544 --> 00:30:02,504 [applause] 506 00:30:12,557 --> 00:30:18,128 At this moment, my years of loneliness and my wife's 507 00:30:18,172 --> 00:30:21,566 long vigil comes to a happy end. 508 00:30:21,610 --> 00:30:24,830 [applause] 509 00:30:34,188 --> 00:30:37,626 ANNE PURCELL: When I can run out there and hug you, 510 00:30:37,669 --> 00:30:39,758 I knew that you were finally home. 511 00:30:39,802 --> 00:30:41,760 And then I think that's the moment 512 00:30:41,804 --> 00:30:44,023 that it took for me to really believe that you were going 513 00:30:44,067 --> 00:30:47,026 to come back. 514 00:30:47,070 --> 00:30:48,071 What a wonderful thing. 515 00:30:52,206 --> 00:30:52,858 You're my angel. 516 00:31:11,747 --> 00:31:15,272 [cheers, applause] 517 00:31:18,493 --> 00:31:20,103 MICHAEL C. HALL: For many Americans, 518 00:31:20,147 --> 00:31:24,586 the return of the POWs marks the final conclusion of the Vietnam 519 00:31:24,629 --> 00:31:25,804 War. 520 00:31:25,848 --> 00:31:28,024 The troubles of Southeast Asia slipped 521 00:31:28,067 --> 00:31:30,505 from the daily newscasts, giving way 522 00:31:30,548 --> 00:31:32,855 to reports of the Watergate break-in 523 00:31:32,898 --> 00:31:34,813 and subsequent political firestorm. 524 00:31:34,857 --> 00:31:37,207 NEWSCASTER 1: There was talk this weekend that the President 525 00:31:37,251 --> 00:31:38,687 should resign. 526 00:31:38,730 --> 00:31:42,256 He's under siege because of the Watergate scandal. 527 00:31:42,299 --> 00:31:48,000 As President, I must put the interests of America first. 528 00:31:48,044 --> 00:31:52,179 Therefore, I shall resign the presidency, effective at noon 529 00:31:52,222 --> 00:31:52,788 tomorrow. 530 00:31:58,141 --> 00:32:01,797 I, Gerald R. Ford, do solemnly swear that I will faithfully 531 00:32:01,840 --> 00:32:03,146 execute-- 532 00:32:03,190 --> 00:32:04,452 MICHAEL C. HALL: By the time Gerald Ford 533 00:32:04,495 --> 00:32:07,933 assumes the presidency in August of 1974, 534 00:32:07,977 --> 00:32:12,155 US aid to South Vietnam has been cut by 75% 535 00:32:12,199 --> 00:32:13,809 since its height a year earlier. 536 00:32:13,852 --> 00:32:14,331 [applause] 537 00:32:16,768 --> 00:32:19,423 For the ARVN, who've depended upon American money 538 00:32:19,467 --> 00:32:23,514 and military supplies since 1954, 539 00:32:23,558 --> 00:32:27,475 the cutbacks have a devastating effect. 540 00:32:27,518 --> 00:32:30,739 Planes sit idle on runways, unable to take off 541 00:32:30,782 --> 00:32:34,482 because of lack of fuel. 542 00:32:34,525 --> 00:32:36,788 Artillery pieces that had once been allocated 543 00:32:36,832 --> 00:32:42,229 100 rounds per day are rationed to only 10. 544 00:32:42,272 --> 00:32:45,014 But while the ARVN supplies are dwindling, 545 00:32:45,057 --> 00:32:46,711 the North Vietnamese are rebuilding 546 00:32:46,755 --> 00:32:49,105 their military strength. 547 00:32:49,148 --> 00:32:51,673 [explosions, artillery fire] 548 00:32:53,501 --> 00:32:57,940 On March 10, 1975, just over two years after the Paris Peace 549 00:32:57,983 --> 00:33:02,205 agreement was signed, hopes for an independent South Vietnam 550 00:33:02,249 --> 00:33:03,728 come crumbling down. 551 00:33:03,772 --> 00:33:06,383 [sustained rapid fire] 552 00:33:07,819 --> 00:33:09,952 The North Vietnamese launch their largest and most 553 00:33:09,995 --> 00:33:12,084 ambitious offensive yet into the south. 554 00:33:17,786 --> 00:33:21,703 As ARVN units begin to falter, hundreds of thousands 555 00:33:21,746 --> 00:33:24,401 of South Vietnamese civilians run for their lives. 556 00:33:27,709 --> 00:33:32,366 On April 21st, President Thieu resigns. 557 00:33:32,409 --> 00:33:37,153 Four days later, NVA forces reach the outskirts of Saigon. 558 00:33:37,196 --> 00:33:40,374 [indistinct shouting] 559 00:33:40,417 --> 00:33:43,812 On April 29th, as Saigon crumbles, 560 00:33:43,855 --> 00:33:47,206 a small contingent of US State Department, CIA workers, 561 00:33:47,250 --> 00:33:49,861 and Marines who remained in Vietnam 562 00:33:49,905 --> 00:33:52,211 begin a hasty and desperate evacuation 563 00:33:52,255 --> 00:33:55,432 of South Vietnamese civilians and government employees 564 00:33:55,476 --> 00:33:56,955 who had worked with the United States. 565 00:33:56,999 --> 00:34:00,263 [helicopter whirring] 566 00:34:11,840 --> 00:34:14,146 Tens of thousands of people scramble 567 00:34:14,190 --> 00:34:15,409 onto US ships waiting offshore. 568 00:34:23,068 --> 00:34:25,332 As they run out of space for people, 569 00:34:25,375 --> 00:34:27,899 millions of dollars of military equipment 570 00:34:27,943 --> 00:34:30,859 is dumped into the ocean. 571 00:34:30,902 --> 00:34:32,121 [splash] 572 00:34:32,164 --> 00:34:35,342 [indistinct shouting] 573 00:34:56,537 --> 00:34:59,801 On April 30th, just before 8:00 AM, 574 00:34:59,844 --> 00:35:03,282 the last American chopper to leave Saigon lifts off 575 00:35:03,326 --> 00:35:04,458 from the roof of the embassy. 576 00:35:04,501 --> 00:35:07,678 [helicopter whirring] 577 00:35:09,680 --> 00:35:12,814 Less than four hours later, North Vietnamese tanks 578 00:35:12,857 --> 00:35:15,512 crash through the gates of the presidential palace. 579 00:35:19,298 --> 00:35:21,910 At 4 o'clock, a live radio broadcast 580 00:35:21,953 --> 00:35:26,567 announces Saigon is officially renamed Ho Chi Minh City. 581 00:35:29,570 --> 00:35:31,223 YOUNG JOE GALLOWAY [VOICEOVER]: We're all 582 00:35:31,267 --> 00:35:34,792 gathered in the Bureau, standing over the teletype, when 583 00:35:34,836 --> 00:35:37,142 it starts ringing flashes. 584 00:35:37,186 --> 00:35:39,797 Saigon has fallen. 585 00:35:39,841 --> 00:35:42,278 JOE GALLOWAY: Saigon has fallen. 586 00:35:42,321 --> 00:35:45,586 The presidential palace is taken. 587 00:35:45,629 --> 00:35:47,065 It was over. 588 00:35:47,109 --> 00:35:47,457 It was over. 589 00:36:03,342 --> 00:36:08,347 KEITH CONNOLLY: When I hear people talk about Vietnam, 590 00:36:08,391 --> 00:36:13,614 and they say we lost, or it wasn't a war we should have 591 00:36:13,657 --> 00:36:21,186 been involved in, I can't necessarily argue with that. 592 00:36:21,230 --> 00:36:24,276 But it immediately brings to mind the people that 593 00:36:24,320 --> 00:36:28,498 made the ultimate sacrifices over there, the people 594 00:36:28,542 --> 00:36:31,806 that nobody asked them, did you want to go? 595 00:36:31,849 --> 00:36:34,243 The military people didn't have a vote. 596 00:36:34,286 --> 00:36:37,551 We didn't get a chance to say, yeah, I'd like to go to war. 597 00:36:37,594 --> 00:36:39,683 We were directed to do it and, by God, we did it. 598 00:36:55,786 --> 00:36:57,440 DON DEVORE: I had taken my military experience 599 00:36:57,484 --> 00:37:00,661 and I had really buried it. 600 00:37:00,704 --> 00:37:02,532 And I didn't want to bother with it, 601 00:37:02,576 --> 00:37:06,884 and I didn't want anybody else to bother me with it. 602 00:37:06,928 --> 00:37:10,497 But in my kids' eyes, it was a thing of value, 603 00:37:10,540 --> 00:37:14,239 and they're very proud of me. 604 00:37:14,283 --> 00:37:16,024 That changed my life. 605 00:37:16,067 --> 00:37:19,114 That changed my life in a lot of ways to that point. 606 00:37:19,157 --> 00:37:20,507 [helicopter whirring] 607 00:37:20,550 --> 00:37:24,075 They were very proud of me. 608 00:37:24,119 --> 00:37:26,338 They're very proud of their old man. 609 00:37:37,219 --> 00:37:39,613 ARTHUR WIKNIK: When people ask me about my Vietnam service, 610 00:37:39,656 --> 00:37:41,876 I always tell them I'm very proud that I served. 611 00:37:41,919 --> 00:37:44,487 At the time I went in, I hated the idea of going. 612 00:37:44,531 --> 00:37:46,097 I hated the idea of being drafted. 613 00:37:46,141 --> 00:37:48,143 But I went because that's-- that's the way it was back 614 00:37:48,186 --> 00:37:49,884 then. 615 00:37:49,927 --> 00:37:51,973 The country wasn't on the best of terms with the Vietnam vets 616 00:37:52,016 --> 00:37:54,584 for a long time, but that's changed. 617 00:37:54,628 --> 00:37:57,544 And I'm very proud of that fact. 618 00:37:57,587 --> 00:38:00,895 The veterans who serve today get a great sendoff. 619 00:38:00,938 --> 00:38:02,549 They get a great welcome home. 620 00:38:02,592 --> 00:38:05,595 Now I never got that, but I don't care because today they 621 00:38:05,639 --> 00:38:06,727 are getting that. 622 00:38:06,770 --> 00:38:09,381 And in my mind, that's my welcome home. 623 00:38:09,425 --> 00:38:12,210 Because of what I suffered through, 624 00:38:12,254 --> 00:38:13,951 these people today are reaping the benefit. 625 00:38:13,995 --> 00:38:17,476 And I'm just so glad that the country has realized 626 00:38:17,520 --> 00:38:20,958 that our men and women who serve this great country 627 00:38:21,002 --> 00:38:21,916 are appreciated. 628 00:38:26,094 --> 00:38:29,184 JAMES ANDERSON: I don't think that anybody should ever 629 00:38:29,227 --> 00:38:34,015 apologize or feel the need to apologize for the effort 630 00:38:34,058 --> 00:38:38,367 that our soldiers in Vietnam put in. 631 00:38:38,410 --> 00:38:41,631 The American soldier did everything 632 00:38:41,675 --> 00:38:44,155 and were successful at everything 633 00:38:44,199 --> 00:38:45,374 that they were asked to do. 634 00:39:10,181 --> 00:39:13,315 MAN: We had, again, people that felt that they were not going 635 00:39:13,358 --> 00:39:16,666 to come back, but they went over there 636 00:39:16,710 --> 00:39:19,190 and they served their country. 637 00:39:19,234 --> 00:39:25,719 So I remember the brave people that went over there and did 638 00:39:25,762 --> 00:39:26,633 what we asked them. 639 00:39:33,378 --> 00:39:35,685 JOE GALLOWAY: You know, they say the World War II 640 00:39:35,729 --> 00:39:38,079 guys were the best generation. 641 00:39:42,387 --> 00:39:46,478 Well, those who fought every war since then 642 00:39:46,522 --> 00:39:48,742 were the best of their generation. 643 00:39:51,962 --> 00:39:58,577 They went, they served, they sacrificed, 644 00:39:58,621 --> 00:40:01,798 and they fought like tigers. 645 00:40:01,842 --> 00:40:02,625 They were noble. 646 00:40:08,631 --> 00:40:10,285 [helicopter whirring] 647 00:40:10,328 --> 00:40:10,807 [explosion] 648 00:40:11,939 --> 00:40:14,768 [music playing] 51764

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