Search - Inside the Vietnam War (Std) on DVD

Very Good Documentary from a U.S. Viewpoint

CrustyOldSarge | Illinois | 08/13/2008

(4 out of 5 stars)

"This is not an all inclusive documentary or very thorough. It's shown from a U.S. military viewpoint with interviews of surviving U.S. veterans. It's all on one disc and about 2 and 1/2 hours long.

It picks up the war in the early 1960's with JFK sending military advisors and ends with the fall of Saigon in 1975, with veterans giving thier recollections for the battles and the time periods they served.

The battle footage is excellent, hard hitting, and not for the faint of heart (lots of blood and gore).

There are interviews with some very famous veterans. Colonel Hal Moore (who Mel Gibson portrayed in the movie "We Were Soldiers"). Philip Caputo, who wrote an excellent early account of his experience in Vietnam, "A Rumor of War". Retired General Barry McCaffrey, a military analyst for Fox News, I believe, are the three I knew of.

I'm a 22 year Army veteran. I joined the Army in 1972 but didn't go to Vietnam (by the the time I went into basic training in April 1972, the U.S. military's commitment in personnel there had dropped way down to around 50,000). But,as a teenager in the mid to late 1960's, I watched the war unfold on the nightly news and wondered after I turned 18 would I get drafted and go there. This war had some meaning in my early life, of course no way like those who actually served.

The recollection of some of the veterans gave me a lump in my throat and misty eyes. Very powerful emotional stuff.

But on the negative side. There are no interviews with any surviving NVA soldiers or Viet Cong, or any South Vietnamese.

It doesn't cover at all how Vietnam became divided in 1954 or the French involvement prior to that. The political wrangling and protests in the U.S. are covered just enough to get the jist.

This is still a very good documentary. Very powerful.







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The best!

Gems | Aston, PA USA | 10/17/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I bought this for a friend who needs to occasionally revisit his experiences in Viet Nam. He has shared it with many of his friends who went through the same trama. This is the one you want to watch if you want to see and hear the recollections of the fighting men from this War. Be warned that this will bring tear to your eyes."

The Best Vietnam Documentary

Zuri | Ecuador | 09/11/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This is the best Vietnam documentary I've seen so far. It is a good source of history on why the United States entered into that war and its consequences. The documentary narrates step by step from the beginning of the Vietnam war until its end in 1975 with excellent footage. I highly recommend it for all those who are interested in knowing the "truth about this war.""