David, I was in a unique position in Vietnam back then. While my mission was to eliminate the Viet Cong and North Vietnamese enemy my position put me in the unusual living arrangement. I lived in the villages and hamlets in and around the Central Highlands. I spoke the language passably and so learned after extended time with the villagers exactly why our relocation and pacification programs were doomed to failure. The Vietnamese people are steeply rooted in tradition and abounded in much superstition. In the tradition sense these people believed then and still today believe they are one with the land. Not the country per se but the very dirt under their toes where their families had lived and worked to survive for untold generations. That alone was enough to deter any success at any attempt of relocation no matter how improved the living conditions created for them might be. Add the superstition factor into the mix and you not only have resistance but outright rebellion to the equation. Take the rice farmer and his family from his half acre rice paddy that had been tilled and worked by his grandfathers’ grandfather whose very bones were buried in the soil to replenish it and you have a recipe for not only rebellion but the downright despondency of those forcibly separated not only from the land but from their ancestors whom they could no longer honor by continuing to work the soil their bodies and spirits enriched. To leave was tantamount to denying their very existence. We in the West were unable to comprehend this very complex set of cultural standards that had existed for thousands of years. In short, “We know a better way” just didn’t cut it with these folks who only wanted to raise their families and grow their rice in peace. The North Vietnamese government Cadres came to the villages I lived in many times always with the message if the people supported the northern cause they could remain as they always have, doing what they’ve always done. It didn’t turn out that way for many in that region but it was exactly what they wanted to hear.
Selah, Than you. Even though the war was very unpopular here in the US I nevertheless felt and still feel it was a great honor to serve our great country. While I have since greatly struggled with my role in Special Ops during that time I felt it was my duty to go and serve when called. My greatest experience was not the combat but learning first hand who the people of Vietnam really were. I lived almost three years among them and I so doing I believe they weren’t interested in the ideologies of communism verses democracy so much as they just simply wanted a whole country without a dividing line to distinguish between the Vietnamese people who had family on both sides of the DMZ. For the villagers I came to know and love it wasn’t about politics but rather the uniting of families and people who were always a one and proud race. Rightly so. If you study the Vietnamese history you will find an honorable people who simply wanted to live in peace but were instead greatly oppressed by the Chinese for a millennium and then the French for over a hundred years followed by the Japanese during WW2. Ho Chi Minh was promised by the Roosevelt administration the US would support and independent Vietnam after the war was won. Unfortunately Roosevelt didn’t survive the war’s end. Truman bowed to pressure from first the British and especially the French to allow the French to return Vietnam to their colonial rule.
@@dalegriggs5392 What's so great about your country? Greetings from The Netherlands. Edit: Most people I've met from there are good people, but what your government has been doing on the world theatre for the last 60 years or so has been truely deleterious! Capitalism breeds greed.
Happy that you posted this film. I'm glad to hear about the humanitarian work done by some troops, as we usually only hear of the carnage against these people. THANK YOU!
Crazy how the video the US Army produces makes the Vietnam war almost seem like a humanitarian effort and like theyre just doing the moral imperative. Almost as though they would have a vested interest in keeping the war going because it's work for them. Almost as though they'd be interested in keeping their profitable work under approving eyes.
I don't know the Netflix world these days. My world these days is UA-cam and I am continuing to try to learn how the algorithm works to increase my audience. I agree that my series would be spectacular on Netflix but it is not made in a "modern" documentary style. David Hoffman filmmaker
My dad was in Vietnam ages 19-22. I had NO CLUE how young that really was until my own son became those ages. In my dad's stories about that time, I always envisioned older more "hardened" types. 19-22 was young back then too, lm learning. This video shows a great angle.
I feel warm and I would like to say, Hi to Mrs Hoffman, and Thank you x Behind every great man,there is a great woman x ... I'm Lynn from Yorkshire England UK. I'd love to give you my own personal experiences. The warmth these videos gives me , and the hope, the grace and honest, real people. I dont want to watch tv, ever, I go to my beloved Punk bands live gigs , and full my soul back up , vibrations and love. Most of all I'm humbled by even a chance of being heard, I m just a fan x Respectivel your message has amazing vibrations cosmic changes to the very least Present x I'm so inspired to you and yours love Lynn
Op. Barking Sands, 25th Infantry Div. based out of Chu Chi, ending late July, 1967: If I remember right after all these many many years. I wrote a poem (based on a diary like entry from then) called "Operation Barking Sands Ends in Green Stillness". Amazing to see this here by random youtube selection.
Americans in Iraq, in Afghanistan, in the Philippines -- didn't know there were American soldiers in the Philippines, did you? American soldiers do a lot more than war in all of the countries they are deployed to.
Interesting to watch a good throwback propaganda film. Now they use the slick media for stuff like this. Imagine the Vietnam war live-streamed on UA-cam. A much different outcome
Imagine gps, satellite communication. I joined for gulf 1 (1991).. we watched viet nam era tech fade away. That was the prior war for reference.. our training. Disabled in 1997, still no cellphones etc. My sister calls me the last of antique veterans (she is a SMSGT)
barry g73 I was in the 72 draft but didn’t go to nam. When I saw your reply I was thinking about desert storm, which put my video rental store out of business, cause everyone was watching scud missiles on TV. You should reach out to David Hoffman with a story.
But the outcome would not have been different. That's what they say about Vietnam, that it wasn't lost in the jungles of Vietnam, but in the living rooms of Americans, because of what they saw of Vietnam (and its effects) on TV.
I'm wondering if, after societies and boundaries were created, war became part of evolution and expansion. Not just limited to power and greed though they certainly play those roles and have for thousands of years. Interesting film. It is full of propaganda. Something my first love fell for and his father gave permission for him to join the army at 17 yrs old and went to Vietnam. Just a kid as was most all who got drafted. Although I wholeheartedly support our troops, I will always be pro peace. I know the Vietnam War helped to greatly improve plastic surgery. (Not cosmetic although it didn't hurt.) And was costly to both sides. Thank you for this video! It certainly brings back memories and emotions.
This would have worked better if they simply spammed dozens of millions of the same exact pamphlet: Soviet flag = (Grey and miserable picture of a Gulag.) American flag = (Vibrant picture of a smiling middle upper class family eating burgers and drinking Coca Cola over a picnic blanket in a park on a sunny spring day.) No words, just 4 pictures and 2 equal signs.
David,
I was in a unique position in Vietnam back then. While my mission was to eliminate the Viet Cong and North Vietnamese enemy my position put me in the unusual living arrangement. I lived in the villages and hamlets in and around the Central Highlands. I spoke the language passably and so learned after extended time with the villagers exactly why our relocation and pacification programs were doomed to failure.
The Vietnamese people are steeply rooted in tradition and abounded in much superstition. In the tradition sense these people believed then and still today believe they are one with the land. Not the country per se but the very dirt under their toes where their families had lived and worked to survive for untold generations. That alone was enough to deter any success at any attempt of relocation no matter how improved the living conditions created for them might be. Add the superstition factor into the mix and you not only have resistance but outright rebellion to the equation. Take the rice farmer and his family from his half acre rice paddy that had been tilled and worked by his grandfathers’ grandfather whose very bones were buried in the soil to replenish it and you have a recipe for not only rebellion but the downright despondency of those forcibly separated not only from the land but from their ancestors whom they could no longer honor by continuing to work the soil their bodies and spirits enriched. To leave was tantamount to denying their very existence.
We in the West were unable to comprehend this very complex set of cultural standards that had existed for thousands of years. In short, “We know a better way” just didn’t cut it with these folks who only wanted to raise their families and grow their rice in peace.
The North Vietnamese government Cadres came to the villages I lived in many times always with the message if the people supported the northern cause they could remain as they always have, doing what they’ve always done. It didn’t turn out that way for many in that region but it was exactly what they wanted to hear.
Our government seems to never learn. When we invaded Iraq, we went in with a very similar lack of understanding of the people.
Thank you for sharing your personal experience. It was enlightening.
Thank you for your service!
Welcome home.
Thank you both. God bless
Selah,
Than you. Even though the war was very unpopular here in the US I nevertheless felt and still feel it was a great honor to serve our great country. While I have since greatly struggled with my role in Special Ops during that time I felt it was my duty to go and serve when called. My greatest experience was not the combat but learning first hand who the people of Vietnam really were. I lived almost three years among them and I so doing I believe they weren’t interested in the ideologies of communism verses democracy so much as they just simply wanted a whole country without a dividing line to distinguish between the Vietnamese people who had family on both sides of the DMZ. For the villagers I came to know and love it wasn’t about politics but rather the uniting of families and people who were always a one and proud race. Rightly so. If you study the Vietnamese history you will find an honorable people who simply wanted to live in peace but were instead greatly oppressed by the Chinese for a millennium and then the French for over a hundred years followed by the Japanese during WW2. Ho Chi Minh was promised by the Roosevelt administration the US would support and independent Vietnam after the war was won. Unfortunately Roosevelt didn’t survive the war’s end. Truman bowed to pressure from first the British and especially the French to allow the French to return Vietnam to their colonial rule.
@@dalegriggs5392
What's so great about your country? Greetings from The Netherlands. Edit: Most people I've met from there are good people, but what your government has been doing on the world theatre for the last 60 years or so has been truely deleterious! Capitalism breeds greed.
Happy that you posted this film. I'm glad to hear about the humanitarian work done by some troops, as we usually only hear of the carnage against these people. THANK YOU!
You’re my favourite boomer. Keep up the good work.😊
Crazy how the video the US Army produces makes the Vietnam war almost seem like a humanitarian effort and like theyre just doing the moral imperative. Almost as though they would have a vested interest in keeping the war going because it's work for them. Almost as though they'd be interested in keeping their profitable work under approving eyes.
Thanks, Mr. Hoffman! Be blessed, today and always! =)
Good to see the other sides of war, tanxs for showing !
Really good channel and videos, keep up the good work 😊
Why isn't this series more heard of? I feel like you should reach out to Netflix and strike a deal. You have great presentation and content.
I don't know the Netflix world these days. My world these days is UA-cam and I am continuing to try to learn how the algorithm works to increase my audience. I agree that my series would be spectacular on Netflix but it is not made in a "modern" documentary style.
David Hoffman filmmaker
Great channel. Thank you.
My dad was in Vietnam ages 19-22. I had NO CLUE how young that really was until my own son became those ages. In my dad's stories about that time, I always envisioned older more "hardened" types. 19-22 was young back then too, lm learning. This video shows a great angle.
It's always good to know both sides of the story. Thank you for this!
I feel warm and I would like to say, Hi to Mrs Hoffman, and Thank you x Behind every great man,there is a great woman x ...
I'm Lynn from Yorkshire England UK.
I'd love to give you my own personal experiences. The warmth these videos gives me , and the hope, the grace and honest, real people.
I dont want to watch tv, ever, I go to my beloved Punk bands live gigs , and full my soul back up , vibrations and love. Most of all I'm humbled by even a chance of being heard, I m just a fan x
Respectivel your message has amazing vibrations cosmic changes to the very least Present x I'm so inspired to
you and yours love Lynn
Thank you Lynn from Lynn. Beautifully said.
David Hoffman - filmmaker
Thank you for everything you do
Really nice videos sr.i met a vietnam war vet here in Mexico.
Grettings from Mexico City.
Thank you, David. This is fascinating and parallel so much the Middle East conflicts of today.
I read with great interest everyone's comments who was in this war, sharing stories of family who was there. Bless you all, thank you!
I love these vintage films. Thanks for posting them. The comments ought to be interesting as well.
Op. Barking Sands, 25th Infantry Div. based out of Chu Chi, ending late July, 1967: If I remember right after all these many many years. I wrote a poem (based on a diary like entry from then) called "Operation Barking Sands Ends in Green Stillness". Amazing to see this here by random youtube selection.
Amazing video as always. Keep up the great work.
Americans in Iraq, in Afghanistan, in the Philippines -- didn't know there were American soldiers in the Philippines, did you? American soldiers do a lot more than war in all of the countries they are deployed to.
Philippines were the only US colony! And they are in deep shit with out us in the future!! Here comes communist China again!
Thank you!
Interesting to watch a good throwback propaganda film. Now they use the slick media for stuff like this. Imagine the Vietnam war live-streamed on UA-cam. A much different outcome
Imagine gps, satellite communication. I joined for gulf 1 (1991).. we watched viet nam era tech fade away. That was the prior war for reference.. our training. Disabled in 1997, still no cellphones etc. My sister calls me the last of antique veterans (she is a SMSGT)
barry g73 I was in the 72 draft but didn’t go to nam. When I saw your reply I was thinking about desert storm, which put my video rental store out of business, cause everyone was watching scud missiles on TV. You should reach out to David Hoffman with a story.
But the outcome would not have been different. That's what they say about Vietnam, that it wasn't lost in the jungles of Vietnam, but in the living rooms of Americans, because of what they saw of Vietnam (and its effects) on TV.
Thank you sir.
senseless war. what is it good for
lucious Gainous what is it good for? Absolutely NOTHIN '! Say it again y'all.
Practice makes perfect!
I'm wondering if, after societies and boundaries were created, war became part of evolution and expansion. Not just limited to power and greed though they certainly play those roles and have for thousands of years.
Interesting film. It is full of propaganda. Something my first love fell for and his father gave permission for him to join the army at 17 yrs old and went to Vietnam. Just a kid as was most all who got drafted.
Although I wholeheartedly support our troops, I will always be pro peace.
I know the Vietnam War helped to greatly improve plastic surgery. (Not cosmetic although it didn't hurt.) And was costly to both sides.
Thank you for this video! It certainly brings back memories and emotions.
Just subd
Thanks
This would have worked better if they simply spammed dozens of millions of the same exact pamphlet:
Soviet flag = (Grey and miserable picture of a Gulag.)
American flag = (Vibrant picture of a smiling middle upper class family eating burgers and drinking Coca Cola over a picnic blanket in a park on a sunny spring day.)
No words, just 4 pictures and 2 equal signs.
👍
High historical value, but purely governmental propaganda.
Concentrate on the resettlement camp terminology
Hasbara.