I’m also Vietnam Vet served in a long range patrol Ranger company, from 1970 to 71. When I came home I went to school for a while and then I also became a San Francisco; police officer and did 28 years before I retired. My PTSD was magnified from being a cop. the stress of the job was intense. I can identify totally with this veteran who you interviewed. When he spoke about the Vietnam memorial it hit home. It’s very sacred place to me.
@@briandanker8431 NSAM 263 accepted the military recommendations of McNamara and Taylor, as follows: (1) changes to be accomplished by the government of South Vietnam to improve its military performance; (2) a training program for Vietnamese "so that essential functions can be carried out by Vietnamese by the end of 1965. Did JFK want to withdraw from Vietnam? John F. Kennedy had formally decided to withdraw from Vietnam, whether we were winning or not. Robert McNamara, who did not believe we were winning, supported this decision. 10 The first stage of withdrawal had been ordered.
@@BonnieBunny118 NSAM 263 accepted the military recommendations of McNamara and Taylor, as follows: (1) changes to be accomplished by the government of South Vietnam to improve its military performance; (2) a training program for Vietnamese "so that essential functions can be carried out by Vietnamese by the end of 1965. Did JFK want to withdraw from Vietnam? John F. Kennedy had formally decided to withdraw from Vietnam, whether we were winning or not. Robert McNamara, who did not believe we were winning, supported this decision. 10 The first stage of withdrawal had been ordered.
My dad did two tours of Vietnam only to be shot and killed on the side of the Florida Turnpike as a Florida Highway Patrolman in 1984 at 41 years old. I was 10 years old.
Sorry for your lost😢hope you are well and remember that you are amazing human,be humble and kind even tho you went through alot.i know your dad is proud of you
I didn’t find this vet intense but all the things he went through were intense. I found him to be intelligent, articulate and morally upright and sensitive. A great man indeed.
He doesnt have the wisdom yet to understand or maybe the empathy or compassion, like the soldier said my friend we must look at things from a total bigger picture no? I am a pascifist a pascifist that would die for peace at the drop of a hat i am homeless when i have homes open to me and regarded as the lowest scum based on convenient labels the criminal justice system has placed on me despite commiting no violent or malicious crime it was not something id ever want to participate in or do again and i understand fully that i was a lesser person back when it happened and my heart and mind and soul was in the deepest pit of depression apathy and self destruction but yet even as i have changed and desire such beautiful and selfless and morally upright things and have changed so much they simply do not care, tthe suffering i have endured my entire life has made me given up on all worldly things to a degree anything to do with enriching myself with money , or seeking love or security or guidance from anything or anyone in the world while their are plenty of amazing amazing people simply cannot give me that which my spirit and heart needs, it comes from god for me, it comes.fron within, i will probably give up on probation at some point because of how disgusted and depressing participating in thier system and commands and tyrannical thier rules are, its truly heartbreaking to be in this situation and yet i feel closer to god and want to do good things and good deeds even more and more as the hardships stack up against me, i can see what jesus and martin luther and so many martyrs went thru and i find great comfort knowing many have walked my path. Lets judge no one friends lets give eachother time and space and respect and patience and kindness for most of us are trying to figuire out what life means what the highest "good" or other grand questions and while many people fall short or come to.dissapointing conclusions, many will also become greater then anyone of us!
@@GreatWhiteWeasel in comparison to most men's ability to articulate themselves as such in front of a camera, and also the ease of which people spoke back before social media anxieties. It's impressive. I have words in my own mouth thank you.
That is a reflection of the schools and society. I recall watching a video documenting Irish "punk rockers" in the 1970s or 1980s, I honestly can't remember the era. Even for "punks" the kids were well spoken. Clear annunciation and a seemingly broad vocabulary.
My Father served two tours in Vietnam. Midway through his second term he was injured severely and almost didn’t survive. He would never talk about it much. When I’d ask questions he would answer very direct and to the point . One day I found his collection of pictures from his time there. He looked through them with me. All in black and white. There was this one picture of him and about 20-25 soldiers, on R&R. They all took this one picture together, all of them. He started pointing to guys in the picture and saying: “ He didn’t make it. He didn’t make it. He didn’t make it.” He must’ve pointed to about 8-10 guys who he said didn’t make it. I will never forget the sound in his voice when he said those words over and over. It made me hurt for him and all the soldiers who experienced that war. My Uncle was killed about a month shy of his time being up in Vietnam. My cousin was only a couple months old when his dad died. He never got to meet him. God bless the Men and women who served during that war, never forget.
My father and many soldiers were well aware of the lies and manipulation that brought them to a foreign land and forced them to do things they otherwise wouldn’t have done. I learned of Gulf of Tonkin from an early age. This of course is included in the thoughts and prayers for all the people who’s lives were destroyed by not only this war, but all the wars in modern times that were nothing more than a racket to quote the heat Smedley Butler.
Our President "Joe Biden" he was called to Vietnam five different occasions he said he was a football player in high school and college he was a swimmer and a lifeguard once he got into the Senate..This "coward" went to his own doctor and they made something up for him they said he had asthma and he wasn't qualified to go to Vietnam..🤮.. probably between 30,000 to 50,000 maybe more they went to Canada to avoid the draft knowing they would never return as an American citizen when "Jimmy Carter" became president he signed documentation saying if you want to come back to the United States as an American citizen you are welcome back that was a real kick in the balls to all the veterans..😡 look at that wall in Washington DC how many men and women sacrificed their lives and died and years later the cowards get to return back to the United States.. I'd say Jimmy Carter and Joe Biden have to be the stupidest presidents the world has ever seen..John Kerry he spent only 4 months total in Vietnam and then went home when he got in front of Congress all the veterans thought he was going to defend them instead he threw everybody under the bus and stabbed them in the back..He's just as bad as Jane Fonda both of them are traitors...🤮🤬🤮🤬
That made him a more beautiful person in my view. His sensitivity towards people who were suffering whether or not he he agreed with them. David Hoffman filmmaker
Im really in awe at how good a soul this man has. I dont know how people can go through so much and turn it around and use their experience to help ease others turmoil.
Horror yes, but a great deal of wisdom. To stop and think that there might be a bigger picture is very mature. Hubby, didn't learn the big picture about a battle he was in until 1998 or 1999. He was watching PBS documentary. It was then he learned how very close they were to being over run and slaughtered..... He then realized why such a heavy use of artillery.
I was just about to say the same thing. Within the first minute he mentions his frustration about not being able to figure out whether his friend survived or not… you can see the pain in his eyes
I know Dave. He and I served at Park Station together when we were young cops. I was also there when the station was bombed. Dave was an excellent cop. We both served in the 1st Cavalry Division in Vietnam but in different regiments and different years. We sometimes spoke to each other about our experiences. I
I have found it true in my own life. Most “hippies” or radical progressives ive known, talk a lot about nice sounding ideas and virtuous theories and portrayed a vision of virtue, but personally they were some of the meanest and most selfish people I’ve ever met. Extremely disrespectful and their virtue only went as far as their face and mouth.
they recently proved nixon kept the war going and killed about 50,000 americans so he could have a war boost to his poll numbers. had lots of supporters caring more about politics and power more than american lives, kinda like now
What a ridiculous generalization! I guess it’s fun, in hindsight, to reduce complex social movements to bumpersticker quotes. Actually, it’s obvious that hippies (not violent radicals) attempted to be kinder and gentler, and as such attracted many kind and gentle people. Sure, some punks have a heart of gold, but have you ever been to a punk show? Punk obviously flirts with violence and transgressive anti-social behavior, attracting those who have those tendencies. So punks are more likely to be outwardly mean, hippies to be outwardly nice. Now, since we expect hippies to be nice, sociopaths will pretend to be hippies, so yes some “hippies” are mean and vile. And many gentle kids are attracted to the aesthetic and attitude of punk to mask their vulnerability, to show their rejection of a cruel & brutal society, and the failure of the boomer/hippie generation to live up to their ‘peace & love’ ideals.
He's part of a generation we try to cast off, and from two professions often vilified (soldier and cop), but his words ooze with humanity. I'm so glad these stories are being listened to, because all the modern outrage that appeals to emotion and nothing else would see people like this completely dehumanized.
It's bizarre how this generation of Euro Americans worship law enforcement. This was not always the case. When they were the faces of criminality, they hated the police and had sympathy and empathy for their brothers in poverty trying to make a living the best way they could. Flamboyant gangsters were well loved and respected. Now that those faces has changed from white to black and brown, cops are seen as heroes.
@@HipixOFFICIAL Every officer and every soldier has their own story, and their own reaction to what they've experienced. To blanket-statement all cops is wrong and wrong-headed and simple-minded. It's the equivalent of saying all hippies were dirty drugged-up dead-enders, or all BLM supporters are clueless mushy-headed thugs. Stereotypes are easy, lazy, and not real. What is true is that police *culture* in America as well as police *unions* we can say with certainty have absolutely earned vilification. Both need massive enemas.
They weren't vilified for nothing. Check out the massacre of My Lai and how to U.S. authorities tried to cover it up. Your country has a lot of blood on its hands.
im a younger Marine, struggled with substance abuse for six years in the corps, and many years before the corps. Finally sober now, what a pain in the fuckin ass. Good job man, Semper Fi. Wish I could buy you a beer. Get it?
Thank you for your service brother . My uncle died in Vietnam in JUNE 1966 fighting on hill 488 first marine from our county to die in Vietnam. His name was ALCADIO MASCARENAS . his 18 man recon team was surrounded by a battalion of dinks and nva .
I just read about your uncle by looking him up on Military Times. What a brave young warrior!! Much respect to your uncle and to your family for his honorable and courageous sacrifice. God bless.
Legit question, If I am right, the NVA were the "North Vietnamese" Army, but the only thing I can find on Dink is Double Income / No Kids (And I am assuming that the U.S. wasn't trying to stop a Yuppie Domino Effect. Who were the dinks. VietCong or someone else. {I am not Northern American so certain Acronyms are foreign to me}
Hey David, I’m a 15yr old Canadian girl in Canada and I am so thankful for these videos because we’re having homework on the vietnam war our classes and your videos help me a lot.
@@gavinalvarez7272Why not? Although I will say from what I remember we did not cover even close to enough Canadian history in school, and even now as an adult with a strong interest in 20th century history - I know vastly more about US history than Canada (my home). Same goes for 19th century, 18th... History class in Canadian school as I recall had a strooooong emphasis on aboriginals, and even with them it was very superficial "noble savage" type stuff. Frankly I think a lot of what we were taught about the Indians was just wrong or misleading. Conversely I could very nearly list all the American presidents and give a little take on what they were about and what the American political order looked like in their era for about half of them. I know enough about various American political figures to have opinions about them, often opinions that run counter to the mainstream academics at that. But I doubt I could come up with more than 4 or 5 Canadian PMs off the top of my head. That includes the three I've been alive for haha It's a problem. Canadians don'tcare about our history like the Americans do. Maybe I'm projecting but I do think it's a broader cultural thing. Americans will straight up argue about and bring up various ideas and themes from their history in a way Canadians simply don't. It's a consequence of being a very liberal country, I think. It tends to be right wing type people who cherish and seek to understand their heritage and history. Liberals tend to operate in the eternal present. The "current thing" is always what matters most; the "progressive" thinks we're always progressing and that we're necessarily more enlightened and wise than our ancestors. These days I think the opposite is true, but regardless I suspect this leads them to gloss over and ignore the nuances and details of their own country's history. They teach and talk about it insofar as it bolsters their very modern worldview (hence the very heavy emphasis on aboriginals). Liberal progressives have had unchallenged complete control over academia, and the education sector broadly, in Canada for decades now. So they de-emphasize history and focus a lot more on all their favorite humanities issues (environmentalism, sociology, critical studies, cultural revolution stuff, social justice... and the like). It's lame.
Make sure you learn about history from as many perspectives as possible! It's the most important piece of our culture Those who do not study history are doomed to repeat it. This is true in economics, science, law and order, and ethics. You're the future.
30,000 Canadians volunteered to serve in the U.S. armed forces during the American/Vietnam war. It's called a history class. You learn about, wait for it...history. You need to pick up some more books and get off YT if you are asking such dumb questions@@gavinalvarez7272
I am still active duty with two tours in Afghanistan and one in Iraq. My first AF deployment I’d wake up and look at everybody and be like: Where’s Hamilton? Them: Oh you didn’t hear? He went home during last nights patrol. Me: Oh ok. Well I’ll have to get a beer with him when we get back. Them: No one is seeing him. Ever again….He’s…..gone….Me: oh I hadn’t realized….. Shit was just the same for me back in 2011. Thanks for letting write this. It felt nice. Take care and cherish every day
@@dantheman7506 my dear friend, I was a commending officer in an infantry unit in the Israeli army. In Israel the units keep such a strong tie with the families of the dead. It simply breaks my heart to know that my Americans brothers in arms are so poorly treated, really. You guys are at my heart, take care ❤️
@@TheRahimpur A lot of what the guy being interviewed is saying is not true. He could of easily found out what happened to his "friends", especially after the war. He didn't know what happened to those men because he didn't want to know what happened to to those men. When you go through a lot of trauma you start making your own truths in a subconscious attemlt to shield your psyche. He is obviously heavily traumatized and clearly sees "the hippies" as an extension of the Vietnamese enemy he never mentally stopped fighting. He is doubtlessly a great man and we are in his debt for his sacrifices, but heavily traumatized veterans like him should of never been allowed to serve as police officers. He even talks about how he militarized new police recruits that he trained. He genuinely felt that he was at war in Berkely, a college campus lol, and so he and men like him imparted the same traumatic lessons that kept them alive in Vietnam to a new generation of rookie police officers. The situation in Berkely was never a war zone "where they were under constant attack". There were a few cases of political violence, but police were never openly targeted with firearms every time they walked onto the street like he claims. There was no "years ofwalking the wire" in the upper class college campus of Berkley lol. The sad part is that he is not lieing, he genuinely believed that he was still in open war with the "communist radicals" of Vietnam. The large influx of combat veterans, many with PTSD that would immediately disqualify them for police service in our current times of psych evaluations, is a large part of what led to the militarization of our local police forces. Officers were now being taught warzone combat doctrine and that they were constantly under attack. We are still reeling from those law enforcement mistakes to this day.
@@matthew92604 this is a great underrated comment second he said i never heard from them again I knew he was off there is literally a whole memorial to find out what happened
Thanks for this insightful story. Two of my brothers volunteered for the military during Vietnam. I am thankful that both landed up in S Korea. They felt guilty for not serving in the war. Years later, the older one began volunteering with veterans affairs. Helping Vets get the care they needed or just would sit and listen to do whatever he could. Bless our troops. They deserve to be heard and validated.
Going to the VA is a nightmare for many. They are ignored and shrugged off. I have a couple of friends and an uncle that served in the gulf. They have what seems to be some sort of nerve damage. Constant nausea, body aches, etc etc. If you talk to vets, many suspect illegal weapons were used. They KNOW. No voting citizen has done a damned thing about it. We ignore them and only remember them at parades. We don't deman something be done. Instead, we let them be called crazy at these centers that don't really take care of them. And are their mothers silent? I don't care how old my son is, if the government fucks him over, it is my duty to make it known and to do something about it.
@@RunninUpThatHillh they probably are experiencing after effects of burn pits known to cause a variety of diseases, like neurological, damage to your eyes, lung problems, tremors, and every cancer you can think of. And more often than not it's the Republicans causing the proposed bills to not pass, considering major ones in power like Lindsey Graham, Trump and Mitch McConnell have all openly stated numerous times that they will do everything in their power to impede Democrats, no matter how bad the people want or need it, no matter if it helps everyone, no matter if it helps soldiers, no matter how positive it is, all because they're petty, tribalistic, old shit heads, that are already rich because they've done whatever their check writing masters tell them. The just got extreme backlash, when it came out that the Republicans were against passing the soldier burn pit compensation bill, that Democrats were all in favor for. People need to realize that politicians don't give a flying damn about anyone besides themselves or maybe their party if they're lucky, *especially* republican/Trumpers. Hell draft dodging Trump has mocked soldiers and PoWs multiple times. And now lately has been attacking the justis system (because it's finally holding him accountable) so the party that's supposed to be pro military, and pro "law&order" have 180°'d just in 4 years of Trump era, all because they want to play dumbass political tribalism games, and they don't give a damn about their constituents because their side knows that they're statistically lower iQ'd, easier to con, and are more likely to their pathological lying spins on the truth. This is why voting is so important, especially now that Republicans are causing so many voter restrictions, with anti-voter bills & propaganda, along with their (what should be illegal) gerrymandering. SMFH. I wish people would actually know what their candidate were pushing for, and then hold them accountable for when they implement something that's negative, or hold them accountable for blocking something that's positive.
@@tuckerbugeater It was to demonstrate the consequences of choosing an economic model outside the US sphere of influence and it cost 5+ million lives, most people outside of your USA raised bubble consider it morally reprehensible
@@tuckerbugeater the Vietnam war was purposeless. 60k Americans died for NOTHING but a capitalist pipe dream. And they are burning eternally for their deeds too.
“Sometimes bad things (keep) happen(ing) to a good man and nobody gives a damn” would be a fitting title for this guy’s biography. Thank you for your service David
I just don't understand why he became a police officer if he had PTSD, nobody forced him to make his profession revolve around guns and stressful situations like he had to in Vietnam, as a soldier he had no choice but as a civilian, he had many options to choose a career path that was relaxing, he chose the stress filled occupation of being a police officer.
@@rootbeer2399lmfao how completely clueless you are...he said being a cop HELPED him. Did you watch the video before you wrote a paragraph looking down your nose at him?
Thanks! For my father, probably one of the only Oberlin College graduates to accept his draft notice and go over there. Computer technician 1968-69 South Vietnam. Lover of peace and good human being. Thank you for sharing this video.
Everytime I watch an interview from you that was recorded a while back, I’m mind boggled by how articulate and level headed theses interviewees are! I feel like this is how it should be but new times have proved me wrong, thank you David!
The horror of war remains in the eyes, it never fades. This man appears as someone with a good heart and good soul, sadly he also appears tormented and tortured. Thank You David for giving this man his voice and for us to be able to hear him.
Thank you for your comment. If your resources allow, I would sure appreciate your using the THANKS button under any of my videos including the one you have commented on. It is something new that UA-cam is beta testing and would mean a great deal for my continuing efforts. David Hoffman filmmaker
My Grandpa is a US Marine who was wounded in combat in Vietnam. He didn’t get drafted he enlisted. After he got injured and sent home he became an undercover cop in Indiana in the late 60s-1970s. I’ve heard some wild stories from the undercover cop days, 1970 Midwest was wilder than you may think. Then he became a State Trooper. Super intense guy. God bless this man and the men like him.
My Uncle Victor was a US Marine in Vietnam in the late 60's and also joined the San Francisco Police Department when he came back. He also suffered from PTSD from both jobs. Before his retirement, he was put on desk duty due to suffering from short-term memory loss.
That's what you get for participating in bullshit imperialist adventures. I hope he never had a peaceful night's rest. Glory to the freedom fighters of Vietnam!
@@johndavis9432 He's doing alright, Thank You. He is living in North Carolina. He was divorced from his wife and mother of his two daughters but sees them as frequently as possible.
@@johndavis9432 One of his daughters, Vicki (Victoria), was one of the first women to represent the USA in the 2006 Winter Olympics at Park City, Utah in the Women's bobsled competition.
I was a cop in the early 70's , spent time in Nam in 69. I could understand how a Nam veteran (combat) could kill someone because I think I was unbalanced at that time. What this guy says is absolutely true, I understand him
The Vietnam memorial is so powerful. It’s not as big as some of the others in that area, but the atmosphere is something you have to experience at least once in your life. Incredibly solemn
Yes. It's been 17 years since the first and only time I saw it, watching this video made that feeling come over me again. That feeling is intensified when you look at the WWII memorial first, with all its pomp and pageantry, then you go and see the wall.
I was just starting high school in San Francisco when he was starting his career as a cop. I was terrified that my older brother would be drafted. I remember crying at night thinking about it. My dad was a pretty quiet guy, but we knew he didn't support the draft. He had been drafted and fought in the Korean War. Thankfully, the Vietnam War ended before my brother could be drafted. I did work with many Vietnam vets over the years, and most of them were great guys. Have known a few women who were nurses in Vietnam. They were also exceptional people.
My father did two tours in Vietnam and expressed much of what this man says. “Total picture rather than specific events.” This is something we should always have on our minds. Thank you Mr. Hoffman. Your videos aren’t always easy, but they challenge me to be better
I see your point.My family escaped communist Cuba in 1970..My father volunteered for Vietnam but wasn't accepted.My neighbors are vietnamese,we hate commies & love our country & military.My point is many people are greatfull for the sacrifices made.
@@TakeNoShitgang444 I’m sure you virtuous bunch are very grateful for all the poor people half the world away murdered in the name of maintaining US hegemony.
Great interview sad to see he passed last year, couldn’t imagine fighting in Vietnam let alone becoming a police officer. Thank you for letting this man tell his story Mr Hoffman!
I see my grandfather every week and I get snippets of his past. If you have anyone in your life with a grim, but interesting story.. please try to extract it. Humans need to see more of this so we can learn and strive for a better future for us and our fascinating brains.
My best friend served in Nam. He's a Native American Apache. This man has taught me more about life in the past few years than I thought I'd ever know.
Mr Bowman seems like a very smart person which has been able to rationalize his life’s experience. Not everyone is so capable. As a sixties generation teenager I thank you for sharing your story and thank you for your service, both as a soldier and a police officer.
❤ So much empathy. PTSD is not rare in society unfortunately. Support your family members and neighbors as much as possible. Thank you David Hoffman! Unity and understanding is a possible solution.
A fantastic interview. A thoroughly honest gentleman. I always have great love and respect for vets. They gave and continue to give everything. My dad was in the Royal Navy, my grandad fought in Normandy, and my uncle protected shipping against U boats in the North Atlantic. Brave as lions.
Wow that’s so incredible to hear, you have quite the badass family tree my friend across the pond. I thank them for their service, I’m so happy the U.S. and U.K. have formed such a good alliance over the past 150 years after how we originally came to become accustomed to one another back in colonial times lol, anyway wishing you and every Brit the best from America 🇺🇸 🇬🇧🇺🇸🇬🇧
Love you David. I’m 32 and your videos are very insightful and help me not forget our history. Trauma is universal, and these stories help us all get through the human condition.
Right, in my view this is the best of America. Flawed, incomplete, imperfect, even sad but yet hard-working, thoughtful, hopeful and reflective-- great interview man.
Great interview. It only took the war in Vietnam and war in the streets to teach this man to think critically about what the government says. You can see the pain in him at certain points and I can't help but feel for him.
This is my favorite type of David Hoffman content - so real, so raw, its like an Uncle opening up to you after a few beers - Thanks for all your work through the years, David - Super thanks sent 👍
I read the title of this video, and I thought to myself that the man must be one of those 'angry cops', and we get to hear his story. Instead, it was a regular man who lived through two hells and eloquently talks about it. This was a fantastic interview; I hope he found peace and happiness in his life.
David, thank you for doing this 35 years ago and for posting these today. It’s important we hear from Vietnam vets. Especially interesting is you interviewed them when they were entering middle age. I wonder what you’d find if you re-interviewed them in their senior years.
They MURDERED about 1 million Vietnamese people for no good reason. Going there is nothing to be proud of. They should just keep their bloody mouths shut and be humble.
Another good one I came across, David. I never thought of the importance of the wall and the thoughts they had, wondering about a friend. What an eye opener. I missed it all by a couple of years while I was in high school so I never had to suffer as they did. But I've never hated a man for what he had to do and often listened to their stories over the years to remind myself of what others do to keep me safe from suffering. ❤️
My good buddies uncle came back from Vietnam, moved into the woods of Montana and didn't talk to anyone for 4 yrs solid. Not a word. He was a shattered soul 🙌♥️
With each interview you have done from 1989 on the 60's that I have seen I am getting a broader understanding of the 60's I still don't think I'll ever truly understand the 60's enjoyed David Bowman views on the 60's and transitioning from the Vietnam War to a San Francisco police officer.
“I can’t understand what you’ve seen, I can’t walk in your shoes” his honesty with himself and others is incredible and refreshing. I hope he’s living a peaceful and happy life.
One of the most eye opening interviews I've seen on this topic. He's really good at conveying the horror he must've lived through even though I will never be able to understand what it was really like in that war.. The description of the total moral corruption of the hippy movement is great. I honestly found it real hard to take in the dead infant scene at the police station.
I’m an Xer and grew up around these men. I have not served. I saw the direct impact on our society as a result of not taking responsibility for the mental health of our Vietnam Veterans. The same after Desert Storm and the subsequent crushing of Iraq. We have a responsibility to care for our Vets. 1982: 40 years, no significant improvement. We can do better than this
My father was a doctor who worked in the VA in the early 70s and then the early 90s and then the early 2000s. He died in 2018. He took care of soldiers from three wars. He did his best.
Man my dad was in Nam he came back home with a terrible addiction. However he was able to beat it he wasn’t to messed up he definitely liked to drink. With that he wasn’t mean he worked every day of his life. He was my Father,Hero,best friend,the only person I could EVER truly trust. I miss you very much Dad thanks for your service. Hell thanks for everything you did for me while you were physically on this mud ball with me. I wish you could have met your beautiful grandson Dad you would have been so proud.
My Dad was in Vietnam and also became a Policeman in San Francisco in 1968 in the Haight Ashbury. His station was bombed in 1970 by the Weather Underground. Brian McDonnell died and he mentioned Ingleside Station where Jack Young was killed in 1971 by the BLA/WU….
When I first saw his face, I thought he looked angry, because his left side of his lip is shorter than his right, but, as he was talking, I could see the light in his heart, and also hear the hurt he experienced, just a touch because that would take years, but, I also admire his intelligent way of looking at the situation before forming an opinion. I looked up his books, and am glad you posted this.
I am a retired Big city cop who vollunteered to go to war in 2005-06 in Iraq with my Army National Guard unit. We fought in Ramadi, and we were involved in the heaviest fighting since Vietnam. I understand completely wtf this guy is going thru. All Love, Strength & Peace to you now brother. Combat Vets need to look out for each other. I was 38 yrs old when I went to war, so I had alot of life experience dealing with stress as a cop. It helped tremendously but there is nothing that compares to constant heavy combat. I fear many of the vollunteers who went over to Ukraine will come home with many serious issues as well. Be smart and find vets to talk to and get whatvers eating at you off your mind by talking to those who fully understand but are coping.
Hey brotha, I was in ramadi in 04 and then again in late 05-06. I was in my early 20s back then and definitely felt the effects of war intensely after my second deployment. Even more so after I finished my enlistment. Going into law enforcement felt like my only option but I knew it wouldn’t be wise to handle a weapon or engage with people, at the time, so I lived a very lonely, very dark life. After years of hard work, I’m in a much better place. I couldn’t imagine going to war later in life especially after having a career, like you. I hope you’re doing well. Welcome home, brother ❤
Thank you bro, I wish nothing but great success to you & all of us who battled outside the wire on the daily. May your future remain bright and keep the faith in your fellow vets. We got your back!@@sunnykobe3210
"Many of our countrymen came to hate the war we fought. Those who hated it the most ,the professionally sensitive, were not, in the end, sensitive enough to differentiate between the war and the soldiers who had been ordered to fight it. They hated us as well, and we went to ground in the cross fire, as we had learned in the jungles." Excerpt from the book "We Were Soldiers Once... and Young" by Lt. Gen. Harold G. Moore and Joseph L. Galloway
Thank you for your comment. If your resources allow, I would sure appreciate your using the THANKS button under any of my videos including the one you have commented on. It is something new that UA-cam is beta testing and would mean a great deal for my continuing efforts. David Hoffman filmmaker
Thank you for these videos you put out David, I've been watching them for a long time now. I'm not American but I always see these as small windows or glimpses into the soul of American society. There is history in charts and files and so on, but in showing the human experience in the way that you do, you are showing that history is not about a sequence of events that have a start and an end. History is a continuum of collective and individual human experiences that are constantly overlapping and are both being influenced and influencing other experiences. Thank you
Thank you for your comment. If your resources allow, I would sure appreciate your using the THANKS button under any of my videos including the one you have commented on. It is something new that UA-cam is beta testing and would mean a great deal for my continuing efforts. David Hoffman filmmaker
I was really moved on my visit to the memorial and now appreciate for the first time it’s practical and emotional significance in allowing closure for veterans and families - thanks you for sharing this interview
Thank you for your comment. If your resources allow, I would sure appreciate your using the THANKS button under any of my videos including the one you have commented on. It is something new that UA-cam is beta testing and would mean a great deal for my continuing efforts. David Hoffman filmmaker
Your interviews open a window to seeing our history through the people who lived it. They show us first person views of these individuals in their time that we can hopefully learn from. There are more than a few of your interviews I've seen that I can relate to, learn from, or I find highly interesting. I am sure so many others feel the same way.
My grandma's little brother went to Vietnam and so did my grandpa. My grandpa came back but my great uncle never did. My grandma and her family never recovered from the way this loss impacted them. My grandpa worked with cars after the war and I hope he was able to find ways to ween himself off of the terrors of war. I know that he expresses a great feeling of loss when talking about Vietnam and it extends to the Vietnamese losses as well. I struggle to comprehend how it would feel to have such an immense feeling of loss throughout nearly your entire life. He is 84 and he was in the navy stationed on the Kitty Hawk. My great uncle died due to shrapnel--I never met him. I found this man's perspective invaluable because my grandpa is my hero and I value any chance to understand what he went through for us. Thank you.
Thank you so much for all the amazing work you do and have done… and most of all, bringing us important history and honoring the men and women in war situations all over the world.. your contribution means a lot Sir. 🙏🏻🌟
Thank you for having the presence of mind to record these mens experiences and thank you for uploading the videos Kudos, love and respect from London UK 🇬🇧🇺🇲🇨🇦🇦🇺🇳🇿
I thought the most important thing he had to say was the point that everyone had been through a lot, but the problem is that nobody can really understand what anyone else went through. We are all like islands of trauma. To me this makes sense. I sometimes have conversations with people where I can't understand how they are not capable of understanding other people's experiences. I wonder if something has shattered within us that makes it impossible for us to regain empathy, or if we just don't want to have empathy.
I had numerous acquaintances returning from Vietnam in the late 60's and early 70's. Nearly all advised me to avoid the Draft by any means possible. A couple of those Veterans took their own lives in one way or another in the following decade. By the time I became eligible, the Draft was ending. Coming from a Military Family (Revolutionary War, Civil War, Spanish American War, WW1, WW2) I had always planned on a Military Career...but those thoughts changed completely after listening to those Vietnam Veteran friends. My Wife's Cousin is M.I.A. in Vietnam to this day.
my neighbor was a Marine in Vietnam in 1969 -1970. when he got out, he was a cop in Bay Area CA throughout the 70s. wild stories he has. He ended up starting a road building company after being medically retired from police and made a lot of money
A REAL MAN. Such a rare species these days. This guy paid his dues in every way possible. It's embarrassing all the soft weak -ass people in the country today. Only a precious few could hold a candle to this man today
Hey man, great work, im only 23 yo but coming from military family, lucky to be from spain cause none of them saw action but i had seek people that have, your work its trully a window to this wonderfull examples of human beings that deserve some tipe of social recognition or at least been heard so their knowledge doesnt go to waste neither their stories, i am really thankfull for this vission of the human soul and for been able to learn from him and all thanks to you, i hope everything goes well for you and to keep watching more interviews in the future
Vietnam veteran becomes a beat cop in Hippie Central in 1968... the patience of a saint and courage of an angel. Thank you for your service to civilization.
Thank you so much for sharing your work. I can see how frustrated he is about not knowing if his buddies didn’t make it out alive from Vietnam. I really enjoy your follow up interviews-such as the ones about the hard rockers from Maine.
Thank you for your comment. If your resources allow, I would sure appreciate your using the THANKS button under any of my videos including the one you have commented on. It is something new that UA-cam is beta testing and would mean a great deal for my continuing efforts. David Hoffman filmmaker
I can’t get over the fact he almost sounds like Seth MacFarlane. That being said, I never wanted this interview to end. Very intelligent man, great storyteller, with a wealth of knowledge. I’d like to hear more if we could
Am so sorry that they went thru that. They were lied to and knew it. Had a few friends and classmates that went over . My dad was there in 69 and 70. Didn't come back the same. We didn't learn our lesson. We went ahead and started our longest war in the Middle East. Lost it as well. God Bless Them. PTSD is a reality.
My Dad served with 1st Batallion 9th Marines "The Walking Dead" in Vietnam 66-67. He became a fireman/paramedic for Orlando FD, in 1980 he rolled on a scene with some Cambodian children that had been rear ended. One little girl was DOA and he grabbed her and took cover, Dad was having a flashback and the Orlando Sentinel captured it in a front page photo. I still have that paper but unfortunately Dad ended his life at the dinner table on December 3rd of 92. I love and thank you, Mr. Hoffman for doing these interviews.
Excellent interview just to share with everyone: A journalist with the Billings Gazette has a series called Vietnam Voices which interviews Vietnam vets and just allows them to tell their stories. I listened for hours.
Thank you for your comment. If your resources allow, I would sure appreciate your using the THANKS button under any of my videos including the one you have commented on. It is something new that UA-cam is beta testing and would mean a great deal for my continuing efforts. David Hoffman filmmaker
This guy doesn't seem like a malicious dude he just seems like a good guy who lived and worked with trauma. Thank you🇺🇸
Totally agree.
He sounds like a decent guy, but I guarantee he beat the hell out of some hippies back in the day.
@@chrisparker8539 for sure, police abuse is totally great. 🤡
@@jaa89623 decent people don’t usually beat the shit out of other people
@@opaljk4835 hippies would often spit and yell profanity at veterans returning home
I’m also Vietnam Vet served in a long range patrol Ranger company, from 1970 to 71.
When I came home I went to school for a while and then I also became a San Francisco; police officer and did 28 years before I retired. My PTSD was magnified from being a cop. the stress of the job was intense. I can identify totally with this veteran who you interviewed. When he spoke about the Vietnam memorial it hit home. It’s very sacred place to me.
National Security Order 263.
@@arktos298 ??
@@briandanker8431 NSAM 263 accepted the military recommendations of McNamara and Taylor, as follows: (1) changes to be accomplished by the government of South Vietnam to improve its military performance; (2) a training program for Vietnamese "so that essential functions can be carried out by Vietnamese by the end of 1965. Did JFK want to withdraw from Vietnam?
John F. Kennedy had formally decided to withdraw from Vietnam, whether we were winning or not. Robert McNamara, who did not believe we were winning, supported this decision. 10 The first stage of withdrawal had been ordered.
@@arktos298 schizo moment 😊
@@BonnieBunny118 NSAM 263 accepted the military recommendations of McNamara and Taylor, as follows: (1) changes to be accomplished by the government of South Vietnam to improve its military performance; (2) a training program for Vietnamese "so that essential functions can be carried out by Vietnamese by the end of 1965. Did JFK want to withdraw from Vietnam?
John F. Kennedy had formally decided to withdraw from Vietnam, whether we were winning or not. Robert McNamara, who did not believe we were winning, supported this decision. 10 The first stage of withdrawal had been ordered.
My dad did two tours of Vietnam only to be shot and killed on the side of the Florida Turnpike as a Florida Highway Patrolman in 1984 at 41 years old. I was 10 years old.
My sincere condolences to you and yours.
Sorry for your lost😢hope you are well and remember that you are amazing human,be humble and kind even tho you went through alot.i know your dad is proud of you
Your dad was a total badass. So sorry to hear. What a shame
I didn’t find this vet intense but all the things he went through were intense. I found him to be intelligent, articulate and morally upright and sensitive. A great man indeed.
Fighting in the military does not make you a great man
@@zazasnruntz7505lol what an odd conclusion to come to from the original comment
He doesnt have the wisdom yet to understand or maybe the empathy or compassion, like the soldier said my friend we must look at things from a total bigger picture no? I am a pascifist a pascifist that would die for peace at the drop of a hat i am homeless when i have homes open to me and regarded as the lowest scum based on convenient labels the criminal justice system has placed on me despite commiting no violent or malicious crime it was not something id ever want to participate in or do again and i understand fully that i was a lesser person back when it happened and my heart and mind and soul was in the deepest pit of depression apathy and self destruction but yet even as i have changed and desire such beautiful and selfless and morally upright things and have changed so much they simply do not care, tthe suffering i have endured my entire life has made me given up on all worldly things to a degree anything to do with enriching myself with money , or seeking love or security or guidance from anything or anyone in the world while their are plenty of amazing amazing people simply cannot give me that which my spirit and heart needs, it comes from god for me, it comes.fron within, i will probably give up on probation at some point because of how disgusted and depressing participating in thier system and commands and tyrannical thier rules are, its truly heartbreaking to be in this situation and yet i feel closer to god and want to do good things and good deeds even more and more as the hardships stack up against me, i can see what jesus and martin luther and so many martyrs went thru and i find great comfort knowing many have walked my path. Lets judge no one friends lets give eachother time and space and respect and patience and kindness for most of us are trying to figuire out what life means what the highest "good" or other grand questions and while many people fall short or come to.dissapointing conclusions, many will also become greater then anyone of us!
@christking
@@timdillon4876shut up until you learn to write coherently
The being "weaned off war" self analysis is very insightful. I'm impressed by this man's ability to articulate his experience.
He left the war but the war never left him
Why impressed? Think soldiers are dumb?
@@GreatWhiteWeasel in comparison to most men's ability to articulate themselves as such in front of a camera, and also the ease of which people spoke back before social media anxieties. It's impressive. I have words in my own mouth thank you.
That is a reflection of the schools and society. I recall watching a video documenting Irish "punk rockers" in the 1970s or 1980s, I honestly can't remember the era. Even for "punks" the kids were well spoken. Clear annunciation and a seemingly broad vocabulary.
Made me think of this Ted talk. ua-cam.com/video/o9DNWK6WfQw/v-deo.html
"And there I was, back in Vietnam, guarding another base camp" Jeez when he said that you could hear pain in his voice.
Really to him americans are now the enemy
My Father served two tours in Vietnam. Midway through his second term he was injured severely and almost didn’t survive. He would never talk about it much. When I’d ask questions he would answer very direct and to the point . One day I found his collection of pictures from his time there. He looked through them with me. All in black and white. There was this one picture of him and about 20-25 soldiers, on R&R. They all took this one picture together, all of them. He started pointing to guys in the picture and saying: “ He didn’t make it. He didn’t make it. He didn’t make it.” He must’ve pointed to about 8-10 guys who he said didn’t make it. I will never forget the sound in his voice when he said those words over and over. It made me hurt for him and all the soldiers who experienced that war. My Uncle was killed about a month shy of his time being up in Vietnam. My cousin was only a couple months old when his dad died. He never got to meet him. God bless the Men and women who served during that war, never forget.
My father and many soldiers were well aware of the lies and manipulation that brought them to a foreign land and forced them to do things they otherwise wouldn’t have done. I learned of Gulf of Tonkin from an early age. This of course is included in the thoughts and prayers for all the people who’s lives were destroyed by not only this war, but all the wars in modern times that were nothing more than a racket to quote the heat Smedley Butler.
Our President "Joe Biden" he was called to Vietnam five different occasions he said he was a football player in high school and college he was a swimmer and a lifeguard once he got into the Senate..This "coward" went to his own doctor and they made something up for him they said he had asthma and he wasn't qualified to go to Vietnam..🤮.. probably between 30,000 to 50,000 maybe more they went to Canada to avoid the draft knowing they would never return as an American citizen when "Jimmy Carter" became president he signed documentation saying if you want to come back to the United States as an American citizen you are welcome back that was a real kick in the balls to all the veterans..😡 look at that wall in Washington DC how many men and women sacrificed their lives and died and years later the cowards get to return back to the United States.. I'd say Jimmy Carter and Joe Biden have to be the stupidest presidents the world has ever seen..John Kerry he spent only 4 months total in Vietnam and then went home when he got in front of Congress all the veterans thought he was going to defend them instead he threw everybody under the bus and stabbed them in the back..He's just as bad as Jane Fonda both of them are traitors...🤮🤬🤮🤬
Noubliez Jamais
@@_audacity2722 God bless the brave AMERICAN men who fought the Vietnamese lapdog. YOUR A COWARD BEHIND THE KEYBOARD. GOD BLESS 🇺🇸 🇺🇲🇺🇲🇺🇲🇺🇲🇺🇲🇺🇲🇺🇲🇺🇲
@@_audacity2722 why not bless them both? No one should have to die in war. Especially in that war. American or Vietnamese.
This gentleman gets emotional on several occasions, most notably the story about the deceased baby.
That was a real punch in the gut.
That made him a more beautiful person in my view. His sensitivity towards people who were suffering whether or not he he agreed with them.
David Hoffman filmmaker
@@DavidHoffmanFilmmaker right, that was clear..! He’s able to identify and articulate his emotions, rather than just being reactive or vindictive.
Cops see the absolute worst of humanity, it's a tough job.
Holy shit i had to pause the video and recollect myself after hearing about the baby, as a father of 2 with high anxiety that made me tremble.
Im really in awe at how good a soul this man has. I dont know how people can go through so much and turn it around and use their experience to help ease others turmoil.
You can hear the emotion in his voice. He's giving a lifetime of worldview in this interview. Its heavy.
God bless this man. You can feel the horror in his voice, and see it in his eyes.
Horror yes, but a great deal of wisdom. To stop and think that there might be a bigger picture is very mature.
Hubby, didn't learn the big picture about a battle he was in until 1998 or 1999. He was watching PBS documentary. It was then he learned how very close they were to being over run and slaughtered..... He then realized why such a heavy use of artillery.
@@troubleshooter166 no!! Omg, I have to watch the full doc...
He's put together dude, regardless. Very concise speech. Intense, but he has earned the right to be.
I was just about to say the same thing. Within the first minute he mentions his frustration about not being able to figure out whether his friend survived or not… you can see the pain in his eyes
He fights that ear every
I know Dave. He and I served at Park Station together when we were young cops. I was also there when the station was bombed. Dave was an excellent cop.
We both served in the 1st Cavalry Division in Vietnam but in different regiments and different years. We sometimes spoke to each other about our experiences. I
Could you elaborate more on what made him an excellent cop
Did you go to the Peoples Repuplic of Berzerkly. Haha. Sorry that cracked me up.
Thank you!
Just like every other kook with a phone
Amazing. Thanks for your service.
I read the other day that Punks are good people pretending to be mean, hippies are mean people pretending to be nice. It really struck a chord.
Damn, there might be a modicum of truth to that 🤔 definitely not the absolute rule but certainly thought provoking
@@marsford2716 yeah I think so.
I have found it true in my own life. Most “hippies” or radical progressives ive known, talk a lot about nice sounding ideas and virtuous theories and portrayed a vision of virtue, but personally they were some of the meanest and most selfish people I’ve ever met. Extremely disrespectful and their virtue only went as far as their face and mouth.
they recently proved nixon kept the war going and killed about 50,000 americans so he could have a war boost to his poll numbers.
had lots of supporters caring more about politics and power more than american lives, kinda like now
What a ridiculous generalization! I guess it’s fun, in hindsight, to reduce complex social movements to bumpersticker quotes.
Actually, it’s obvious that hippies (not violent radicals) attempted to be kinder and gentler, and as such attracted many kind and gentle people.
Sure, some punks have a heart of gold, but have you ever been to a punk show? Punk obviously flirts with violence and transgressive anti-social behavior, attracting those who have those tendencies. So punks are more likely to be outwardly mean, hippies to be outwardly nice.
Now, since we expect hippies to be nice, sociopaths will pretend to be hippies, so yes some “hippies” are mean and vile. And many gentle kids are attracted to the aesthetic and attitude of punk to mask their vulnerability, to show their rejection of a cruel & brutal society, and the failure of the boomer/hippie generation to live up to their ‘peace & love’ ideals.
He's part of a generation we try to cast off, and from two professions often vilified (soldier and cop), but his words ooze with humanity. I'm so glad these stories are being listened to, because all the modern outrage that appeals to emotion and nothing else would see people like this completely dehumanized.
It's bizarre how this generation of Euro Americans worship law enforcement. This was not always the case. When they were the faces of criminality, they hated the police and had sympathy and empathy for their brothers in poverty trying to make a living the best way they could. Flamboyant gangsters were well loved and respected. Now that those faces has changed from white to black and brown, cops are seen as heroes.
You can literally see the evil in this white mans eyes 🤦♂️ the irony is what he described kind of sounded like slavery
The police earned their vilification. They've shown that they've worked for it.
@@HipixOFFICIAL Every officer and every soldier has their own story, and their own reaction to what they've experienced. To blanket-statement all cops is wrong and wrong-headed and simple-minded. It's the equivalent of saying all hippies were dirty drugged-up dead-enders, or all BLM supporters are clueless mushy-headed thugs. Stereotypes are easy, lazy, and not real.
What is true is that police *culture* in America as well as police *unions* we can say with certainty have absolutely earned vilification. Both need massive enemas.
They weren't vilified for nothing. Check out the massacre of My Lai and how to U.S. authorities tried to cover it up. Your country has a lot of blood on its hands.
Yep this old Marine survived all this, finally sober for 12 years. Thanks you Lord. Thanks from my hill top in Sc
Thank you for your service good sir…we see you.
God bless you sir!
Bless you friend. Your story is so valuable. Congrats on 12 years sober. 👏
Welcome home! Thank you for your service
im a younger Marine, struggled with substance abuse for six years in the corps, and many years before the corps. Finally sober now, what a pain in the fuckin ass. Good job man, Semper Fi. Wish I could buy you a beer. Get it?
Thank you for your service brother . My uncle died in Vietnam in JUNE 1966 fighting on hill 488 first marine from our county to die in Vietnam. His name was ALCADIO MASCARENAS . his 18 man recon team was surrounded by a battalion of dinks and nva .
I get goosebumps thinking about that book
Those guys were trapped in a sort of hell i wouldnt wish on any of my worst enemies. its amazing anyone made it out at all
I just read about your uncle by looking him up on Military Times. What a brave young warrior!! Much respect to your uncle and to your family for his honorable and courageous sacrifice. God bless.
@@Walter37165 thank you
Legit question, If I am right, the NVA were the "North Vietnamese" Army, but the only thing I can find on Dink is Double Income / No Kids (And I am assuming that the U.S. wasn't trying to stop a Yuppie Domino Effect.
Who were the dinks. VietCong or someone else.
{I am not Northern American so certain Acronyms are foreign to me}
Hey David, I’m a 15yr old Canadian girl in Canada and I am so thankful for these videos because we’re having homework on the vietnam war our classes and your videos help me a lot.
Glad to hear that Crystal.
David Hoffman filmmaker
Why Canadians learning about Vietnam??
@@gavinalvarez7272Why not?
Although I will say from what I remember we did not cover even close to enough Canadian history in school, and even now as an adult with a strong interest in 20th century history - I know vastly more about US history than Canada (my home). Same goes for 19th century, 18th...
History class in Canadian school as I recall had a strooooong emphasis on aboriginals, and even with them it was very superficial "noble savage" type stuff. Frankly I think a lot of what we were taught about the Indians was just wrong or misleading.
Conversely I could very nearly list all the American presidents and give a little take on what they were about and what the American political order looked like in their era for about half of them. I know enough about various American political figures to have opinions about them, often opinions that run counter to the mainstream academics at that.
But I doubt I could come up with more than 4 or 5 Canadian PMs off the top of my head. That includes the three I've been alive for haha
It's a problem. Canadians don'tcare about our history like the Americans do. Maybe I'm projecting but I do think it's a broader cultural thing. Americans will straight up argue about and bring up various ideas and themes from their history in a way Canadians simply don't.
It's a consequence of being a very liberal country, I think. It tends to be right wing type people who cherish and seek to understand their heritage and history. Liberals tend to operate in the eternal present. The "current thing" is always what matters most; the "progressive" thinks we're always progressing and that we're necessarily more enlightened and wise than our ancestors. These days I think the opposite is true, but regardless I suspect this leads them to gloss over and ignore the nuances and details of their own country's history. They teach and talk about it insofar as it bolsters their very modern worldview (hence the very heavy emphasis on aboriginals). Liberal progressives have had unchallenged complete control over academia, and the education sector broadly, in Canada for decades now. So they de-emphasize history and focus a lot more on all their favorite humanities issues (environmentalism, sociology, critical studies, cultural revolution stuff, social justice... and the like).
It's lame.
Make sure you learn about history from as many perspectives as possible! It's the most important piece of our culture
Those who do not study history are doomed to repeat it. This is true in economics, science, law and order, and ethics.
You're the future.
30,000 Canadians volunteered to serve in the U.S. armed forces during the American/Vietnam war. It's called a history class. You learn about, wait for it...history. You need to pick up some more books and get off YT if you are asking such dumb questions@@gavinalvarez7272
As a 1970 Vietnam vet I feel this fellow vets emotions, mistrust and pain🇺🇸
This is hand's down the best Vietnam vet interview i have ever seen
Thank you Caleb.
David Hoffman filmmaker
It's insane he couldn't get in touch with the family of his dead friends, that he couldn't even know of they died!
It is just a sever injustice
I am still active duty with two tours in Afghanistan and one in Iraq. My first AF deployment I’d wake up and look at everybody and be like: Where’s Hamilton? Them: Oh you didn’t hear? He went home during last nights patrol. Me: Oh ok. Well I’ll have to get a beer with him when we get back. Them: No one is seeing him. Ever again….He’s…..gone….Me: oh I hadn’t realized….. Shit was just the same for me back in 2011. Thanks for letting write this. It felt nice. Take care and cherish every day
@@dantheman7506 my dear friend, I was a commending officer in an infantry unit in the Israeli army. In Israel the units keep such a strong tie with the families of the dead. It simply breaks my heart to know that my Americans brothers in arms are so poorly treated, really.
You guys are at my heart, take care ❤️
@@TheRahimpur A lot of what the guy being interviewed is saying is not true. He could of easily found out what happened to his "friends", especially after the war. He didn't know what happened to those men because he didn't want to know what happened to to those men. When you go through a lot of trauma you start making your own truths in a subconscious attemlt to shield your psyche. He is obviously heavily traumatized and clearly sees "the hippies" as an extension of the Vietnamese enemy he never mentally stopped fighting. He is doubtlessly a great man and we are in his debt for his sacrifices, but heavily traumatized veterans like him should of never been allowed to serve as police officers. He even talks about how he militarized new police recruits that he trained. He genuinely felt that he was at war in Berkely, a college campus lol, and so he and men like him imparted the same traumatic lessons that kept them alive in Vietnam to a new generation of rookie police officers. The situation in Berkely was never a war zone "where they were under constant attack". There were a few cases of political violence, but police were never openly targeted with firearms every time they walked onto the street like he claims. There was no "years ofwalking the wire" in the upper class college campus of Berkley lol. The sad part is that he is not lieing, he genuinely believed that he was still in open war with the "communist radicals" of Vietnam. The large influx of combat veterans, many with PTSD that would immediately disqualify them for police service in our current times of psych evaluations, is a large part of what led to the militarization of our local police forces. Officers were now being taught warzone combat doctrine and that they were constantly under attack. We are still reeling from those law enforcement mistakes to this day.
@@matthew92604 this is a great underrated comment second he said i never heard from them again I knew he was off there is literally a whole memorial to find out what happened
@@metacomfortable ... they talked about the memorial after that.
Thanks for this insightful story. Two of my brothers volunteered for the military during Vietnam. I am thankful that both landed up in S Korea. They felt guilty for not serving in the war. Years later, the older one began volunteering with veterans affairs. Helping Vets get the care they needed or just would sit and listen to do whatever he could.
Bless our troops. They deserve to be heard and validated.
Going to the VA is a nightmare for many. They are ignored and shrugged off. I have a couple of friends and an uncle that served in the gulf. They have what seems to be some sort of nerve damage. Constant nausea, body aches, etc etc. If you talk to vets, many suspect illegal weapons were used. They KNOW. No voting citizen has done a damned thing about it. We ignore them and only remember them at parades. We don't deman something be done. Instead, we let them be called crazy at these centers that don't really take care of them. And are their mothers silent? I don't care how old my son is, if the government fucks him over, it is my duty to make it known and to do something about it.
@@RunninUpThatHillh they probably are experiencing after effects of burn pits known to cause a variety of diseases, like neurological, damage to your eyes, lung problems, tremors, and every cancer you can think of.
And more often than not it's the Republicans causing the proposed bills to not pass, considering major ones in power like Lindsey Graham, Trump and Mitch McConnell have all openly stated numerous times that they will do everything in their power to impede Democrats, no matter how bad the people want or need it, no matter if it helps everyone, no matter if it helps soldiers, no matter how positive it is, all because they're petty, tribalistic, old shit heads, that are already rich because they've done whatever their check writing masters tell them.
The just got extreme backlash, when it came out that the Republicans were against passing the soldier burn pit compensation bill, that Democrats were all in favor for.
People need to realize that politicians don't give a flying damn about anyone besides themselves or maybe their party if they're lucky, *especially* republican/Trumpers. Hell draft dodging Trump has mocked soldiers and PoWs multiple times. And now lately has been attacking the justis system (because it's finally holding him accountable) so the party that's supposed to be pro military, and pro "law&order" have 180°'d just in 4 years of Trump era, all because they want to play dumbass political tribalism games, and they don't give a damn about their constituents because their side knows that they're statistically lower iQ'd, easier to con, and are more likely to their pathological lying spins on the truth.
This is why voting is so important, especially now that Republicans are causing so many voter restrictions, with anti-voter bills & propaganda, along with their (what should be illegal) gerrymandering. SMFH.
I wish people would actually know what their candidate were pushing for, and then hold them accountable for when they implement something that's negative, or hold them accountable for blocking something that's positive.
@@stereo-soulsoundsystem5070 You don't even understand the purpose of the Vietnam war.
@@tuckerbugeater It was to demonstrate the consequences of choosing an economic model outside the US sphere of influence and it cost 5+ million lives, most people outside of your USA raised bubble consider it morally reprehensible
@@tuckerbugeater the Vietnam war was purposeless. 60k Americans died for NOTHING but a capitalist pipe dream. And they are burning eternally for their deeds too.
The way he responds to questions is really articulate.
You can tell this guy is a deep thinker. He is trying his best to make sense of this mess.
“Sometimes bad things (keep) happen(ing) to a good man and nobody gives a damn” would be a fitting title for this guy’s biography. Thank you for your service David
I just don't understand why he became a police officer if he had PTSD, nobody forced him to make his profession revolve around guns and stressful situations like he had to in Vietnam, as a soldier he had no choice but as a civilian, he had many options to choose a career path that was relaxing, he chose the stress filled occupation of being a police officer.
@@rootbeer2399lmfao how completely clueless you are...he said being a cop HELPED him. Did you watch the video before you wrote a paragraph looking down your nose at him?
Thanks! For my father, probably one of the only Oberlin College graduates to accept his draft notice and go over there. Computer technician 1968-69 South Vietnam. Lover of peace and good human being. Thank you for sharing this video.
Thank you so much.
David Hoffman Filmmaker
How they got away with drafting people into the nam is insane. WW2 it was warranted, but Vietnam it wasn’t at all.
Mr. Hoffman you are a national treasure, in my opinion.
Everytime I watch an interview from you that was recorded a while back, I’m mind boggled by how articulate and level headed theses interviewees are! I feel like this is how it should be but new times have proved me wrong, thank you David!
These men and women are SO articulate. I feel like being able to speak well is a dying skill.
@@HiGlowie It definitely is. I speak "rather well" and people get excited over what should be regular vocabulary and articulation
I think there are about 8 people in the U.S. today who know the difference between
There/their/they're
Too/to/two
Your/you're etc etc etc
Cell phones, facebook, have MSM and effectively retarded the current generation. We now have retard class and slave(mask) class.
@@bhall4996 it’s the same here in the U.K. even though I didn’t do well at school I can manage a sentence without too many mistakes
The horror of war remains in the eyes, it never fades. This man appears as someone with a good heart and good soul, sadly he also appears tormented and tortured. Thank You David for giving this man his voice and for us to be able to hear him.
The smart ones didn’t have to go into the nam, they legally dodged the draft thru loopholes.
This mans strength leaves me awestruck , I really have no words , a true man of honor.
"My war continued." Those are some chilling words.
so as his eyes which Spark's adrenaline rush from time to time.
@@silvadossantos6803 yea you can see allot going on there
@@BoostedPastime the part that get me was when he spoke for people that lost limbs and went downhill.
the smile after he said he didnt let them go. i know he is happy about that one and i love it
I am in my early 30s and just wanted to say thank you for documenting these things! Without people like you, these things would be lost to history
Absolutely incredible series of interviews on here, you really have preserved so much important history - the lives of normal people.
Thank you for your comment. If your resources allow, I would sure appreciate your using the THANKS button under any of my videos including the one you have commented on. It is something new that UA-cam is beta testing and would mean a great deal for my continuing efforts.
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@@finnanutyo1153 his net worth is only 11 million dude stingy
@@Broken_dish lol net worth don’t mean jack, kid
@@jonathansanchez319 how can you read that and not think it was sarcasm
My Grandpa is a US Marine who was wounded in combat in Vietnam. He didn’t get drafted he enlisted. After he got injured and sent home he became an undercover cop in Indiana in the late 60s-1970s. I’ve heard some wild stories from the undercover cop days, 1970 Midwest was wilder than you may think. Then he became a State Trooper. Super intense guy.
God bless this man and the men like him.
The midwest was still the wild west lol
The real Wild West. My paw too!
My Uncle Victor was a US Marine in Vietnam in the late 60's and also joined the San Francisco Police Department when he came back. He also suffered from PTSD from both jobs. Before his retirement, he was put on desk duty due to suffering from short-term memory loss.
Tom,if your uncle is still living,I hope that he's doing well now and hopefully having a great retirement.
That's what you get for participating in bullshit imperialist adventures. I hope he never had a peaceful night's rest.
Glory to the freedom fighters of Vietnam!
@@johndavis9432 He's doing alright, Thank You. He is living in North Carolina. He was divorced from his wife and mother of his two daughters but sees them as frequently as possible.
@@thomasmarciano6133 Tom,I'm glad to hear that your uncle is at least managing.That's great news.
@@johndavis9432 One of his daughters, Vicki (Victoria), was one of the first women to represent the USA in the 2006 Winter Olympics at Park City, Utah in the Women's bobsled competition.
"I was casually weened off war" - as a combat vet and now LE, thats a spot on feeling I share. Thanks for your dedication to our country
I was a cop in the early 70's , spent time in Nam in 69. I could understand how a Nam veteran (combat) could kill someone because I think I was unbalanced at that time. What this guy says is absolutely true, I understand him
Nope you were very balanced same with this guy..........
Nope you were very balanced same with this guy..........
Nope you were very balanced same with this guy.........
he is being real with himself @@b-bopeddie1290
The Vietnam memorial is so powerful. It’s not as big as some of the others in that area, but the atmosphere is something you have to experience at least once in your life. Incredibly solemn
Yes. It's been 17 years since the first and only time I saw it, watching this video made that feeling come over me again. That feeling is intensified when you look at the WWII memorial first, with all its pomp and pageantry, then you go and see the wall.
My husband went there to find his best friend's name. He cried when he found it.
I was just starting high school in San Francisco when he was starting his career as a cop. I was terrified that my older brother would be drafted. I remember crying at night thinking about it. My dad was a pretty quiet guy, but we knew he didn't support the draft. He had been drafted and fought in the Korean War. Thankfully, the Vietnam War ended before my brother could be drafted. I did work with many Vietnam vets over the years, and most of them were great guys. Have known a few women who were nurses in Vietnam. They were also exceptional people.
My father did two tours in Vietnam and expressed much of what this man says. “Total picture rather than specific events.” This is something we should always have on our minds. Thank you Mr. Hoffman. Your videos aren’t always easy, but they challenge me to be better
What's really sad about Vietnam and all the pain it caused It was all for nothing,zero,zilch,nothing. A big thank you to our soldiers though.
Just like Afghanistan and now Iraq is a vassal state of Iran… the government sure has made the best choices in the last 60 years…
I see your point.My family escaped communist Cuba in 1970..My father volunteered for Vietnam but wasn't accepted.My neighbors are vietnamese,we hate commies & love our country & military.My point is many people are greatfull for the sacrifices made.
Wasn't it over the poppy control??
how many slaves did your family own?
@@TakeNoShitgang444 I’m sure you virtuous bunch are very grateful for all the poor people half the world away murdered in the name of maintaining US hegemony.
Great interview sad to see he passed last year, couldn’t imagine fighting in Vietnam let alone becoming a police officer. Thank you for letting this man tell his story Mr Hoffman!
Is he still alive? If he enlisted as a 18 year old in 1967. He's only 73 now! It would be really awesome to see a interview with him today.
Yes, that would be amazing! I wonder if Mr H could do that!!
I see my grandfather every week and I get snippets of his past. If you have anyone in your life with a grim, but interesting story.. please try to extract it. Humans need to see more of this so we can learn and strive for a better future for us and our fascinating brains.
I wouldn't be alive that long with my ptsd and it cant be nothing compared to his.
@@datadavis Men used to be men, sadly now generations of men have been failed in the West which is why we see poor mental and physical health.
And now the Hippies run our country. The same dirt bags he referred too.
What a profound speaker. So calm and collected. And rest assured, he saw more than most 🙏🏻
My best friend served in Nam. He's a Native American Apache. This man has taught me more about life in the past few years than I thought I'd ever know.
Mr Bowman seems like a very smart person which has been able to rationalize his life’s experience. Not everyone is so capable.
As a sixties generation teenager I
thank you for sharing your story and thank you for your service,
both as a soldier and a police officer.
❤ So much empathy. PTSD is not rare in society unfortunately. Support your family members and neighbors as much as possible. Thank you David Hoffman! Unity and understanding is a possible solution.
Thank you so much for your comment (which I agree with) and the support of my efforts.
David Hoffman filmmaker
So happy you're still here pumping out so much great content
i am 16 and love this content. can't wait to see what life will be like when I'm in my 60s
I'd like to see what your life is like when you are 60 as well. I hope that I do.
David Hoffman filmmaker
@@daktarioskarvannederhosen2568 We took the totarialism of the past and the technology of the future.
This guy's inspirational story clearly gives the kids hope.
@@ronfroehlich4697 not 1984, brave new world. We’re already living it
You will eat ze bugsz andz live in ze pod. Unless you wake up and save yourself.
A fantastic interview. A thoroughly honest gentleman. I always have great love and respect for vets. They gave and continue to give everything. My dad was in the Royal Navy, my grandad fought in Normandy, and my uncle protected shipping against U boats in the North Atlantic. Brave as lions.
Wow that’s so incredible to hear, you have quite the badass family tree my friend across the pond. I thank them for their service, I’m so happy the U.S. and U.K. have formed such a good alliance over the past 150 years after how we originally came to become accustomed to one another back in colonial times lol, anyway wishing you and every Brit the best from America 🇺🇸 🇬🇧🇺🇸🇬🇧
Welcome home and thank you so so much for your services for our country,💙👊🏻🇺🇸
I always love these uploads on Vietnam veterans sharing their thoughts and stories.
Love you David. I’m 32 and your videos are very insightful and help me not forget our history. Trauma is universal, and these stories help us all get through the human condition.
The beauty and importance of being able to articulate and express yourself well.
Right, in my view this is the best of America. Flawed, incomplete, imperfect, even sad but yet hard-working, thoughtful, hopeful and reflective-- great interview man.
Great interview. It only took the war in Vietnam and war in the streets to teach this man to think critically about what the government says. You can see the pain in him at certain points and I can't help but feel for him.
This is my favorite type of David Hoffman content - so real, so raw, its like an Uncle opening up to you after a few beers - Thanks for all your work through the years, David - Super thanks sent 👍
Thank you Mike.
David Hoffman filmmaker
I read the title of this video, and I thought to myself that the man must be one of those 'angry cops', and we get to hear his story. Instead, it was a regular man who lived through two hells and eloquently talks about it. This was a fantastic interview; I hope he found peace and happiness in his life.
This is one of the most important interviews I have ever witnessed. All of today’s American youth should see this.
David, thank you for doing this 35 years ago and for posting these today. It’s important we hear from Vietnam vets.
Especially interesting is you interviewed them when they were entering middle age. I wonder what you’d find if you re-interviewed them in their senior years.
Peace be to this Veteran.! And I am grateful for his input.
Feel so bad for Vietnam vets and what they went through, God bless them! Great interview🇺🇸
They MURDERED about 1 million Vietnamese people for no good reason. Going there is nothing to be proud of. They should just keep their bloody mouths shut and be humble.
From all sides!
They were victims of their own government that thought of them as little more than cannon fodder.
Another good one I came across, David.
I never thought of the importance of the wall and the thoughts they had, wondering about a friend. What an eye opener. I missed it all by a couple of years while I was in high school so I never had to suffer as they did. But I've never hated a man for what he had to do and often listened to their stories over the years to remind myself of what others do to keep me safe from suffering. ❤️
My good buddies uncle came back from Vietnam, moved into the woods of Montana and didn't talk to anyone for 4 yrs solid. Not a word. He was a shattered soul 🙌♥️
With each interview you have done from 1989 on the 60's that I have seen I am getting a broader understanding of the 60's I still don't think I'll ever truly understand the 60's enjoyed David Bowman views on the 60's and transitioning from the Vietnam War to a San Francisco police officer.
“I can’t understand what you’ve seen, I can’t walk in your shoes” his honesty with himself and others is incredible and refreshing.
I hope he’s living a peaceful and happy life.
This man is the real deal. Not many men of this depth and character anymore.
One of the most eye opening interviews I've seen on this topic. He's really good at conveying the horror he must've lived through even though I will never be able to understand what it was really like in that war..
The description of the total moral corruption of the hippy movement is great. I honestly found it real hard to take in the dead infant scene at the police station.
I’m an Xer and grew up around these men. I have not served. I saw the direct impact on our society as a result of not taking responsibility for the mental health of our Vietnam Veterans. The same after Desert Storm and the subsequent crushing of Iraq. We have a responsibility to care for our Vets. 1982: 40 years, no significant improvement. We can do better than this
My father was a doctor who worked in the VA in the early 70s and then the early 90s and then the early 2000s. He died in 2018. He took care of soldiers from three wars. He did his best.
Man my dad was in Nam he came back home with a terrible addiction. However he was able to beat it he wasn’t to messed up he definitely liked to drink. With that he wasn’t mean he worked every day of his life. He was my Father,Hero,best friend,the only person I could EVER truly trust. I miss you very much Dad thanks for your service. Hell thanks for everything you did for me while you were physically on this mud ball with me. I wish you could have met your beautiful grandson Dad you would have been so proud.
My Dad was in Vietnam and also became a Policeman in San Francisco in 1968 in the Haight Ashbury. His station was bombed in 1970 by the Weather Underground. Brian McDonnell died and he mentioned Ingleside Station where Jack Young was killed in 1971 by the BLA/WU….
Dude my dad was at that station back in the day. I remember those bombings and funerals as a child.
When I first saw his face, I thought he looked angry, because his left side of his lip is shorter than his right, but, as he was talking, I could see the light in his heart, and also hear the hurt he experienced, just a touch because that would take years, but, I also admire his intelligent way of looking at the situation before forming an opinion. I looked up his books, and am glad you posted this.
I am a retired Big city cop who vollunteered to go to war in 2005-06 in Iraq with my Army National Guard unit. We fought in Ramadi, and we were involved in the heaviest fighting since Vietnam. I understand completely wtf this guy is going thru. All Love, Strength & Peace to you now brother. Combat Vets need to look out for each other. I was 38 yrs old when I went to war, so I had alot of life experience dealing with stress as a cop. It helped tremendously but there is nothing that compares to constant heavy combat. I fear many of the vollunteers who went over to Ukraine will come home with many serious issues as well. Be smart and find vets to talk to and get whatvers eating at you off your mind by talking to those who fully understand but are coping.
Hey brotha, I was in ramadi in 04 and then again in late 05-06. I was in my early 20s back then and definitely felt the effects of war intensely after my second deployment. Even more so after I finished my enlistment. Going into law enforcement felt like my only option but I knew it wouldn’t be wise to handle a weapon or engage with people, at the time, so I lived a very lonely, very dark life. After years of hard work, I’m in a much better place.
I couldn’t imagine going to war later in life especially after having a career, like you. I hope you’re doing well.
Welcome home, brother ❤
Thank you bro, I wish nothing but great success to you & all of us who battled outside the wire on the daily. May your future remain bright and keep the faith in your fellow vets. We got your back!@@sunnykobe3210
"Many of our countrymen came to hate the war we fought. Those who hated it the most ,the professionally sensitive, were not, in the end, sensitive enough to differentiate between the war and the soldiers who had been ordered to fight it. They hated us as well, and we went to ground in the cross fire, as we had learned in the jungles."
Excerpt from the book "We Were Soldiers Once... and Young" by Lt. Gen. Harold G. Moore and Joseph L. Galloway
Seems to be a rather profound man, he has such a dignity / rawness when he talks about these experiences.
Still one of the most brilliant channels on youtube! #HistoryLives!
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David Hoffman filmmaker
Thank you for these videos you put out David, I've been watching them for a long time now. I'm not American but I always see these as small windows or glimpses into the soul of American society. There is history in charts and files and so on, but in showing the human experience in the way that you do, you are showing that history is not about a sequence of events that have a start and an end. History is a continuum of collective and individual human experiences that are constantly overlapping and are both being influenced and influencing other experiences. Thank you
Wow. Another incredible interview. Thank you for all you do. Your work is phenomenal.
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David Hoffman filmmaker
You can tell by looking into his eyes that he has seen some crazy stuff in life. There is a very intense fire in his eyes.
I was really moved on my visit to the memorial and now appreciate for the first time it’s practical and emotional significance in allowing closure for veterans and families - thanks you for sharing this interview
As a clinical psychologist who works with veterans, I deeply appreciate this video, and America's veterans.
Thank you for your comment. If your resources allow, I would sure appreciate your using the THANKS button under any of my videos including the one you have commented on. It is something new that UA-cam is beta testing and would mean a great deal for my continuing efforts.
David Hoffman filmmaker
@@DavidHoffmanFilmmaker of course. I am technologically illiterate but I will figure it out right now🙂
Your interviews open a window to seeing our history through the people who lived it. They show us first person views of these individuals in their time that we can hopefully learn from. There are more than a few of your interviews I've seen that I can relate to, learn from, or I find highly interesting. I am sure so many others feel the same way.
Thank you for your comment and your financial support Keith.
David Hoffman filmmaker
My grandma's little brother went to Vietnam and so did my grandpa. My grandpa came back but my great uncle never did.
My grandma and her family never recovered from the way this loss impacted them. My grandpa worked with cars after the war and I hope he was able to find ways to ween himself off of the terrors of war. I know that he expresses a great feeling of loss when talking about Vietnam and it extends to the Vietnamese losses as well. I struggle to comprehend how it would feel to have such an immense feeling of loss throughout nearly your entire life. He is 84 and he was in the navy stationed on the Kitty Hawk. My great uncle died due to shrapnel--I never met him.
I found this man's perspective invaluable because my grandpa is my hero and I value any chance to understand what he went through for us. Thank you.
This man is extremely likable. What a smart guy, strong willed and compassionate.
Thank you so much for all the amazing work you do and have done… and most of all, bringing us important history and honoring the men and women in war situations all over the world.. your contribution means a lot Sir. 🙏🏻🌟
Thank you for the support. I love Norway and have been there several times.
David Hoffman filmmaker
Thank you for having the presence of mind to record these mens experiences and thank you for uploading the videos
Kudos, love and respect from London UK 🇬🇧🇺🇲🇨🇦🇦🇺🇳🇿
I thought the most important thing he had to say was the point that everyone had been through a lot, but the problem is that nobody can really understand what anyone else went through. We are all like islands of trauma. To me this makes sense. I sometimes have conversations with people where I can't understand how they are not capable of understanding other people's experiences. I wonder if something has shattered within us that makes it impossible for us to regain empathy, or if we just don't want to have empathy.
I had numerous acquaintances returning from Vietnam in the late 60's and early 70's.
Nearly all advised me to avoid the Draft by any means possible. A couple of those Veterans took their own lives in one way or another in the following decade. By the time I became eligible, the Draft was ending. Coming from a Military Family (Revolutionary War, Civil War, Spanish American War, WW1, WW2) I had always planned on a Military Career...but those thoughts changed completely after listening to those Vietnam Veteran friends.
My Wife's Cousin is M.I.A. in Vietnam to this day.
my neighbor was a Marine in Vietnam in 1969 -1970. when he got out, he was a cop in Bay Area CA throughout the 70s. wild stories he has. He ended up starting a road building company after being medically retired from police and made a lot of money
Thank you all Vietnam veterans! We love you and appreciate you!
A REAL MAN. Such a rare species these days. This guy paid his dues in every way possible. It's embarrassing all the soft weak -ass people in the country today. Only a precious few could hold a candle to this man today
Hey man, great work, im only 23 yo but coming from military family, lucky to be from spain cause none of them saw action but i had seek people that have, your work its trully a window to this wonderfull examples of human beings that deserve some tipe of social recognition or at least been heard so their knowledge doesnt go to waste neither their stories, i am really thankfull for this vission of the human soul and for been able to learn from him and all thanks to you, i hope everything goes well for you and to keep watching more interviews in the future
Vietnam veteran becomes a beat cop in Hippie Central in 1968... the patience of a saint and courage of an angel. Thank you for your service to civilization.
Civilization? Is killing Civilization ?
Thank you so much for sharing your work. I can see how frustrated he is about not knowing if his buddies didn’t make it out alive from Vietnam. I really enjoy your follow up interviews-such as the ones about the hard rockers from Maine.
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David Hoffman filmmaker
Blessings Sir. I must admit that being stopped by a police officer who has a lot of PTSD scares me. Thanks for your service
I can’t get over the fact he almost sounds like Seth MacFarlane. That being said, I never wanted this interview to end. Very intelligent man, great storyteller, with a wealth of knowledge. I’d like to hear more if we could
Am so sorry that they went thru that. They were lied to and knew it. Had a few friends and classmates that went over . My dad was there in 69 and 70. Didn't come back the same. We didn't learn our lesson. We went ahead and started our longest war in the Middle East. Lost it as well. God Bless Them. PTSD is a reality.
This man is such a great storyteller. God bless you David Bowman
My Dad served with 1st Batallion 9th Marines "The Walking Dead" in Vietnam 66-67. He became a fireman/paramedic for Orlando FD, in 1980 he rolled on a scene with some Cambodian children that had been rear ended. One little girl was DOA and he grabbed her and took cover, Dad was having a flashback and the Orlando Sentinel captured it in a front page photo. I still have that paper but unfortunately Dad ended his life at the dinner table on December 3rd of 92. I love and thank you, Mr. Hoffman for doing these interviews.
Thank you and your Dad.
David Hoffman Filmmaker
Excellent interview just to share with everyone: A journalist with the Billings Gazette has a series called Vietnam Voices which interviews Vietnam vets and just allows them to tell their stories. I listened for hours.
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David Hoffman filmmaker
I LOVE the Billings Gazette series of Vietnam vet interviews.
This mans efforts are God sent. His time and care is Great.