Disc 1. Into The Quagmire 1954-1964
1 x 51:00 min
After
the1954 French defeat in Vietnam, the country was divided between a
communist north and capitalist oriented south. The north was eager to
unify the country and rid it of western influence. The Americans saw
this as part of the great global communist conspiracy for world
domination and slowly moved forces into the south. The Vietnam War had
begun.
Disc 2. Next Stop is Vietnam 1964-1966
1 x 64:00 min
In
1964, the U.S. had just 21,000 troops in Vietnam, mostly advisors or
specialist troops. By the summer of 1966 that number had risen to
430,000 and many of these were conscripts. In '64 American military
theorists speculated that U.S. technology and sheer strength of numbers
could win the war, particularly through the use of airpower. It was a
disastrous miscalculation.
Disc 3. America's War 1966-1967
1 x 62:00 min
The
United States was deeply committed to the war by 1966. Nearly 200,000
troops were "in country". The U.S. had virtually taken military control
away from the South Vietnamese. The main strategy was to employ "search
and destroy" missions to kill as many enemy fighters as possible. High
body counts, not solving Vietnam's political problems, was the goal.
Disc 4. The Fading Light 1969-1970
1 x 45:00 min
In
1969 Richard Nixon became president and wanted the South Vietnamese
Army to take more responsibility in combat. U.S. forces turned to large
scale offensive operations away from population centers, aimed at
invading North Vietnamese soldiers. The Americans were trying to get
out, desperate to achieve Peace with Honor, but little of either could
be found in Vietnam.
Disc 5. Dust Off 1970-1975
1 x 67:00 min
By
1971, America was in retreat from Vietnam, its air force providing
covering fire, as troops withdrew. They would be leaving their South
Vietnamese allies to their own fate. The end would soon come. In April
1973, a mass of North Vietnamese forces crossed the border and swept
down on Saigon, almost without a fight. The 10,000 Day War was over.
