Vietnam in HD

What strikes me most about this series is how it is possible, even necessary, for Americans to take this most colossal of domestic and international blunders and attempt to ennoble it with fancy language about "buddies" and "honor" and "sacrifice" and other words that are, shall we say, incompatible with the utter annihilation of generations here and there.

To say this series is bad would be incorrect. What it is, is somehow disgusting jingoism. The fake-dramatic music, the lap dissolves, the Times Roman font, the narration of simplistic statements made to sound deep by the hammy-sounding readers - it is deeply repellent, even more so than the earlier "WWII in HD" was repellent. One should learn from his mistakes and correct them. That's something Americans don't seem to understand. War-mongering is only compatible with victory.

Reviewer's update: The series ends with a predictable paean to militarism from the veterans featured in the series, which is grossly offensive, comparing those who returned from the modern catastrophes in Iraq and Afghanistan (the latter ongoing) to themselves. They have, I suppose, the right to this opinion in compensation for their respective ordeals. But at least this conclusion is a consistent ending to a series that attempts to ennoble a moral, political, and societal catastrophe. This is simply not possible. Those who are predisposed to accept that America is a militaristic state with the God given right to throw its destructive weight around regardless of consequences, will find the series compelling. Those who prefer the position of Washington, Jefferson, Grant, Eisenhower, etc. will be filled with a combination of remorse and revulsion.

It's a six-part History Channel show about the Vietnam War. The tagline is "It's not the war we know. It's the war they fought." It uses home videos, brutal battlefront footage, and real veterans' recollections. The home videos give a sense of the times. The war footage is bloody and vicious. The gore is front and center. There isn't anything new to the overall understanding of the war. It's interesting to walk a few steps in the shoes of these men. I would like an experienced narrator to do the general story. The real veterans talking does grow on me. When that reporter says "That boy haunts me today", there is a chill that radiates out of the screen. This is a brutal recollection and a compelling watch.

This series is about war, politics and people. Just like with WWII in HD, I am in awe of history in video, specially in HD. I lived through those times with limited cognisance of what was really transpiring although soon after coming to assimilate what its overall impact would eventually come to be. Listening to and seeing the few participants, interspersed with the reality of that arguably unnecessary conflict is engrossing.

Reviews of this, and similar series, should be devoid of political rhetoric and consistent with the presentation quality and viewers objective appreciation of what was created and produced through significant effort.

One needs to remember that honour and duty among soldiers in rarely arrogance or narcissism. These human beings were placed in a terrible place and asked to do terrible things, or else rendered criminals in their own country or dishonoured as soldiers. Most were completely ostracized and suffered severe mental depressions, upon returning home to their families and friends. IMO, their "OO-RAH" is purely a sense of camaraderie and commitment to their fellows in the battle zone where there was no time or point to pander politics or resentment to their leadership... lives were at stake.

THIS IS A MUST SEE FOR HISTORY BUFFS!

Lyrics excerpt - "All we are saying is - Give peace a chance."

This is a picture about war - And, believe me, it isn't a pretty one.

This was a war that the Americans had no business being in.

This was a war where two-faced, US President, Lyndon Johnson promised his gullible citizens that American involvement would only last for a few months.

This was a war that endured (under direct US occupation) for 10 years (1964-1974) and took the lives of 60,000 American military men (with 300,000 wounded) - Not to mention the dead Vietnamese.

This was a war where blacks (and other racial minorities), along with under-privileged whites, were the ones sent to the front lines to fight.

This was a war that was condoned by 2, hypocrite, US presidents (Johnson & Nixon) in order to save political face.

Through interviews, narration, and archival footage - This is a mighty powerful re-telling of the reality of that war, which, as you'll see, is like nothing that Hollywood has ever shown you.

Did I miss something here?

This was an excellent production. As some stated, a 'must see' for students of history and those interested in the Vietnam War.

It's a recollection, a compilation using home movie footage, archival footage, material released through FOIA, and plenty of other sources never before assembled together to present a very personal view of what it was like to fight in Vietnam and to be at home waiting for the loved one to return.

A personal view.

Judging by the criticisms of others here, complaining that the series is too patriotic or pro- American, I have to say, did you watch the same documentary as I did? Simply because the production focuses on American soldiers in this conflict does not make it jingoistic. It simply means it's from a perspective. Good grief, lighten up.

What I saw were personal stories, stories of men asked - no, make that ordered, drafted into action for their country (in this case, the United States). Action most neither asked for nor wanted. Yet, action they fulfilled nevertheless.

What I did NOT see was the flag waving jingoism many here are complaining about. If anything, this documentary illustrates the futility of that conflict and how the American leadership lacked the moral justification to order young men into battle. Yet, the men who were ordered to do so, did the best they could under the worst of circumstances, only to come home to the misguided anger, hate and violence of American protesters, which some of the comments here seem to side with.

This is a well produced, illustrative and interesting production on the personal side of Americans in Vietnam, right up there with the outstanding works of PBS's "Vietnam A Television History" and Stanley Karnow's companion book.

Like I said above, ignore the critics. See it.