American War Stories: Vietnam

This three-hour documentary focuses on the personal stories of individuals who served in the Vietnam conflict and provides insight into a war that continues to profoundly affect the lives of those veterans and their families today including our general culture, politics and lives. Approximately three million troops served in Southeast Asia during the Vietnam War. However, many Vietnam veterans are reluctant to share their experiences. Due to the controversy over the war and the reaction many experienced upon returning home, these men and women have carried a greater burden. They put away their uniforms and medals and tried to put away their memories, but these are memories that cannot be forgotten. This documentary gives those veterans a voice so that we can better understand their experiences and the Vietnam War's effect on all of our lives. The documentary is structured as three one-hour programs; Escalation, focusing on the growing U.S. involvement in Southeast Asia from the mid-50's to 1967; Turning Point, the turbulent and tide-turning period of 1968 and '69 ; and Draw Down, the eventual reduction of forces until America's departure in 1973, followed by the fall of Saigon in 1975.