If you're able to get PBS where you are, this looks like a good documentary timed to the 40th anniversary of the fall of Saigon. Premieres April 28 on PBS American Experience. Nice image of the Air America 204 landing at 22 Gia Long Street in the logo.

Thanks Bandit!

I will for sure mark this one on the calender. I've been to Siagon several times, and although each time I loved my experience there (90% of the folks are wonderfully friendly), I would always walk the city with those haunting images following me.

I turned 18 the year we left (abandoned?) that country, but I still had to register for the draft, and I followed that first "television war" each night with the Huntley/ Brinkley Report. It was my generations war, and it still cuts very deep.

BTW, each time I would land at the old Tan Son Nhut airport, I refused to call them "Ho Chi Minh" (approach/tower/ground, etc.) on the different frequencies. It was always "Saigon Approach...", or "Saigon Tower".... The F/O's would give me some wierd looks. LOL.... (they didn't understand that there's lots of American...and Aussie...and Kiwi....and South Korean...and Thai....and yes...South Vietnamese blood in that dirt).

Thanks again for the link...

- BB

Well put BBall. Its always been up for debate, but the politicians never intended to win that war. But if allowed too our military's could have comfortably. We all know that the NVA were on their last legs after Tet. When that country was over run by the communists after the USA and its allies pulled out because of politics i truly believe that we should have grabbed every dope smoking long haired hippy and the gutless politcians that encouraged them and ground their faces in the graves of the millions that were killed by the communists that followed into the 70's.  My opinion is that politicians are the most despised pieces of !@#$ and are to be held responsible.

(C/229) Strut wrote:Well put BBall. Its always been up for debate, but the politicians never intended to win that war. But if allowed too our military's could have comfortably. We all know that the NVA were on their last legs after Tet. When that country was over run by the communists after the USA and its allies pulled out because of politics i truly believe that we should have grabbed every dope smoking long haired hippy and the gutless politcians that encouraged them and ground their faces in the graves of the millions that were killed by the communists that followed into the 70's.  My opinion is that politicians are the most despised pieces of !@#$ and are to be held responsible.

Well said, Strut. One of my lecturer at university, an expert in Cold War US International Relations, had similar views on the how winnable the Vietnam War was.

This is, of course, all before my time, but I can't agree with you more that at the end of the day the buck stops with the politicians. What has always emflames me most about the Vietnam War is how poorly returning servicemen were treated and how they were scapegoated by the politicians.

I firmly believe that whether one believes the prosecution of a war is right or wrong, the men and women who serve their country in that war are deserving of one's respect and gratitude, not ridicule. If you have a problem with your country's involvement in a war, then take it up with those who are truly responsible: THE POLITICIANS.