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‘Vietnam: The War That Changed America’ examines the human stories of war

BBG News

In a recent chat, Bill Broyles shared that his motivation for joining the Vietnam war was his desire to become a hero,” or simply, “Bill Broyles explained in an interview that he enlisted for Vietnam because he aspired to be a hero.

Back in the day, I was fresh off getting my Master’s from Oxford, and with a military man for a dad, it seemed only natural to follow in his footsteps. So, there I was, a 24-year-old in the thick of Vietnam’s jungles. But boy, did reality prove to be a stark contrast to my expectations!

In the Apple TV+ docuseries “Vietnam: The War That Shaped America,” airing this Friday, Broyles recounts his initial firefight experience where fear left him speechless, forcing him to depend on his radioman to maintain communication with his platoon. Subsequently, Broyles discusses the disenchantment that spread among the troops and instances of enlisted men resorting to “fragging,” a term referring to the act of killing their superior officers, including himself.

In the end, he gained the admiration and confidence of his men not by blindly obeying and undertaking a risky and meaningless task, but by cleverly simulating radio transmissions to deceive superiors into believing they were working while actually keeping his team members secure.

Originally, we believed our purpose was to halt aggression, similar to how it was during World War II. However, by the time I arrived, it had transformed into a different kind of conflict,” Broyles reflects. “It’s one thing to engage in combat when you truly believe you’re fighting for liberty. But none of them wished to die for Richard Nixon, Henry Kissinger, or even me. Thus, my objective shifted to ensuring their survival.

Movies

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The screen presents Broyles’ narrative alongside that of a rebellious and disobedient radio operator, Jeff Hiers. In due course, the series reveals their reunion in the current timeframe. This unique storytelling method is employed by director Rob Coldstream when recounting the tale of war.

In a video interview, he explains, “Our intention was to provide a firsthand experience for you, as if you were there experiencing it yourself. Instead of merely informing the audience about it, we aimed to make it feel like a movie, immersive and engaging.

The immersive quality is evident in the raw, shaky camera work recording one of the initial skirmishes of the war, as well as in many compelling narratives.

C.W. Bowman was a “tunnel rat” sent as point man into the Viet Cong’s network of tunnels.

When Gary Heeter lost his legs, Bowman felt as though everything had lost its significance and he descended into madness. Following the act of slaying an enemy soldier with his machete, Bowman expressed a sense of power that left him queasy: “I was enraged at God and furious at everyone who placed me in such a position where I could find satisfaction in it.

During the Tet Offensive, one of the interviewees in the documentary, Dang Xuan Teo (formerly North Vietnamese soldier or Viet Cong), shares a story about his undercover role as a shoeshine boy to gather intel for an attack on the American Embassy.

Malik Edwards became increasingly disappointed not only with the ongoing conflict but also with events unfolding within America. Eventually, he chose to depart from the Marines and joined the Black Panthers. (In the series, black soldiers reminisce about North Vietnamese propaganda that encouraged them to fight for civil rights in their homeland rather than killing Vietnamese soldiers on behalf of the American government.)

Huan Nguyen witnessed his entire family being brutally killed at the hands of the Viet Cong. Later, after a Viet Cong officer was fatally shot in public – an incident immortalized by Eddie Adams’ iconic photograph – he learned that this very captain had orchestrated the massacre of his own family. Subsequently, Nguyen moved to America and joined the United States military.

Television

Ten years after collaborating on “The War,” a documentary about World War II, Ken Burns and Lynn Novick have since produced “The Vietnam War.

Scott Camil initially held strong anti-Communist views and was enthusiastic, but upon returning from Vietnam and listening to Jane Fonda’s speeches, he underwent a significant transformation, becoming a vocal peace activist who openly admitted the war crimes he had perpetrated.

Nhan Lee was a young boy whose father was a South Vietnamese air force pilot. On the day Saigon fell, he managed to steal a plane, taking along his mother and sibling. They survived because an American officer, Larry Chambers, gave orders for his warship to discard numerous helicopters worth millions of dollars into the ocean, creating room for the Lee’s aircraft to safely land.

Coldstream mentions they’ve viewed around 400 documentaries about Vietnam, and among these, some truly stand out – particularly the Ken Burns series, which he finds incredible. However, what they didn’t expect was to find any that primarily immersed you in the human experience.

In contrast to Ethan Hawke’s narrative offering historical and political context, there are no experts or analysts appearing as talking heads in this documentary series. Coldstream explains that rather than using montages of news clips, they meticulously searched through the archives of complete films from Vietnam, which had been brought back by journalists and others.

After that, they aimed to locate individuals seen in the video to hear their accounts, including Paul Healey, a private soldier who bravely contributed to thwarting the assault on the American Embassy.

In regards to the Lee family, who made an emergency landing on a U.S. vessel, it was a tale frequently recounted by the American officer, yet according to Coldstream, he felt that the Lee family’s account of their thrilling rescue had never been obtained before.

As a film enthusiast, I can’t help but admit that this narrative style has its flaws, but it’s fascinating to watch Kissinger portrayed as a diplomat who brokered peace in the Vietnam War. Critics often label him as a war criminal due to the tens of thousands of deaths caused by America’s covert bombing of neutral Cambodia aimed at pushing back North Vietnamese forces. However, the storyline for certain soldiers becomes somewhat hazy when their tales are stretched across multiple episodes.

Coldstream explained, “We preferred to stay away from the realm of high-ranking military officials and politicians. Politics has already been discussed extensively, and delving into it might lead us astray from our intended path.

Instead, they maintained a keen attention on the individuals involved – ranging from soldiers and nurses to Vietnamese citizens.

Producer Caroline Marsden, in charge of our initial investigations on participants and historical records, shares that we conversed with a great number of individuals – around thousands. Our goal was to uncover tales that were fresh and unexpected for us.

Marsden cites a scene when a soldier talks about all the drugs they consumed.

Although it might appear light-hearted, he was in fact expressing a grave sentiment: ‘I sensed I was about to be offered up, and this was my way of doing something before such an occurrence.’ This statement provides a sense of the atmosphere that prevailed at the time.

Marsden also points out that Nguyen’s tragic story had a moment of unexpected grace.

In a heart-wrenching scene, I found myself huddled beneath the dying embrace of my mother, just nine years old, with the tragic loss of my entire family. Yet, when she inquired about our wellbeing, I lied, whispering reassurances that everyone was safe. It was an incredibly poignant moment, skillfully portrayed.

50 years later, Marsden notes that Nguyen shared an untold aspect of their story on camera for the first time. This period, he adds, allowed many individuals to feel comfortable sharing experiences they had not disclosed earlier.

Coldstream observes a touching and exposed quality when these older men and women reminisce about their past experiences.

Coldstream gestures toward Bowman, who, prior to revealing his actions of slaying the soldier with a machete, expresses hesitation: “I’m not sure I should share this.” However, he is unable to resist. Coldstream adds, “He had been carrying this burden for years.

Stephanie Dinh, who had to escape Saigon during its fall, is grateful for being rescued by an American warship that brought her family to safety. She initially found it challenging to share her story on camera due to the emotional intensity surrounding the Vietnam War. However, she believes that by hearing personal accounts from those who lived through it, people can gain a deeper appreciation of the struggles and fears experienced during the war. Currently residing in San Diego, Dinh wishes to dispel misconceptions about the Vietnam War.

Broyles, whose child participated in the prolonged conflict in Afghanistan (remarking it as “the longest war in American history”), desires that the series might illustrate the profound impact this war had on individuals throughout their lives.

He notes that such an artifact could serve as a stark reminder of how wars affect both individuals and societies. Perhaps, this realization might inspire us to incorporate a greater degree of humility in our international policies and cultural interactions, leading to the resolution of more issues.

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2025-01-31 14:33

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