1980

S1.E1 ∙ America in Vietnam

Wed, Oct 15, 1980

This first episode focuses on American involvement in South-East Asia (Indochina) from US support for Ho Chi Minh during World War II. Proceeding through Ho Chi Minhs Declaration of Independence from France in 1945. To the withdrawal of troops and the suspension of air support in '72, and the belated final withdrawal in '75. It closes with President Ford declaring that for Americans, "the war is over".

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S1.E2 ∙ France in Vietnam

Wed, Oct 15, 1980

Episode Two covers the start of the Vietnam War. American support for and training of the Viet Minh, American participation fighting the Japanese occupation. The French Army, against the communist Viet Minh. Ho Chi Minhs plans for the eventual freedom of his country. France's plans to retain it's Indochina colony post WWII with occasional uprisings against it. France's brutal rule over the territory. American indifference and eventual support for France. The US finances 80% of France's war with the Viet Minh.

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S1.E3 ∙ Dien Bien Phu

Wed, Oct 15, 1980

Episode Three, covers the battle of Dien Bien Phu, the final battle in the French Indochina war. Dien Bien Phu is on the northwestern border with Laos, it is just within range of French aircraft which was the only link to the rest of the world. General Giap decides to attack and wipe the french forces out. 55 days later the Vietminh win the battle. 10,000 french troops surrender and only 5,000 survive the march into captivity. French Indochina is dead.

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S1.E4 ∙ Early Hopes

Wed, Dec 31, 1969

Episode Four covers the formation of South Vietnam. Over 1,000,000 people emigrate to the south and only 100,000 emigrate north. Ngo dinh Diem becomes the first elected president of South Vietnam but rules like a dictator. President Eisenhower calls Vietnam a "Bulwark" against communism in Asia. 1959 The north decides to retake the south by military force, and a guerrilla war is launched. Corruption spreads in the south, the government becomes oppressive. By 1963 there are 16,000 "Advisors" leading the S Vietnamese army with more on the way. By the end of 1964 there are 23,000 "Advisors" in Vietnam. It is clear that the American involvement is widening.

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S1.E5 ∙ Assassination

Wed, Dec 31, 1969

Episode Five, covering Bhuddist complaints of government corruption leading to riots, five monks self-immolate in protest. Henry Cabot Lodge arrives as ambassador to try and restore unity with Washington. Discussions happen between Washington and the Souths military that the US would not stand in the way of a coup. The CIA comes to Vietnam to try to pressure for governmental reforms without influencing any coup. Eventually Washington sends a message approving a coup the generals request confirmation that the US would still support Vietnam if a coup happened, the answer came back "Yes" The Souths generals throw a coup to remove Diem and then assassinate him after he surrenders. The US recognizes the new government. Three weeks later, JFK is assassinated in Dallas and LBJ takes over the presidency.

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S1.E6 ∙ Days of Decision

Wed, Dec 31, 1969

Episode Six chronicles LBJ's decisions to bomb the north and send US combat troops into the south. South Vietnam is given weapons and the most advanced equipment available and American personnel to operate it. 1964, the US Airforce starts flying secret bombing missions out of Laos and Cambodia. For six weeks secret CIA naval missions were being run into North Vietnam in the lead up to the Gulf of Tonkin incident. North Vietnamese gunboats had attacked a US Navy destroyer operating in the gulf of Tonkin, the next day, two destroyers entered the gulf and it was reported that they were both under attack. (we now know this was a false report) in retaliation LBJ orders a huge expansion of the bombing campaign against the north and Congress approves unanimously the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution, giving LBJ a blank check in using military force in Vietnam. As LBJ is reelected, the war escalates.

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S1.E7 ∙ Westy's War

Wed, Dec 31, 1969

Episode Seven chronicles the tactics and strategies used by General William Westmoreland. LBJ calls the war the most complex war ever fought. The overall US strategy is a war of attrition kill as many enemy as possible. March 1965 the first US combat troops arrive in Vietnam. South Vietnam is losing the war, it has a 500,000 man army, but it was poorly lead and motivated. By the end of '65 the north controls the country and the south the cities. Westmoreland's tactics are "Search & Destroy" The north's tactics were to "Ambush" the better trained and equipped Americans. The north's tactics are attrition, outlast the US forces.

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S1.E8 ∙ Uneasy Allies

Tue, Nov 04, 1980

Episode Eight covers the society in the south during the war. Saigon is a party town. American aid pours into the country, fight during the day live it up at night. in 1965 Premier Ky is in power, the 10th government in 20 months and Americans feel they have a solid ally finally. Ky goes to meet LBJ in Washington to obtain more economic aid. LBJ enthusiastically agrees. Within a month Vietnam has an operating TV station to promote social reforms to the population. The US commits $750,000,000 in aid to Vietnam. Vietnam is corrupt, much of the aid provided goes straight from the supply depots to the streets of Saigon. In 1966 the pentagon reports that 1 in 4 GI's have a venereal disease. American culture is claimed to be corrupting south Vietnam. where the GI goes so goes "American" culture. To American raised on WWII, Vietnam is a strange place. Americans feel that they alone are doing all the fighting.

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S1.E9 ∙ Guerilla Society

Tue, Nov 04, 1980

The ninth volume of The Ten Thousand Day War covers North Vietnamese society at war. Being at war for 30 years, the people of the north develop a Guerrilla society. Everyone is a combatant and a member of the army or the citizen militia. During the bombing campaign, where the US drops four times as many bombs as it dropped during the entirety of WWII, Northern cities and town move underground completely to escape the bombing. Women are an integral part of the defense society they work the fields during the day, go to school at night, all the while carrying their gun across their back. Men serve in the army, most were educated to at least high school levels. The North's army is the entire population. Nam Dinh, the Norths third largest city, is leveled by bombing, where the city looks like no-mans land in WWI. Cities are moved underground in some cases 70,000 people completely living underground. Ho Chi Minh vows that the north with fight 10, 20, 30 years if necessary. It was not an idle boast.

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S1.E10 ∙ The Trail

Tue, Nov 11, 1980

Episode Ten covers the creation of the Ho Chi Minh Trail. Created in 1959 when the north decides to fight, it stretches from the ocean just north of the 17th parallel to the Mekong delta in the south. A collection or network of footpaths and animal trails would take six months to traverse from north to south. By the end of the war it had been improved to dirt roads with filling stations and repair depots and traversing it takes six weeks by truck. US forces tried to cut this by extensive bombing but failed. It was thought to difficult to launch a land attack estimated to require four divisions. Special forces in the area of the trail would report that the trail was like the Long Island Expressway at rush hour, everyone knew it but it seems to those around the trail that they were being ignored. During the final push into the south, they even had installed a pipeline to move fuel south.

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S1.E11 ∙ Firepower

Wed, Dec 31, 1969

Episode Eleven covers the application of military hardware on a massive scale from artillery to bombing. Is the capacity to hit hard and fast, the helicopter came into its own in warfare. the US army was capable of moving a Battalion at any time they needed to by air, and in just a few minutes a couple of battalions if needed. heavy lift helicopters established artillery fire bases in a half a day. recon teams could be drooped into the midst of their territory and patrol back to home. called air mobile warfare. Firepower wins many battles but does not win the war.

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S1.E12 ∙ The Village War

Wed, Dec 31, 1969

Episode Twelve covers the war for the hearts and minds of the Vietnamese peasantry. Without their support you will not win the war. Cooperation with one side brings destruction from the other. Some policy makers in Washington think that the war should be fought politically, Not militarily. The Vietcong use selective assassination as the first step in taking control of a village. The US doctrine is one of "Pacification" they go into a village and search, if they find evidence of Vietcong affiliation they evacuate the village and burn it to the ground. The North portrays pacification as a brutal war against a helpless population. The North controls the politics, the US controls the firepower, the people looked upon the Americans with hate.

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S1.E13 ∙ Air War

Wed, Dec 31, 1969

The Thirteenth volume of The Ten thousand Day War covers the air war, the US main strategy in stopping the North's advance into the South. Surgical Bombing was the starting theory we would warn the North of what we were going to bomb. Use of the US ability to deliver bombs was controlled and directed directly by the White House under the supervision of the president himself, yes President Johnson actually picked the targets and the munitions applied to them. Various types of bombing strategies are attempted but all fail in their objectives. In 8 years of bombing, the US drops over 15 million bombs on Vietnam totaling 8 million tons. Four times the total tonnage dropped by US forces in the entirety of WWII. The destructive force is equivalent to 800 Hiroshima bombs.

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S1.E14 ∙ Siege

Wed, Dec 31, 1969

Episode Fourteen covers the January-March '68 battle for Khe Sanh during the Tet Offensive. Located in the northwest corner of South Vietnam. Khe Sanh is a forward patrol base used to mount search and destroy missions. The Viet Minh forces surround the base and establish artillery positions to shell the base and airfield. For every shell the Viet Minh send into the base the Marines send several back. The North equates Khe Sanh with Dien Bien Phu except that the Americans have complete air superiority and four times the artillery than the Viet Minh have. Westmoreland decides that they will hold Khe Sanh. The airfield is the main target of the north and needs constant repair. LBJ refuses to open the highway to the base so it can only be supplied by air. The Marines are under direct orders from LBJ to dig in and hold. At the height of the battle Tactical air strikes number 400 per day. Operation Niagara delivers 18 tons of bombs from B-52's per day on the north Vietnamese positions. After 77 days, the Vietminh give up the siege. American public opinion starts turning against the war. In the end, the Americans abandon the base as too costly to maintain.

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S1.E15 ∙ Tet!

Tue, Dec 09, 1980

Episode Fifteen covers the Tet Offensive. January '68, The Viet Cong attack throughout the country all at once. Almost every US installation sees some sort of assault. Television brings the attack to the living rooms of every American household. Two years since the involvement of ground troops in the war, the prevailing opinion was that the US was winning the war. The North decides to attack. 80.000 Viet Minh troops infiltrate the south led by the South Vietnamese communists known as the Viet Cong. They even penetrated the US embassy and set it afire. 4,000 Northern troops are fighting in Saigon itself. Casualties are heavy with no sign of ceasing. South Vietnamese cities are destroyed, one US army officer states on TV that "We had to destroy it to save it." For the first time the Viet Minh come out and fight a pitched land battle, they quickly take the provincial capital Hue from the South's troops. US Marines supported by tanks take it back throwing the Vietminh out and driving them back across the border but not without heavy casualties in hard street fighting. Both sides consider it a victory. For the South and US a tactical victory, for the North a strategic one. It was clear that the war was far from won. LBJ now sees the war as un-winnable and believes withdrawal as the only solution. He views the war as having destroyed his presidency and decides to not seek re-election.

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S1.E16 ∙ Frontline America

Tue, Dec 16, 1980

Episode Sixteen covers American society from late '67 forward. This period involves some of the most violent dissent in America since the Civil War. October '67, the march on the pentagon brings together the all the factions of the anti-war movement in a huge protest march. The administration views the protesters as political shills in support of communism. The peoples view was that we were indiscriminately bombing anyone and everyone, the television images every night of the destruction in Vietnam bring home the fact that what the government was saying about the war was not true. LBJ is increasingly intolerant of opposition viewpoints dismissing advisers that take an opposite view of his position. The black civil rights movement adopts the slogan "Hell No, We Wont Go" which is adopted by the peace movement altogether. The draft is now challenged by young Americans with many leaving the country to avoid military service in a war that is increasingly viewed as American government imperialism in action. Thousands of young choose prison rather than serve in the military in what is considered an unjust war. Tet brings the war home on TV every night. The only places LBJ gets support is the military bases, otherwise, he sees protests everywhere he goes, even overseas. The assassinations of MLK and Robert Kennedy spark riots in the anti-war movement, Washington mobilized 15,000 troops to put down the protests there. Which is also brought to the American public on TV every night. The war goes on for four more years, but Americans now have a general distrust of government that never existed before.

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S1.E17 ∙ Soldiering On

Tue, Dec 30, 1980

The Seventeenth volume of The Ten Thousand Day War examines 1969 the period of peak military involvement in Vietnam. The troops have a breakdown in discipline and moral. Drug abuse becomes rampant. With occasional outbursts of rebellion against authority. the GI's slogan becomes, "Don't be the last GI killed in the war" The average age of an American Soldier in WWII was 26, In Vietnam it was 19. It was a war with no clear objective, no clear mission. For the troops, it was a situation of survival, don't do anything to get yourself killed, you have a year to serve and just survive until your chance to go home. Hamburger Hill, Marines fought for days to take a hill suffering heavy casualties, only to abandon it the next day. One Marine Corps report stated that troop morale was so low that troops in those units that were not on the border of open rebellion were in risk of complete collapse. During this period, 4,000 troops would be admitted to hospitals for combat injuries and 26,000 would be admitted for drug abuse. American withdrawal continues, by late '71 only 45,000 American troops remain in Vietnam. The only heroes of Vietnam are the troops that never left, those that died innocently in belief of a dream that was never real in the first place.

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S1.E18 ∙ Changing the Guard

Wed, Dec 31, 1969

Episode Eighteen emphasizes Vietnamization. President Nixon's policy of having the South fight their war on their own with US assistance instead of Americans fighting it for them. ARVN forces reactivate the Khe Sanh base and use it to invade Laos to destroy an enemy supply base. What they didn't realize that they were outnumbered 2-1. The mission was an abject failure. Vietnamization was a return to Kennedy's policy of "It is their war to win or lose" All Southern males are conscripted into the army and hurriedly trained. The US begins to upgrade the Souths army with latest weapons technology and trains them in their use. The Souths air force becomes the fourth largest in the world. President Nixon officially hands responsibility for the war over to South Vietnam, Nixon's priority is to end the cold war altogether, Kissinger states that Vietnam is nothing but a sideshow. The South loses in their invasion of Laos, losing most of their most experienced officers in the process, South Vietnam's leaders blame America's withdrawal for the failure. Prior to the Paris peace accords allowing the US to leave Vietnam for good, the US supply's the South with all the aircraft and advanced weapons it can afford to give. Nixon assures the south that they will always have American support. Within six months, all the well supplied bases the US leaves behind are stripped down to their bones by black marketeers, nothing remains. In 18 months Nixon will resign and, in two years, the South will surrender.

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S1.E19 ∙ Wanting Out

Tue, Jan 06, 1981

Episode Nineteen covers demands in America that we get out of Vietnam. February '69, Nixon is sworn in as president. He sets about trying to build a national consensus on the war and what we should do, he ignores the protesters. He settles on a process of negotiate but continue the fight until an honorable withdrawal is possible. North Vietnam continues with the same policy and pushes another 100,000 troops into the south. Nixon orders a secret bombing campaign from Cambodia in retaliation. There is public uproar of these raids. Nixon proposes that both sides withdraw their troops within a year, there is no agreement. Nixon writes directly to Ho Chi Minh proposing a settlement and withdrawal in four months, Ho's reply was to rebuff Nixon, Ho believes that he is winning the war and doesn't need an agreement on withdrawal. Ho Chi Minh dies four weeks later. The anti war movement plans a protest in the summer of '69. In a letter to the protesters, Hanoi's prime minister wishes them great success in their protestations. US forces advance in Vietnam, protests erupt all over the country. May '70, Kent State University, National Guard Troops open fire on protesters, four students die from the gunfire. America is divided as never before.

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S1.E20 ∙ Bombing of Hanoi

Tue, Jan 13, 1981

Episode Twenty covers the December Bombing of Hanoi. America's last offensive act in Vietnam, Nixon is trying to force a peaceful resolution to the war, but Hanoi delays. The first B-52 mission of 101 planes carrying over 100 bombs apiece drop them over Hanoi. Sam missiles bring down three B-52's. The next day they fire over 200 missiles and bring down none. The next day was a night mission, they again fire over 200 missiles bringing down 6 B-52's, It was called our darkest hour. After day four, total US losses was 9 B-52's and four F-111 bombers. Hanoi is almost defenseless against B-52's. Congress threatened Nixon with a halt to the bombing, Nixon promises that Hanoi will come to the table by January 2nd, Hanoi stalls for a later date. Nixon now orders the most massive bombing raids of the war. 120 B-52's, the bombers are over Hanoi for only 15 minutes but drop over 100,000 tons of bombs over each of the next 9 days. Hanoi tells Nixon that they will be back at the table in five days. Nixon calls off the bombing after only 12 days. Before the bombing campaign the North was intransigent, unwilling to compromise. After, they were very cooperative. They wanted the war over as soon as possible.

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S1.E21 ∙ Peace and Consequence

Wed, Dec 31, 1969

The Twenty-first volume Is an overview of the history so far in the series, recapping the final American involvement in Vietnam. The bombing campaign, the negotiations for peace in Paris and the agreement to end American involvement. Essentially giving the North everything they had originally asked for except the removal of the South's President from office, It does mention Nixon's two trips, one to Moscow and the other to Beijing and improved relations with the two superpowers as the impetus to get out of the south. The South views the agreement between the North and the USA as it's death warrant. Russia with the agreement in place, resumes the military shipments to the north which were unable to get through during the Christmas bombing campaign. (many view this as one of the secret agreements between Russia and the US as a way to force the North to the bargaining table although there is no evidence of any such agreement)

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S1.E22 ∙ The Prisoners

Tue, Jan 20, 1981

Episode Twenty-two covers the more than 600 American airmen shot down and captured by the north during the war. Most pilots eventually arrive at the "Hanoi Hilton" an old french prison. Some airmen stayed their for eight years. The prisoners state that they were seldom tortured but the US government insists that 55% of the prisoners were tortured in some fashion. Some of the prisoners felt that they would never get out, after the bombing stopped in '69 the pilots didn't know if they would ever go home. After '69, the treatment of the prisoners improved greatly but that was tied to the ongoing negotiations on prisoner exchange. Most when hearing the Christmas bombing campaign, knew that it wouldn't be long before the war was over. After the Paris Peace Accord 566 prisoners are released, 66 died in captivity. They board US Airforce C-141's for the flight home. As of 1973, over 1,000 Americans are listed as still missing in action, by 1980, that figure is down to 22.

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S1.E23 ∙ The Unsung Soldiers

Tue, Jan 27, 1981

Episode Twenty-three covers the return of the soldiers to the US, it was a silent return, very unlike the return from all previous American wars. 57,000 dead, 150,000 wounded, it is estimated that over half a million have emotional problems. The majority of Vietnam veterans return to a normal life. All are scarred by the war, they feel that their service is unrecognized cause the public would like nothing better than to forget the war. The war is never over for the boys that served, Many went to war under the ideal of an American dream, A result of WWI, WWII, and Korea, that when America is called, we go and serve honorably. Many no longer believe this and can never believe it again.

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S1.E24 ∙ Final Offensive

Wed, Dec 31, 1969

Episode Twenty-four covers the end of Ho Chi Minh's war. January 1975, two years after the American withdrawal, the great final offensive is about to begin. The North plans for a two year long fight to retake the South, but it is over in 55 days. The almost one million man south Vietnamese army that the Americans left behind has dwindled. The billions of dollars of supplies left in place for the defense of the south are gone, stolen, sold on the black market, or just plain stripped and left to rot. Desertions reach 5,000 men per day. A few units fight and fight well but most just fold up and melt away against the North's onslaught.

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S1.E25 ∙ Surrender

Tue, Feb 03, 1981

Episode Twenty-five covers the final seven days of the Vietnam war, the battle for Saigon and the surrender of the south. The Norths troops launch a five pronged attack on Saigon. Once Thon Son Nhut airbase is closed by shell fire and the eastern bridges into the city are captured the evacuation begins. Since the airport is closed the only way out is by helicopter from the roofs of the government buildings. The rich Vietnamese had already escaped weeks earlier. All that was left was the government officials and US officials. The US officials order the evacuation by playing a Christmas hymn over the radio which was the signal to evacuate. The North Vietnamese forces make an announcement that they would cease fire to allow all Americans in Saigon to evacuate before they enter the city proper the next day. The US navy had a three aircraft carrier evacuation force off the coast which would take the evacuees away. One of the last US officials was the US Ambassador, a Marine pilot was escorted into his office with a handwritten order from President Gerald Ford that he be taken out in THIS helicopter. Once the evacuation is over, many South Vietnamese army helicopters arrive at the force and make attempts to land on the carriers. They are allowed to land and empty, then are pushed over the side, or ditched in the sea because there is just no more room on the carriers for the aircraft. Hundreds of millions of dollars in perfectly good helicopters are lost. President Ford announces that for Americans, the War is OVER.

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S1.E26 ∙ Vietnam Recalled

Tue, Feb 03, 1981

The Twenty-sixth and final volume of the Ten Thousand Day War covers the legacy of the Vietnam war from both sides. Remembrances from the veterans, units called up to serve. In the heartland of America, opinions of the war is asked and reported, many say that the war just wasn't worth what it cost. Relatives who wonder what the hell happened to their loved ones and never get an answer, the politicians and directors of the war try to explain what happened and why we lost by justifying their decisions. Former soldiers wondering if it was all worth it. Images from Vietnam and an equivalent small village to the small town in America. One thing is for sure, it will never be forgotten in America, Our Government may forget, but the people never will.

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