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09-20-2017, 07:19 PM | #31 |
pie is never free
Join Date: Sep 2006
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Its always crushing to watch the loved ones of KIA recount their story, those emotions are always just under the surface for them the rest of their lives
RIP, Moggie Its infuriating beyond words how the CIA kept Ho's letters from Truman, the intelligence community was absolutely out of control in those days... something I fear we see repeating itself |
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09-20-2017, 07:39 PM | #32 |
pie is never free
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God Almighty, Westmoreland could not have looked less believable standing in front of Congress saying 'we will prevail!'... as he nervously looked around
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09-20-2017, 09:50 PM | #33 |
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if the CIA gives those letters to Truman, maybe we back Ming and let him dictator up the country as long as they keep the Russia/Chinese communists out. That's what the hell we did all over the world in that era. Would have saved many lives on both sides.
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09-22-2017, 08:30 AM | #34 |
Champion Golfer Of The Year
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Musgrave (Marine from Independence, MO) was pretty incredible in his interviews.
So was the Marine from Boston, Roger Harris. Paraphrasing "Don't believe what you read in the papers Mom. It's not going well. And I'm probably going to die" "Thats not true. You're special". "Mom, Every Mom thinks their boy is special. I'm putting a lot of body parts in bags of special boys". JFC |
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09-22-2017, 08:50 AM | #35 | |
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Quote:
Their mistake in lives: The human costs of the long conflict were harsh for all involved. Not until 1995 did Vietnam release its official estimate of war dead: as many as 2 million civilians on both sides and some 1.1 million North Vietnamese and Viet Cong fighters. The U.S. military has estimated that between 200,000 and 250,000 South Vietnamese soldiers died in the war. In 1982 the Vietnam Veterans Memorial was dedicated in Washington, D.C., inscribed with the names of 57,939 members of U.S. armed forces who had died or were missing as a result of the war. Over the following years, additions to the list have brought the total past 58,200. (At least 100 names on the memorial are those of servicemen who were actually Canadian citizens.) Among other countries that fought for South Vietnam on a smaller scale, South Korea suffered more than 4,000 dead, Thailand about 350, Australia more than 500, and New Zealand some three dozen. |
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09-22-2017, 09:13 AM | #36 | |
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Location: Glorious Independence, MO
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Quote:
Musgrave was inducted into the Van Horn High School Hall of Honor this year. There's been many distinguished folks who have graduated from Van Horn. And the school is on a major resurgence now that it's in the Independence School District. Major construction going on now to expand it. |
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09-22-2017, 09:33 AM | #37 | |
New and Improved
Join Date: Mar 2002
Location: Springfield, Mo.
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I'm right there with you. I don't think I've watched any other documentary that has caused so much anger in me. There's been a few times I've had to turn it off and watch it the next day. What a horrible horrible waste of lives. |
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09-22-2017, 09:47 AM | #38 |
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I've noticed a bunch of posts on Facebook of guys who were there in Vietnam, reliving their memories of time spent. I have a friend named George who lives here in KC. This is an excerpt from one of his Facebook posts:
After receiving my draft notice a few days after my 19th birthday, I met with an Army Recruiter who convinced me to take an extra year to become a medic. So, on October 21, 1966 I was inducted into the US Army at the building now used by the Kansas City Ballet, across the street from the main post office on Pershing Road. About 20 buses were parked on Pershing, ready to take us to Fort Leonard Wood. After Basic training, I was sent to Fort Sam Houston in San Antonio for medical training, and then on to Fort Lee, Virginia where I worked at Kenner Army Hospital. I applied for a training program and was sent to Portsmouth Naval Hospital for 3 months where I learned about EKGs and Kidney Dialysis. Returning to Fort Lee, where there was no kidney dialysis, and after visiting the Renal Unit at Walter Reed, I applied for a transfer. Instead of going to Walter Reed, I received orders for Vietnam under the job description of “combat medic.” While at Fort Lee in 1967-68 the hospital began receiving bus loads wounded soldiers, causing us to expand the old WWII hospital barracks to house them while they “recovered.” With orders for Vietnam I looked at these guys with the idea I could soon have a similar wound. I also attended a bullshit training program to teach me how the Vietnamese were not to be trusted and we should not feel empathy for their plight – the Army’s form of racism. I went to two sessions, and because I had the rank of Sp-5 I signed in to the classes and did not stay to hear the Army crap. I arrived in Bien Hoa in late 1968 and was shipped to Cu Chi, home of the 25th Infantry, the area that experienced the major complex of Viet Cong tunnels, and where I went to work at the 24th Evac Hospital, a triage hospital for those wounded, the first stop before either being returned to duty or sent to 3rd Field Hospital or back to the US to facilities like the one at Ft. Lee. We worked 12-18 hour days, and sometimes around the clock. I took the opportunity to accompany a few patients to 3rd Field Hospital, often making the transfer at the helipad, but once in a while escorting them to the triage area of the facility – holding an IV bottle or just helping a guy who was seriously wounded and fearful of every change. Once, while escorting into the facility I ran into my previous Company Commander at Ft. Lee, and had a brief discussion about our situations. A few days later I found myself being transferred to 3rd Field Hospital to work in the newly constructed Renal Unit, where we treated the most seriously wounded patients coming to the hospital, because their wounds had caused their kidneys to shut down. In the remaining months of my tour, we treated over 400 guys in this condition. About 10 lived. From a long lasting psychological standpoint, I’ve often thought I would have been better off staying at the Evac Hospital in Cu Chi. Regardless, I and the team in the Renal Unit did our best to ease these guys into their final days. |
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09-22-2017, 10:31 AM | #39 |
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Location: Glorious Independence, MO
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Washington Post has a story that's very interesting about how the film was pulled together, and how difficult it was to get all the pieces to fit:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/sf/opi...=.a4ce6da9519c |
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09-22-2017, 07:55 PM | #40 | |
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Quote:
That started my life long commitment to help vets. Started going to the VFW at first to help out at events as much as a 6-7 year old can anyway. |
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09-22-2017, 08:02 PM | #41 | |
pie is never free
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What a feeling that must've been for him |
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09-23-2017, 08:56 AM | #42 |
Champion Golfer Of The Year
Join Date: Aug 2001
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Scott,
Local PBS replayed the QA from the Midland theater a few months back. It's worth a watch as Musgrave is very heartfelt in his thanks to the men who "Not only did they save me, they saved my four kids". (Without them saving him, those kids don't exist.) |
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09-23-2017, 09:18 AM | #43 | |
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Quote:
Another new thing that upsets me is the racism the military put into the heads of these 18 year olds. As Musgrave said, paraphrasing, racism is essential to keep them killing in Vietnam. I know they are not doing that now, but it still is upsetting that we chose to do that to our 18 year old soldiers during that era. |
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09-23-2017, 10:09 AM | #44 | |
Gimme My Berries Back!
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Quote:
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09-25-2017, 02:04 PM | #45 |
Starter
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The first episode was sort of a slog, but I'm about 1/2 through episode 4 now and its really growing legs and becoming extremely interesting.
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