About this season
For decades the war in Vietnam was the central drama on the stage of Southeast Asia. It was an intensely publicized war, the first television war that came roaring into the living rooms of America every night. Walter Cronkite tells the story of the long and divisive conflict as seen through the eyes of CBS News.
Episodes (12)
1. The Seeds of Conflict
Aired 6 July 1985 • 46 min
From the French defeat at Dien Bien Phu to the Gulf of Tonkin incident, this program chronicles America's growing entanglement in Vietnam. Watch as the United States becomes mired in an escalating war for the hearts and minds of the Vietnamese people.
2. America Takes Charge
Aired 13 July 1985 • 45 min
The arrival of the first American ground troops is followed by a massive buildup of US forces as the war becomes Americanized. Meet the soldiers and commanders, witness battles, the growing protests at home and aftermath of the massacre at My Lai.
3. Courage under Fire
Aired 20 July 1985 • 45 min
This program features remarkable combat footage from the first American offensives through the incursion into Cambodia. Witness the valor and bravery of the ground troops, the daring helicopter pilots and the nurses who fought to save the wounded. This is an unforgettable portrait of the soldiers who faced death on a daily basis.
4. The World of Charlie Company
Aired 27 July 1985 • 45 min
Join the men of Charlie Company on a mission in Cambodia in 1970. This is a memorable insight into the inner conflict of the soldiers' personal views set against the realities of jungle combat.
5. The Elusive Enemy
Aired 3 August 1985 • 45 min
Take an inside look at the weapons and tactics of the elusive and resourceful enemy in this program mostly filmed by the Viet Cong. You will also see how American forces tried to counter their enemy with technology and with 'tunnel rats' who hunted the Viet Cong in their own hideouts.
6. The Tet Offensive
Aired 10 August 1985 • 45 min
By 1968, American commanders thought they could see the light at the end of the tunnel. Then came the enemies' searing Tet holiday offensive, the coordinated attack on more than one hundred cities throughout South Vietnam. This program captures the ferocity of the desperate struggle in the cities of Vietnam and the stunned reaction in America.
7. Dateline: Saigon
Aired 17 August 1985 • 45 min
A look at Saigon during the war years. Observed: the city's black market, its hospitals and its docks.
8. Fire from the Sky
Aired 24 August 1985 • 45 min
This eye opening program is the story of the men and machines that dominated the air over Southeast Asia for ten years. Watch as the helicopter comes of age as a weapon and shares the sky with the screaming jet fighters. Follow a bombing mission over North Vietnam from the pre-flight briefing all the way to the target.
9. America Pulls Back
Aired 31 August 1985 • 45 min
"America Pulls Back" during the Nixon years, as the U.S. places more military responsibility on the South Vietnamese. Also: with the invasion of Cambodia, the anti-war movement heats up.
10. The End of the Road
Aired 7 September 1985 • 45 min
The cease-fire of 1973 is signed, but the fighting goes on for two years until the fall of Saigon. Meanwhile, POWs are relased and the U.S. troops finally come home.
11. Legacies
Aired 14 September 1985 • 45 min
Examining the legacies of the Vietnam War, and the slow healing of the many wounds caused by America's involvement in the conflict. Included: a look at the importance of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington.
12. Combat Veteran Interviews
Aired 21 September 1985 • 45 min
Interviews with Leroy Cook (US Navy), Lynn Aikman (US Air Force) and Frank Cambria (US Army).