VIETNAM: A TELEVISION HISTORY, NO. 10: PEACE IS AT HAND (1968-1973) (TV)
Summary
The 10th in this 13-part documentary series about the
Vietnam War. Linked from its conception to the book by
Stanley Karnow, this series presents a historical
overview of Vietnam and provides an understanding of
the country and its people at war, from the period of
French colonial rule through U.S. involvement in the
conflict. Interspersed throughout with news footage and
archival film, and drawing on exclusive interviews with
French, American, and Vietnamese diplomats, military
and government officials, soldiers, and civilians who
provide critical analysis of the war, this documentary
chronologically portrays the Vietnam war equally as a
political, social, and tragic national experience for
the United States. This installment examines the peace
talks held in Paris over a period of five years in an
effort to end the war, and reviews Pres. Richard Nixon's
conduct of the war at the height of America's growing
opposition to it. In extensive interviews with Henry
Kissinger, the former national security advisor to Nixon
discusses his role in the peace talks, including his
secret meetings since 1969 with Communist North
Vietnamese negotiatiors. Footage of the massive
anti-war demonstrations on college campuses across
America are shown in conjunction with clips of Vietnam,
where the U.S. had stepped up its bombing campaign.
Discussed in detail are the 1972 Christmas bombings
carried out in the North and the U.S. campaign that
expedited the signing of the peace treaty in January.
Additional topics discussed include the following: the
effects of napalm bombing on its victims;
"Vietnamization" of the war; Kissinger and Nixon's
"global strategy"; the death of Communist leader Ho Chi
Minh, as recounted by his secretary, Tuu Ky; and the
invasion of Cambodia. This part concludes with footage
of American and North Vietnamese prisoners of war
being released. Among those interviewed are former U.S.
government officials, including John Negroponte,
delegate to the Paris Peace Conference; Morton Halperin,
national security council staff member; Adm. Thomas
Moorer, chairman of the joint chiefs of staff; William
Sullivan, deputy assistant secretary of state; and
former American POW Robinson Risner (1965-1973) and
Capt. Michael Connors, an American B-52 pilot. The
Vietnamese interviewed include Premier Pham Van Dong;
Nguyen Co Thach, North Vietnamese delegate to the
Paris Peace Conference; Hoang Duc Nha, former aide to
Pres. Nguyen Van Thieu of South Vietnam; Dr. Nguyen
Luan, a Hanoi surgeon; and Nguyen Thi Duc and Phung Thi
Tiem, survivors of Hanoi bombings. Included are clips
of Pres. Lyndon B. Johnson in 1968; Communist leader Ho
Chi Minh; Sens. Mike Mansfield, Edward Kennedy, and
Birch Bayh denouncing the war; Le Duc Tho of North
Vietnam at the Paris Peace Conference; Nixon's visit to
China; the Rev. Billy Graham at a Nixon rally; Madame
Nguyen Thi Dinh at the first peace talks session in
Paris; and Johnson's funeral procession.
Acquisition and cataloging of this program was made
possible by a grant from the Corporation for Public
Broadcasting.
Details
- NETWORK: PBS WGBH Boston, MA
- DATE: November 9, 1985 12:00 PM
- RUNNING TIME: 0:58:40
- COLOR/B&W: Color
- CATALOG ID: T91:0138
- GENRE: Public affairs/Documentaries
- SUBJECT HEADING: Paris Peace Talks (Vietnam War); Vietnam War - 1968-1973; U S - Officials - Talk/Interviews; Vietnam - Officials - Talk/Interviews; Prisoners of War (Vietnam War)
- SERIES RUN: N/A
- COMMERCIALS: N/A
CREDITS
- WGBH-TV (Boston, MA) … Production Statement
- Central Independent Television (England) … Production Statement
- Antenne-2 (France) … Production Statement
- LRE Productions … Production Statement
- Richard Ellison … Executive Producer
- Martin Smith … Producer, Writer
- Will Lyman … Narrator
- Chris Pullman … Production Design, Titles and graphic design
- Ngo Vinh Long … Translator
- Mickey Hart … Music by, Composed and performed by
- Billy Kreutzman … Music by, Composed and performed by
- Vic Firth … Music (Misc. Credits), Performed by
- Zakir Hussain … Music (Misc. Credits), Performed by
- Airto Moreira … Music (Misc. Credits), Performed by
- Merl Saunders … Music (Misc. Credits), Performed by
- Bobby Vega … Music (Misc. Credits), Performed by
- Phil Kaffel … Music (Misc. Credits), Recorded by
- Lawrence Lichty … Direction (Misc.), Director of Media Research
- Stanley Karnow … Reporter, Chief Correspondent
- Birch Bayh
- Michael Connors
- Billy Graham
- Morton Halperin
- Ho Chi Minh
- Hoang Duc Nha
- Lyndon B. Johnson
- Edward Kennedy
- Henry Kissinger
- Melvin Laird
- Le Duc Tho
- Mike Mansfield
- Thomas Moorer
- John Negroponte
- Nguyen Co Thach
- Nguyen Luan
- Nguyen Thi Dinh (Madame)
- Nguyen Thi Duc
- Nguyen Van Thieu
- Nixon, Richard M. - 1968-1973
- Pham Van Dong
- Phung Thi Tiem
- Robinson Risner
- William Sullivan
- Tuu Ky