VIETNAM: THE HOME FRONT (TV)

Summary

This NBC News Special concerns the Vietnam War and its repercussions on American society. Host Frank McGee surveys work being done in the U.S. in response to the war. The program begins at a hospital in Louisville, Kentucky, where popular patriotic tunes such as Sergeant Barry SadlerÕs "Ballad of the Green Beret" play a role in the governmentÕs recruitment of nurses for a tour of duty. In New York, United Service Organizations (U.S.O) President, General Emmett OÕDonnell, speaks with entertainers about their experiences performing for troops. Then Rod Rogers, Frank Martino, Chanin Hale, Joane Starr, and Jackie Vaught are shown rehearsing for future tours. In Chicago, civilian telegraphers help send personal messages between the U.S. and Vietnam. In Washington, D.C., the American Legion promotes "Operation Show Your Colors" and hosts a congressional conference featuring Vice President Hubert Humphrey as the speaker. Efforts on American military bases include a program at San AntonioÕs Lackland Air Force Base to train German shepherds for war and a blood donation station at army reserve headquarters in Lynchburg, Virginia. The following is shown regarding the actions of pacifists: Arthur Flemming, of the National Council of Churches, explains the CouncilÕs resolution against unilateral action and military escalation in Vietnam, and an antiwar demonstration, organized by the National Coordinating Committee to End War in Vietnam, takes place in New York. And while Eberhard Duetsch, of the American Bar Association (ABA), explains the ABA resolution that the U.S. presence in Vietnam is valid according to international law, Senator J.W. Fulbright (D-Ark.) speaks out at the University of Connecticut, urging Americans to reconsider their stance on the country's aggressive foreign policy. Next, McGee examines the effects of the war on the U.S. economy. He notes that there is concern about the survival of President Lyndon B. JohnsonÕs Great Society program, but he also points out the economic boom spurred by the war. McGee surveys the results of production efforts, such as the following: military jeeps manufactured at the Ford plant in Highland, Michigan; GI clothing from Glenn Berry in Commerce, Oklahoma; and M16 rifles from the Colts Factory in West Hartford, Connecticut. The program concludes with the following interviews: Representative Delbert Latta (R-Ohio) expresses concern over the shortage of supplies to troops in Vietnam; Clay Miller Jr., of the American President Lines, explains the challenges in shipping that create shortages; and General Lewis B. Hershey, of the selective service, discusses the process by which college students are recruited for or exempted from service in the armed forces. Includes promos and public service announcements. Includes a public service announcement with Gregory Peck for the American Cancer Society.

(This program contains minor technical problems. This represents the best copy of this program currently available to the Museum.)

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