The Media Myth Hamburger Hill A Shau Valley May 1969: the true story--real footage
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- Опубликовано: 11 окт 2016
- The battle for Hamburger Hill has been deeply distorted by media bias and historical reality disfigured to produce a media myth.
The Battle of Hamburger Hill was a battle of the Vietnam War that was fought by the United States and South Vietnam against North Vietnamese forces from May 10-20, 1969 It was part of Operation Apache Snow conducted by the 101st Airborne division in the A Shau valley of South Vietnam west of the ancient capital Hue. Media reporting in the United States misreported the truth of the battle, its aims, conduct and outcomes in in the process created a self-serving myth that has lasted up to the current day. In this film, I seek to present the truth regarding the battle and so restore the reputations of many U.S. servicemen. There are important lessons in this in terms of media power and the need to be very careful and not gullible in swallowing biased reporting. In truth, the 3/187 battalion of the 101 Airborne and other units both U.S. and South Vietnamese defeated in detail the elite 95th Regiment of the NVA, annihilating both its 7th and 8th battalions as an effective fighting force. The level of professionalism was of a very high order. This film has actual footage of the battle and an interview with Lieutenant-Colonel Honeycutt on Dong Ap Bia during the battle.
The Battle of Hamburger Hill was a battle of the Vietnam War that was fought by the United States and South Vietnam against North Vietnamese forces from May 10-20, 1969 It was part of Operation Apache Snow conducted by the 101st Airborne division in the A Shau valley of South Vietnam west of the ancient capital Hue. Media reporting in the United States misreported the truth of the battle, its aims, conduct and outcomes in in the process created a self-serving myth that has lasted up to the current day. In this film, I seek to present the truth regarding the battle and so restore the reputations of many U.S. servicemen. There are important lessons in this in terms of media power and the need to be very careful and not gullible in swallowing biased reporting. In truth, the 3/187 battalion of the 101 Airborne and other units both U.S. and South Vietnamese defeated in detail the elite 29th Regiment of the NVA, annihilating both its 7th and 8th battalions as an effective fighting force. The reality is far from the fictionalized Hollywood account Hamburger Hill which as a movie is very far from the truth.The level of professionalism during the battle was of a very high order. This film has actual footage of the battle and an interview with Lieutenant-Colonel Honeycutt on Dong Ap Bia during the battle. Compare this with Hollywood fiction.
I was a member of MACV Team 19 Quang Tri support to the 1st ARVN Div. I was part of the 1st Signal Brigade 361 th LL Batallion. I have mustered the courage to watch the video about Hill 937 but as a survivor I can tell everyone that it was “memorable”. I’ll watch any replies to this post and hopefully some of my team mates may reply. Hope to hear from you guys.
bless you for your service, i would love to hear about some of the stuff you've done, my grandfather was apart of the 82nd airborne and didn't talk much about the war and i lost him too soon. wish i could've learned his sacrifices and more of some of his brothers in arms.
Lost a friend from Chicago there. It makes me angry when the media makes it out to be a waste. I went over in 69 with the 4th. Into Cambodia may ‘70. Trust the veterans not the media
How was the Vietnam not a waste and also a horrific crime against humanity? People are still dying in Cambodia, laos and Vietnam today from agent Orange and land mines.
The Vietnam veterans I talked to said we should have never went there. It most certainly was a waste.
Greatmcwhite thank you
Thank you for your service.
What happen can you tell us
I went in the US Navy and my cousin Gary was drafted into the US Army infantry. 1966 I came home to get old and Gary was sent to the cemetery.
I've grown to despise the mainstream media.
You and me both!
enemy
you mean the mainstream media that is controlled by corporations? one that 99% of the time sides with government interests?
The lowest form of vermin there is....the world over
@@avalsonline2 In my country the left control our national taxpayer-funded broadcasting service. It is the BBC incase you didn't know, they did the following:
Promote EU propaganda;
Cover up for Jimmy Saville (a paedophile);
And give information to the Argentians during the Falklands War.
The lame stream media needs to be put into a void.
I was with the artillery (B/2/319th Artillery, 105 mm), just across from Hamburger Hill at fire base Berchesgaden, about a mile away across the valley. We had fire missions almost 24 hours a day in support of the infantry going up the hill. Soon, a week after the battle, I became an RTO for B/2/506 Infantry, for about 5 months, till I left Vietnam on December 15, 1969. It WAS as trip! But I made it!
I was with C Battery 2/319 through Nov 68. They got hit on FSB Airborne with quite a few casualties on 5-13-69. I had a couple of my buddies killed in that action. Sappers managed to overrun the FDC.
Glad you guys made it and thank you for what you did for our country.
@@davidca96 what exactly did that war do for our country?? We have communist scum trying to take us over right now from within. Vietnam was a wasted effort and a failed effort. We got our asses kicked for nothing.
Being in the field as a grunt was always a “trip”, just ask any grunt whether Army or Marine!
@@raulgonzales1374 It sure was!and for the NVA & Arvn too!
I served with 2/502inf 101st in 70-71 walking point and 90% of my tour was in the A Shau Valley. My whole experience in that area was constant "smaller" engagements with NVA units. I do remember confronting with a large NVA force twice while there. I'm pretty sure that was the result of the actions in 1969 by my fellow Screaming Eagles. Sadly those men only have their fellow Screaming Eagles to give them the respect they deserved.. least we forget ...
My great uncle (PEALE) was telling me about Hill 714 and the 2/502 this last year. Every time he tells any stories about his time in Vietnam I never know what the truth is, since he's always joking about "believing (most of) the lies I'm being told". Either way, much respect.
You want to know the truth... most combat vets rarely tell anyone the details of their service.
"Dulce bellum inexpertis" look it up. I never told anyone, not even my father about the actual combat we saw.
Your are mostly right. But how many war stories have you heard told by REMfs ?
Many as I even sold pictures I took and NVA gear we picked up (belt buckles) after a battle... I had a wife and child and the images and gear really meant nothing to me personally,,, but in a way I guess I helped them impress there friends and family. I never told anyone, not even my father what I did over there. Probably never will either.
Airbrush Ken "war is sweet to those who have never experienced it"?
I was a Rakkasan with 3rd BN, 187 INF from 1986 thru 1989 long after the conclusion of the Vietnam War. Yet like any disciplined Infantry regiment, the warriors are tasked to study our regimental histories. Frankly, this account - e.g. the three objectives of Op Apache Snow that were in fact achieved - is the official record.
During my years with the Rakkasans, the Hollywood movie "Hamburger Hill" came out. We were given an official pre-screening at the Rakkasan Annual Reunion immediately before a formal "dining out" as per military tradition. It was a fascinating experience to sit with Rakkasan veterans from WWII, Korea, and Vietnam. Indeed, I sat four seats away from GEN Westmoreland during the pre-screening!
As memorable as that event was for a young Infantry NCO such as myself, I was also struck by how many of the surviving veterans insisted the Hollywood version was utter bullshit. Yes, there were many casualties. Yes, the rifle company depicted in the film, Charlie Company 3-187 INF had only three men standing out of an entire +100 man company at the end of the 10-day battle. The rest were wounded or dead.
However, the veterans insisted that the Hollywood version was so depressing and defeatist, yet these veterans don't remember experiencing the battle that way. They relayed that it was difficult going, at times the battle was in doubt, but also that they had a sense of achieving something incredibly important and necessary - even during the 10-day battle.
I agree with this Aussie narrator's conclusions. The US news media needed an "American defeat" in battle, and they distorted their reporting to create a myth about this battle. Hollywood was all too happy to join in and perpetuate that myth. While I was just a toddler during the battle on and around Dong Ap Bai Mountain in 1969, my subsequent experiences in the late 1980s with the veterans of that battle shaped my opinion.
Christopher Larsen my father was thunder herd,
Time to climb off the cross ... we need the wood. Get a life!
Oh shut the fuck up. You're a fucking moron. Piss ant.
Ne Desit Virtus RAKKASAN!!!
Christopher Larsen, I too was at that pre-screening held at the Mann Theater on post and I concur with your narrative of what the veterans said and felt about their actions in the battle. It was extremely humbling and awe-inspiring to talk with those veterans of the battle for this young infantry officer from the five-o-duece!
Leave it to an Aussie to provide the only accurate media analysis of this battle. There has been no such thing as American journalism since 1967.
Our news has become pure propaganda.
@Paul Revere I love people who have never worn a uniform, worked in the intel game or public service who blame every conceivable evil on one group of people... Listen Q-tards or wherever you've accumulated what I'm certain amounts to decades of psyops and false info. Your intel is crap.
There are bad actors from a litany of backgrounds and people groups at 50 different levels destroying this Earth, not just one. There is no Illuminati like you think of, but several groups of elites controlling various interests, commodities, resources and combinations there of and it isn't just "Zionists", or Freemasons or whatever. Most of those people are the good guys anyway. People who say they aren't don't know any or have ever been a part of such organizations and don't have a damn clue what they're yapping about. Thus making people like this asshat sound exactly like what they are, a total Dickbag.
Joe Galloway and men like him are miles above your bull.
While his fire alarm is warning of battery replacement..... lolol
Big business were the only winners in Vietnamm , I understand why it happened but 50 yrs later you can look back and see it as it is today , a complete waste of lives from both sides. God bless all the brave. 50 yrs on nothing changes..... R.I.P
My father (RIP) told me the 2nd day they went up tht hill he knew over half of his platoon would be lost. It was worse. He was lucky and was medivacked. He lost a foot assaulting Hamburger Hill. 2 of his best friends did not make it. He was against me going into the Army. But he gave me the best advice ever..He said study for the military entrance test and I did. I got an MOS in Intelligence way behind enemy lines. Thanks Dad, you are my hero. I did 26 yrs.
i way be not an american but i hold high respect for all this boys and girls who fought vietnam. they give it all for there country. war is hell. but some how this people found the will and courage to fight in it (even when they are drafted). i thank you for your sacrifice where ever and who ever you are.
RE:Hamburger Hill. What has never been reported that I am aware of is the end of this particular battle. A company of 3rd Marine Tanks was positioned on the other side of the valley, awaiting the results of the battle for the Hill. When the NVA began their unorganized retreat to the west, back to the relative safety of Laos, the NVA did not expect a company of Tanks working along side a Marine grunt company. When the NVA come off the Hill and headed for Laos the tank company opened fire. Every tank fired every round into the retreat and pretty much wiped out the NVA force. There were no casualties that I am aware of except for nearly a regiment of NVA that for the most part never reached Laos. The end of this story most probably was omitted because the Marines were very likely where by most thinking, they never should have been.
My great uncle was one of them marine grunts coming up the back side. The stories he told me left me in awe.
This is the first time I have heard of the ending to the story of Hamburger hill, great that the Marine tanks got their pound of flesh from the NVA.
kLOg81 For the sake of harmony, I am going to assume you were there, somewhere. If you were on the front end, the hammer, you would not have known what we, the anvil did. And the whole point of a hammer and anvil operation is, yes, the Army ran (hammer) the NVA into the Marines (the anvil) and we took care of business. That is exactly how that type of operation is supposed to run. The Army did their job and we did ours. I will grant the Army took a beating to get the NVA down and to us, and yes it was incredibly difficult for the Army. I understand and praise them for their valor. And yes, we had what you could call a “turkey shoot”. We got through it completely unscathed except for a couple of mines. We occupied the high ground and had more firepower than the NVA ever imagined, but make no mistake, we took a toll on the NVA that day.
@@fremkiewicz That's true they were suppose to be there to do exactly what they did good job Marines !!
@@fremkiewicz Yet another way in which the media gets it wrong because they don't have the full picture. They could only, possibly, get that after the fact as there's no good reason for some Cdr to be giving them so much info to them relay to the world, while the battle is still going on.
BTW, welcome home and thank you.
"The description says that it was the 95th regiment, but in truth it was the 29th regiment (The Pride of Ho Chi Minh). It also stated that the fighting was from the 10-20of May, which is true, but the South Vietnamese only showed up on the 20th. They had nothing else to do with the battle. Just wanted to make sure that was clear." -Timothy Logan, Bravo Company, 3/187th Infantry Regiment, present at the battle 11 days, 10 night, in the footage 1:38-1:50 firing M-60
Many thanks!
ThePessimisticOvenMitt I'll take your word on it trooper. You would know. But what was gained? Nothing. After you left they came back and ran operations from it again. Sooooo... Nothing achieved. ALSO I'M PRETTY SURE that was N.V.A. raising the flag over the presidential palace in 1975. So they weren't run out of South Vietnam. In fact they took the country. THE END.
One must remember that it was president Eisenhower who propounded that this part of the world was rip for the falling to Communism, in what came to be regarded as the "Domino Effect". One might, with the benefit of hindsight, consider the price too high for quashing what was no more than a Vietnamese battle for national independence, but at the time, much of the Western world believed that Communism was on its global march. I dare say, at the risk of falling into revisionist speculation, that things might have unfolded differently, had the Vietnamese Communist not be handed a bloody mauling.
It sucks when you have to degrade you own countrys sacrifices to justify your reprehensible behavior . The adage that there is no greater love than he who lays his life down for his friends obviously doesnt apply to super educated people like yourself. FO and D coward.
Thank you for your service! Hope you are doing well.
God bless our Aussie cousins! From Texas.
Thankyou for this video, I have been researching this battle for a very long time. Lucky there was an Australian reporter present, not beholden to the US rhetoric. Retired vet myself, cheers mate.
I was with the 2/502 inf Bravo Co."Strike Force Team" 101st Airborne. We usually had around 20 odd men, we spent around 6-8 weeks in the jungle, and two days rest at Camp Eagle, then back out. We spent so much time in the A Shau Valley, we called it "Bravo Boulevard". We were alone, depending on each other. The world was somewhere we had forgotten, and it seemed the world had forgotten us. Sadly the youth have no idea of that war, and it shows on how we are treated now. It's a bitterness I'll take to my grave.
Please don't be bitter Ken , you and your guys did what your country asked you to do , and you did your best . You held the line drawn in the sand against world wide Communism - in a crappy country called Vietnam . You have every right to stand tall and proud , wear the Screaming Eagle insignia on both shoulders and move about in society . And if any liberal gives you a funny look , you can just say " I got mine " . Thanks bro and welcome home . I am proud to have joined the Army in 74 and did 4 years with the 1 st Cav and 7th Inf Div . I own over 200 books on Vietnam , and I talk to kids about it all the time and give away books sometimes . Please don't be bitter , we love you .
@@gordonlandreth9550 I pray you never have to deal with the VA my friend. After the war I couldn't get employment like most of my VN Veteran friends, and I ended up with DOD.... in fact I was the first and only VN Vet they had at this division headquarters support for some years. There I was a GS10, step 10 federal employee and everyone I worked with was from the WWII and Korean war age group. It was my last duty station in the Army. The Screaming Eagle patch, CIB and jump wings meant much to them. They gave me the respect that the general public didn't. I hope you have better luck than my friends, and I do thank you for your service as I know what that service really mean.
@@airbrushken5339 Thank you Ken , humbled by your thoughtful reply . May God bless you and give you strength .You Nam vets will always be my heroes .
Better you than me. That was too few people too far away in that place.
dad always said we the willing doing the impossible for the ungrateful 68/69 love& miss ya dad
The line goes : "We the unwilling led by the unknowing are doing the impossible for the ungrateful. We have done so much with so little for so long that we are now capable of doing practically anything with virtually nothing.... We are the unwilling... led by the unqualified... to do the unnecessary".
The 68-69 didn’t ask anyone to become a state terrorist invader of foreign countries and die for nothing
The 68-69 didn’t ask anyone to become a state terrorist invader of foreign countries and die for nothing
Nice download quote snowflake. Your dad never said that. Clown.
We played in the VALLEY of death quite often..101st Airborne division 1968 -1969👈
Vietnam UNDEFEATED
@@evilubuntu9001 Vietnam had their own Vietnam in Cambodia after the Americans pulled out.
@@bullmarket10 Khmer rouge 0 Vietnam 1... scoreboard!
It was always considered the valley of death, nobody really wanted to go in there unless ordered to do so.
Had my wicked vacation in the 101st. But had it worse with the 173rd. Besides the media lies, the thing which enraged us most were the "rules of engagement". Nothing worse than being attacked and not being given permission to fight back.
After this last election...I no longer give a crap! To h*ll with this ungrateful country.
I never thought I'd see the day when Communist pukes would completely take over our government.
For anyone who foolishly voted for them, in the end, when you discover the enormity of your error, it will be too late.
My friends died for your freedom. We kept the Communists at bay, yet here you are throwing all your hard fought for freedoms away.
A pox on all you ilinformed, indoctrinated, inexperienced, naive people.
You deserve what's about to happen. I'm taking my family and bunkering up in the mountains. Maybe I will come back later, to count your dead bodies.
by Body Count a holiday weekend in Chicago has a greater body count that we had on that hill, I was in the 160th Av Group attached to the 101st... I have photos of The Valley taken after B52s had made several runs, it looked like the surface of the moon
I was a draftee, I was in the 101st. I'm old now. Starting with the Vietnam war, the news media changed, and has remained changed since. "News" is no longer what is happening or has happened, but what the media wants the public to know. What is reported is carefully screened to fit the political slant of those doing the reporting, and the reporting itself is distorted to fit the bill. The "news" today has become little more than editorials and commentaries --- as if those in the media know everything. Consequently, the media today is little more than a propaganda organization for leftist politics. Those who enter the reporting business don't do so with an interest in keeping the public informed, but as a soapbox for their own biases and ideas.
A bit of 'food for thought'... What is the primary source of money for running a news organization & paying the journalists & 'talking heads'? Answer: Selling advertizing time. How does a media outlet maximize its profits? Having as many people watch their product as possible, which maximizes the exposure that the advertizements get? How does the media get as many viewers as possible? By jumping on stories before their competition, focusing on emotionally volatile topics, choosing stories that are most easily hyped, and telling the audience what they want to hear.
So, in the case of the Vietnam War, as USA involvement ramped-up, draft lists got bigger, and more of America's sons & daughters come home in body bags, the general public began to ask tough questions re: the necessity of America's involvement in Vietnam, the strategies being employed, the realities of being a soldier in 'Nam, whether the government & military were telling the truth.. so those are thw stories & angles that the media pursued when covering the war in Vietnam.
So there was nothing "leftist" about the media's slant/bias when covering the war, just good ol' corporate greed & the need to keep the shareholders happy. (except for PBS & other public media, which tended to be more balanced & less hyped coverage).
That was then...what about now? Well, the same game exists, except that you have mega-rich owners like Rupert Murdoch who aren't worrying about becoming the biggest media corporation in America, but to create a very loyal (psychologically addicted) & clearly-defined viewership who are presented with news filtered through a narrow political agenda. It just so happens that Murdoch is very right-wing, so by far the most politically biased media in the USA is not 'leftist', but very right-wing.
As for the other corporate media giants, they are still playing the same game that has been played for decades & decades, which is what I described in the first three paragraphs. Unfortunately, because 'branding' is so central to corporate strategy, all of the media outlets have narrowed their perspective on most stories in order to find a niche. That means that Americans no longer have any source of news that provides a balanced perspective (something people in most western nations still have). For Americans who want to get closer to the truth, they need to consult multiple channels, find information from 'primary sources' (with proper referencing & reliable organizations), or do what many Americans did durring the second Gulf War...watch/read news broadcast from independent sources (A.P., Reuters, and freelance journalists, plus public television from Canada, Great Britain, and continental Europe!
Go away fake Vet Troll..
@Cle Jons When it comes to extreme right politics (Nationalism/Fascism) & extreme left politics (totalitarian 'Stalinist' Communism), I agree.
Bullshit. I was there. I am here now.
Right wing bullshit. Military leans much right. Reality bites. Deal with it.
Starts at the top. Trump is a sick fuck. Hardcore supporters likewise.
The media minus fucking Fox News exposes that.
They don't always get it right. Vastly good people though. Not so Fox et al.
Because one is a vet doesn't mean their word is sacred. They're human.
That includes me.
Peace and love :-),
John Kenneth
1ST Air Cavalry (radio operator)
A Shau Valley, 1968
perfectly stated. thank you for your service.
Thank you all fer yer SERVICE and to all those thet did no come home, R.I.P.
I thank all these servicemen who worked in Indochina during this time. I thank you for all my family for keeping my family members alive who served at his time.
We will NEVER FORGET the sacrifice of these courageous men who fought on Hamburger Hill!
Thank you to all Armed Forces men and women around the world!!
September 21ST, 2020,
My Most Beloved Brother in Arms,
“ Brown Dog “ of The 101ST Airborne Division
was at “ Hamburger Hill. “
On the 7th Day of “ The Battle of Hamburger
Hill, “ a VC Sniper shot “ Brown Dog “ thru the
left side of Brown Dog’s Throat.
After 4 and a Half Months after “ Dust Off “
Brown Dog returned with Glory as “A”
LRRP.
Brown Dog “Earned” and was “ Awarded “
The Distinguished Service Cross, The Distinguished Flying Cross, 3 More Mighty
Air Metals for Valor, The Silver Star and Sadly
3 “ Purple Hearts. “
On November 1st, 2014 my Most Beloved
“ Brown Dog “ helped my Most Beloved
“ Soldier “ A Champion Yellow Lab Retriever
and me to Move to The “Sunrise Studios” a
“ Glorious Ghetto “ where I, Sun Down a.k.a.
Sundown Live in “ Heavens Hands. “
Sadly my “ SOLDIER “ died on a Rainy Sunday Morning October 30th, 2016, amen.
“ I Love Danger “ just as Jesus Christ did.
Most Sincerely and Truthfully,
Fry Neal Patrick Sargent from Detroit, Michigan
U.S.A.
The Telephone ☎️ Number for The Vermont Teddy Bear 🧸 Co. is ( 800 ) 829 - 2327 for
Heroes Hayden Panettiere and Hayden’s Beloved Precious Beautiful Darling Daughter Kaya Evdokia Klitschko For Your Glory Heavenly Hayden Panettiere and Kaya’s
“ Happy 😊 Birthday 🎁 Kaya Klitschko “
might be
“ Happy 😊 Birthday 🎂 Jesus Christ “
From December 9TH to December 24TH, 2020
As Honest as The Holy Bible,
Neal Patrick Fry from the pandemic of 2020, 🙏 amen.
Mom is my Uncle .. read Eyes Behind the Lines
" I'll Always Love 💘you Hayden Panettiere "
Just like Khe San and all this other insanity of this war. Fight like hell for a mountain or base, win, and then leave it for the enemy to reoccupy it.
Two different stories. I'm more apt to believe the grunt's version than the guy who's got something to lose.
The Battle Hamburger Hill was another one of those battle of attrition operations. The conduct of the war was characterized by the large number of American casualties in the fighting. The A Shau valley was a strategically important for South Vietnam. The American Army fought a series of battles in the highland areas of Vietnam from 1965-69. The idea was to keep the Communist forces out of the coastal areas. The tactical aims of the attack by the 101st Airborne may have been achieved in the inflicting of heavy losses on the NVA. Yet, the larger point here is the level of American casualties in this battle were were essentially unjustified because they US Army took the hill but soon abandoned it. We kept going over the same ground over and again. Hamburger Hill was typical of many Vietnam battles. Americans prevailed against the NVA but the results were never decisive. The hills taken were abandoned regardless of the American resources expended.
So while I get the idea for the battle was to protect Hue, we have to remember we never ever got the politics on the ground right in Vietnam. The larger point here is the battle of Hamburger Hill never did anything to change the politics on the ground either. The South Vietnamese government was corrupt, inept, incompetent and had little real backing by the people in South Vietnam. The instability of the South Vietnamese government made the exertions of the American Army in Vietnam futile. No matter how many hard won tactical victories the Americans won in Vietnam these were lost strategically with the failed government in South Vietnam. The communists had the political support of the local people on the ground while few cared about the South Vietnam as a country. So it became above all else Vietnam became a hopeless war of attrition and a strategic loss in terms of politics on the ground.
Well said
Been there with Aco 3/187Bn.Wounded.
Phuong Tran van Where was Weldon honeycut aka John Wayne
Thank you for your service and bravery, I hope those wounds were insignificant sir.
You soldiers ❤️ was strong and brave . 😃We love you all. 💕God bless you all, 😄
Guy who I went to jump school with was THERE!! 501st Infantry. Damn near got his head blown off. Said it was the biggest clusterfuck he ever saw.
Thank you for this post, Hamburger Hill was the first Vietnam movie I saw as a kid and what I heard about battle was propaganda until this video...
Bombing may not have been totally effective (nothing is), BUT, it certainly would have helped out, the 101st troopers going up that hill. BTW, I was with B Battery, 2/319th Arty, firebase Berchesgaden, right across the Hill, firing 105s at all times, night and day! It WAS an experience.
Do you have your hearing sense yet, sir...because i know those 105's are loud....orah!!!
It's even more of an experience if your getting shot at from 10-15 yards away by AK-47's and machine guns and getting frags thrown at you, especially if the firefight starts at 6a and runs tie noon, not fun at all. If it were not for artillary and air support by gunships and jets
I would not be alive today, including the rest of my squad.
Tactical Air Support was used, B-52's are Strategic not close air support.
@@roberthouston4839 The only thing I know is that the hill got browner and browner as the green growth was bombed away!
@George Thomas Agree in most cases.
Gotta change the smoke alarm battery 🤣🤣🤣
My grampa was one of the soldiers on hamburger hill, my dad asked him how many people he killed and he just said he didn't have enough ammo.
I don't know wheather this battle had genuin reason or not, wheather USA or Vietnamese were right or wrong, but the spirit of soldiers who fought this battle from both sides is just adorable, I bowed to all those men who fought this battle of uncertanity with great might, being Indian I could just say "Battles and war costs a more than it achievements"
Nobody had a right to stick ttier nose in nam
I think 'adorable' is the wrong word, 'admirable' is probably a better word to use.
Adorable means affection/love/etc.
Admirable means respect/etc.
Thank you for this.
The battle was not so different from many others. In 69 the 101st and 1stMarDiv were rooting out the NVA in their strongholds after their losses in the winter and spring offensives.
The 101st replaced the 3rdMarDiv when they were pulled out as part of Nixon’s troop reduction. My buddies and I in 3/1 1stMarDiv saw the writing on the wall. We were getting blown apart and dying for no purpose other than American pride. Nixon called it peace with honor. I lost two of my friends who had become brothers. We knew the Arvn would fold.
I was there with the 3/5 cav.
Any battle that you fight that does NOT make you ground or secure a strategic position is a waste, and that’s as true today as it was since war began.
Hopefully you will never lead any group of armed men until you learn that sometimes mobility is an asset Hitler, during WW2 negated the Wermacht's blitzkrieg's advantages by his call 4 "fortress cities'....
is that your smoke alarm battery chirping in the background?
My dad was in ashau valley couple months after hamburger hill 2 clicks away from it. But it didn't matter cause he said you had your own hil to battle for he was 101st airborne rendezvous with destiny
So many patriots, such honorable men fought in this war . When I watch interviews of grunts and listen to them speak I get that sense that they were some solid men. The type of men any man would want fighting next to him in a war. True heros in every sense of the word . God bless em and thank you to all our Vietnam vets
This feels like it was made in 1997. It is horrendously put together ! Missing pictures, a spoken audio track that is too quiet that suddenly cuts to deafeningly loud archive video ! All it's missing is Comic Sans font.
I my pa went there and lived but died a year later,It’s pretty cool knowing that my grandpa helped a lot of people
... And they know there were 2 battles named "Hamburger Hill" ... In the same valley in different years ...
... About knowing where and when B-52 strikes were to occur, read "Breaking the Ring, The Walker Family Spy Ring" by John Daniel Baron ...
I came here after seeing some real footage of the battle.
I got just as much of a history lesson from the comments by veterans on here.
I learned a long time ago, if I want to know the facts about a War, the last place I'd look is in a history book. I found most of my credible research was found in fellow vets and those who been there and done that or written about those who been there and done that!
It depends who researched, wrote, and funded the book. Academics from universities tend to be less biased & have properly researched the subject they are discussing. But, even then, one is best off if one reads a number of books on the subject.
If you're going to consult veterans, you had better talk to hundreds of them, because the grunt , or airman only sees a tiny piece of a gigantic puzzle. Although the individual soldier or airman means well & will do their best to tell the truth, he/she is only human, so he/she will have been trapped in 'the fog of war', and will offer opinions/interpretations based on little knowledge or understanding of 'the big picture'. Furthermore, individual combatants are understandably biased by vested interests, e.g. protecting careers, protecting the memory of the fallen, a need to justify the suffering they & their buddies experienced or a need to criticize superiors because of the suffering. Finally, the brave fighters may have gaps in memory because of PTSD.
In fact, much of what I have typed here applies to this video, which totally lacks any proper references, uses interviews with officers whose careers & promotions are likely at stake, speaks in generalities, and says nothing about the researcher, author, or narrator. Also, the video begins & ends with the same scripture from The Holy Bible, which I am sure the author knows appeals to a more 'conservative' segment of Americans who are more likely to look for 'good news' within the context of a costly battle. And let's not forget that Australia & New Zealand were quite involved in 'Nam & their troops worked quite closely with American forces. For all we know, the author may have been in Vietnam as part of the Australian military.
While I started watching this video with great curiousity & an open mind, I certainly have not been convinced by this video, and I hope nobody else has been!
@@derekbaker3279 Glad to see someone else felt the same way. This is exactly how everyone should approach history, despite the emotion that comes along with it. It sounds messed up to say that the people who were actually there may not always be a reliable source on certain things, but it's the truth.
What's he talking about at 16:09...who's General Zias? I can't find any record of him.
I guess for the US public, it must have seemed like the war was now being fought as a war of attrition. The Tet offensive, though militarily a catastrophe for the North side, reinforced the feeling that they would not be able to win the war without eliminating all resistance, and probably suffer huge casualties in the process. They were not willing to sacrifice their sons for a good K/D ratio.
I remember as a teenager watching the news with field reports with numbers of Americans killed and wounded .Every day ,for years .
We fought this war because of a domino theory that didn't hold much weight. The South Vietnamese government was no standard bearer. They were corrupt and repressive. In the end, the North did win, but here we are today. Bless the men who served, and served well, but we didn't need to be there in the first place. That's what the media could see. Biblical quotations are out of place.
says the guy with 20/20 hindsight.
erestube The BEST comment I've read among them all. The elite just used the American boys TRULY good intentions for THIER NEFARIOUS purposes. The corporations made a SHIT LOAD of money from this war. A lot of senators and congressman up to and including the president were silent partners in many of those very corporations. So that should tell you why it lasted for so long also where thier hearts were truly at.
The media, who were Communist sympathisers, only showed you what they wanted you to hear.
I was there, and know first hand the volumes of lies they told then and now.
We didn't need to be there in the first place . I hear that a lot . During the Cold War , when Communism was on the march where would you have drawn the line to fight for a free (though corrupt , as you said ) country ? The line that was drawn to make a worldwide statement - in a primitive country . What would have happened if after 10 deaths in combat the U S left Vietnam in 62 ?
Didn't the guy making swords for the Roman Army make money ?
operation started May 10-20,,,,,,then the" mop-up" that lasted another 7 days,,,,and then shortly there after everybody left....turned 22 on the 27 may 1969,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,was 3/4 of a mile away
I have seen a trend lately of more anti-American sentiment much like that of the '60s and '70s. In the '80s we saw this turn around and while most still regarded the war as a mistake, or rather our involvement in it, we at least began honoring the men that served in it. During and shortly after the war we heard all this talk of atrocities. Then we got the stories from the vets and learned of the enemies atrocities and just how restrained American troops were. It seems many chose to vilify the American GI's over actions by South Vietnamese and others against VC and heavily suspected VC. The interrogations and such were mostly done by the South Vietnamese troops and ROK troops. Our troops and most of the indig. serving with them fought not only well but honorably, despite rules often very heavily favoring the enemy.
The public perception towards the war and the vets from the '80s until fairly recently has been mostly very pro GI and seeing the war as a mistake. As for the war though, it is so easy to judge things from the future having that benefit of hindsight. It's so easy to be critical of it today but at the time nobody knew what they didn't know. They did the best they could with what they had. As for botched strategy or tactics, they were largely writing the book as they went discovering how to fight such a war in such a place and under such restrictions as the ROE. So much of what our military knows and practices today stems from lessons learned from that war. Yes it was common then and there to abandon hills only to have them reoccupied by the enemy and other moves that most of us would call mistakes. Most of these bad decisions or policies came from the white house and the pentagon. In country, however, commanders in the field usually fought smartly and effectively. They did rack up huge body counts of enemy dead relative to our own. Still winning battles is not the same as winning the war. The bottom line was how much the enemy was willing to lose in order to ultimately win eventually, vs how much loss we were willing to endure before pulling the plug, as we eventually did. Korea should have taught us better than it apparently did. The North and China sent waves of thousands to their deaths to take one objective without ever doing so, still they continued. It perhaps SHOULD have been clear this was unwinnable as long as we were not willing to commit to what it would take but it appears mostly it was largely underestimated what the enemy was willing to commit to. I can say "It's their home. Of course they will fight to the last man.", but there was likely conflicting sentiment of will by different people making it hard to read the will of the people on each side.
I am under the impression that in recent years most of what is being taught in history classes is back to being mostly anti-American in nature and presenting all US endeavors and decisions as evil in intent, not just outcome, and also that everyone else in the world is a victim of ours. Somehow the war is supposedly the fault of the US. While I would agree we should have gotten out of it early, and rumors have it JFK was intending to do that. Actually I would have preferred we not supported the French and stayed out altogether, but that's just me. That is still not the same as supporting communism and the unification/domination by the North. I believe, as do many, that we got involved for noble reasons (supporting South Vietnam RVN in detaining it's I dependence) there were also others with other plans and motives (military industrial complex milking it for as long as possible for one). More than one thing can be true at once. As for the men that fought it, they certainly were there for the right reasons even if they were drafted. They were not there because they wanted to kill people and inflict suffering, as some psycho academic types think of them. Ultimately they don't get to decide what wars we fight or how we fight them. So please don't blame them for whatever conflict they may end up in or how it is fought.
Check the volume on your video. It's low.
I served with the 3/506th at Phan Thiet during the Tet Offensive. We won the war that year. Politicians kept it going unnecessarily. Hill 937 could have been avoided; even so, the Airborne army still beat back the NVA in spite of the New york-Massachusets politicians and news media who have not gone away nor apologized for their lies.
Bro.ther ~☆《" Brown Dog " }☆~,
Happy 72nd Birthday ~on February
27, 2019"!"
November 11, 2017 you sent me
Neal Fry a.k.a. Sundown, a.k.a. Anneal, a.k.a. High Priest a photo of you Brown Dog after the 101st
Airborne Division took Hill 714.
You texted " Twin Brothers from different Mother's!!!
After Hill 714 came Hill 937,
" Hamburger Hill. "
God Bless you Bro.ther Brown Dog, & The 101st Airborne Division
Now, Always and Forever...
Take Care Brother " Brown Dog. "
Your Loving Bro.,
Neal Fry a.k.a. Sundown
If the US had pressured France via sanctions and diplomacy. To Give the Vietnamese people their country. Ho-chi-min asked the US for help time after time. However when these attempts failed he turned to the communist.
Charles De Gaulle threatened to leave NATO and side with east so that was to be avoided. I agree on the basic premises of your comment though and France left the military part of NATO eventually anyway.
Who was the Australian reporter? Never seen him before or after? The Australian War Memorial has nothing, PLEASE
Anyone know the name of the Australian reporter?
God bless you and your video. Thank you for showing that in-depth, and actual video footage from the time. That was amazing, and it really does a service and honor to men who fought and died there.
Somehow we won the battles of vietnam, but we lost the war. All thanks to communist propaganda supported by our politicians and our media.
I just can't figure out why? Some how communism full infiltrated our institutions are every point. Nowadays everyone bows and worships China and their communist authoritarianism. But back then... I don't quite understand why they would betray america. But they did.
In the film Hamburger Hill there is a scene where helicopter gunners fired on their own men. They obviously thought they were firing on NVA. I was wondering did that happen.
Though the 1987 Hollywood film was full of errors (i.e.- troopers wearing subdued 101st patches)- there was at least one major incident of friendly fire that completely stalled the U.S. attack.
Read the book called the crouching beast by frank boccia, he led his men at that hill, incredible read,that honeycutt was a narcissist legend in his own mind and played with the lives of his men for his own ego
Mistake to regard one perspective as being definitive - which is what this video is all about
This video is only one perspective...!!!
back in the day of moderately honest war correspondence
I was there in that war
‘ Nam veteran reporting, Was there with the 1/12 Cav. of the 1st. Cav. Div. May ‘69-July ‘69.
Say Alonzo , I just wanted to chime in with a thanks and let you know that I joined up in the " new " volunteer Army in 74 - and ended up in 1 st / 12th Cav , Co C . It was an interesting time at Ft Hood , Texas , but you could feel Vietnam at the base . We were given ribbons to wear that the battalion had earned there and the citations were posted near the 1 st Sergeant's office . I didn't feel good about wearing the ribbons , but we were told to wear them because the battalion earned them in combat . Thanks for all you did and welcome home .
@@gordonlandreth9550 my grandpa was in the 1st cav from its activation as an airmobile division in 65 to when it was a TRICAP division in fort hood. He was a parachute rigger in the 1st cav.
@@goforbroke4428 Thanks , GoForBroke - the recruiter had a poster of a soldier all set up to jump , with a 1st Cav patch on . My recruiter told me about the motorcycle recon they had and I joined up for that . 4 years Infantry , guaranteed , $ 2500 bonus paid after completing basic and AIT . When I got to Ft Hood I asked the clerk about the motorcycle recon unit , but he told me that it had been disbanded and that I was going to 1 st/12 th . I asked him what that was and he said " mechanized infantry " . Tri - Cap was over and the Cav was an armor division . Very interesting that your Grandfather could spend such a long time in the Division . 8 years of Vietnam .
I was a huey crew chief on this effort and went on R&R to Sydney after it had been going on for a few days. I went with a couple guys from 3/187 who had come down from Hamburger Hill. Their words about Honeycutt were almost exactly what those quoted said.
TY ❤
Thank God I make it home🙏
Kennedy was correct
Look at 18:47-49 on slow speed radio carrier is wearing a "SHINY" wristband? "Here I am?" WTF? Who dressed him?
Their was a lot of sloppiness if you watch a bit of Vietnam footage I seen many soldiers with cigarette packets fastened on their helmets, just fortunate times have evolved now their is a lot more focus on camouflage and concealment.
This sloppiness was more than like probably from the higher ups failure to realise they were fighting an insurgency rather than a full on combat war what they had done in ww2 it was evident after a year what they were facing. More than likely lead to the overconfidence of the American troops that they were the more powerful force and could take them wherever they encountered them how many videos you see where the Americans come under fire and say you cant see them just fire and hope into the trees and this is usually always after the American soldiers were walking out in the open they failed to adapt.
I was a Rakkasan A co. 3STB 3/187. THE ZONE! 05-08
May 20, 2024 today. Hill 937. Thank you Vietnam veterans.
So everyone on this comment section serve in Vietnam.what is really the death toll of American soldiers in Vietnam 52k?-57k? That is still a large number despite having the upper hand on war machines that the north Vietnamese don't have......korean war they say around 50k died that war but it was because China brought in troops to back the retreating north Koreans.would any of you can say it was a unnecessary cause.
Am a pilipino. United states use two of their largest naval and air force base as supply route to Americans during that war.subic bay and the Clark air force base.it was shutdown in 1992. Downsizing reason by the u.s. government said..
Fact is we were well on our way to winning until the Democrats stopped all funding......Sort of like Iraq.
The 500 pound bomb that was dropped by an American F-4 right into a US defensive position was the problem. Rockets from an A1 sky raider hit the Army CP also. Bad say
One of the Beatles Trump missed. He was paying tennis instead.
I thought Trump love golfing
I always pay tennis.
@@FatGuyInLitlCoat RIP Chris Farley... a man I would have loved to have watched play tennis.
I joined the US Army in 1972 and served in the US Cavalry. I served with many of the soldiers and NCO;s who had fought in Vietnam. They were proud of their service and what they had done in Vietnam. Almost all of the NCO's and Officers I served with from 1972 to 1979 were Vietnam veterans. These were outstanding individuals who trained me to be a good Cavalry and Armor soldier and formed this young man's character which served me well throughout my life. They taught me how to be an honorable and productive member of society and to be a patriotic citizen of the United States of America. I am 70 years old now and retired with 8 wonderful Grandchildren. I owe my success in life to the Vietnam Veterans and think of them every day of my life!! Oh, by the way, Kennedy was a cowardly traitor and I for one was glad on the day that he departed from this country and this world which he hated so much. Good riddance to him!
Again I say this was a place that American soilders should have not been. But thanks to everyone who served and R.I.P. to those who died
Just reading the comment the war is still going on with some people who right who wrong the Vietnam people to them its oved and forgot but seams we aren't i was there in 1969 _1968
Door gunner Chopper uh1 . let's all stay together on this especially the one who was there.
Thank You
Thank you
Who in their right mine, sent guy up a hill that was no interest and leave it. Those guys died for nothing as 58,00 also died for nothing when the US lost the war in Vietnam
The usa people love their military forces nowadays. At the time of vietnam l8 60,s these brave men who returned where hated spat on by the protesters, injured crippled psychologically destroYed in their minds by what happened their, many ignored by the military after, these men whho some did not have the choice as they were drafted, majority of protester all protected bcause theywerestudents made their lives hell. Military said ty for your service, then to many it was ty then no ty and left to their own devices, many became drig addicts killers many commited suicide.....war is hell n to all thes e brave men all thoseyears ago nevèr forget , love to see rememberance gardens big or small in cities n towns big or sm all for all military who died were crippled in every way for people to sit in these gardens n reflect on howlucky tqhey r to live more peaceful times. PLEASE NEVER FORGET
Then the U.S. walked away and the NVA came back. That's a lot of dead people, for what?
"Media Bias" is a generic comment so I would assert "Anti-media bias". It is not a serious argument. In the end, the US took the hill, lost a lot of good men, killed many NVA, and withdrew to let the NVA take it back. This was the usual routine throughout the war especially in the mountains. It did not change the military situation since this was an area war of attrition. Fighting in the mountains was like fighting in the Pacific Islands in WWII. It is hard, deadly work by soldiers. The majority American opinion (what Nixon called silent majority) at the time was win or get out. The US got out. To win, the US would have had to literally destroy North Vietnam but even then I doubt the South Vietnamese government would have survived.
Just had a conversation with my grandpa. He was there. Man does he have some stories about nam.
were was quang tin at ???
Down around AnHoa, I believe.
hey i s n the101 was a tunnel rat worked out of fire base eagle the thing about what yougo through is it dont mean nothing........ thats the saying when soeone gets killed
It was a waste of human lives from both sides. Gis fought a war that could not win and for what.! Nothing and in Nam people still daylight today from chemicals that spraed to the land and more. Remember that millions of people SVA NVA and citizens died in Nam, Cambodia, Laos, and Vietnam destroyed forever from the war so I don't think that they won the war. Nobody won that war IMO and thanks for the vid great footage.
What in the hell were we fighting for in Vietnam ? There was little if anything to gain even if we had won this War outright ! We had very little reason for being over there my fellow patriotic Americans !
yeah he had a job to do, send up more men for the meat grinder.... looked like he wasnt the smartest guy in the army, shame he had the "power" to send them up there...
my uncle daryll West was killed there.
South Vietnamese Rangers landed on top of the hill and took it. Then, U.S. higher officers told the South Vietnamese to get off the hill. U.S. higher officers then ordered U.S. Infantry troops to storm the well fortified and bunkered hill from its base. Casualities were high and unnecessary. Don't blame the media, don't blame Ted Kenedy.
Blame some colossal Army high officers.
OK - so if South Vietnamese Rangers took the hill, there wouldn't be any NVA left to resist any further movement of US forces would there.....so who was fighting who for ten days?
What is your source for this improbable claim?
You obviously don't know what you're talking about.
The USA captured only 22 crew served weapons and 78 individual weapons The NVA escaped into o Laos
With all due respect to the soldiers ...."An unjust war of aggression" is a not a bad way of describing Viet Nam at all. Just think about the Bay of Tonkin and the way the war actually started.
But you never kept VCI from the population.
You send enough men to fight and in time you're gonna take the hill. That was Honeycutt's game plan.... just keep sending bodies in to fight. I suppose that's the name of the game but so many lost their lives only for the US to abandon the hill a short time after taking it. It bothered and upset many soldiers/vets. I mean no disrespect with my comments and opinions.
What exactly is the MEDIA misrepresenting? after thaking the hill, you have to move on and persue the enemy.. what did you acchive?
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My Grandfather's brother fought in this battle. It was a battle of ego so the U.S. can have a higher kill count. Idiot Generals got there own boys killed because of there ego's
Fraught for nothing died for nothing