Last Days in Vietnam Story Archives - West Virginia Public Broadcasting

Memorial Day Specials On TV And Radio

West Virginia Public Broadcasting honors the sacrifice of those who died while serving the country’s armed forces with special programs on television and radio. From the musical tributes on the National Memorial Day Concert airing live from the nation’s Capitol, to television and radio documentaries that recall important moments in history and first-person perspectives of conflict, these programs offer an opportunity for reflection and remembrance on this Memorial Day.

National Memorial Day Concert 2015 Sunday, May 24 at 8 p.m.

Honoring our American heroes for over 25 years, the National Memorial Day Concert pays tribute to the service and sacrifice of our men and women in uniform, their families at home and all those who have given their lives for our country. Joe Mantegna and Gary Sinise co-host the 26th annual broadcast of this night of remembrance that airs live from the West Lawn of the U.S. Capitol before an audience of hundreds of thousands, millions at home and to our troops around the world via American Forces Network. The National Memorial Day Concert will showcase courageous American heroes who have been disabled for life; shine a spotlight on Gold Star Children who

This year’s National Memorial Day Concert shines a spotlight on Gold Star Children, those who have lost a parent to war. With lives that are forever changed, these children’s experiences will be told through the eyes of Bayleigh (left) and Cameron (right) Dostie, whose father, Shawn, made the ultimate sacrifice while serving in Iraq.

have lost a parent to war; and commemorate the 70th anniversary of the end of World War II.

The all-star line-up includes distinguished American leader General Colin L. Powell USA (Ret.); seven-time Grammy Award-winner and international superstar Gloria Estefan; acclaimed film and television actress Stefanie Scott; “The Voice” season five winner Tessanne Chin; the world’s most prolific classical cross-over artist Katherine Jenkins; and renowned tenor Russell Watson in performance with the National Symphony Orchestra under the direction of top pops conductor Jack Everly.

Tradition of Service: The West Virginia Veteran’s Legacy Project Sunday, May 24 at 8 p.m. on WVPB.2 (check local listings) West Virginia military veterans, from World War II to the conflict in Afghanistan, recall their time spent serving their country.

We Served Too: The Story of the Women’s Airforce Service Pilots Sunday, May 24 at 9 p.m. on WVPB.2 (check local listings) A look at how the Women’s Airforce Service Pilots broke through barriers during World War II, then were erased from the history books. Watch a trailer of the film.

Four-Four-Two, F Company At War Sunday, May 24 at 10 p.m. on WVPB.2 (check local listings) A profile of one World War II infantry regiment in the U.S. Army made up of Americans of Japanese ancestry.

Memory Of A Forgotten War Sunday, May 24 at 10:30 p.m. on WVPB.2 (check local listings) Deeply personal accounts of the Korean War are provided by four Korean American survivors.

A water-damaged photo of Delta Company on the ground.

On the Radio:

We’ve Never Been The Same: A War Story Monday, May 25 at 2 p.m.

Over the course of five years, Adam Piore gathered the stories of the surviving members of Delta Company, a Vietnam-era paratrooper unit; Jay Allison joined him for the last two years when it turned from a book into a radio story. At Fort Campbell before deployment, Delta was a ragtag bunch, the “leftovers” as one of their fellow soldiers put it, but on the night of March 18th, 1968, they became heroes. Their leader won the Congressional Medal of Honor and two others won the nation’s second highest honor, the Distinguished Service Cross, for their valor that night when the company endured a long and devastating battle—not as long or as devastating, however, as the years that followed, after the men of Delta Company came home separately to live alone with the memories. Read the producer’s notes and view an extensive slideshow of Delta Company.

Stressful Moments in 1970 WVU Anti-War Protest Documented in Student's Photos

Stirring images of Morgantown police officers marching through West Virginia University’s campus, with gas masks and large sticks, were captured May 7, 1970 by a student with his small black and white camera. Morgantown attorney Dan Ringer was a 21-year-old physics major when on a third day of what had been quiet anti-war demonstrations he decided to go check-out the growing crowd about mid-day.

Songs, speeches and chants were heard throughout the afternoon.

Ringer is sharing some of his photographs on our website, and recently shared his recollections of that day with Senior Producer Suzanne Higgins.

Students protested U.S. involvement in Viet Nam, Cambodia, the draft, and the Kent State shootings which occured just days before the demonstration.

With a backdrop of very recognizable buildings to those familiar with the campus, photo after photo captures a really fascinating scene. A couple thousand WVU students largely divided into two groups, aligned along University Avenue.

Students, faculty, and local residents voiced either their support or opposition to U.S. involvement in the Viet Nam War, May 7, 1970.

A few students are seen perched in trees, others are leaning over balconies. Policemen are armed with large guns and tear gas. Faces are serious, pensive, clearly wondering what might happen next.

Police use tear gas to clear University Ave. of demonstrators, May 7, 1970.

This warm spring day occurred less than a week after the U.S. commenced bombing of Cambodia, days after the Kent State shootings where 4 students were killed and 11 injured, and less than 6 months after the reinstatement of the military draft.

Several university demonstrations across the country that week erupted into violence.

Police watched with their gas masks on, and holding long, wooden axe handles.

Eventually Gov. Arch Moore sent in a detachment of state police to break up the crowd at WVU.

RSVP for a Preview of 'Last Days in Vietnam'

Join a live online screening event featuring the Academy Award-nominated documentary Last Days in Vietnam. A special guest appearance by filmmaker Rory Kennedy kicks off a 50-minute preview of the PBS film.

Chat with a live panel of veterans and Vietnamese Americans from the film that escaped hours before the fall of Saigon 40 years ago this April.

Panelists include senior director Ron Pierce, South Vietnamese native and American immigrant Binh Pho and U.S.S. Kirk Commander Hugh Doyle (retired).

Follow this link to RSVP for the screening and a live chat with the panel.

Last Days in Vietnam, directed and produced by Rory Kennedy, recounts the chaotic final days of the Vietnam War and follows the unlikely heroes as they attempt to save as many South Vietnamese as possible.The program premieres on Tuesday, April 28 at 9 p.m. on West Virginia Public Broadcasting.

Special Programs Look At The Impact Of The Vietnam War

On April 27 and 28, West Virginia Public Broadcasting presents two nights of programs that look back at the era of the Vietnam War, 1964 through 1975. From the politics of the time, the protests, the casualties and finally the fall of Saigon, these programs reflect on the impact of the events that saw about 36,578 West Virginians serving, and ultimately reporting the highest death rate among all states.

Watch these programs at the scheduled broadcast times on WVPB, or afterward for a limited time at wvpublic.org. You can also download and print a flyer about these programs.

The Draft Monday, April 27 at 9 p.m. The question of who serves in America’s military has shaped battle strategy and foreign policy and stranded Americans in uniform for years on distant battlefields. From the Civil War to the conflicts of the Vietnam era, forced military service has torn the nation apart — and sometimes, as in WWII, united Americans in a common purpose. Hear how a single, controversial issue continues to define America.

Dick Cavett’s Vietnam Monday, April 27 at 10 p.m.

On the 40th anniversary of the official end of the Vietnam War, this program examines the war and impact on America through the prism of interviews conducted by the iconic host of “The Dick Cavett Show,” which featured thoughtful conversation and debate from all sides of the political spectrum. The program combines interviews from Cavett’s shows with archival footage, network news broadcasts and audio/visual material from the National Archives to provide insight and perspective on this controversial chapter of American history.

The Day the 60’s Died Tuesday, April 28 at 8 p.m.

May 4, 1970. Students retreat up Blanket Hill as guards advance with tear gas.

In May 1970, four students were shot dead at Kent State. The mayhem that followed has been called the most divisive moment in American history since the Civil War. From college campuses to the jungles of Cambodia, to the Nixon White House, The Day the 60’s Died returns to that turbulent spring 45 years ago.

Last Days in Vietnam: American Experience Tuesday, April 28 at 9 p.m.

April 1975. During the chaotic final days of the Vietnam War, as the North Vietnamese Army closed in on

Saigon, South Vietnamese resistance crumbled. City after city and village after village fell to the north while the few U.S. diplomats and military operatives still in the country contemplated withdrawal. With the lives of thousands of South Vietnamese hanging in the balance, those in control faced an impossible choice––who would go and who would be left behind to face brutality, imprisonment, or even death.

This Academy Award-nominated film, directed and produced by Rory Kennedy, is scheduled in conjunction with the 40th anniversary of the fall of Saigon. The broadcast will contain additional footage not seen during the film’s theatrical release.