0:00:26.559,0:00:30.589
country

0:00:28.530,0:00:30.589
Oh

0:00:32.500,0:00:35.500
self-evident

0:00:38.909,0:00:45.000
Mr Gold

0:00:41.679,0:00:45.000
down this wall

0:00:57.820,0:01:02.869
he don't hit the we see on a terrible on

0:01:01.429,0:01:06.109
the night of July the twentieth nineteen

0:01:02.869,0:01:08.149
sixty-nine to American astronauts were

0:01:06.109,0:01:20.000
attempting to do something no human

0:01:08.150,0:01:22.520
being had ever done before Neil

0:01:20.000,0:01:24.290
Armstrong from Ohio and Buzz Aldrin from

0:01:22.519,0:01:25.849
New Jersey where the two men sent to

0:01:24.290,0:01:28.540
complete a promise made by President

0:01:25.849,0:01:32.118
Kennedy at the beginning of the decade

0:01:28.540,0:01:34.969
during our descent everything looked

0:01:32.118,0:01:36.978
good approaching the point coming around

0:01:34.969,0:01:41.929
the moon except our communications a

0:01:36.978,0:01:44.118
little scratchy there's an anxious

0:01:41.930,0:01:46.880
moment Donna go for landing retro oh I

0:01:44.118,0:01:49.939
don't go right so the trawl now calm no

0:01:46.879,0:01:52.009
jinsuk oh god no surgeon go Capcom we're

0:01:49.939,0:01:54.200
go for landing altitude 4,200 thing year

0:01:52.009,0:01:58.069
ago for landing over I was in the

0:01:54.200,0:02:00.409
control center of houston hundred feet

0:01:58.069,0:02:02.329
or and a half down five and a half pound

0:02:00.409,0:02:05.420
you know there was some doubt about this

0:02:02.329,0:02:07.069
clear up to the last just where they

0:02:05.420,0:02:07.920
were coming in within the fuel or not

0:02:07.069,0:02:10.439
we're gonna be

0:02:07.920,0:02:12.810
he knew there was a surface it was going

0:02:10.439,0:02:20.250
to be reasonably good for them to land

0:02:12.810,0:02:25.890
on and Gordy babe here hinkle air

0:02:20.250,0:02:28.709
planted it's a g-wiz and a few it's a

0:02:25.889,0:02:31.859
let's say yeah we're down and then I can

0:02:28.709,0:02:33.719
remember just looking this way and

0:02:31.860,0:02:36.170
leaning over and Pat Neal on the back

0:02:33.719,0:02:40.289
and just kind of saying well we made it

0:02:36.169,0:02:42.419
we copy you down eagle a journey of a

0:02:40.289,0:02:44.489
quarter million miles it took three

0:02:42.419,0:02:48.199
hundred thousand American workers to

0:02:44.489,0:02:52.259
make it happen step off the LEM mountain

0:02:48.199,0:02:58.449
at 10 simple and

0:02:52.259,0:03:01.840
I am pleased 600 million people were

0:02:58.449,0:03:05.798
watching one-fifth of the entire world's

0:03:01.840,0:03:10.060
population seeing things that no one had

0:03:05.799,0:03:13.120
seen before stark Beauty so pure and

0:03:10.060,0:03:16.628
it's so perfect magnificent desolation

0:03:13.120,0:03:19.509
on the Sea of Tranquility Armstrong and

0:03:16.628,0:03:22.739
older left a plaque that red we came in

0:03:19.509,0:03:22.739
peace for all mankind

0:03:39.968,0:03:45.858
on earth in the summer of nineteen

0:03:42.979,0:03:52.280
sixty-nine peace and tranquility were

0:03:45.859,0:03:54.799
merely concepts at the end of the 60s

0:03:52.280,0:03:57.259
America was still haunted by memories of

0:03:54.799,0:03:59.420
the young president whose election had

0:03:57.259,0:04:01.188
ushered in the decade and whose

0:03:59.419,0:04:04.009
assassination had shattered it's

0:04:01.188,0:04:06.408
optimism Kennedy's inaugural pledge to

0:04:04.009,0:04:09.138
pay any price and bear any burden to

0:04:06.408,0:04:11.418
defend freedom was being severely tested

0:04:09.139,0:04:13.849
in Vietnam President Johnson's further

0:04:11.419,0:04:17.959
escalation of the war had cost him the

0:04:13.848,0:04:20.149
presidency and in 1968 Richard Nixon was

0:04:17.959,0:04:24.288
elected largely on the promise to win

0:04:20.149,0:04:25.909
peace with honor to his supporters that

0:04:24.288,0:04:28.459
meant an outcome that would further

0:04:25.910,0:04:31.639
American interests and ideals in the

0:04:28.459,0:04:34.269
world to his critics it meant prolonging

0:04:31.639,0:04:34.269
the horror

0:04:58.769,0:05:04.629
january twentieth nineteen sixty-nine

0:05:01.949,0:05:07.229
inauguration day for the 37th president

0:05:04.629,0:05:07.230
of the United States

0:05:17.490,0:05:22.910
difficult years America has suffered

0:05:19.470,0:05:26.370
from a fever of words we cannot learn

0:05:22.910,0:05:29.880
from one another until we stop shouting

0:05:26.370,0:05:33.870
at one another until we speak quietly

0:05:29.879,0:05:38.519
enough so that our words can be heard as

0:05:33.870,0:05:40.288
well as our voices there were virtually

0:05:38.519,0:05:42.689
to America's when Richard Nixon took

0:05:40.288,0:05:45.029
office and they collided that day in the

0:05:42.689,0:05:49.310
first major disruption of an inaugural

0:05:45.029,0:05:49.309
ceremony in the history of the Republic

0:05:50.370,0:05:56.490
eggs were throwing obscenities were

0:05:53.519,0:06:00.870
thrown the placards were out there that

0:05:56.490,0:06:03.960
were just awful that we were so torn

0:06:00.870,0:06:06.090
apart that we couldn't even inaugurate a

0:06:03.959,0:06:09.000
freely elected president with the

0:06:06.089,0:06:10.859
dignity the pomp and circumstance it's

0:06:09.000,0:06:13.228
such an occasion demands it was really a

0:06:10.860,0:06:16.379
terrible low point American history what

0:06:13.228,0:06:21.000
I seen on newspapers and television it

0:06:16.379,0:06:23.250
was hard to believe desecration of a

0:06:21.000,0:06:26.430
flag that I personally fought for and

0:06:23.250,0:06:31.339
put my life on the line along with many

0:06:26.430,0:06:36.199
other people and here you are carrying

0:06:31.339,0:06:44.879
Kong flags this this really disturbed me

0:06:36.199,0:06:49.259
to really bad boiling points he divided

0:06:44.879,0:06:52.379
the public and he was in some ways the

0:06:49.259,0:06:55.409
worst possible leader that we could have

0:06:52.379,0:06:58.259
had in the time of this great divisive

0:06:55.410,0:07:01.320
pneus because that was meconium politics

0:06:58.259,0:07:06.769
to play to the device earnest to divide

0:07:01.319,0:07:06.769
the body politic and to them and we

0:07:13.850,0:07:18.600
the we in that equation were the people

0:07:16.949,0:07:21.000
the administration referred to as

0:07:18.600,0:07:23.540
hard-working taxpaying patriotic

0:07:21.000,0:07:23.540
Americans

0:07:32.430,0:07:38.040
their enemies the them were represented

0:07:35.879,0:07:41.189
by the vociferous demonstrators who said

0:07:38.040,0:07:46.310
they were Patriots to move by conscience

0:07:41.189,0:07:50.480
to oppose the war in November the 1969

0:07:46.310,0:07:50.480
700,000 of them came to Washington

0:07:51.509,0:07:56.800
I'm not sure looking back that going to

0:07:55.000,0:07:58.899
a rally like this was gonna make any

0:07:56.800,0:08:01.360
difference but that was a time where

0:07:58.899,0:08:04.299
there was no electricity everybody's

0:08:01.360,0:08:06.850
soul was was involved everybody's heart

0:08:04.300,0:08:09.639
was involved we felt that we had some

0:08:06.850,0:08:15.340
input in the world and we could change

0:08:09.639,0:08:17.110
the world a revolution going on and we

0:08:15.339,0:08:21.279
were all a part of it I think the people

0:08:17.110,0:08:23.620
were really fed up with that crowd by

0:08:21.279,0:08:26.049
the time we went into office I think

0:08:23.620,0:08:27.850
that uh during the Nixon administration

0:08:26.050,0:08:29.759
Patrick Buchanan was a speech writer for

0:08:27.850,0:08:32.229
the President and the Vice President

0:08:29.759,0:08:34.509
silent majority was what we call middle

0:08:32.229,0:08:36.639
America it looked upon these kids is

0:08:34.509,0:08:38.349
very privileged they were going to

0:08:36.639,0:08:39.698
college and then they were behaving like

0:08:38.349,0:08:42.700
that and the other kids were in Vietnam

0:08:39.700,0:08:52.570
doing their duty so as more a sense of

0:08:42.700,0:08:54.820
disgust and fed up this and while the

0:08:52.570,0:08:57.339
counterculture made him worship its rock

0:08:54.820,0:09:00.930
stars vice president Agnew gave middle

0:08:57.339,0:09:03.180
America at hero of its own

0:09:00.929,0:09:04.769
but AG news role was the pan out of the

0:09:03.179,0:09:08.250
Republican Party and the Tribune of the

0:09:04.769,0:09:12.088
silent the dragon and he played that

0:09:08.250,0:09:16.769
role extremely well the man who had been

0:09:12.089,0:09:19.200
a joke in 1968 at the end of 69 was the

0:09:16.769,0:09:22.588
third most admired man in America behind

0:09:19.200,0:09:25.080
the President and Billy Graham a spirit

0:09:22.589,0:09:28.950
of national masochism prevails

0:09:25.080,0:09:31.740
encouraged by an effete core of impudent

0:09:28.950,0:09:36.480
snobs who characterized themselves as

0:09:31.740,0:09:38.519
intellectuals Agnew speeches delivered

0:09:36.480,0:09:40.680
to enthusiastic audiences attacked

0:09:38.519,0:09:43.049
everything from professors students and

0:09:40.679,0:09:45.778
reporters to the counter cultures

0:09:43.049,0:09:51.750
favorite music and movies by the late

0:09:45.778,0:09:54.059
60s everything was politically a popular

0:09:51.750,0:09:57.089
recent movie I won't name it here

0:09:54.059,0:09:59.489
because I don't want to promote it as as

0:09:57.089,0:10:02.010
its heroes two men who are able to live

0:09:59.490,0:10:05.519
a carefree life off the proceeds of

0:10:02.009,0:10:07.379
illegal sales of drugs no sympathy is

0:10:05.519,0:10:09.720
wasted on the wrecked lives of the

0:10:07.379,0:10:13.909
people who bought their drugs are

0:10:09.720,0:10:13.910
financed our heroes easy ride

0:10:20.089,0:10:24.449
one of the big movies in this

0:10:22.259,0:10:26.310
superheated time became a metaphor for

0:10:24.448,0:10:30.568
the widening gap between the straight

0:10:26.309,0:10:33.479
and the hip gold and the young Easy

0:10:30.568,0:10:40.078
Rider oh yeah easy right in there we are

0:10:33.480,0:10:43.740
yeah well um Easy Rider yeah well where

0:10:40.078,0:10:45.989
do you want to start there that film was

0:10:43.740,0:10:49.528
so extraordinarily unlike anything that

0:10:45.990,0:10:52.889
had gone before its sense of really

0:10:49.528,0:10:54.600
growing out of a culture not even trying

0:10:52.889,0:10:56.909
to reflect the culture but just being

0:10:54.600,0:10:59.009
the culture what the hell is in trouble

0:10:56.909,0:11:01.620
making that had so much to say about the

0:10:59.009,0:11:03.449
society about the becoming a society of

0:11:01.620,0:11:06.659
two cultures along generational lines

0:11:03.448,0:11:08.439
and other kinds of minds why'd you get a

0:11:06.659,0:11:11.379
cut

0:11:08.440,0:11:15.450
that it was like getting hit in the gut

0:11:11.379,0:11:15.450
bye sis

0:11:22.679,0:11:27.250
my idea was basically the talked about

0:11:25.210,0:11:29.470
America talked about the problems and at

0:11:27.250,0:11:31.149
that time I felt that the country was

0:11:29.470,0:11:33.250
going to explode it was explained wasn't

0:11:31.149,0:11:37.329
going to it was explode and it was

0:11:33.250,0:11:39.549
really happy as the 60s came to a close

0:11:37.330,0:11:42.850
the violent and deadly backlash in Easy

0:11:39.549,0:11:45.479
Rider was an eerie foreshadowing of real

0:11:42.850,0:11:45.480
events to come

0:11:57.929,0:12:03.309
in cooperation with the Armed Forces of

0:12:00.669,0:12:05.259
South Vietnam attacks are being launched

0:12:03.309,0:12:08.859
this week to clean out major enemy

0:12:05.259,0:12:14.950
sanctuaries on the Cambodian Vietnam

0:12:08.860,0:12:19.029
border this is not an invasion of

0:12:14.950,0:12:20.680
Cambodia in may of nineteen seventy when

0:12:19.029,0:12:24.009
president nixon announced that american

0:12:20.679,0:12:26.589
troops were being sent into cambodia 350

0:12:24.009,0:12:29.039
college campuses erupted in violent

0:12:26.590,0:12:29.040
protest

0:12:31.340,0:12:35.120
and Nixon had been promising we're

0:12:33.350,0:12:37.750
getting out of it and all of a sudden

0:12:35.120,0:12:42.169
here comes this invasion of Cambodia

0:12:37.750,0:12:51.259
another country added to the list with

0:12:42.169,0:12:54.289
just a shock wave around the nation at

0:12:51.259,0:12:56.210
Kent State University in Ohio the ROTC

0:12:54.289,0:12:59.169
building was firebombed the governor

0:12:56.210,0:12:59.170
called in the National Guard

0:13:03.458,0:13:07.229
tonks and rocks were thrown

0:13:12.499,0:13:18.308
before it was over for college students

0:13:15.198,0:13:18.308
were shot and killed

0:13:20.309,0:13:24.819
representative country gone man American

0:13:23.259,0:13:28.000
troops shot down American students who

0:13:24.820,0:13:31.480
were taking classes that's the point we

0:13:28.000,0:13:34.330
had gotten to after the violence of kent

0:13:31.480,0:13:36.310
state polls found fifty-eight percent of

0:13:34.330,0:13:40.860
the respondents sided with the guardsmen

0:13:36.309,0:13:40.859
only eleven percent with the students

0:13:40.950,0:13:46.420
university campus include please return

0:13:44.259,0:13:48.429
to the dormitories and leave the campus

0:13:46.419,0:13:50.439
by the shorter the backlash of opinion

0:13:48.429,0:13:53.889
against campus demonstrators would only

0:13:50.440,0:13:55.810
grow following Kent State some 75

0:13:53.889,0:13:58.000
colleges were closed down for the rest

0:13:55.809,0:14:00.539
of the year the cause they said was

0:13:58.000,0:14:00.539
student unrest

0:14:08.600,0:14:14.370
four days after Kent State a massive

0:14:11.580,0:14:16.920
demonstration in lower Manhattan set off

0:14:14.370,0:14:19.080
legions of hard hats whose Ray's had

0:14:16.919,0:14:24.419
been building for years it was never

0:14:19.080,0:14:26.610
plan to explode but it did explode well

0:14:24.419,0:14:30.029
I was on Water Street and we all just

0:14:26.610,0:14:33.450
headed towards broadway and all you

0:14:30.029,0:14:35.819
could hear was just shouting and census

0:14:33.450,0:14:39.140
of let's get the bastards and let's

0:14:35.820,0:14:39.140
finish this once and for all

0:14:46.870,0:14:50.889
then there were some blood spilt

0:14:56.879,0:15:02.080
but it was all in anger all in vengeance

0:15:00.370,0:15:06.580
let's get them and a lot of people

0:15:02.080,0:15:11.830
including myself was was releasing the

0:15:06.580,0:15:15.850
hate and the feelings that you have of

0:15:11.830,0:15:21.720
course a lot of us felt the winners we

0:15:15.850,0:15:21.720
felt very proud we scattered the enemy

0:15:21.960,0:15:28.120
the part hats were heroes for a few days

0:15:24.730,0:15:31.539
praised by Wall Street workers when free

0:15:28.120,0:15:33.009
coffee by area luncheonette owners the

0:15:31.539,0:15:34.449
leaders of the construction unions were

0:15:33.009,0:15:35.860
invited to the White House where they

0:15:34.450,0:15:38.589
presented President Nixon with an

0:15:35.860,0:15:41.710
honorary hard hat and the hard hat

0:15:38.589,0:15:44.740
became a symbol for the so called silent

0:15:41.710,0:15:47.650
majority those who felt their way of

0:15:44.740,0:15:49.720
life was now under siege by the early

0:15:47.649,0:15:51.459
1970s it wasn't just a d Vietnam

0:15:49.720,0:15:54.278
protesters on the streets and on the

0:15:51.460,0:15:57.910
news anymore about a dizzying array of

0:15:54.278,0:16:00.278
other forces as well women Native

0:15:57.909,0:16:02.409
Americans Chicanos Puerto Ricans Black

0:16:00.278,0:16:06.639
Panthers gray Panthers the openly gay

0:16:02.409,0:16:09.429
Pink Panthers all these groups forged in

0:16:06.639,0:16:12.338
this era of so-called identity politics

0:16:09.429,0:16:16.209
were all militantly demanding their

0:16:12.339,0:16:18.940
rights the backlash against this

0:16:16.210,0:16:25.089
politics of protest was just about ready

0:16:18.940,0:16:28.510
to explode an event in September of 1971

0:16:25.089,0:16:30.520
hastened the eruption when 1500 prison

0:16:28.509,0:16:32.559
inmates rioted and demanded of air

0:16:30.519,0:16:34.689
rights the nation's anger and

0:16:32.559,0:16:36.909
frustration became focused on the Attica

0:16:34.690,0:16:38.850
Correctional Facility in upstate New

0:16:36.909,0:16:42.129
York

0:16:38.850,0:16:44.800
the inmates captured 50 hostages took

0:16:42.129,0:16:46.870
control of the prisons D yard and issued

0:16:44.799,0:16:52.929
what they call five non-negotiable

0:16:46.870,0:16:55.480
demands wait at home New York Times

0:16:52.929,0:16:57.339
reporter Tom wicker was one of the

0:16:55.480,0:16:59.050
outside observers the inmates called on

0:16:57.340,0:17:03.250
to help negotiate that non-negotiable

0:16:59.049,0:17:05.519
the Attica inmates revolted basically

0:17:03.250,0:17:09.250
against many internal prison conditions

0:17:05.519,0:17:12.460
but the rhetoric of the revolt was very

0:17:09.250,0:17:15.160
Marxist you know the oppressed peoples

0:17:12.460,0:17:18.490
of the world arise the entire incident

0:17:15.160,0:17:20.800
that has erupted here at adequate is a

0:17:18.490,0:17:22.779
result of an unmitigated oppression

0:17:20.799,0:17:26.049
brought by the races administrative

0:17:22.779,0:17:28.629
network of this prison as this tense

0:17:26.049,0:17:30.549
real-life drama unfolded families of the

0:17:28.630,0:17:32.230
hostages desperate for word on the

0:17:30.549,0:17:36.119
condition of their husbands or fathers

0:17:32.230,0:17:36.120
or brothers clustered around the prison

0:17:37.919,0:17:43.059
they saw Black Panther leader Bobby

0:17:40.298,0:17:44.950
Seale come to visit the inmates they

0:17:43.058,0:17:48.339
heard that North Vietnam offered the

0:17:44.950,0:17:50.830
rioters asylum Attica quickly became a

0:17:48.339,0:17:56.349
symbol for all of America's boiling

0:17:50.829,0:17:59.139
hatreds I went outside prison to report

0:17:56.349,0:18:01.058
on what was happening inside an oven

0:17:59.140,0:18:02.890
that can be these shouts from screen

0:18:01.058,0:18:05.009
from the ground I hope they kill you all

0:18:02.890,0:18:10.090
that sort of thing they identified us

0:18:05.009,0:18:12.369
observers with it with the inmates the

0:18:10.089,0:18:14.648
tensions mounted as neither side seemed

0:18:12.369,0:18:16.538
willing to make concessions and the

0:18:14.648,0:18:18.509
state ready to take the prison back by

0:18:16.538,0:18:20.759
force

0:18:18.509,0:18:22.980
on the morning of the revolts fourth day

0:18:20.759,0:18:29.039
prison officials did not let the

0:18:22.980,0:18:30.870
observers back into dr arm state

0:18:29.039,0:18:33.139
troopers were perched on the prison

0:18:30.869,0:18:33.139
walls

0:18:34.919,0:18:41.100
and certainly those scared young

0:18:38.519,0:18:47.419
troopers thought the inmates were gonna

0:18:41.099,0:18:49.949
kill the hostage so they came in scared

0:18:47.419,0:18:54.929
they came in shooting they came in

0:18:49.950,0:18:57.200
taking no chances good night that their

0:18:54.929,0:18:57.200
throat

0:19:03.680,0:19:10.340
the four-day standoff ended in nine

0:19:06.289,0:19:12.889
minutes of mayhem helicopters dropped CS

0:19:10.339,0:19:16.639
gas on D yard and state police marksmen

0:19:12.890,0:19:19.030
opened fire killing 29 inmates and ten

0:19:16.640,0:19:19.030
hostages

0:19:25.910,0:19:31.240
it's crazy didn't have to do that if the

0:19:28.190,0:19:33.890
state of just SAT there just SAT there

0:19:31.240,0:19:35.930
for two more weeks maybe three at the

0:19:33.890,0:19:38.020
outside where those guys have been given

0:19:35.930,0:19:38.019
up

0:19:53.720,0:19:58.769
what is it now twenty-odd years later I

0:19:56.690,0:20:03.500
can't get over that fitting that didn't

0:19:58.769,0:20:03.500
have to do it but they did

0:20:03.548,0:20:08.079
what happened at Attica was the largest

0:20:05.648,0:20:10.479
and deadliest attack on Americans by

0:20:08.079,0:20:13.868
other Americans since the Civil War and

0:20:10.480,0:20:15.788
in 1971 it often looked as though the

0:20:13.868,0:20:18.359
country was in the middle of another

0:20:15.788,0:20:18.359
Civil

0:20:46.960,0:20:51.610
I'm just like the love most of the guys

0:20:49.390,0:20:54.759
I was saying Vietnam I'm just gonna do

0:20:51.609,0:20:57.788
my time and get out of here if I can I'm

0:20:54.759,0:21:01.839
not here to win a war I'm just here to

0:20:57.788,0:21:04.778
do my time I rotate how sure that line

0:21:01.839,0:21:06.720
how much time do I have that's the

0:21:04.778,0:21:11.548
biggest concern of her

0:21:06.720,0:21:14.038
and can I make it the war was not gonna

0:21:11.548,0:21:18.048
be one it was just gonna be exited in

0:21:14.038,0:21:18.048
the best possible political manner

0:21:19.220,0:21:23.750
and it was about dougie Dogg and

0:21:21.259,0:21:30.319
surviving really a very brutal prison

0:21:23.750,0:21:33.558
like existence of survival inside that

0:21:30.319,0:21:36.079
really eats away that has a tremendous

0:21:33.558,0:21:38.000
negative effect on your spirit and your

0:21:36.079,0:21:40.609
your sense of Worth and your sense of

0:21:38.000,0:21:43.640
purpose and I was tired of all that

0:21:40.609,0:21:46.839
weary of it too many deaths in too much

0:21:43.640,0:21:48.900
pain to what suffering

0:21:46.839,0:21:48.899
you

0:21:55.730,0:22:01.220
by 1970 American troops left in Vietnam

0:21:58.940,0:22:08.539
felt the country was abandoning the war

0:22:01.220,0:22:10.730
and then the number of American ground

0:22:08.539,0:22:12.980
forces had been cut in half as part of

0:22:10.730,0:22:16.730
President Nixon's pledge to win peace

0:22:12.980,0:22:19.759
with honor as the pullout continued new

0:22:16.730,0:22:21.289
recruits overwhelmingly draftees felt

0:22:19.759,0:22:23.680
they were being asked to fight a war

0:22:21.289,0:22:30.649
already lost on the battlefield and

0:22:23.680,0:22:32.900
despised at home the enemy had no doubt

0:22:30.650,0:22:36.050
about its purpose it's only way out of

0:22:32.900,0:22:38.570
the war was victory or death unlike

0:22:36.049,0:22:40.549
American soldiers who came to Vietnam

0:22:38.569,0:22:45.710
and they came only for one GM them

0:22:40.549,0:22:49.309
around in Vietnam there was no drop

0:22:45.710,0:22:52.579
period like a one or two years so you

0:22:49.309,0:22:55.240
would go on to the end of the day to the

0:22:52.579,0:22:55.240
end of the war

0:23:09.589,0:23:12.490
you can do that

0:23:15.720,0:23:23.140
they were tough and it proved when the

0:23:20.529,0:23:25.059
trails were bombed they would carry all

0:23:23.140,0:23:27.600
of their gay Lonnie back then hump it

0:23:25.059,0:23:30.730
for days they were fighting for home

0:23:27.599,0:23:35.579
which is something I wasn't doing when

0:23:30.730,0:23:35.579
you're fighting for home you get down

0:23:38.919,0:23:43.210
as American ground forces were being cut

0:23:41.230,0:23:45.940
back air attacks were being stepped up

0:23:43.210,0:23:48.389
in an effort to pound concessions out of

0:23:45.940,0:23:48.389
the enemy

0:23:49.099,0:23:55.609
we had to rely on caves and tunnels and

0:23:52.609,0:24:00.678
underground bunkers to defend us because

0:23:55.609,0:24:04.189
the b-52 is a terrible I take if you see

0:24:00.679,0:24:05.538
half of the long bomb like it then we

0:24:04.190,0:24:09.230
know for sure that they would go to

0:24:05.538,0:24:12.589
another place but when you look up and

0:24:09.230,0:24:16.089
you see Rob on like this it means that

0:24:12.589,0:24:16.089
it's right on you

0:24:20.640,0:24:25.080
but continuous rounds of bombing and

0:24:23.009,0:24:27.359
hundreds of thousands of casualties did

0:24:25.079,0:24:29.819
little to deter an adversary

0:24:27.359,0:24:32.279
continuously resupplied by China and the

0:24:29.819,0:24:37.349
Soviet Union and able to recruit

0:24:32.279,0:24:40.259
seemingly endless numbers of people that

0:24:37.349,0:24:43.009
is truly a national mobilization in

0:24:40.259,0:24:46.349
their own people men and women young

0:24:43.009,0:24:51.180
children took part in the national

0:24:46.349,0:24:54.809
effort of war we saw an escalation of

0:24:51.180,0:24:59.299
the anti-war movement all over the world

0:24:54.809,0:25:03.980
and even in America we heard about the

0:24:59.299,0:25:06.629
killing of the student in can state and

0:25:03.980,0:25:09.839
everything the news from the anti-war

0:25:06.630,0:25:12.470
movement all over the world gave us

0:25:09.839,0:25:12.470
strength

0:25:14.410,0:25:22.009
Walt Kurtz tennessee for bryanstars in

0:25:19.730,0:25:23.870
America by the early 70s protesters

0:25:22.009,0:25:27.079
against the war included some of the men

0:25:23.869,0:25:30.679
who had fought in it once eager soldiers

0:25:27.079,0:25:32.539
who now felt lied to and betrayed I pray

0:25:30.680,0:25:35.060
the time will forgive me my breast what

0:25:32.539,0:25:36.649
we did I wasn't Washington where they

0:25:35.059,0:25:39.319
threw their medals I thought I'd try to

0:25:36.650,0:25:42.230
do one better and I set my campaign

0:25:39.319,0:25:44.419
ribbons to President Nixon i saw the

0:25:42.230,0:25:46.940
wars is completely unwinnable which made

0:25:44.420,0:25:50.210
it even worse even more criminal go on

0:25:46.940,0:25:54.200
fighting a war that you know you can't

0:25:50.210,0:25:57.350
and won't win struck me as his worse

0:25:54.200,0:25:59.029
than crema struck me is insanity as the

0:25:57.349,0:26:00.949
war dragged on into the tenth year of

0:25:59.029,0:26:05.299
american military involvement there was

0:26:00.950,0:26:06.980
still no end in sight vietnam had

0:26:05.299,0:26:08.149
already brought down one president and

0:26:06.980,0:26:10.339
was now threatening to bring down

0:26:08.150,0:26:13.160
another president nixon standing in the

0:26:10.339,0:26:16.129
polls dropped severely as the promise of

0:26:13.160,0:26:17.600
peace with honor proved elusive peace

0:26:16.130,0:26:20.750
talks in Paris with the North Vietnamese

0:26:17.599,0:26:23.389
were stalled over the concept of mutual

0:26:20.750,0:26:26.210
withdrawal and the release of American

0:26:23.390,0:26:28.250
prisoners of war secret negotiations

0:26:26.210,0:26:31.250
between National Security Advisor Henry

0:26:28.250,0:26:35.950
Kissinger and Le Duc Tho were not making

0:26:31.250,0:26:39.140
any progress but in February of 1972

0:26:35.950,0:26:41.840
another set of secret negotiations did

0:26:39.140,0:26:47.660
lead to one of the biggest diplomatic

0:26:41.839,0:26:49.549
kuz of the 20th century in one stunning

0:26:47.660,0:26:51.980
swoop the Cold War politics of the

0:26:49.549,0:26:55.039
post-war era changed America was

0:26:51.980,0:26:57.440
recognizing and dealing with the

0:26:55.039,0:27:00.409
Communists Nixon was the great

0:26:57.440,0:27:02.360
anti-communist and to come on national

0:27:00.410,0:27:04.070
television and announce that I've been

0:27:02.359,0:27:08.179
invited to China and I've accepted with

0:27:04.069,0:27:10.569
pleasure it was astonishing and you

0:27:08.180,0:27:13.310
could tell by the reaction of the press

0:27:10.569,0:27:15.079
White House aide Patrick Buchanan was on

0:27:13.309,0:27:17.480
the trip the president called the week

0:27:15.079,0:27:20.939
that changed the world

0:27:17.480,0:27:24.480
we have at times in the past than

0:27:20.940,0:27:26.910
enemies we have great differences today

0:27:24.480,0:27:28.259
he went to Beijing frankly because he

0:27:26.910,0:27:30.840
was trying to work the foreign policy

0:27:28.259,0:27:35.339
game to get the United States out

0:27:30.839,0:27:37.470
Vietnam with nixon's aim was to have the

0:27:35.339,0:27:39.269
Chinese pressure their North Vietnamese

0:27:37.470,0:27:43.170
allies to come to terms at the peace

0:27:39.269,0:27:45.450
table and just four months after China

0:27:43.170,0:27:47.730
richard nixon became the first American

0:27:45.450,0:27:49.350
president to visit Moscow where he and

0:27:47.730,0:27:51.589
landed Brezhnev signed the first

0:27:49.349,0:27:55.589
strategic arms limitation treaty

0:27:51.589,0:27:58.319
president got something else as well he

0:27:55.589,0:27:59.759
wanted Mao and Joanne lion Beijing to

0:27:58.319,0:28:02.490
have sleepless nights wondering what's

0:27:59.759,0:28:05.670
Nixon talking to Brezhnev about over

0:28:02.490,0:28:09.660
there in moscow tonight and he was a

0:28:05.670,0:28:12.509
genius at this and putting those

0:28:09.660,0:28:16.200
tensions on would had the effect of

0:28:12.509,0:28:17.879
blocking soviet or chinese getting

0:28:16.200,0:28:19.880
together to present a united front

0:28:17.880,0:28:23.400
against the United States and Vietnam

0:28:19.880,0:28:26.580
Nixon had taken a calculated chance and

0:28:23.400,0:28:28.500
it had worked the Soviet Union cared

0:28:26.579,0:28:30.599
more about getting controls on American

0:28:28.500,0:28:32.460
offensive missiles and preventing the

0:28:30.599,0:28:35.009
Americans from broadening and thickening

0:28:32.460,0:28:36.870
an anti-ballistic missile system and

0:28:35.009,0:28:39.359
they did about their little allies in

0:28:36.869,0:28:41.849
North Vietnam who were getting the

0:28:39.359,0:28:45.869
living hell bombed out of them and there

0:28:41.849,0:28:48.149
was a sense of being betrayed sold up

0:28:45.869,0:28:50.229
you know at that time by the by the

0:28:48.150,0:28:52.269
superpowers

0:28:50.230,0:28:53.890
no longer able to depend on their

0:28:52.269,0:28:55.900
powerful allies the North Vietnamese

0:28:53.890,0:28:59.559
appeared ready to make concessions at

0:28:55.900,0:29:00.910
the peace talks in October of 1972 there

0:28:59.558,0:29:05.230
was an announcement from the National

0:29:00.910,0:29:08.650
Security Advisor we believe that peace

0:29:05.230,0:29:10.750
is at hand a month later President Nixon

0:29:08.650,0:29:14.610
now seen as a seasoned world statesman

0:29:10.750,0:29:14.609
was reelected in a landslide

0:29:17.440,0:29:22.820
but by December peace was still not at

0:29:20.808,0:29:25.460
hand the North Vietnamese had left the

0:29:22.819,0:29:27.409
negotiations and President Nixon ordered

0:29:25.460,0:29:31.009
the bombing of Hanoi and the port of

0:29:27.410,0:29:34.000
Haiphong to force them back for 11 days

0:29:31.009,0:29:37.808
American b-52 s pounded Hanoi with

0:29:34.000,0:29:37.808
40,000 tons of bombs

0:29:44.410,0:29:52.690
a noi was in roubles the railroads

0:29:49.660,0:29:54.460
bridges were all down they had selected

0:29:52.690,0:29:57.160
targets obviously and the u.s. knew

0:29:54.460,0:29:59.319
where we work and the only thing that

0:29:57.160,0:30:01.810
happened in poww camp was a piece of

0:29:59.319,0:30:03.429
plaster fell down and it hit one of the

0:30:01.809,0:30:05.769
POWs in the head and cut his head that's

0:30:03.430,0:30:08.380
the only the only injury throughout that

0:30:05.769,0:30:10.450
whole bombing Bob Jones was in Hanoi

0:30:08.380,0:30:12.190
during the Christmas bombings he was one

0:30:10.450,0:30:14.860
of five hundred American prisoners of

0:30:12.190,0:30:19.320
war held in a prison they called the

0:30:14.859,0:30:22.089
Hanoi Hilton there was a loudspeaker

0:30:19.319,0:30:27.669
every morning and every afternoon we had

0:30:22.089,0:30:29.589
an English broadcast the prisoners of

0:30:27.670,0:30:31.450
war whose release had become a crucial

0:30:29.589,0:30:33.250
part of the peace negotiations were

0:30:31.450,0:30:37.210
scolded about the bombings by their

0:30:33.250,0:30:39.759
captors and Hanoi Hannah said how can

0:30:37.210,0:30:42.850
the United States continue with their

0:30:39.759,0:30:45.000
bellicose and obdurate policies bombing

0:30:42.849,0:30:47.439
and strafing innocent women and children

0:30:45.000,0:30:49.869
churches hospitals how can they do all

0:30:47.440,0:30:51.910
that after they've placed a plaque on

0:30:49.869,0:30:54.699
the moon saying we come in peace for all

0:30:51.910,0:30:58.960
mankind and everyone said on the moon

0:30:54.700,0:31:01.330
and that was the first we knew about our

0:30:58.960,0:31:04.049
moon landing and there were cheers all

0:31:01.329,0:31:04.049
the way through the camp

0:31:04.579,0:31:09.569
after that we'd point the guards that

0:31:08.009,0:31:13.700
guards would come up when we'd go we

0:31:09.569,0:31:13.700
point to the moon you know and say us us

0:31:14.079,0:31:19.359
for some prisoners of war it was their

0:31:16.390,0:31:22.110
seventh Christmas in captivity at the

0:31:19.359,0:31:25.740
end of 1972 there was still no guarantee

0:31:22.109,0:31:25.740
they never get home

0:31:45.180,0:31:55.090
the end of America's longest war was met

0:31:48.880,0:32:00.340
with no celebration in Times Square no

0:31:55.089,0:32:02.379
honking of horns on Main Street USA the

0:32:00.339,0:32:06.609
day the peace agreement in Vietnam was

0:32:02.380,0:32:08.830
signed went by like any other people

0:32:06.609,0:32:10.689
were prospering economy was booming and

0:32:08.829,0:32:12.669
most of people didn't give a damn about

0:32:10.690,0:32:14.890
Vietnam whatever they say now they

0:32:12.670,0:32:16.870
really didn't I was very despairing

0:32:14.890,0:32:19.870
they're very rough years coming back

0:32:16.869,0:32:23.559
from their war from most vets I didn't

0:32:19.869,0:32:25.929
feel like I fit or something I wouldn't

0:32:23.559,0:32:30.639
same person mr. soon and I feel like a

0:32:25.930,0:32:32.650
civilian it's hard to explain I was very

0:32:30.640,0:32:35.370
uncomfortable coming home very

0:32:32.650,0:32:35.370
uncomfortable

0:32:36.019,0:32:40.940
I'm on a civilian plane i'm flying from

0:32:38.539,0:32:42.859
Los Angeles to newark non-stop and

0:32:40.940,0:32:45.890
gentlemen sat down he was in a

0:32:42.859,0:32:47.389
three-piece suit he had a briefcase and

0:32:45.890,0:32:48.920
he kind of flipped down his tray and he

0:32:47.390,0:32:51.680
was going through his briefcase and we

0:32:48.920,0:32:53.840
made small talk before we took off you

0:32:51.680,0:32:56.060
know rain I go up and see that were you

0:32:53.839,0:32:58.819
coming from untold Vietnam and as soon

0:32:56.059,0:33:00.500
as the sign came on then you were free

0:32:58.819,0:33:03.169
to move around the cabin he pushed the

0:33:00.500,0:33:05.539
button for the stewardess she came and

0:33:03.170,0:33:07.400
he looked up at her and she said can I

0:33:05.539,0:33:09.769
help you and he said yes I need another

0:33:07.400,0:33:13.450
seat on this airplane as far away from

0:33:09.769,0:33:13.450
this gentleman as I can get

0:33:13.980,0:33:18.298
returning vets often felt they

0:33:16.019,0:33:21.058
represented a war that Americans wanted

0:33:18.298,0:33:22.889
to forget but if there was one moment

0:33:21.058,0:33:28.079
that felt like a victory it was the

0:33:22.890,0:33:31.290
return of the American POWs so we

0:33:28.079,0:33:33.720
thought well you know maybe you get your

0:33:31.289,0:33:37.168
name in the paper but nothing like that

0:33:33.720,0:33:39.140
it was people everywhere we went that

0:33:37.169,0:33:43.460
didn't know us we didn't know them

0:33:39.140,0:33:48.620
outpourings of motion and feelings tears

0:33:43.460,0:33:48.620
it was just overwhelming really was

0:33:56.920,0:34:01.850
President Nixon invited us to the white

0:33:59.779,0:34:06.440
house for a party at dinner and

0:34:01.849,0:34:12.199
everything though many believe we never

0:34:06.440,0:34:13.878
could win I choice his word grim but you

0:34:12.199,0:34:15.888
had faith in there was a lot of

0:34:13.878,0:34:18.559
celebrities and I remembered John Wayne

0:34:15.889,0:34:20.570
was there so we're walking around

0:34:18.559,0:34:24.289
talking with with the Duke you know was

0:34:20.570,0:34:26.120
pretty pretty cool the bet we have now

0:34:24.289,0:34:28.329
right off into the sunset with you

0:34:26.119,0:34:28.329
anytime

0:34:34.739,0:34:38.719
I was it was a grand time is fun

0:35:03.190,0:35:10.250
it was the next pleasant EMP hit ended

0:35:06.409,0:35:12.348
the war with honor the POWs were were

0:35:10.250,0:35:14.420
there at the White House and mixer was

0:35:12.349,0:35:17.950
at seventy percent is really the apex I

0:35:14.420,0:35:17.950
think of the Nixon administration

0:35:20.338,0:35:26.349
and then a month of course the Watergate

0:35:22.679,0:35:28.690
thing ruptured and broke

0:35:26.349,0:35:30.609
the crisis in Vietnam would soon be

0:35:28.690,0:35:32.950
replaced by a new crisis at home a

0:35:30.608,0:35:34.598
growing scandal stemming from a break-in

0:35:32.949,0:35:37.358
of the Democratic National Committee

0:35:34.599,0:35:43.059
headquarters in the office complex known

0:35:37.358,0:35:45.038
as Watergate hearings on Watergate drag

0:35:43.059,0:35:47.079
one White House aide after another in

0:35:45.039,0:35:49.989
front of Congress to answer questions

0:35:47.079,0:35:53.229
about systematic wrongdoing in the

0:35:49.989,0:35:55.380
highest office in the land Watergate was

0:35:53.228,0:35:58.868
certainly a fascinating spectacle

0:35:55.380,0:36:00.579
suddenly all the bad things the left had

0:35:58.869,0:36:02.798
been saying throughout the Vietnam

0:36:00.579,0:36:05.170
protest seemed to be proven true in

0:36:02.798,0:36:07.268
spades just about a field will you stand

0:36:05.170,0:36:10.358
the televisor he's drew in an enormous

0:36:07.268,0:36:12.038
audience you swam the ambulance that you

0:36:10.358,0:36:13.358
should give this was the first time the

0:36:12.039,0:36:15.089
American people had ever heard that the

0:36:13.358,0:36:17.528
president I today's did things like that

0:36:15.088,0:36:20.768
but I guarantee he knew what the private

0:36:17.528,0:36:23.498
saucers had done it didn't all start

0:36:20.768,0:36:25.808
with Watergate it was ample precedent

0:36:23.498,0:36:28.659
for everything that Nixon did next thing

0:36:25.809,0:36:30.999
I caught there was one outrageous charge

0:36:28.659,0:36:33.489
after another break-ins spying on

0:36:30.998,0:36:35.649
anti-war activists punishing political

0:36:33.489,0:36:37.420
enemies and all of the millions of words

0:36:35.650,0:36:39.039
of testimony there is not the slightest

0:36:37.420,0:36:41.309
suggestion that I had any knowledge of

0:36:39.039,0:36:42.969
the planning for the Watergate break-in

0:36:41.309,0:36:44.559
congressional committees and their

0:36:42.969,0:36:47.200
battery of lawyers were bringing the

0:36:44.559,0:36:48.969
charges closer to the Oval Office one of

0:36:47.199,0:36:51.848
the president's lawyers at the time was

0:36:48.969,0:36:55.088
Leonard garment business the show of the

0:36:51.849,0:36:58.229
week month year decade for young lawyers

0:36:55.088,0:37:01.318
hello young lawyers wherever you are and

0:36:58.228,0:37:04.478
they were drawn by the excitement of the

0:37:01.318,0:37:08.460
the pursuit of this the great white

0:37:04.478,0:37:08.460
whale all these a Habs

0:37:08.568,0:37:13.710
there was a constant pursuit by Congress

0:37:11.579,0:37:16.950
and the press it sometimes seemed the

0:37:13.710,0:37:18.630
administration was coming unpinned it

0:37:16.949,0:37:20.578
looked that way in New Orleans when

0:37:18.630,0:37:22.470
President Nixon shoved press secretary

0:37:20.579,0:37:25.530
Ron Ziegler toward a horde of reporters

0:37:22.469,0:37:27.629
and Nixon was trying every which way how

0:37:25.530,0:37:29.548
can he save his presidency how could he

0:37:27.630,0:37:31.710
pin it on somebody else how could he

0:37:29.548,0:37:34.440
rationalize what happened the Nixon

0:37:31.710,0:37:35.880
White House was in least from the

0:37:34.440,0:37:37.858
external and even from the journalist

0:37:35.880,0:37:39.539
pond views in real shambles they were

0:37:37.858,0:37:41.989
paralyzed I mean that it could do

0:37:39.539,0:37:44.220
nothing but defend against Watergate and

0:37:41.989,0:37:46.169
in the middle of all that the country

0:37:44.219,0:37:49.529
was subjected to further signs of

0:37:46.170,0:37:53.940
collapse I will not resign if indicted I

0:37:49.530,0:37:56.400
will not resign if any in October of

0:37:53.940,0:37:58.440
1973 vice president Agnew the

0:37:56.400,0:38:01.349
administration's top spokesman for law

0:37:58.440,0:38:04.139
and order did resign after he was

0:38:01.349,0:38:06.510
charged with extortion bribery and tax

0:38:04.139,0:38:08.429
evasion in a separate scandal all his

0:38:06.510,0:38:11.430
own ladies and gentlemen the President

0:38:08.429,0:38:13.019
of the United States but even as his

0:38:11.429,0:38:14.759
allies were falling around him the

0:38:13.019,0:38:17.000
president was determined to finish his

0:38:14.760,0:38:17.000
watch

0:38:19.809,0:38:24.759
I welcome this kind of examination

0:38:22.239,0:38:27.189
because people have got to know whether

0:38:24.760,0:38:29.980
or not their presidents a crook well I'm

0:38:27.190,0:38:32.079
not a crook I've earned everything I've

0:38:29.980,0:38:34.269
got imagine a predator in the United

0:38:32.079,0:38:36.369
States in a news conference on to

0:38:34.269,0:38:39.099
national television safe I am NOT a

0:38:36.369,0:38:40.960
crook you know you never even before he

0:38:39.099,0:38:44.049
had ever conceived that a president

0:38:40.960,0:38:46.300
might be a crook it just all began to

0:38:44.050,0:38:49.330
mount up and ultimately it was a

0:38:46.300,0:38:52.120
collapsing good evening this is the 37th

0:38:49.329,0:38:55.329
time I have spoken to you from this

0:38:52.119,0:38:57.909
office where so many decision it was all

0:38:55.329,0:39:02.920
to me overwhelming even for the toughest

0:38:57.909,0:39:05.079
of battle-scarred politicians i shall

0:39:02.920,0:39:09.820
resign the presidency effective at noon

0:39:05.079,0:39:15.099
tomorrow he could never take the

0:39:09.820,0:39:19.630
presidency quite as seriously again it

0:39:15.099,0:39:23.019
may be was purgative it kind of ended

0:39:19.630,0:39:26.760
ended that particular unhappy decade to

0:39:23.019,0:39:29.829
have Nixon resign and they'd rather

0:39:26.760,0:39:32.460
blank but the nine figure of Jerry Ford

0:39:29.829,0:39:32.460
take over

0:39:39.039,0:39:46.900
his resignation was a relief

0:39:44.048,0:39:50.369
yeah casting off of an old snakeskin

0:39:46.900,0:39:50.369
moving forward

0:40:07.510,0:40:11.410
in april of nineteen seventy five two

0:40:09.699,0:40:14.679
years after an American combat troops

0:40:11.409,0:40:17.199
and left Vietnam North Vietnamese forces

0:40:14.679,0:40:21.099
reach the outskirts of Saigon the South

0:40:17.199,0:40:23.019
Vietnamese capital an ally the United

0:40:21.099,0:40:25.630
States had supported with men and

0:40:23.019,0:40:28.150
material for nearly two decades was

0:40:25.630,0:40:30.510
about to fall to the Communists it's

0:40:28.150,0:40:34.590
almost like we were never there now and

0:40:30.510,0:40:34.590
that's the tragedy of it I think

0:40:36.210,0:40:40.230
on April the 29th there were still more

0:40:38.519,0:40:43.679
than a thousand American personnel of

0:40:40.230,0:40:46.650
the city they and 6,000 desperate South

0:40:43.679,0:40:48.929
Vietnamese were helicoptered out as the

0:40:46.650,0:40:51.588
last remnants of American power fled

0:40:48.929,0:40:51.588
Saigon

0:40:54.010,0:40:59.860
Metron Phil Caputo had returned to

0:40:56.530,0:41:03.810
Vietnam as a reporter North Vietnamese

0:40:59.860,0:41:03.809
were shelling town sanu near base

0:41:04.400,0:41:08.568
I remember some of those shells landing

0:41:07.010,0:41:11.240
closed about the building was just

0:41:08.568,0:41:14.210
trembling and somebody said go go go and

0:41:11.239,0:41:18.909
I remember running out and just leaping

0:41:14.210,0:41:18.909
in this big ch-53 helicopter huge

0:41:25.318,0:41:31.199
must have been 60 70 maybe 80 Vietnamese

0:41:28.528,0:41:34.498
refugees and a few American news men

0:41:31.199,0:41:38.809
handful of people from the embassy and

0:41:34.498,0:41:38.808
in the helicopter check off

0:41:40.260,0:41:44.730
remember just looking down and just

0:41:41.969,0:41:48.899
seeing this this brown and green country

0:41:44.730,0:41:51.539
and then we cross the coast the site

0:41:48.900,0:41:53.010
i'll never forget the 7th fleet can

0:41:51.539,0:41:56.130
muster it out there then we're gonna

0:41:53.010,0:42:02.130
take refugees out eyes looked at all of

0:41:56.130,0:42:07.730
this might and i said we got whipped by

0:42:02.130,0:42:07.730
a bunch of peasant gorillas in the earth

0:42:08.150,0:42:16.559
on the next day victorious North

0:42:11.250,0:42:18.619
Vietnamese troops rolled into Saigon ten

0:42:16.559,0:42:21.059
o'clock in the morning the radio

0:42:18.619,0:42:25.650
announced that you know the South

0:42:21.059,0:42:30.759
Vietnamese at surrender and and that was

0:42:25.650,0:42:35.989
it you know we hop one another and cried

0:42:30.759,0:42:39.969
for me it's a long many long years and

0:42:35.989,0:42:39.969
now we see the final day

0:42:41.900,0:42:47.780
I felt in a whole range range of

0:42:44.300,0:42:50.840
emotions I mean I felt sad I felt

0:42:47.780,0:42:53.900
grateful I felt relieved that it was

0:42:50.840,0:42:55.550
over maybe they were the one emotion I

0:42:53.900,0:43:04.579
didn't feel was any sense of happiness

0:42:55.550,0:43:06.710
or or joy I felt a sense of loss like it

0:43:04.579,0:43:09.289
stays with you forever be and I will be

0:43:06.710,0:43:10.579
there until the day I joined the so I

0:43:09.289,0:43:15.230
joined the friends of mine who died

0:43:10.579,0:43:17.259
before me I think they won't ever go

0:43:15.230,0:43:17.260
away

0:43:20.469,0:43:25.899
for America the fall of Vietnam would

0:43:22.929,0:43:30.929
symbolize the end of an era the post-war

0:43:25.900,0:43:30.930
era of confidence unity and optimism

0:43:32.039,0:43:37.750
America had found that there were some

0:43:34.659,0:43:41.879
burdens too great to bear and some

0:43:37.750,0:43:41.880
prices too steep to pay

0:43:51.239,0:43:55.989
the fall of Vietnam was the nadir of a

0:43:54.070,0:44:00.010
humiliating episode in American history

0:43:55.989,0:44:02.139
the desire to begin again to recover

0:44:00.010,0:44:03.730
some sense of national purpose would

0:44:02.139,0:44:07.059
drive American life through the

0:44:03.730,0:44:08.559
remaining years of the 1970s that's on

0:44:07.059,0:44:10.989
the next episode of the century

0:44:08.559,0:44:14.400
America's time and we hope you'll join

0:44:10.989,0:44:14.399
us I'm Peter Jennings