SP4 James Irving Buchner, KIA 23 January 1968. His name on the Vietnam Memorial Wall is located on panel 35E/line 14. His was born on 31 August 1942 in Hamburg, New York. Rest In Peace, Specialist Buchner. We love you.
While I was not at 943 I went up many hill's with different numbers all in I CORP and along the DMZ to Laos with the 2/501st inf 101st Airborne 1968 69 and 1970. I served at many firebases named after WW2 battles the 101st fought... AIRBORNE !!! PS This is the best video I have seen about the everyday fight we went through. Thanks to one I am now a 100% disabled Vietnam veteran racked with pain everyday and hopeing the VA starts medical Marijuana soon because the pills no longer work
I was in two corps zone, Nha Trang, a few months after tet 1968. It was a relatively quiet time as so many of the NVA were killed. These guys were on the front line and I appreciate their sharing this with us who came later. May those who died RIP. Yes I did make it home in time for Thanksgiving 1969.
I've never seen footage like this in all my years of watching Vietnam footage. There's an element to it that makes it more real than anything I've ever seen. Maybe it's the sound, maybe it's the way the camera was held. I don't know, but this is breath taking.
When they started introducing these men, I though, Oh oh, somebody is not coming home. Every past politician, every present politician and every future politician...this is all on you!
In November 1967, we sat on the helipad at lz English waiting to go to dak to to help these guys. Luckily for us we didn't have to go there. Instead we went into the song Chang valley. Some luck, we lost 9 men in 3 days. 2 Kia. I served with co a 1/14th inf, 25th and 4th inf divisions," golden dragons". I lasted 10 months before I was wounded and sent home. In that time, our battalion lost 110 Kia and 258 wia Jesus.
RIP The brave whom gave their lives, only to be spat on when returned home to the states. My uncles brother survived Vietnam, but not the war, PTSD, and guilt, got the best of him when he returned home. I met him a few times, whilst staying in America, before he took his own life. For those that returned home, the battle raged on.
Excellent video,one of the best live action docs ever produced on the Vietnam War in my opinion,my heart really went out for these men who fought that dirty,horrific war,all heroes.
He was right it was his last hill, now he is going home for good. SORRY thank you for your sacrifices. Sacrifices that most of us will never understand. Know we care about you.
I was a child when this was goin on,, but I remember thinking of all the boys that went there. I would c some of the footage on TV. It hurt me. But they all were brave soldiers n I Thank every single one that had to endure that war. God bless them all!! Thank you all before n now!
would love to this cleaned up really nice. Probably the best CBS vietnam special I've seen here on youtube. Wish there were more of them in their entirety on here.
Great film. It perfectly captures the essence of war - hours of tedium punctuated by moments of sheer terror when people die - and the futility of the Vietnam War in particular when countless lives and limbs were expended capturing and then abandoning hills in godforsaken places for no discernible strategic objective. Interesting also that the GI 's biggest enemy in this operation were their own bombs and artillery and indeed it was around this time in the same series of engagements around Dak To that the Americans suffered their worst friendly fire incident of the War when almost 100 Infantrymen were killed by a stray bomb on Hill 875.
Yeah, and all he wanted was to do what every guy wants at some point... chase girls, eat pizza, drink beer. After taking a useless hill and leaving it, he gets killed. I was about 12 when all the shit happened in this video.
I read this was one of the problems with the Vietnam War. There was no capture and 'hold' objectives. Once our military took an object, they abandoned it and the Vietnamese retook it. I read many times our military soldiers had to recapture an objective that they already fought and died for. Vietnam was mostly a body count war, and the Vietnamese just kept replacing dead soldiers with new recruits.
The actual back and forth they have during down times. It's real. Nothing like the conversations you see in the movies. They should watch this and take notes.
I couldn’t imagine the amount of combat that 99% of US Military seen in Vietnam in a year! The average days of combat per soldier per year in WW2 was 10 days meaning that while the fighting was fierce in WW2 the average infantryman would see an average of 10 days a combat a year. Then you look at those exact same statistics for The War in Vietnam & although it was technically a 1 country civil war with the NVC v The South Vietnamese & The USA the average days of combat an infantryman would see in Vietnam per year was 236! These guys were fighting all day every day for the better part of 8 months! They would get some R&R on the weekends when their names would come up & that’s when they all were taken from their forward positions, weapons taken away & allowed to eat, drink, party, “relax” if you call it that on the island that where the US provided food, beer, entertainment basically a USO show like in WW2 except bigger & rowdier & after they ate, drank, wrote letters, etc. they were taken back to their units on Sunday to rejoin the fight until their names came up on the next go around for R&R! The men of WW2 & Vietnam were the definition of a pure, raw, unadulterated combat soldier!!!
I was in one of the worst areas in Iraq for a year(03-04). Although we seen our share, it was nothing like jungle warfare these soldiers seen. I have the utmost respect for their courage.
It really amazes me, to watch how these men even in such a shit situation and 100 different and fucked up things happening all at once, yet they all know exactly where there buddies are and they take the time to tell each other to stay down and send the message up from one squad to the next ! The care and strife they are subjected to is absolutely heart warming and heart breaking at the very same time !!
What a shame, even though long ago, still stirs the heart to sadness. I thank these men & others for their great sacrifice for all of us. And proud to have served also. So much unrest in this world again today. Yet the veteran still has the distinction, of upholding American interests in Freedom. I hope for anyone reading this, you appreciate your freedom. I know I do mine
Shows the terror and insanity of war. The guy talking on the phone to a guy within earshot. All these guys had was each other. Shame on the US government for using these guys.
EVERY AMERICAN SHOULD SEE THESE MOVIES.AND SEE THAT THIS WAR WAS FOUGHT BY BRAVE MEN WHO WERE THERE DOING THEIR JOBS OUR GOVERNMENT SENT THEM TO DO.THESE MEN ARE HEROES.THANK GOD FOR THEM.
Can you kindly remove that annoying logo "atelierdesarchives". We know by now who you are and your link below the video is sufficient enough to enter your website. Thank you.
My pop was in this battle. 101st Airborne Alpha Company. Combat Medic. Just not sure what platoon. He won’t discuss the war. So just piecing bits of info together over the years.
Sounded like real swell guys, They did good RIP To all of them but thank you for your service... Wish I could just go back into the 60s and Serve... Those guys musta been real fun to hang about with.
At that time in America had probably more issues than the Vietnamese people. Actually the Vietnamese people could never figure out why America invaded in to their country for.
As long as there are American fighting men at war I'll always support them. I feel the general public regrets treating the vietnam vets like garbage and are making up for it with the vets of today. Never forget them. They are the reason why we're allowed to have any freedoms.
This documentary was made to show... why take a hill, leave a hill, take same hill again.. leave same hill again.. and the list goes on.. I am a vet.. I thank all who serves,served, and to those who gave all.
I was there with Joe Barriero The night before on ambush the NVA came through the jungle with flashlight we held our position And the next day went up the hill
rob smith they were clueless. Biggest mistake was sending GIs home after a years tour The experienced were required. They were never meant to win IMHO. They were made to fight with one hand around their balls. Senseless. Americans love fighting countries that have annihilated every adversary previous. Vietnam, Afghanistan ect.
Kelly Frearson there is no “win” when facing an ideological war. Vietnam; where you could not see the enemy and the civilians typically were the former. Afghanistan; where the civilians and the enemy were one and the same and indistinguishable. Both wars were not true wars but peacekeeping missions meant for political reasons. The American military, if given proper ROE and political backing, cannot be stopped. The only thing that held us back in both conflicts were inexperienced, naïve shotcallers.
La bande son est fidèle aux evenements et demontre de facon efficace que celle des films est tout a fait artificielle.....Pendant la "vrai" guerre les bruits d'explosio's de crits ne s'arrêtent pas par magie, en appuyant sur un bouton, non l'enfer le vrai est partout et tout le temps....On peu d'ailleurs a ce sujet ce rendre compte que les hommes de ce reportage, sont extrêmement aguerris.....Ils ne s'inquiètent pas, pour un rien et tout le temps... L'experience les a, comme cela a été souvent écrit, appris a savoir au son, si un obus est dangereux ou pas......ils ont le regard vert,(comme souvent évoqué) un regard lointain quand tu as fait du merdier..... Le combat, est en eux!! Ils sont veterans.....des héros, certe, mais que de séquelles, a leur retour dans un monde dit normal.......Une guerre encore plus terrible, que la guerre elle même......Car ils ont été prient a partie par leurs compatriotes a leur retour au bercaille......
Around 29:05 look how close that medivac chopper came into the tree line for a dust off...that takes some seriously large balls, the thing was literally clipping the branches. Amazing courage to go into that shit.
The guys have such a huge reverence for friendly ordnance at the beginning and by about 30 minutes in that's shattered when they start taking casualties to blue on blue.
13:00 Bamboo sun helmets means Viet Cong. NVA had cardboard sun helmet made in China. Viet Cong made their own out of bamboo. VC usually made tunnels. NVA usually made small bunkers with no tunnels.
Young men who should be home living life instead of trying to survive, God Bless my Brothers in arms especially those who met their heavenly reward much to early.
Rest in peace INCREDIBLE men! Somehow I want to experience this myself even though I know it isn’t fun at all. I think it’s because I look up to men like these, and if they did it I should do it.
![F.HERO Ft. JSPKK x ลำไย ไหทองคำ x M-PEE - ไม่สนิทบิดหมด (Thai Riders Anthem) [Official MV]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/kPJZ0UihBfk/mqdefault.jpg)
SP4 James Irving Buchner, KIA 23 January 1968. His name on the Vietnam Memorial Wall is located on panel 35E/line 14. His was born on 31 August 1942 in Hamburg, New York. Rest In Peace, Specialist Buchner. We love you.
Immortalized here for all to see, RIP to a fellow veteran lost 52 yrs ago. Also remembering others lost in Vietnam etc.
While I was not at 943 I went up many hill's with different numbers all in I CORP and along the DMZ to Laos with the 2/501st inf 101st Airborne 1968 69 and 1970. I served at many firebases named after WW2 battles the 101st fought... AIRBORNE !!! PS This is the best video I have seen about the everyday fight we went through. Thanks to one I am now a 100% disabled Vietnam veteran racked with pain everyday and hopeing the VA starts medical Marijuana soon because the pills no longer work
I was in two corps zone, Nha Trang, a few months after tet 1968. It was a relatively quiet time as so many of the NVA were killed. These guys were on the front line and I appreciate their sharing this with us who came later. May those who died RIP. Yes I did make it home in time for Thanksgiving 1969.
I've never seen footage like this in all my years of watching Vietnam footage. There's an element to it that makes it more real than anything I've ever seen. Maybe it's the sound, maybe it's the way the camera was held. I don't know, but this is breath taking.
I remember watching this back in the 90s as a teenager. I having been a marine in Iraq, I can appreciate it much more
One of the best Vietnam videos I've ever seen .
What an incredible bit of footage. Rest in Peace to those that didnt make it home.
I was at Dak To during this time. But I never saw these guys, I was at hill 875 in the 173rd Airborne Bde.
I am a Viet-Nam Veteran.......Love this program
When they started introducing these men, I though, Oh oh, somebody is not coming home.
Every past politician, every present politician and every future politician...this is all on you!
In November 1967, we sat on the helipad at lz English waiting to go to dak to to help these guys. Luckily for us we didn't have to go there. Instead we went into the song Chang valley. Some luck, we lost 9 men in 3 days. 2 Kia. I served with co a 1/14th inf, 25th and 4th inf divisions," golden dragons". I lasted 10 months before I was wounded and sent home. In that time, our battalion lost 110 Kia and 258 wia Jesus.
RIP The brave whom gave their lives, only to be spat on when returned home to the states. My uncles brother survived Vietnam, but not the war, PTSD, and guilt, got the best of him when he returned home. I met him a few times, whilst staying in America, before he took his own life.
For those that returned home, the battle raged on.
Watching that Sargent talking about 5 months left. And the artillery going off and he's not even flinching. I've got respect for those guys
This was my unit
God Bless all of you that were there.......Thank You so much and WELCOME HOME !!
Excellent video,one of the best live action docs ever produced on the Vietnam War in my opinion,my heart really went out for these men who fought that dirty,horrific war,all heroes.
My sincere gratitude & a heartfelt "Welcome home" to all veterans.
outstanding archive. thank you.
He was right it was his last hill, now he is going home for good. SORRY thank you for your sacrifices. Sacrifices that most of us will never understand. Know we care about you.
This is incredible. Thank you for posting.
I was a child when this was goin on,, but I remember thinking of all the boys that went there. I would c some of the footage on TV. It hurt me. But they all were brave soldiers n I Thank every single one that had to endure that war. God bless them all!! Thank you all before n now!
would love to this cleaned up really nice. Probably the best CBS vietnam special I've seen here on youtube. Wish there were more of them in their entirety on here.
About to go home, and get killed by friendly fire. RIP brother
Welcome home, and thank you for all you gave-much love and respect to all you Nam vets.
very scary to watch,my heart goes out to these men who fought this difficult and horrific war for so long,they're all heroes in my opinion.
Fantastic reporting & great archival footage. Thanks!
I was born januari 28th '68... R.I.P. all who died for the freedom I live in...
Great film. It perfectly captures the essence of war - hours of tedium punctuated by moments of sheer terror when people die - and the futility of the Vietnam War in particular when countless lives and limbs were expended capturing and then abandoning hills in godforsaken places for no discernible strategic objective. Interesting also that the GI 's biggest enemy in this operation were their own bombs and artillery and indeed it was around this time in the same series of engagements around Dak To that the Americans suffered their worst friendly fire incident of the War when almost 100 Infantrymen were killed by a stray bomb on Hill 875.
A toast to you James Buckner 🍺💔
Hearing that Buchner was killed was a real gut puncher ☹️ RIP
He was killed?
A draftee at that.
Very sad for sure,along with the poor guy who was killed just days before his tour was up,and by friendly fire no less.
Yeah, and all he wanted was to do what every guy wants at some point... chase girls, eat pizza, drink beer. After taking a useless hill and leaving it, he gets killed. I was about 12 when all the shit happened in this video.
Rest in peace Mr Buckner
One last hill and he gets hit by our own bomb fragments. One last day and then he was gone. Damn.
Thank you guys
Merci beaucoup.
I watched this first time last week n Mahn!....I never thought those guys would be lost by the end...
R.I.P.
Love you.
I believe this is the most remarkable footage of the Vietnam War
I read this was one of the problems with the Vietnam War. There was no capture and 'hold' objectives. Once our military took an object, they abandoned it and the Vietnamese retook it. I read many times our military soldiers had to recapture an objective that they already fought and died for. Vietnam was mostly a body count war, and the Vietnamese just kept replacing dead soldiers with new recruits.
All I can say is why God why do we fight and die just to give it back. RIP all you great and brave men and bless them all.
This story is a model for the entire war. RIP brothers.
Real GOOD film with no bs thank you.
Thanks for sharing man.
massive respect and reverence!
RIP, Jlm Buckner & all the other boys
The actual back and forth they have during down times. It's real. Nothing like the conversations you see in the movies. They should watch this and take notes.
Hills are for Heroes. I salute the bravery of these men.
For those who fight for it,. Freedom has a flavour the sheltered never know
Thank you for this show its one i have never seen,And the narrator speaking usa English makes it so better thank you :)
I remember very well those days
I couldn’t imagine the amount of combat that 99% of US Military seen in Vietnam in a year! The average days of combat per soldier per year in WW2 was 10 days meaning that while the fighting was fierce in WW2 the average infantryman would see an average of 10 days a combat a year. Then you look at those exact same statistics for The War in Vietnam & although it was technically a 1 country civil war with the NVC v The South Vietnamese & The USA the average days of combat an infantryman would see in Vietnam per year was 236! These guys were fighting all day every day for the better part of 8 months! They would get some R&R on the weekends when their names would come up & that’s when they all were taken from their forward positions, weapons taken away & allowed to eat, drink, party, “relax” if you call it that on the island that where the US provided food, beer, entertainment basically a USO show like in WW2 except bigger & rowdier & after they ate, drank, wrote letters, etc. they were taken back to their units on Sunday to rejoin the fight until their names came up on the next go around for R&R! The men of WW2 & Vietnam were the definition of a pure, raw, unadulterated combat soldier!!!
I was in one of the worst areas in Iraq for a year(03-04). Although we seen our share, it was nothing like jungle warfare these soldiers seen. I have the utmost respect for their courage.
Great video great insight RIP the dude that didn't make it
RIP at Arlington Corp JamesBuckner Hall.
It really amazes me, to watch how these men even in such a shit situation and 100 different and fucked up things happening all at once, yet they all know exactly where there buddies are and they take the time to tell each other to stay down and send the message up from one squad to the next ! The care and strife they are subjected to is absolutely heart warming and heart breaking at the very same time !!
13 wounded 1 Kia by friendly fire before you make contact with the NVA. Now that's a bitch.
Excellent film.
Interesting characters.
Good videography
Wow, thanks for posting even with the water mark!
Thank You for posting,I've been looking for this in it's entirety for a long time now.
Great Respect US Marines i am French man.
dude it 27 minutes... what do you think of the war? " I don't know. I haven't seen it, I've just been fighting it."
What a shame, even though long ago, still stirs the heart to sadness. I thank these men & others for their great sacrifice for all of us. And proud to have served also. So much unrest in this world again today. Yet the veteran still has the distinction, of upholding American interests in Freedom. I hope for anyone reading this, you appreciate your freedom. I know I do mine
All young people should see this,,, (TWICE)
Jc badass airstrike goes in everyone gets in a hole he just sits reading his letter from home like its nothing. A proper man
Shows the terror and insanity of war.
The guy talking on the phone to a guy within earshot.
All these guys had was each other.
Shame on the US government for using these guys.
shame?
The US government doesn't care about their war pawns, never have, never will.
Thank you for posting, a very poignant film, the waste of life in that useless war was horrific.
Rip to all the brave young men that died in Vietnam!!
I never knew hill numbers were the height of the hill.
EVERY AMERICAN SHOULD SEE THESE MOVIES.AND SEE THAT THIS WAR WAS FOUGHT BY BRAVE MEN WHO WERE THERE DOING THEIR JOBS OUR GOVERNMENT SENT THEM TO DO.THESE MEN ARE HEROES.THANK GOD FOR THEM.
Respect to these guys I watch 50 years+,all who served.
God bless all Veterans.
Blackman trying to find an excuse to go back on base and out of the jungle. The tree didn't fall on him, he ran under the tree to get clobbered. 13:41
Thank you
Can you kindly remove that annoying logo "atelierdesarchives". We know by now who you are and your link below the video is sufficient enough to enter your website. Thank you.
My pop was in this battle. 101st Airborne Alpha Company. Combat Medic. Just not sure what platoon. He won’t discuss the war. So just piecing bits of info together over the years.
Sounded like real swell guys, They did good RIP To all of them but thank you for your service...
Wish I could just go back into the 60s and Serve... Those guys musta been real fun to hang about with.
At that time in America had probably more issues than the Vietnamese people. Actually the Vietnamese people could never figure out why America invaded in to their country for.
As long as there are American fighting men at war I'll always support them. I feel the general public regrets treating the vietnam vets like garbage and are making up for it with the vets of today. Never forget them. They are the reason why we're allowed to have any freedoms.
This documentary was made to show... why take a hill, leave a hill, take same hill again.. leave same hill again.. and the list goes on..
I am a vet.. I thank all who serves,served, and to those who gave all.
Damn
I was there with Joe Barriero
The night before on ambush the NVA came through the jungle with flashlight we held our position
And the next day went up the hill
Who ever ran this war did not know what the hell they were doing.
It was all about profit. Lives be damned.
Those 'calling the shots' . . . from the rear, became known as bureaucratoc warriors . . .
rob smith they were clueless. Biggest mistake was sending GIs home after a years tour The experienced were required. They were never meant to win IMHO. They were made to fight with one hand around their balls. Senseless. Americans love fighting countries that have annihilated every adversary previous. Vietnam, Afghanistan ect.
Kelly Frearson there is no “win” when facing an ideological war. Vietnam; where you could not see the enemy and the civilians typically were the former. Afghanistan; where the civilians and the enemy were one and the same and indistinguishable. Both wars were not true wars but peacekeeping missions meant for political reasons. The American military, if given proper ROE and political backing, cannot be stopped. The only thing that held us back in both conflicts were inexperienced, naïve shotcallers.
Amazing hidden gem.
'Endless senselessness'.
It's odd that the one's that lived are elderly men now. My Dad is a vietnam vet.
Thank you sir
La bande son est fidèle aux evenements et demontre de facon efficace que celle des films est tout a fait artificielle.....Pendant la "vrai" guerre les bruits d'explosio's de crits ne s'arrêtent pas par magie, en appuyant sur un bouton, non l'enfer le vrai est partout et tout le temps....On peu d'ailleurs a ce sujet ce rendre compte que les hommes de ce reportage, sont extrêmement aguerris.....Ils ne s'inquiètent pas, pour un rien et tout le temps... L'experience les a, comme cela a été souvent écrit, appris a savoir au son, si un obus est dangereux ou pas......ils ont le regard vert,(comme souvent évoqué) un regard lointain quand tu as fait du merdier..... Le combat, est en eux!! Ils sont veterans.....des héros, certe, mais que de séquelles, a leur retour dans un monde dit normal.......Une guerre encore plus terrible, que la guerre elle même......Car ils ont été prient a partie par leurs compatriotes a leur retour au bercaille......
Around 29:05 look how close that medivac chopper came into the tree line for a dust off...that takes some seriously large balls, the thing was literally clipping the branches. Amazing courage to go into that shit.
So many memories. It still hurts. Guess it always will.
Everybody was lied to these men are heroes strong will fighters salute
The guys have such a huge reverence for friendly ordnance at the beginning and by about 30 minutes in that's shattered when they start taking casualties to blue on blue.
R.I.P. MR. JIM BUTLER!
RIP James Irving Buchner
Good bunch of chaps making the best of a shit situation. Great film.
I found it... superb 'and extraordinary, that more and more docs is being revealed.... even, if... or is it ever really too late?
13:00 Bamboo sun helmets means Viet Cong. NVA had cardboard sun helmet made in China. Viet Cong made their own out of bamboo. VC usually made tunnels. NVA usually made small bunkers with no tunnels.
Young men who should be home living life instead of trying to survive, God Bless my Brothers in arms especially those who met their heavenly reward much to early.
An exercise in futility. Thanks, Westmoreland and MacNamara.
I tried looking up Jim Buckner on the Vietnam veteran memorial webpage, he isn't listed
He's there (I had the same problem). His names spelled "Buchner."
James Irving Buchner
probably spelled it wrong..?
There is a Jim Buchner though.
James Irving Buchner Panel 35E, Line 14 January 23, 1968 He lived around ten minutes from where I am, right along Lake Erie near Buffalo
Rest in peace INCREDIBLE men!
Somehow I want to experience this myself even though I know it isn’t fun at all. I think it’s because I look up to men like these, and if they did it I should do it.
this is awesome \m/
All that effort to take a hill that was abandon later. Wow
Thank you Vietnam veterans 🙏