A Vietnam Vet. 20 Million Viewers Watched His Story Start To Finish
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 18 ก.ค. 2018
- My team and I did almost 200 interviews in 1989 with folks remembering what had happened to them in the 1960s. This man has garnered among the highest views from all the interviews I have thus far posted. He is clearly a great storyteller which is why so many have stayed to watch his story as it unfolds.
William Ehrhardt is a Vietnam War veteran, author, and poet. He served in the United States Marine Corps during the Vietnam War, and his experiences during the conflict have heavily influenced his writing. After returning from the war, Ehrhardt began writing poetry as a way to process and express his emotions about the war and its impact on his life.
His work often reflects the raw emotions and harsh realities of war, exploring themes like grief, loss, and the struggle to adjust to civilian life after serving in combat. Ehrhardt's writings have been praised for their honesty, emotional depth, and ability to capture the complexities of the Vietnam War and its aftermath.
In addition to his writing, Ehrhardt has participated in various panels and discussions about the Vietnam War and its effects on veterans, helping to raise awareness about the challenges faced by those who have served in the military.
Here is his background of service - W. D. Ehrhardt served with 1st Battalion, 1st Marines, from early February 1967 to late February 1968. His service number is 2279361. He holds the Purple Heart Medal, Navy Combat Action Ribbon, Presidential Unit Citation (2), Good Conduct Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Republic of Vietnam Service Medal, Cross of Gallantry Meritorious Unit Citation, Civic Action Meritorious Unit Citation, Vietnamese Campaign Medal. The last three were all awarded by the now-extinct government of the Republic of Vietnam. He received the PUC and the two Vietnamese unit citations as a member of 1st Battalion, 1st Marine Regiment. You can find more at his website -www.wdehrhart.com. #vietnam #marine #ehrhardt - ภาพยนตร์และแอนิเมชัน
![ลุ้นมาก! รกต่ำไม่หายจะทำไงดี? [cc] แดนแพทตี้ SS2 | EP.40 |](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/_ub8lf45Vtg/mqdefault.jpg)
If this interview has meaning for you or interest you you might want to look at another gentleman from the same war whose perspective is different but whose storytelling abilities are off the charts as well. th-cam.com/video/SRR2eQn6pRg/w-d-xo.html
David Hoffman filmmaker
thanks for the recommendations
This is what happening now in Ukraine. Russian soldiers became Americans, Ukrainian soldiers and civilians became Vietnamese.
@cavelion84, exactly, i was thinking the same thing, few years from now random russian soldier do interview, then 30 years after my grandson watch the old youtube video
I can't find this guy's name and I can't find the link to his book.
Where is the rest of this interview?
“The longer we stayed in Vietnam the more Vietcong their were, because we were creating them” that is a really powerful and important quote.
Situation with russia and ukraine too, their troops were told go there for military practices, didn’t know it meant full out war.
There*
@@khabibmcgregor3592 no, the US military created the Vietcong
@@samreagan6292 Their - There*
@Shredneck Aaaaa ok
This gentleman was my history teacher in highschool. Incredible teacher! It was an honor. Difficult class, not because of the grades, but because of the realities he made students contend with. More professors and teachers should be like him.
Unfortunately for our kids...there probably are none.
@@hiroshi138 those who went fighting in afgan and iraq war can be good teachers too
Man i wish this guy was my history teacher.
@@nathanb.8114 soldiers retire early. Its gobernemts scheme to provide them job post retirement i guess.
You’re a lucky individual!
11:30 “I’m wasting your film” - No. This is amazing. Every word.
hi chocolate rain man
ChOcLatE RaIn 🌧 💙 ily man keep being amazing and stay safe especially with all the gun violence outside shits making me introvert lmaoo
Absolutely. All of it.
LOOK ITS TAY ZONDAY
legend
Fallujah vet here, what I've learned over my 60 years of being alive is that America hasn't had to defend our freedoms since the 2nd World War. We go into these countries where we know nothing about their culture, and try to force our lifestyle into them. We are the bully of the world.
Falluja. I have heard stories from vets I have interviewed. What a hell hole. I don't disagree with what you're saying but statesmanship and diplomacy don't always work. I'm sure you agree. And there are other bullies in this world (if we are one) that it seems to me, they accept only "muscle" as a response to what they are doing or planning to do
David Hoffman filmmaker
Gen z guy here, I went to Iraq for a short time myself and I'm a student of history, ww2 was also not what we were told in school or from Hollywood either, the Germans even though they declared war on us were no real threat to anyone outside of Europe, 400k Americans died for what exactly? We're taught the good vs evil narrative but the Holocaust was only discovered in the last year of the war so what was the motivation? Or what about ww1, the Lusitania was loaded with weapons and ammunition for the British and French and for that ship getting sunk we lose 120k in 110 days and for what? There's a lot more to question than the last 60 years
@@christianworkman8108 There is tons of shit in this shithole man.
@@christianworkman8108 Thank you for your service. But world war two is a rather complicated conflict isn’t it. France (ally and republic) had been overrun and taken over by germany.. same with Czechslovakia, Poland, Denmark, Norway, Austria, Romania, Greece… to name a few.. I can definitely see how important it was for the US to go fight in that war.. and also defend itself against the attacks from Japan. I don’t think ww2 was a twisted narrative.. they were actually fighting for survival. You say the nazis weren’t a real threat but part of the reason for that is because we went to fight them in the first place. If no one stood up to them they surely would take over as much as they could.
@@wavebuilder14udc75u mean Hitler and his brainwashing of the German people, right? It wasn’t just the Nazis ideas. However, if Hitler had been killed early on or halfway through, what would the rest of the military had done? I wonder who would gave taken over, and possibly not lasted, without the same insane zeal as H. Just sayin..
he did not waste one frame of this film.
The Warrior Song Project That is exactly what I thought
The Warrior Song Project > No doubt. I didn't take my eyes off the screen or miss a word. These types of interviews are so interesting. The Vietnam war is not talked about enough, the only people that know how it was are the vets and they usually aren't forthcoming because of the stigma. They came back from a country that hated them to a country that shit on them and looked down on them.
Yea,agreed..idk why he said that cause I was hanging on every word he said
it shows the thought process back then. people were taught to look at perspectives differently as such you don't see many people have those type of responses in old documentaries.
@@dueyfuckuey sad how they were treated matt from canada
That cigarette burned for 8 minutes 40 seconds... they don’t do that anymore
American Spirits do
The zoom into the man's face was almost as long. Smooth camera operator, that is.
Fire safe cigarettes were developed in 1932.
@@ralfkleemann4325 Yeah I had to rewind to watch it again with what he was saying - brilliant doco guys.
Pall Malls and American Spirits both do. I mean they will go out for safety reasons but they will at least last that long.
He really painted a picture. The mustache, the hair, the big frame glasses, his cig, his accent, his storytelling. Wow
@ghaven1929 Many baby boom guys fit the description you have provided. It is not exactly a Vietnam vet description.
Easy. We all looked like tjhat and pulled a litttle tail.
I'd say the picture is what he actually said, not how he looked. Every word he said is a picture. No wonder - he is a damm writer, a man who weild words.
These are boomers in their prime during the 80s. Yes they were young once too.
Because war is about fashion trends. wow.
I have told this same story for 55 years now. And now the Afghanistan guys are telling it again. I spent months in hospitals from injures sustained Jan 31st, 1968 and no one cared. Thank you for letting me know I wasn't the only one that questioned our objective.
I care. Thanks for your service. Shame on the government for using our young mens for their sick purposes. My only child being in the CAF (canadian army), I have a deep hate toward my country for using him like if he's nothing more than an object.
I hope you are ok. Take care, and have a nice day xx
J.N. I sit here misty eyed as I read your reply over and over. You have no idea how much your words meant. I needed them today. Thank you!!!
@@MrPaeper Can I ask for what injuries you were hospitalised, have you fully recovered from that??
no one cared? so awful to risk your life for a cause and come to the conclusion no one cares...so sorry
@@j.n.4806 Injuries involved the abdomen, right thigh, resulting in perforation of small bowl, laceration of the urethra,and injury to the right sciatic nerve. Fragments still in body making MRI's impossible and forever limp etc. etc, etc. Thanks for caring
His uninterrrupted 15 minute monologue is more interesting than most full budget documentaries.
He's in a full budget docu called "The Vietnam War" which is incredible. Absolute recommend
@@MrMatenizer Incredible but also haunting. Certainly the best US documentary series I have seen. ❤️🇬🇧
@@kennethocongerskin9460 link please ?
@@gianmarcocampo2099 I didn't see it online, I saw it on PBS America. It might be on TH-cam?
@@kennethocongerskin9460 i don't know, i was asking
“I’m wasting your film” 🥺
Meanwhile he speaks more truth in 15 minutes than what’s come out of Washington for the last 6 decades.
25 decades*
@@nofoo if ya wanna get technical, Philadelphia was the US capital 25 decades ago
@@mcafeex311 my point still stands ✌️
It’s an experience vs an agenda. We will never know the “truth” when it’s told to us by truth makers.
Truth seems to be, what you wanna hear a vet say and not what you dont want him to say. As long as it doesnt hurt your sensibilities its a "good truth" "thee truth".
I had a childhood friend, and his Dad got drafted into the Army right out of high school. His Dad ended up over in Vietnam as an 11 Bravo in the MeKong Delta. He came home a 20 yr old with white hair. His boots and his helmet hung on nails in the garage, right next to a faded picture of him and a bunch of other guy's standing on top of a bunker, shirtless holding guns. Every time we asked his Dad about being in the Army, he would change the subject FAST! When we were 17, his Dad finally told us why he never talked about the Army. His Dad told us they were on a patrol and a kid crawled out of hole to throw a grenade at them, and he shot and killed that kid. To make things worse, some lady ran over to the kids' body, and tried to pick the grenade up and finish what the kid started, and he ended up killing her as well. He told us having to kill that kid really messed him up, and that no matter how hard he tried to do the right thing in life, he couldn't get that scenario out of his head. He said he spent every day since that happened, wondering if and when he died, if he was going to meet that kid in heaven or hell, so he could apologize and tell him he was sorry and that he didn't want to do that. What do you say when a grown ass man tells you that!
When my dad was in Viet Nam I heard of this happening with children and such.I asked how this could happen and soldiers killing children.To me children were playmates and life in military is diverse even back then,and despite many deferences you found some common ground and made friends.So if meet these children I could make friends of them.Do the killing of them upset me a bit.My Mom cleared my mind quickly so of this and other things done from the kids put grenade with a rubber band in fuel tanks of trucks etc.Then asked if a. child approached my father in this way with a grenade or pistol would I want my Dad to kill the kid or let the kid kill.With amazing clarity and speed.I thought yeah have my Dad smoke this kid instantly.It helped though the war and protesters such.The lesson has stayed with me my whole life.
It isn't your fault xxx
You tell him welcome home soldier
Tell him if the kid was throwing grenades at that age imagine the psychopath he would become in a couple of years time. That's a fact.
Crazy story jason ! God bless them all involved 🙏 love from Scotland bro 👊 🏴
i’m 50, and just realizing growing up there were dozens of dads all over with PTSD, and we never realized it. I worked with a few vietnamese ladies in their 70’s and realized they lived through this too. thank you for your story. never forget. never repeat. war is hell
People forget that the Vietnamese went through as much PTSD as did the soldiers.
I didn't even know my father was a veteran until I was about 17 and received my own diagnosis (unrelated).
He still does not speak about it, and I don't blame him.
@@VeneficiumX Ok, uh, what the fuck has his job been since then?
@@joe579003why does it matter
🌹never forget 🌹
5:40 "the longer we stayed in Vietnam the more vietcong there were' because we created them". Powerful statement.
It's sad we learned nothing from Vietnam....The longer we stay in middle east the more we radicalize it
Duke fool.
@Duke if you're not aware people aren't too fond of committing genocide
Jeremy Garza u have it right and wrong. Right in that that’s what’s happening in the ME, but wrong in the sense that our govt doesnt know. In fact, that’s the reason for being there.
What does that mean? I didn’t catch that.
"I'm wasting your film."
Buddy, the only problem with this video is that it isn't long enough.
Check out Ben Burn's "The Vietnam War" tv series, he's in it and there's a lot of interviews like this. It's a 10 part series.
@@Edward_242 Watched this recently, absolutely incredible series. A shameful episode in American history and almost noone has a clue what happened. Also highly recommend anyone watch this absolutely comprehensive take on the war.
What he meant is, he wanted to be on radio instead.
this is the kind of thing that should never get lost in time
I am glued to this computer and this man's story.
When my grandpa came home from Vietnam, he REFUSED to speak to anyone about it until the day he died. Thank you to this man for letting us in to the experience.
I, like many others, first heard his story in the Ken Burns documentary. One thing I admire about him is he sugarcoats nothing. He is 100% real. He says he doesn't want to be thanked for his service, so instead I thank him for being brave enough to share his story with us. And I thank you, David, for sharing his sharing his story.
Here here, for sure....he is almost wiped from search results, surprise, surprise....
Ken Burns = very good. I hope we will be able to learn and be good to each other for change. Best wishes and little prayers >> oh ja and peace from Germany. & Gesundheit.
All the soldiers they chose, from both sides of this war, were just a constant reminder that none of them wanted that war and were manipulated by their leaders into fighting. It's so frustrating to see so much heartache and there's never any real accountability. You murder one person you're a terror to society. You murder a million and you're either a general or government suit.
You know someone is serious when they light a cigarette, and dont take a single drag
🤣
Forreal tho.
Copy that Fella
this is so true tho
It’s depends on the number of cigarettes that you smoked before
I listened to a North Vietnamese soldier decades later say: "who won or who lost is not even a question. In war, no one wins. There is only destruction. Only those who never fought like to argue about who won and who lost.”
so true.
Oh, I suppose someone who had the Nazi take over their village might care just a little bit.
Damn right.
My father was a ww2 veteran , he said the same..
US lost everyone knows this wtf
My uncle described the daily stuff he did on the river boats. I understand why he hated himself so much. It was either reinforce your presence with violence or possibly die, I never judged him for the things he did, but he sure did. When he got back, everyone hated him, and he just went back. He drank himself to death, and when we tried to help him, he said he'd rather die. My heart goes out to every single one of you who served in ANY war.
Stunning to me, looking back now at interviews like this, that what was happening in Vietnam was almost exactly what I witnessed in Iraq and Afghanistan. We created an endless line of recruits for the insurgency through the vicious way we interacted with the local population. We were Infantrymen, trained from day one to be a violent and unforgiving. When friends were getting killed and we barely saw the enemy, our frustration became too great and the locals suffered.
And it's sad as in all of these situations, Americas involvement really wasn't necessary in the first place.
After American soldiers murder enough people, they go back home as war heros and record memorials like this video.
The frustration must have been incredible, and yes the things young soldiers end up doing because of the lack of support makes perfect sense to me. At least the liberation of France in WWII brought smiles, hugs, and appreciation from the civilian population. Vietnam and the Middle East aren’t like that at all. They are a lose-lose proposition.
@@Braveheartman123"Aren't like that at all" There is a huge difference in situations don't you think?
@@maxwinter5629depends if your saying before the death of Saddam I would say there was a reason which was to end him anything after I saw no point. Anyways don’t fucking include all of America that was just almost mainly all president bush that was doing that extra shit.
No Sir, you didn't wasted this film. This is not in the books, this is history straight from the horse's mouth. Respect for you mister.
Why you have to cal homie a fuckin horse tho.
America loves war, every war they've been involved in could have been avoided. The government always managed to sell war to the citizens under false pretense, with the exception of the war on the Taliban in Afghanistan.
@@jordanabeaulieu2530 That war is to control the opium.
@@jordanabeaulieu2530 You may not have any Afghani friends. When I lived in NYC, I found them to be courageous, forgiving, Godly ( They actually practice what they preach), unpertable, & resilient. You get a different story from them, about first being invaded by Russians, then US, under guise of helping. I heard that CIA agent Osama bin Laden was not religious til after he witnessed the hell we put these Afghanis through ( and still are).Just like what this man is saying about "fake news" stories about Viet Nam War. (Watch the once banned 70's movie "Wag the Dog" to get some idea what the Biltaberger owned media started doing & is now in complete control of all major media in US. You may not ever hear anyone else say this, but:we got the Afghani poppy fields & China got Tibet. My dreams of making a living as an Investigative reporter evaporated in 1983 when I found out you can't print the TRUTH, only what the owner of the newspaper wanted. Now we have Internet, which was hard to control our free speech on, but now they've gained ground by calling popular channels "fake news" such as Corbett Report; Julie Eisenhower; Woke Societies; SGT Report; dahboo77; Viable TV; bpearthwatch; & many, many more ! Homage to these Truthers that risk their lives to inform us. I believe Assange will be the hero of our age for disclosing Killory Clinton's emails, & so much more. I've only had Internet since January, because 4g was hurting my body. Cant stand it now, so will be giving up my phone soon. It will kill us.
No kidding. I wish we had another 15 minutes.
My grandpa was in nam was shot multiple times, went on missions and was the sole survivor not once, not twice but three times...he was a very disturbed man but never exposed us to that side. When he’d wake up screaming he would say “just makin sure I can still sing like I used to” I miss that man very much.
Guy With Opinions damn I wish I could have met your grandpa, What a selfless man that’s awesome.
Nathan Craig thanks man that honestly means a lot. He was happy to serve
A true hero
Hats off True Americans
@@nathanc7905 How do you know?
What's crazy is that interview was conducted 21 years after Hue City. Fallujah One was only 20 years ago. I can remember clearing buildings, squad by squad. I can feel exactly what this guy is feeling. It seems like yesterday. I am older now than my HS history teacher then in 11th grade, who was a pilot in Vietnam. War is a generational cycle of madness.
What year was this interview done?
Respect my brother. Those of us who were cognizant back then no the insanity you all faced. You guys were my inspiration for joining the military in 09 and I still serve to this day.
My Dad served in Vietnam and was there during the Tet offensive in 68. He was an MP and hardly spoke of his experience there. I asked but he only spoke of having to run through crossfire. He said he didn’t even feel the ground beneath his feet he was so scared. Most recently before he passed he spoke of the first day he arrived, his base was shelled and the bunker next to his was hit. Many casualties in that bunker. 18 years old, from a small town in Texas. I can’t imagine how scared he was.
my grandpa he is same,he with a sks shot dead 3 guys,1 arvn and 2 american soldiers,he lost 3 fingers at right hand because it got shooted(sry im bad eng)
My dad was there for Tet in 68, too. Never knew that until after he passed in 96. He refused to talk about it at all.
A mistake so many of us make is we don't ask our parents many questions and then they pass and we realize we hardly knew anything about their lives before us. Very lucky you don't have to wonder. I've been talking a lot to my dad recently about him and his relatives and what their lives were like. I don't ever want to have any unanswered questions about my beloved dad.
68, 69 the worst loss of life
When TH-cam recommends something good
AndrewDaniele87 ikr
Very rare footage of TH-cam recommendations
I was just thinking that. This has been a recommended video on my feed for a while and I kept skipping over it. Now I'm sorry I waited so long to watch it. The things he said were right on point with some of the things my dad rarely talked about.
TH-cam recommendations have gotten much better lately.
I never watched a single Vietnam related video. But I'm not complaining.
Demasiado buenos
BRING BACK QUAALUDES!
Well
One step closer to reading your mind
“Fog of war”- certainly not in this man’s mind. His clarity is astounding. The fog comes from the war-hawks, perpetuated via the media.
“Stop children what’s that sound? Everybody look what’s going down “ - Buffalo Springfield 1968 anti war movement, Vietnam
That isn't what "fog of war" is. Fog of war isn't related to PTSD. Fog of war is a term that refers to the confusion caused during battle that can cause a soldier to commit a mistake and/or do something they wouldn't normally do and/or had been trained not to do which may result in their death/casualty and/or the death/casualty of a fellow soldier/s. One example is in the Soviet-Afghan war a CIA supplied Mujahadeen heavy mortar loader forgot in the confusion of battle i.e. fog of war that he had already loaded a shell despite being heavily trained to keep track of said loading. He then proceeded to load another shell on top of the already loaded shell believing he had not yet loaded said mortar tube. The tube exploded when the lower shell tried to fire with two heavy mortars detonating in close proximity to the crew killing the entire crew. The entire crew was KIA as a result of fog of war.
To be fair, Sgt. Ehrhardt likely believed this was going to be stuffed in the middle of some PBS thing shown around 10PM on a Tuesday, i.e. not reach that many folks. 30+ years later, over 20 million listeners and another 20 million down the road. I come back to it every now and then, as I'm certain many of you do also.
I was born in 1992. I have never seen this until today.
Actually, this guy reminds me of how my dad used to look when I was a baby. He had the same hair, mustache, and huge glasses. My dad was born in 1954.
@6Jenne6La6Flaca6 Yeah. My dad was 1953; pretty sure all those guys in the 80s were rocking the porn-star hair and stache. Now guys are rocking the 80s hair and beard.
my father fought in Vietnam. he was about 24 when he was drafted. my parents were divorced, so I was never told about it. he had been exposed to agent orange, had night terrors and returned home addicted to heroin, which ultimately led to his death at the age of 54. I was told he was a gentle, kind man. he didn’t have any way to cope with what had happened, what he saw or did while he was there. I found out when I was in my 30’s, just after he died. it’s interviews like this that give me a greater insight to what he experienced and why it destroyed him. I was told he never spoke about it. The Vietnam war killed my father, just not while in combat.
it seems like your Dad`s story was repeated 1000s of times. Army`s are really good at killing people, but useless at looking after them. And after Vietnam nobody wanted to remember the war or its soldiers. The war was lost (it was never winnable in the first place), it was an embarrassment and politically nobody wanted to touch it. I don`t think Americans started to recon with it until Hollywood started making movies about it. I am sorry for your loss and your Dad`s suffering and that it was for nothing.
@@sblack48 me too.
I was told and found it to be true that the guys who were in the shit never spoke of it. Had one uncle who was a cook in the army and je spoke often about it. Had another uncle who's ear drums were busted from so much shooting. He never said a word about it. This guy is an exception I believe. He was getting it off his chest and good for him. War is a business and its disgusting.
@@jasonmiles302 it is one thing to have gone to Europe or the south Pacific to fight a brutal enemy that was threatening your country, an enemy you could see and fight, for a cause that was obviously just and for which you 100% support at home. But Vietnam was none of those things. It was based on lies, there was never a hope of winning, the guys didn't know why they were there and the people back home were against them. This guy realized after a year that all his friends died for nothing and all the combat survivors were slowly killing themselves because of it. He was deeply angry but he decided to confront it. Maybe that is why he didn't kill himself like so many others
Your fathers generation grew up coming out of the WW2 era. America was the Good Guys. No dispute. I can’t imagine what it had to be like for a young person to find themselves in that situation (a terrible morally ambiguous war) and realize they had been lied to and couldn’t do anything about it. It is a very noble thing to serve your country. It’s a tragic disgusting thing for your country to lie to you, especially when you’re one of the ones fighting for it
The way he says, “I’m wasting your film.” Breaks my heart. Not a single piece of film was wasted filming this. This is vital information and insight, it’s a shame he felt he was wasting this pocket of time telling his story.
I think he might have paused for a moment to think about what he wanted to say next so he felt like he was wasting time not saying anything. I only assume because of the cut in the filming.
He's not wasting ANY film, in fact in the 15 minutes he spoke, he told MORE about Vietnam than the government did the ENTIRE time it was happening!! NOT a waste of film at all!!!
I agree, it pulled at my heart as well.it is yet another testament as to this young man's consideration of others. And the way he puts value on every moment not taking for granted that the next moment is guarunteed. Appreciating and savory and utilizing every moment that he has because it might be his last. These are lessons that people nowadays just do not grasp. we are spoiled getting worse as time goes on. I want to know if he is still alive. He was so intuitive,and empathetic . I wish we still had men and women like him.I am 60 years old and I still am confused about this war hell I'm confused about all wars. But I do remember that men were spit on. soldiers returning home in wheelchairs expecting to be greeted by family and loved ones we're first met by droves of anti-war activists shouting spitting at them even those who were up there their age their own peers we're doing this.! And this was the peace and love era. Of course not all of them were. But this was the time of Make Love not war. And they were treated like filthy monsters and they had no choice in what they had to do. I remember when my brother was drafted I was just a little girl maybe 6 years old. I was so afraid ,so very afraid. My brother wasn't the type that would have made it even if he had tried, even if he really wanted to be a soldier, even if it was another war. I'm not ashamed to say that I'm glad he didn't pass the physical. .
That comment truly broke my heart man.
dude I agree... In a day and age where phone videos of dumb people doing dumb stuff (admittingly! I have my own videos...) isn't considered important, this comment from the guy struck me also. Any form or record of the past seems so much more important (and rightly so) by todays standards.
This really needs to be shown in schools, shown everywhere. His story needs to be heard...and a humble down to earth guy. He's concerned about wasting David's film...not a second of it was wasted
"that woman, that girl had ceased to become the focus of my life while I was in Vietnam. She had ceased to be this real person. She had become his icon. And then of course, she had said take a hike"
This guy is one of the realest people I've ever seen. Even his add in take at the end is so relevant to today, in terms of the prevalence of online parasocial relationships.
It's rare to see someone who sees what their situation was so objectively. It's even rarer to see someone who seems to be able to see even secondary concerns like this. Especially seeing such a one sided relationship before they were then part of the common culture.
11:33 - "I'm wasting your film". If only he knew 13 million people would view and deeply appreciate his words decades later.
how old do you think this man is now
@@serveroliviacvhh7443 70-ish. Depends on the age he was signed on.
@@v1p1991 Yeah, coming back in 1968, he might already be almost 80.
I can't even imagine
@@GodIsAmazing33 he's 72
When he said “im wasting your film” I was shocked. Does he not know how important his words are. Love this guy
I think he sort of realized he had made his point and was becoming redundant. I would have liked to hear more examples but the point was clear already so that's my interpretation of why he said that. He had other points to make so didn't want to keep on explaining how the propaganda was different than reality.
Pretty sure he was just gathering his thoughts and the wasted part was cut from the video
To be fair they did cut to that so he may have been rambling a bit
Thank you for mentioning this I wanted to talk about it too, I think he was becoming very aware that he was starting to repeat his point, that the war wouldn't end. And he didn't want the interview to end like that, he was trying to move to the next part in his story but the war was so traumatic it was hard to move past it, hence the "I'm wasting your interview"
@@thurst0n I agree
This man is incredibly self-aware. I haven't been through a fraction of what he has, yet he is more conscious of his thoughts and actions in wartime than I am of my choices at the grocery store.
My dad was in Vietnam. We never spoke about it. To my knowledge he mostly worked as an administrator in an office. The event still traumatized him. Love you dad ❤️
just know that you love a guy who hurt Vietnamese families by helping America to poison Vietnam.
That war wasnt popular among most of these vets. Having to kill children.. pretty fucked.
My father wouldn’t talk about the war. He always said “saw a lot did a lot.” You never ever woke him while he was sleeping. It would be a look of sheer terror. Most of his childhood friends died there.
Amy Thompson I mean I completely get why people don’t talk about it, but I would at least open up to my family especially my son, we’ll have the most badass bedtime stories lol...
Sounds like he was a remorseful war criminal
@@SldOnEmWithDa45 no you would not talk about it
Ralf Yzermans Ehhh I think I would...
Steve Elynuik
I get trolling, In my 20s I’d call myself one of the best at it honestly, but goddamn man. Shit! Wtf is wrong with you?
As he said, “I’m wasting your film…”, I realized I had barely blinked for the past 10 min.
I can certainly understand why vets don’t want to talk about their combat experiences, but it is so important. Absolutely invaluable. Thank you!
Thank you for your comment. If your resources allow, I would sure appreciate your using the THANKS button under any of my videos including the one you have commented on. It is something new that TH-cam is beta testing and would mean a great deal for my continuing efforts.
David Hoffman filmmaker
A close family friend passed 2 years ago, Vietnam vet, decorated, lots of stories, I can sit still forever as long as he spoke. My cousin’s wife’s WW2 father passed last year, same thing, when he talked about being BAR certified it rang my bell as I’m a gun nut. If you are lucky enough to meet a Vet that will share anything about their service, listen.
If vets don't talk how are we to learn? Through yet more bitter experience? I understand why someone wants to turn their back on such devastation, such disillusionment, such pain. But in doing so we aren't learning from our mistakes, so we repeat them again and again. As much as it hurts to talk, and frankly to hear, it's invaluable human experience that shouldn't be lost. I can't thank you enough.
@@gutshot300mag When I was a young girl my Grandfather, a WWII vet, told me the greatest respect I could show a service member was to listen when they talked about what they experienced. He wasn't wrong.
I read this then look at the video and he blinks hellas bro what are you talking ab😂
To anyone who has not read Perkasie, Vietnam, it's an amazing book written by this gentleman. It's a memoir but reads like a novel and is incredibly insightful in lending perspective to this conflict.
Thank you, I’ll check it out..👍
A guy from our street in my hometown named Phil Caputo wrote A Rumor of War, also good.
Thanks for the suggestion.
This young man gave one of the most incredible recounts I have ever heard. I am very thankful that he chose to tell it.
Note to self: if you can’t identify the enemy... get out.
That was one of the first things I thought too.
@Just a girl who loves Jesus There will ALWAYS be an American presence in the gulf region. Why? Oil.
Why is the Heroin problem so bad especially since about 06. We been there since 01 02, ... but the opiate problem. Rages on...
James Anthony No you are not correct. America exports nearly as much oil as it imports. 49% of our imported oil comes from Canada. And then some (maybe 12% idk) comes from Mexico. The rest it’s a dozen countries or so below 10%. Saudi Arabia is at about 6% of our imports. Stop spreading fake news and lies. The Americans do not profit much at all off of oil from the Middle East.
And how do you suggest he do that?
"I'm wasting your time."
If only this guy knew today that this was worth every single second.
yup. or how incredibly disposable photos & video are now.
Worth it only because first hand accounts need to be kept for posterity but this guy is far from a great story teller. Check out Dan Carlin and he never served a day in his life. Hell I could paint a better picture of my time in Fallujah and I didn’t endure half of what that Marine went through, he is a hero but a story teller? Hard pass, but needs to be kept for history’s sake.
@@Wandering_Chemist He's a regular guy being interviewed who has higher ability than the average Joe at keeping people captivated. It's in the voice, and flow. It's not about who can tell a highly refined and educational story better. Dan Carlin is great but that's his damned job and he does loads of planning. This guy is just telling a tale like someone would in a bar. Why so anal?
@@Wandering_Chemist why so anal?
@@Wandering_Chemist I read your comment before finishing watching the video, so withheld any response until completion. Upon further review of your comment, I have only one question for you. Why so anal?
The calm, cool, collectedness. The articulation. The intellectualisation paired with personal experience. This is one of the most invaluable interviews regarding this war we'll ever get. I understand why veterans typically don't talk, but when they do as coherently as this, it's worth more than they could ever know.
First causality of any war is truth. This man is not an outlier, it's just can you get people to open up and talk openly and honestly. I missed Nam by one year but I had an uncle and many friends who went there and as the years went by and they felt comfortable to talk about, the simularities of their story to this man's story are striking.
This man taught me history in high school. He is a genius, filled with compassion, wisdom, and a fantastic and strange sense of humor. He once asked me, “Luke, how come you never smile?”. Of course in the moment I had no idea what he was talking about. But that questioned changed my life. I realized that my stress and anxiety had overcome my joy and happiness to be alive. I am forever smiling because of you, Dr. E.
@Bryan Mack yep, same dude
Is he alive today? what is he up to?
@@williammunny2799 He retired from my high school maybe three years ago. He lives in the Philadelphia suburbs.
Pretty cool
@@LukeGreen1231 How old is he?
My grandfather got drafted into the Marines. Before he went he taught Sunday school, never drank a drop or smoked. He came home a haunted man. He drank himself to death. I never got to meet him. My grandma used to say... I sent them my wonderful, caring husband and they sent me back a broken, angry and changed man.
So sorry.
Happend to my grandfather too. Heard he was a good person/nice man. He got drafted into the marines and came back mentally sick, paranoid and disturbed. She's baffled to this day about what happened to him.
The same thing happened to my grandfather he was in the army in ww2 jumped out of planes and fought on the ground .
My uncle Reg was on a submarine during World War II that was captured by the Japanese.
He never spoke of his experiences in captivity, but even as a child I realized he was different from other adults.
One New Year's Eve my mum and dad had a party and, late that night after many drinks, Uncle Reg ran down the garden and was clinging to the washing pole for dear life, wailing as tears streamed down his face.
I can only imagine what he experienced during the war.
I'm so thankful that we've opened up about PTSD, and that the men and women who serve their countries now have access to proper counselling and understanding.
the true victims of war are the women who sit at home.
This interview is so real and brutally honest that watching it & understanding what is being said and implied is like a lead weight in your stomach, a knife through your heart and a shadow cast upon your soul. It's devastating.
It is sobering
“I’m wasting your film” (Literally the most well spoken guy in history)
"Ahhh I'm wasting your film..."
More than 8 million people disagree
Literal film in the camera, with the pauses. Christ
@@well_as_an_expert_id_say ok
Are you from Hungary?
@@well_as_an_expert_id_say go fuck yourself
@@well_as_an_expert_id_say It's hard to believe that we have access to such incredible accounts of unedited, unfiltered interviews. Good thing this isn't Hollywood - right?
I can’t believe he says “I’m wasting your film” while I’m hanging on his every word. Damn, this is well said.
I was hanging onto his every word too, And I watched it through twice. I think it was a disgrace the way they treated US servicemen when they came home, and I’m a limey. If it were not for US servicemen, we would all be speaking either German or Japanese. Vietnam was wrong, we all know that now, but the squaddies were kept in the dark.God bless America. Best wishes from 🇬🇧
@@Johnny-sj9sj What's wrong with speaking German?
He meant 'he was just sitting there thinking and not saying anything' (which was edited out)....'just some dude sitting there thinking for a minute' isn't really compelling footage (and IS a waste of film). I guess maybe film was pretty expensive back in 1990? Nowadays it's all digital, and there's no such thing as 'wasting film'.
We humans have so much to learn but we are being held back by greed & power..
I was thinking the same thing
i was in the Air force from 66 to 68 but luckily never went to Nam or Cambodia . i've noticed a number of the standard but nauseating , " Thank you for your service " comments in the thread as if those commenters understood nothing that he said .
Service is something you bet in a restaurant.
blowing people's faces off, hardly qualifies as a service .
I had orders to go to Vietnam in 1969, but the Army apparently forgot it had sent me to Germany (Soviets had invaded Czechoslovakia). The orders were changed, and I didn't go to Vietnam. I felt guilty for years; it was like I had 'finagled' my way out, even though I had nothing to do with it. It was a very weird time for all of us in the military.
Similar thing happened to my uncle. Spent the war in Germany. Was never in danger. He had a psychological breakdown last year. I think it might be survivor guilt of sorts. When he got home, he was treated horribly by his country even though he had no part in the war. I think I'll give him a call.
"I'm wasting your film"
No sir, you are not.
@The Revirantless what’s that supposed to mean?
He did
@@Revirantless ?
That is exactly what the US government is doing today. They create and produce their own enemy. "The terrorist were created by the pentagon and the next enemy is China. Why do you think the Trade war was started.
"We created them, we produce them"
@@cosmoray9750 i really really agree with you
"We created the Vietcong, we produced them". This is so powerful. This man is a truth teller.
If only we learned from this re: the Middle East.
my eyes glanced over this comment the very second he said it......CREEPY.
@Chester Smith Yeah, they I guess why they did see you as an "invading force"... Maybe because you were "invading" them?
Maybe because stable, rich of resources and relatively developed countries (for their regions of course) were left to ashes?
Maybe because you literally created, armed, trained, terrorist groups in order to fight the Soviets in your dirty proxy-wars?
Maybe that's why. But you did better than previous times, that's true. No atomic bombs and napalm aimed at civilians like in Japan, Korea or Vietnam, maybe some lead like in Jugoslavia but who knows, we will discover the truth when it will be convenient for the USA, like the absence of WMD in Saddam's arsenal...
@Chester Smith yeah, because of your support in the region of terrorist groups "needed" to fight the Soviets and because Churchill's mad division of countries in that part of the Asia.
Moreover, that "law of the jungle" stuff Is horrible for a men in 2019 and doesn't really is in USA propaganda, I would at least appreciate the brutal honesty.
Chester Smith Iraq under the rule of Sadam Hussein was actually a lot better that after the US decided the country needed some good ol' peaceful and democratic bombings; indeed, women could dress how they wanted, study like any other person. Now, once the US came and left, it's a fucking mess.
This is honestly the best Vietnam Vet story I've heard. You're correct, He's a great story teller.
Did a tour in Iraq back in 2003, invasion phase into the first insurgency. Her name was Karen, the girl I made into a goalpost in the end zone. My entire purpose to stay alive was so I could continue being with her. When I got back, I immediately went to see her and found her with another guy. I didn’t flip out like I thought I would, but something broke that day and took a long time to fix.
💔💔
I'm so sorry, you deserved better.
Men are simply tools in love and war
You deserved much better.
Fuckin Jodie strikes again
“I’m wasting your film”… no sir, you are articulating our overall experience in Vietnam better than anyone else I’ve ever heard
I’ve heard others speak and tell their stories well too.
there was a cut before
Absolutely!
@@carmelvalleykiwanisclub8626 I have too, I didn’t mean that his was THE best, but he summarized up everything very well
Yes. It's right!
"I'm wasting your film" no sir, you most certainly are not
stfu
ok
I liked his humility. He actually thought that. But uttering the truth he was - definitely not a waste of film.
Might have been thinking for a moment while they were rolling and they cut out the dead air. I notice they readjust the camera when he says that.
@@kashwalton-tewes4624 why would you say that. Just why.
This man was also featured in either Vietnam in HD or the Ken Burns' documentary series on Vietnam. Much older in the documentary but just as articulate and aware.
brave man, think one of the worst parts for him was knowing he was hated
"Im wasting your film".
His interview was one of the best part of the entire documentary. I could literally listen to this man for hours, no lie.
Yea he has a cool voice and I feel the sincerity from him. Somethin about his voice makes him really interesting
The documentary is the one made by ken burns ?
@@masneri97 i think it was. "The Vietnam War"
@@s.c.8296 yeah it's that one tyty
I could've listened to this guy for hours.
I was newly married to a guy who joined the army at 18 yrs old. We were just 2 kids in love who only cared about being together. Then he was shipped out to Viet Nam - Infantry division. I wrote to him every single night. My main goal was to make sure he got a letter every single time they had mail call. He returned after 9 LONG months. Ecstatic to be together again, I assumed everything would be wonderful. I was still the same young girl he'd left safely at home. After the initial excitement of our reunion, I began to feel like I was with a stranger. I didn't have a clue what he had been through. Even though I asked, of course he didn't tell me. How could he begin to describe his thoughts & experiences to someone who couldn't possibly understand? He mostly only felt comfortable around other soldiers who had been there & returned. This guy who had only wanted to be with me & our baby son before he left didn't seem to know how to be with us anymore. I knew he looked like the same guy but something had changed....a lot. Being naive, I assumed he didn't want to be with me. I never knew that maybe he didn't know how to be in his own skin. Eventually our marriage didn't make it. Now that I've learned so much more than I ever knew then, there have been sooo many times that I've wanted to go back & talk with him. But I can't. He died at only 31 years old & it wasn't until much later that I began to understand him again. I wish so badly I could tell him so.
Deejo2🌹
Hey, it's okay. You didn't choose the war for him, and you weren't able to grasp the implications. He probably wasn't either. Don't beat yourself up over this. The reflection alone tells me that you're a good person. I know a lot of Viet veterans, and i have lived in Vietnam for years, it takes decades to understand what happened here. Nothing is black and white here.
This is what people couldn't understand. How can you go through those experiences, and come back to what we know as normal life, and still see things the same, and try and be a" normal person", or take anything seriously? I'm sorry for how it turned out for you, and understand what he must have been going through.
Reminds me of an old movie “The Best Years of our Lives”, except that film was about WWII vets returning home and all the implications that brought to them and their families. Very good but sad movie.
Feel his love. In the end that's what's left, doesnt that feel good? 💖 .
One of my favourite videos on TH-cam. Play this in every history lesson.
"I'm wasting your film" just painfully drives home the fultility of the war that this man feels, and the longing that things could have been different.
11:30 "I'm wasting your film" This man is so considerate while talking about such atrocities. The sheer amount of self reflection and personal growth this man must have undergone is astounding, truly admirable.
this guy is EXTREMELY articulate, it's encouraging to know that some people made it out of there with their minds still intact.
@@VictorRice Or were atleast able to piece themselves back together.
its funny because that is also the bit they cut so he was 100% right lmao
My response to that statement was 'No sir, you are most decidedly NOT.'
that's what stood out to me right away. I was like "noooo, the details and the emotion really matter, we all appreciate it now"
My uncle was a door gunner in Vietnam. He never spoke more than two words about his experience there. Later in life he suffered a catastrophic stroke , and all but lost his ability to speak. Now he wakes nightly, terrified by haunting nightmares that he physically cannot recount. Here’s to the silent sufferers who endure our country’s shrouded intentions.
the poor man. I hope he can find some peace.
God be with him. His country obviously wasn't.
SAD!
why don’t ppl talk abt there experience
@@mikehawk3489 because your mind tries to shut out bad things that happen to you
You are not wasting his film! Man wish it was longer. It's like the world has amnesia and we're doing the same thing over agin. Wish i could speak with u.
Probably one of the most REAL interviews I have ever watched. Good one.
Only thing my father mentioned about his time in Vietnam was "all my friends died, but I lived". He was kinda unsure to why he lived and his friends died. I never asked another question. He died in 17' and here I am living my best life. Thanks for being a survivor, dad.
My dad was very similar to yours. He opened up to me about his time in Vietnam one time and one time only. He finished it by saying the whole thing was just one big lie and the horrors and damages from such a pointless war live with him every single day both mentally and physically. He ended up passing away in 2014 from liver, lung, and lymph node cancer from agent orange exposure. Looking at present day, i fear the US hasnt learned much (if anything at all) from our time spent there.
Many people come back from wars with that feeling, called survivors guilt. It also affects people in tragedies like plane crashes, fires, tornadoes, mass shootings.. It must be a horrible feeling trying to wonder why it was you and not someone else and then the pressure of trying to justify why to survived. Trying to make a life mean more than you can ever realistically expect because you did survive.
@@yahmutha If you don't learn from history, you tend to repeat it. Yup we're pretty stupid.
❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️
Rest in peace ✌️ ☮️ 🕊
I wanted this to continue so badly. He’s so well spoken with outstanding insight. I could listen to him for hours.
Yeah, same here.
It's not that the guy is exceptionally articulate. He isn't. It's that you probably spend far too much time on social media. You also probably surround yourself with uneducated, inarticulate and uninformed morons. Yeah. That's it.
Ken Burns: The Vietnam War
@@patrick5034 It should be "educating". You want the verrbs to match. I think this is usually covered in junior high.
@@lauraellen122 🤣🤣👏👍
I come back to this interview again and again just to see how an honest man can help make this world better. I hope all people all over the world would watch this and all soldiers of all military all over the world would understand that most wars are done for profit of a few .
In war, truth is the first casualty.
Bill Earhart is the guy’s name. He ended up being a poet and writer.
I hope this comment gets more likes so more people will see it
Thank you.
Almost. Bill Ehrhart.
Thanks so much!
Thank you
"I'm wasting your film." Oh no, sir, you are not.
@Will Harris your God damn right
Have you not noticed that the clip was cut there? He was talking about him thinking too long while the camera was running, not about the interview itself.
@@bartoszpankiewicz8031 Exactly, he was clearly taking a minute to think about what to say next, and he was refering to that, no to the whole interview. Thats where the cut came from. People just cant think for themselves, thats why it is so easy for politicans to manipulate us.
@@j.jtorpeda4333 a little cynical arent we? maybe they just didn't notice the cut? distracted by their dog or something i dunno... didnt think of that did ya? sweet irony
How do you know? They probably cut out lots of thinking time (it's called editing)
Respect to this veteran for his service.
"I'm wasting your film"
Not in the slightest. Utterly fascinating.
9 xx
Fascinating enough for us to be transfixed. Decades later.
Film is very expensive. Especially back then
@@daveslyker4431 Yeah but it was worth it.
@@mickles1975 not saying it wasn't. But we would never think of that because of digital cameras. He's a thoughtful man and considers something like the cost of film.
War is young men dying and old men talking -Odysseus
Thomas, it is my belief that one way to stop wars is making those who start them fight them. We might not lose so much of the flower of youth.
@@keithhaycraft3765 Agreed my friend. The youth who fight the wars are often the pawns of those who wage them.
@@keithhaycraft3765 Well put. Even when the youth have lost friends and are likely to never be the same again, they are mistreated by the men that sent them there.
Generals gather in their Masses just like witches at black masses.
.. Ozzy Osbourne
@@bluesyjazzy-ish3489
Politicians hide themselves away,
They always start the wars
Treating people just like pawns in chess..wait till their judgment day comes...yeah...
Black Sabbath
I am very glad to hear 20 million people were able to and did sit down and listen to this man tell his story. Very important for people to understand a human experience such as this. Thank you again. 🙏
My grandfather knew he was going to die the moment he was drafted to Vietnam. 58,000 Americans had already suffered the casualties of war…millions of Vietnamese. It was yet another Children’s Crusade: a gorey, senseless, bloody crusade. My grandfather conceded that if he was going to die, he was going to leave this earth a good man. No depravity of war was going to strip him of the moral character he had prided himself on maintaining. My young grandfather would go on to spend the week before his departure paying back any and all debts he may have owed. He extended apologies and sought to mend any bridges he had burned or broken in the fleeting 20 years he had been alive. He made peace with his past and said his “I love you’s”to his friends and family. Bust most importantly he took the greatest vow of his life, swearing “I do” to my eighteen year old grandmother he had come to love dearly over the past 7 months.
From the desolate lands of Albuquerque, New Mexico, my grandfather was plucked. First sent to basic training in California he would train for the next eight weeks before he was shipped off to Vietnam. On his final night, my great grandfather flew my young grandmother all the way to California to be with my grandfather one last night. They spend the night together, wrapped up in the sheets, passionate with the glowing embers of the newly wed. This would be the night my father was conceived.
September 14th, 1970 my grandfather landed in Vietnam as combat infantry men. He was 20 years old, ready to turn 21 in a mere two months. The war had been raging since the mid 1950’s, perhaps landing nearly 2 decades after it’s start would ensure him a better chance of survival. I do not know much of his time on the ground except for what we could collect based on interviews and newspaper articles detailing life of an American Solider in Vietnam. It wasn’t until 2016 were we contacted that a tape recorder from Time’s magazine had captured the last ever known recording of my grandfather on the ground.
November 2nd, 1971 was his 21st birthday, and a joyous one at that. Receiving news of my grandmother’s pregnancy, he was overjoyed with his newfound fatherhood. He wrote back to my grandmother so thrilled with the news. The second eldest of 12 siblings, my grandfather always wanted to be a father himself.
Unfortunately for my grandfather he never did get to see his dream come to fruition. November 23rd 1970, as he and his platoon ventured into the dense jungles of Vietnam, he, and three other men stepped on a land mind ensuing a blazing explosion that killed them all upon impact. My father was born May of 1971, my grandmother a widow, my father…fatherless.
Though my grandmother did go on to remarry (another incredible story that I know will find it’s way into my writings of my families one day) my father never did find true peace in my grandfather’s death. It is a terrible thing war. Something that seems to be inevitable, appears brutal, and brings utter devastation. I can never say which side of war I stand on for its innate grapple hold it has over humanity, but I can say how much it has affected the course my families history and in turn that of my life, forever. Many days may live in infamy for American History. November 23rd, 1971 will always be mine.
Edit: Looking back on this and the likes and comments I want to say thank you!! I am an aspiring writer and nearly college graduate of English literature! I one day hope to recount the details of my grandfather’s life, my grandmother’s struggles, and my fathers upbringing and compose it into a published work of nonfiction.
ideas have power
War is so terrible it even leaves a permanent scar on the minds and hearts of those yet to be born. Thank you for sharing.
That is excruciating to hear your heartfelt story! Bless your heart for sharing. We need to hear these stories more to appreciate the pain that other families suffer thru in times like these. Covid situation is hard, but your stories are so heartfelt! 💔
What doses wrecked havoc mean?
Jaquaveon Andress She made a small typo, she meant “wreaked havoc” the phrase “wreak havoc” just means to cause a wild violent disturbance.on something.
I think this 15 minute segment of interview just taught me more about the Vietnam War than all my years of schooling.
I was never taught anything about vietnam
That's sad. True.
Eric TheRed me either I had to do the research myself
You don't know anything until you know how dark the jungle can get. Until total silence can break into minutes of extreme fear of a ambush. Until you realize everything you do to stay alive depends on your brothers around you and they on you. Until the smell of copper ( blood) and powder fills the air. Until you lose friends. How hard the hot air is to breath and how much you can sweat and how thirsty you can get.
You can't understand Vietnam until you experience it. You fought ghosts !
Eddie Clark your absolutely right I salute to the men who served Vietnam
Much love and respect for this gentleman! He tells it like it was. Thank you, Sir for telling us your story! God bless our, Vets from 'Nam. Semper Fi!
What an incredible man. It is tragic what war does. I wish we could all live in peace. Thank you for this wonderful piece of history.
My high school history teacher was a Vietnam war veteran, he told me that it’s impossible to win a war against the very enemies created by your own actions, the Vietcong never needed to force anybody to fight because after US soldiers call in an air strike on a village, everyone left alive will be begging for a gun to take revenge on those who murdered their friends and loved ones.
Yeah that’s kind of exactly what this guy says in the video.
Doesn't mean you have to become american puppet if you get scholarship to study abroad
He could be describing the war in Ukraine.
This is the result of all war
@@RitchieCollins or Afghanistan....
He didn’t waste a single frame, but he sure did waste that cigarette!
His mind was too close to nam for him to risk making that cherry glow.
If all you got out of this story was how he smoked his cigarette you have alot to learn about life liberty and pursuit of happiness. Did you hear how he told of the life and liberty and freedom we were giving "our" side of allies in that simple conflict of madness!! No disrespect brother! Learn. Reteach yourself every thing your so called school taught you about our wonderful country and what it means for us to liberate you!
right
@@timothycannon528 did he say thats all he got from the video? no he didnt...he made a comment on a single scene...take your bitter misery elsewhere
@Xxzombieluck19xX exactly
My friend was a medic in Viet Nam. He threw wounded men into helicopters. He was also a PA and I worked with him for many years in a clinic in the USA. He went on four tours, the last one when he was over 60 years old. He was left alone in the Middle East to care for a family of six that the US soldiers had machine gunned in their car at a road stop. It was four hours before a helicopter came and they died one by one. One child was still alive when the helicopter came. When he came home he had a stroke on the transport plane. He went to the medic in charge when he deplaned and they gave him cursory neuro exam and sent him to his sleeping quarters saying nothing was wrong. He had a major stroke in the night and he was never the same. He came home and did poorly. He was a recluse. He stayed home and drank and ate a lot of ice cream and died less than a year later. He had earned four medals for various heroic deeds in the middle east during his last tour. The officer who was supposed to give him the medals went to his town and could not find him so the medals were left in a drawer at the clinic in the USA where we both worked. An officer found the medals two or three years after he died and they asked me to deliver them to his wife. I was an officer in the Public Health Service but not in the army. But I was willing to deliver them. I remember sitting in the cafe and crying with his wife when I gave her the medals. His wife and I became friends and we have coffee together about once a week. She never remarried. It has been over 10 years. But I never could understand why the army would not deliver the medals to his wife rather than having someone else do it. And I never understood how his death could be ruled 0% service related.
A very powerful and sad story. Thank you for sharing it.
David Hoffman filmmaker
We Love you, sorry for all this , I'll never forget this ! My husband Vietnam veteran Us Navy Gunner, USS mullinix DD 944 .
@@DavidHoffmanFilmmaker Thank you for all you do David. I am sad to say I was all in favor of supporting the Veit Nam war at first. But gradually the reality of it came home to me.
@@Fires755 Thanks for the kind comments Lisa.
I hope the guy who filmed this realised that it's not a waste of film. He's telling stories that would have been forgotten by time otherwise ❤️
Matthew Foreshew im 90% sure this is from the tv documentary series “Vietnam: A Television History” it’s 13 episodes and each episode is an hour long. i highly recommend watching it. last time i checked it’s on netflix
@@jack-dh9hs it's the same guy from the documentary, but this looks older than those interviews. I think he tells the same story in the docu. Really good documentary though, I've seen it almost 5 times. It is heartbreaking listening to all the stories from those involved in this conflict, vietnamese and americans alike, veterans and civilians.
Edit
Sorry, thought you were talking about the more recent documentary by Ken Burns. Simply named The Vietnam war. It's on Netflix..
This was one person's opinion. Not to say what he observed was wrong, but... It was his observations.
@1manuscriptman hey buddy. Shut up. 😘
@@brennencox516 I mean, other than pointing out an obvious thing, that these are his observations, do you have any other thing to actually say? Its a strange thing to write if you don't want to imply something, such as that he might be wrong and the Vietnam War was some heroic effort. All those involved in getting us into Vietnam were the worst kinds of lying bastards, this is historically well-documented. In fact as I write this I am baffled at the notion that someone could disagree with that statement, like, this is pretty much the consensus.
Dr. Ehrhart was my senior year of highschool history teacher, unbelievable man who has lived a full life and certainly has seen all the sides life has to offer. Lost one of my good friends during highschool, and the advice he told me afterwards still lingers with me.
what did he say?
asking for a friend... 🤓
.
If this is true, can you please tell us the advice he gave you? Recently lost someone close to me. Any advice is appreciated.
@@andrewgarner2323 I'm just a guy on the internet, but I lost my father recently after being his primary caretaker for 11 years. That was a lot of time I invested, and that was one of the bigger challenges I faced and still am dealing with; you feel cheated. What do you do with all that time and all those memories? You've spent so much time being accustomed to their presence that their absence won't even fully-calculate in your head. For the first year, I kept passing by his room expecting to see him in bed like always. Ever single time I would have to catch myself, remind myself "oh, right..."
Be good to yourself right now. Give yourself a LOT of love, care, and SLACK. Dealing with loss is never easy, and frankly doesn't "get easier" unless you get good at lying to yourself--which I do not advise.
You need to heal, but in order to do that, you need to get through each day. To get through each day in the military, we looked forward to each meal; breakfast lunch and dinner. To get through each week, we lived Sunday-to-Sunday. It's true what that say... enter the military as an atheist, and you'll leave as the most-vocal Christian. Jesus Christ helped me. I didn't pay a church $20,000, or do some ceremony or anything. I just prayed and talked to Him directly, as though He was sitting right beside me. Changed my life. Didn't make dealing with loss any EASIER mind you, but it DID make it bearable and tolerable.
Like I said though, give yourself slack right now. It's really important. You are not operating under normal conditions. Be real with yourself foremost, and you'll be just fine.
The Legend of Leviathan I’m sorry for your loss mate, thank you for sharing these stories ❤️
" the more we stayed, the more enemies we created". That's deep.
I’ve watched this a half a dozen times and find it just as interesting as the first time I saw it love the vet even if you hate the war
This guy looks like every guy from the 70’s.
He looks a bit like Howard Stern back when Stern was starting radio.
early 80’s look too
I have a couple aunt's with that look as well
'70s*
How would you know
"No one told the Vietnamese they'd been set back 4 months"
I love this guy's sense of humor even at a dark time like that.
'War is a place where young men who don't know each other and don't hate each other kill each other,
because of old men who know each other and hate each other but don't kill each other'' --Erich Hartmann
The most honest 👏👏👏
Time magazine really set them up by saying that
I couldn't help laughing at that also lol
He want making a joke, he was making a point that the US government lies to the people. He laughed because he couldn’t believe he figured out their scam. And here we are decades later, and people still believe the government.
this guy is so well spoken, no two ways about it
i admire his position and his speech and his storytelling ability
a beautiful person i wish well
The absolute candor is what makes this interview great.
Dr Ehrhart!! He was my english teacher and track coach in high school. His advice to my graduating class was that we probably wouldn't amount to much else than every other graduating class before us, but his biggest wish was for us to prove him wrong. He would talk about his service often but I didn't have too many details, and had no idea just how extensive it was. Fantastic human. Really hope our paths cross again!
Another comment says he was a history teacher, what is going on?
@@MB-fe6ly I assume he taught multiple classes
@@azkay lmfaoo
Bacon in a tank Hey look, it’s my 3D Design teacher, Dr. Ehrhart!
Look it’s my Art Therapy teacher Dr. Ehrhart!
I spent 13 months in Nam. He's 100% on point. It was beyond preposterous.
@Old Corps Marine USMC had 13 month tours during Vietnam, while US Army had 12 month deployments
@Old Corps Marine 12 months for Army, but a lot of guys would extend. If you were drafted and your 12 months were up before you had been in for 18 months, you would be sent to a military base in the states to serve the rest of your time. If you came home with over 18 months time served, you would usually be discharged. 18 months were required for full benefits. I came back with about a month to go, and was assigned to Ft. Benning. My 1st Sgt. wisely let me be the permanent CQ, & kept me away from troops who might have given a shit. For those non-military folks out there, CQ is Charge of Quarters, an overnight job in case anything important happens at 3:00 in the AM.
pretorious700 you’re full of shit. As if there are 70 year old men commenting on TH-cam like this
Matan Malahi cause he’s full
Of crap
11BravoRVN yes I’m sure men who spent a year fighting this bull shit would re-enlist for the hell of it. What a load of crap.
Great summary. One of the best I've ever heard. I was a contractor serving as a military advisor in Afghanistan for 21 months. A small group of terrorist goaded the US into a very long-term engagement. Thousands of US military and contractors killed, thousands of coalition troops killed, untold number of divorces due to military deployments, minds torn apart with PTSD--never any peace again, and the end result wasn't what we hoped for. The end result was unrealistic---some people in Afghanistan still believe Alexander rules the country!. The place is a burial ground for great empires. Engaging in such wars and conflicts should only be made by those who will be sending their own children there.
Americans make fantastic warriors. It's a criminal waste to send them to conflicts that don't protect their homeland
Had a neighbor that was not liked in my neighborhood growing up in the early 2000s as a child. He got gassed in the jungle of Vietnam. He was drafted. His nickname was "Rat" he was a full blown alcoholic with mental disabilities from the gas..2 of the worst combos. He would stand on his porch piss drunk and flip everyone off and cuss them out as the drove by with thier windows UP. Probably didn't even notice him. I truly believe today he was releasing past anger from the boomers spitting on this poor man off the plane coming home...😢
You guys do understand he isn't dead right? He's a poet, writer, scholar, as well as a Vietnam vet. His name is Bill Ehrhart aka W.D. Ehrhart and he is very much alive.
I just realized he even spoke in the documentary The Vietnam War (2017) by Ken Burns. Said the same story about the Vietnamese being thrown off the vehicle. But he wasn't so chatty in the documentary as he is here
He's in Ken Burns "The Vietnam war " documentary.
WriggityRick that’s why it’s so fkn beautiful
Thanks for the update
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/W._D._Ehrhart
The hair, the mustache, the glasses, the cigarette. That’s the most 70’s thing I’ve ever seen.
It's kind of cool 😎
@@TheSubpremeState Of course! :D
You forgot........the teeth.
You had to be there.
It was 1990, says the video description