Bobby, wallace, golda mayr, ecology, the supremes, apollo, psychedelic, joe namath, malcolm indiratrong, nixon, gandhi, demonstrations, but no , no single word repeated itself as often on the pages of the 1960s, with controversy, as vietnam. Narrator it was a strange mixture of peace and war, a battlefield nowhere and it battlefield everywhere. Death atng the day, night, ally one moment, and be the next, lush jungle, barbed wire. It was all of this. Was who wanted to find a war might have had to hunt for it. Those who didnt want to find it were often became the hunted. Around the world and in the United States of america, there was another battle, battle of words, politics and debate. The question was, who was the hunter in vietnam, and was the hunted . Who would defined aggressor and defender . Searchre was the larger for a definition of the workpiece. Did peace mean only the absence of war, or the absence of war and fear and oppression . This film is a story of the 1960s in two parts, a story of both conflicts, of war and debate. In the 1960s, Many Americans did not believe the United States should help South Vietnam, and dissent and demonstrations became to some a way of life. But in the beginning of the 1960s, the threat and the prophecy were clear. We face an extremely serious and intense struggle with the communist. We have talked about and heard stories of 15,000 guerrillas operating in vietnam, killing 2000 officers a year, 2000 Police Officers a year, 4000. There has been an election in vietnam in which 75 of the people or 80 of the people endorsed the government, and yet we read out vietnam is in danger because of guerrilla operations carried on by this small, welldisciplined, well supplied across the border group of guerrillas. How we fight that kind of they problem, which is going kind of a problem, which is going to be with us all through this decade, seems to be one of the great problems now before the United States. Narrator both threat and prophecy were made to a land of many gods, hardship, poverty, disease and war have never eroded the faith of the South Vietnamese. Their faith coming something higher and much larger than themselves. Buddha, to some jesus, to some confucius and others and a married of names of ancestors. And sometimesge strange, nation done strange, nation of gods and fate in this land, there emerged commonality. There was a belief that this arld was not all, there was cause larger than sickly sustaining life. And this force was so powerful, so real, that it was the reason for life itself. The stuff of South Vietnam was neither rice nor jungle, another delta nor the mountains, its heart flowed with undefined faith, and the undefined became its strength. Too easily, a stranger would say, he is a buddhist, he is a catholic, he is a taoist, but the religions were overlapping. The oldest form of christianity in vietnam is roman catholicism. Vietnam, pe partition of hundreds of thousands more catholics came to the south, where the practice of religion was still free. [church bells ringing] as next as its gods. As its cities wereves in full of cluttered patterns, students and merchants and lovers and shoppers met in the splendor of asian disorder. [marketplace sounds] [rooster crowing] [car horn honking] passing]le most of the populace paid no to the sounds of the city. And areas where they found contentment for the earth and the sky, and love. Charlton but in vietnam, the serenity of life and earth and prayer had a new intruder. The intruder was not always visible, not always apparent. In times, at times, it was difficult to believe he was present in the country at all, but he was. His habits were a regulator, his route unknown, his next steps were never told in advance, the evidence that he was there was fast becoming a part of every horizon. [water flowing] intruder changed the horizons of rural south and they guidelines of northern vietnam as many refugees escaped from the north. Not only shrines where the south, but hospitals as well. And now there was more than the six to heal. There were hundreds of thousands of wounded. Lets have another retractor, please. Charlton civilians told stories of grenades and shells and men who came to the villages and massacred, talked of pillage and fire, by the vietcong and by men who came from the north. The ones who still lived war deep scars. The memory of a single day would last through their lifetimes, in their minds and on their bodies. These are films of South Vietnam after the destruction of a village by the North Vietnamese. Command of North Vietnam, and the viet, the pursuit was a united vietnam under hanoi with a communist government. To those in South Vietnam, the pursuit was to be left alone, but they were not left alone. Same. Ory was always the it became a daily way of life, a daily way of death. Village after village, city after city. Today, dozens killed in one area, hundreds and another, thousands in another. Often, mass graves were located months after a massacre. The ones known previously only to be missing were found, identified and buried. [voices of anguish] narrator in North Vietnam, victory rallies were held regularly. Deaths and destruction of villages in South Vietnam were hailed as liberation. [automatic gunfire] vietnamese reacted with missions to search for and destroy weapons use against them. In the early 1960s, reconnaissance flights began. From the air, land looked lush enemynocent, signs of were nonexistent. If this lush land held secrets, it was really apparent from those on the quick overflights. And so the missions were preserved on film for later study by train on unhurried eyes. Each flight brought just like on a precious cargo of photographs. [gunfire] [camera shutter clicking] charlton the evidence was unmistakable, South Vietnam was under threat from external forces and if it was going to stay alive and answer that threat, it would need support. On the occasion of your new year celebration, my fellow americans and i extend our very best wishes for the prosperity and wellbeing of the government and the people of vietnam. In your struggle against aggressive forces of communism, the sacrifices that you have willingly made, the courage you have shown, the burdens you have endured, have been a source of inspiration to people all over the world. Let me assure you of our continued assistance in the development of your capabilities to maintain your freedom, and to defeat those who wish to destroy that freedom. Charlton and so the americans came. Other countries came as well to help the South Vietnamese, australia, new zealand, the republic of korea, malaysia, the republic of china, thailand and the philippines. [explosions] [automatic gunfire] [helicopter overhead] charlton just beyond the village were the vietcong and North Vietnamese. Civilians of the village were evacuated before the battle that was sure to come. [helicopter overhead] [helicopter overhead] [automatic gunfire] [automatic gunfire] [mortar fire] discovered by the prisoners taken by the North Vietnamese were the vietcong. For the vietcong discovered were the prisoners taken by the North Vietnamese, or the vietcong. [automatic gunfire] [indiscernible voices] [automatic gunfire] [military drumroll] [military drumroll] for today,he battle, is over. The battle for tomorrow has yet to begin. And in the night that separates the two, the enemy would resupply and regroup and replant to the village again, the day by day price of holding a village was not cheap. [military drumroll] charlton and the 1960s, 40,000 americans were killed in vietnam, and there were another 1002s fate were not known. Of the missing appealed to the representatives of North Vietnam. We are very puzzled about why they wont tell us whether or not the men are alive or dead. It seems a very simple thing for them to do. They have told many wives to come back and demonstrate against the United States government, and they implied that we should join that womens strike for peace, and that this would be the most helpful thing that we could do to help our men. Once we educate the general public, not only in this nation but worldwide, tho the true facts that these men are not being treated the way hanoi would like to paint the picture. And i believe public pressure will be brought to bear on hanoi, and they will be shown up for the dishonesty and this truth they are putting forth. They tell the world, we have not heard, we do not know. Please, just let us know if our husbands or sons are alive. This is so little task. Senator mcgovern has been to paris and has talked with the vietnamese. I have written to the secretarygeneral of the u. N. , and i have written several times and have not received a reply. Most recent my letters to senator fulbright, i said, last summer i wrote to you asking for an appointment with you and expressing the idea that the most vociferous critics of the war had very probably lengthened the war and thus had a detrimental effect on the possibility of release for the prisoners. At that time, you refused to see me on the grounds that my idea was so preposterous, and that was his phrase, that visiting with me would serve no purpose. We are going back today to finding thepes of information that we originally went there seeking on september 17. The North Vietnamese promised to send us letters regarding our husbands health and wellbeing. We have not today received those letters. We still want to know about our husbands. We want to know what we can tell our children concerning the fathers concerning the fathers. Yes, into beginning the real rough treatment came at first, when they were trying to get militarytype answers from you. And after that, they tried force you to go before these delegations to say that you deceived humane treatment. And they would throw rocks at you and hate you. And one of the little ones came up and hit me in the side of the mouth, and it dislodged a filling. Once i got to the camp, they refused to give me medical treatment, saying that i was going to die in four hours of i did not give them information. I just finally passed out. Ask the north the North Vietnamese tried to get general stanton to appear and say he had been given humane treatment. He refused because his treatment had not been humane. He had been tied up with ropes to such a degree that he still had large scars on his arms from the rope burns which became infected. He was deprived of sleep, beaten, his fingernails removed and put in solitary, but the North Vietnamese demanded he make the false statement and through him in a cell alone to think about it for 38 days. I feel a solemn obligation to them men back there. They know im going to come back here and tell the truth and that is what they wanted. And the war and end the war end the war free debate, perhaps the greatest of all time in service to the united dates, gave voices in universities, in , and in washington perhaps the greatest of all time in service to the United States. Im opposed to this war not only because i think it is morally and legally wrong, but because i think it is destroying the good name and the leadership of the United States. Furthermore, i believe that the war is militarily unwinnable. If we should succeed in bombing onlyam to rubble, we will find ourselves up against the chinese. Is morei could do with compassion and more sympathy, without tens of thousands of civilians who have been killed in kidnapper by the vietcong and north Vietnamese Forces as a matter of deliberate policy, and the far larger tens of thousands of South Vietnamese military who have been killed and wounded simply because North Vietnam is trying to seize South Vietnam by force. I lost a really good friend over there. They brought his body home to me. Sudden, i began wondering, what are we doing over there . It worth it . I dont think it is. Can you really draw a line as to if it is worth one american that if that by saving american life, you subject probably thousands of vietnamese to death . Human life is human life. We believe that this war is illegal from every point of view, completely immoral, and i would like to add for myself that it is detrimental to the United States. How do you feel about the charges that america is immoral and wrong in this war . I feel they are wrong. I think if people who make these statements could go over and see whats going on they would think it is a just war. We cannot just now dishonor our word or abandon our commitment, or leave those who believed us and who trusted us to the terror and repression and murder that would follow. I dont think theres any evidence, any real reason to believe that kind of mass execution would take place. Thate very fact practically 2 million of the North Vietnamese fled to South Vietnam to escape the communist regime is an indication that this government did not represent the will of the people. Not only are we wounding our vietnam,ng them die in we are spending at about the rate of 30 billion a year, 2. 5 billion a month in vietnam. Thats more we spend on our enticing entire housing program, more than we spend on our entire Poverty Program in a year. This money must be diverted back to our domestic needs. Never existedese the invasion of any and all outsiders, the french, the japanese, and now the americans. Never resisted the invasion. [applause] opposition toin our policy in southeast asia, long preceded the tide of revolt against it, there can be no peace by negotiation. Of mlfs part, of course, South Vietnam, a part that is like an alien body fed, supplied, supported, and kept up in some state of vigor by a Hostile Force outside the country namely, North Vietnam. I wonder how we in this country or somebody in any other western european country if such a force existed in their ranks and somebody from the outside would tell us now, be a good boy and let those people determine your fate. It started out as a colonial war and became a civil war. Side,ervened on one anything which this country has never done before and i hope never does again. Do you think what you have gone through and what you will have to go through for the rest of your life is worthwhile . Yes, i do. All peoplet about should think of just one thing. Ight now, and thats Freedom Freedom isy to get if itspart ourselves in this country or other countries that need help, and i think a lot of people feel as i do. Ive said we have to publicly indicate our willingness to accept the new government in South Vietnam, which could be a coalition government. I dont really care what they call it. The purpose of communism is to have a policy in government. South vietnam dont like to have communists. I can only say, have you ever lived under a totalitarian government . Sipes ved under two under two types, and i know what im talking about. Why dont you ask a hungarian or a check or a pole or anyone else how they like it before you really ignore the facts of life and support something you would not for yourself or for your children . We are in essence calling the bluff of other governments who have said this is the key and confront them with the responsibility of following through the imperative logic of their pronouncements in this respect. Quickset might be one element, but i dont hear very many people talking about the invasion of South Vietnam by the North Vietnamese. It seems to me the two go handinhand. Or five have been four bombings. The soviets have asked us to halt the bombings. They suggest they thought negotiations could begin within that period. The bombing lasted 37 days and was resumed. That all now ordered air, naval, and artillery bombardment of North Vietnam cease, as of 8 00 a. M. Washington time friday morning. Ofthis is the kind peripheral struggle that i think should be compromised. It surely would cause great nations it is not of the kind of importance that surely would cause great nations to go to war. If you are going to fight a war, i believe in winning because you are losing lives, so winning should be the number one priority. Whenever you enter a war, my idea is get everything you can fast as you can and get it over with. I have preached this. Im not saying anything new. Until the president stands up and says we are bringing all the troops home as quickly as we can bring them home, we are bringing the home now, i think discontent in our country will continue to grow. It is not so simple as just calling it off and coming home because the price for that kind be a thousand years of darkness for generations yet unborn. You know think there should be a demonstration against the war . No. Do you think it does any good, that it might hurry the withdrawal . No, i dont think it will hurry up anything. It might delay it. Do you have any children . Yes, i have three boys. Any of them old enough to take part . One will be 18 next month. The president of the massachusetts Peace Action Council suggested it might be possible to begin to put together an effort across the country devoted to working against the war. A lot of americans are against war, but a lot of them that are against it dont really know anything about it. They have to know about it and dont really try to understand they half know about it. They dont really know the vietnamese people or understand the situation. Know they will not become stronger, but they believe you will become weaker and weaker. Wake up in the morning when we rise can you imagine a protester in hanoi, how far he would get if he wanted to protest North Vietnam sending troops into South Vietnam or laos or cambodia . Have the authoritys taken any action against you as a result of burning your card in central park in new york . None whatsoever. What do you say to those who say you are prolonging the war because of this kind of action . We want the war to stop and we think it is important for the United States to get out of vietnam. The moratorium probably encourages North Vietnam not to negotiate. War end the war now war he go peace we wont we wont go you are idiots, you know . Whats your name . Never mind my name. Im a freedom fighter. You are idiots. You should be out working or do something in hospitals. Its a disgrace what youre doing. Im ashamed for america, but im not an american. Im a hungarian. Many people have been dying since in memoriam. That is nothing new, people dying for freedom. You are misled. Deep inside, im sure you are all very decent people who want the best for humanity, but humanity is finished in a communist country. Know what it means having communists go to hungry hungary, czechoslovakia . Dont turn away now. You should listen to them. Stupid idiots. Are fighting for freedom. Here is a hero. Every American Fighting is a hero. You will realize when its too late. The war the debate went on. The demonstrations went on and every president of the United States through the 1960s voiced his support for the demonstrations. Todays conflict reached ruthlessly for domination over southeast will and tried to break our will to foil the attempt. When they seize power, the effectiveness with which they manage the Police Apparatus so that dissent cannot arise and so that the people can no longer rule theheir will nation by gunfire of the opposition or forcing them out of the country to be refugees this suggests a kind of problems we will have in this decade. In my judgment, it is an extremely difficult matter for the nations to deal with. Say it is a matter to which we must address all of our energy and attention. This nation will keep its commitments from South Vietnam to west berlin. Since i took office as president , no single question has offered occupied so much of my time and energy as the search for an end to the war in vietnam. To the people of South Vietnam an end fair to the people of South Vietnam, fair to the people of North Vietnam. We have offered a number of proposals which would bring peace and provide selfdetermination, and we are ready to consider any other proposals that have the same objective. We haltedthat if only our bombing of the north, peace would follow. Nearly a year has passed since the bombing of the north was halted. Three months have passed since we began the process of troop replacement, signaling both our own genuine desire for settlement and the increased readiness of the South Vietnamese to manage their own affairs. As i announced on tuesday, by december 15, our troop strength in vietnam will have been reduced by a minimum of 60,000 men. On september 2, 1969, North Vietnams chief negotiator in paris said that if the United States committed itself to the principle of totally withdrawing its forces to South Vietnam, and if it withdrew a significant would of troops, hanoi take this into account. I repeat here today what i said in my speech of may 14, that we are prepared to withdraw all of our forces from South Vietnam, and the replacement of 60,000 troops is a significant step. The time has come for the other side to respond to these initiatives. The time has come for peace. Want toe United States end this war, and we are ready to take every reasonable step to but let thereoal, be no question on this one fundamental point. ,n good conscience, we cannot in the longterm interest of peace, we will not accept a settlement that would arbitrarily dictate a political future of South Vietnam and deny to the people of South Vietnam the basic right to determine their own future free of any outside interference. [applause] but the demonstrations and parades continued with the yell of hell, no, we wont go. In South Vietnam, there were other parades where cries of hell, no, we wont go were nonexistent. But without defense, their friends and country would live no more. [singing in foreign language] hell, no, we wont go. Hell, no, we wont go. Hell, no, we wont go. But still, the cries went on. Into the closing nights of 1969, candlelight parades marched down pennsylvania avenue in freshly litand a torch became one symbol to one group in one land and became another symbol to another group in another land. The flames were still bright on december 31, 1969. If that fire would be a permanent light of freedom or would be extinguished was not to be known within the decade. The United States had given lives and treasure and prestige to buy time for the South Vietnamese to face alone what had to be faced. In the last year of the 1960s, the troops of the United States were leaving behind trained and equipped South Vietnamese to defend their destiny, but the guns of the north within the were not silent. The decade was done, the struggle of the South Vietnamese to be free was still unfinished. You can watch archival films on Public Affairs in their entirety on our weekly series eel america, saturday at 10 00 p. M. And sunday at 4 00 p. M. Eastern here on American History tv. The first tv president ial campaign ads aired during the 1952 contest between republican do dwight d. Eisenhower and democrat adlai stevenson. Sunday morning at 8 30 a. M. Andern, American History tv cspans washington journal will be live to look back at the history of these as beginning with the 1952 election and into the 21st century. Heres a look at some amos campaign ads. Join us live sunday morning at 8 30 a. M. Eastern for the full program. Eight, nine nine 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1. [explosion] these are the stakes, to make a world in which all of gods children can live. We must either love each other, or we must die. Vote for president johnson on november 3. It is time for an honest look at the problem of order in the United States. Dissent is a necessary ingredient of change, but in a system of government that provides for peaceful change, there is no cause that justifies resort to violence. Let us recognize that the first civil right of every american is to be free from domestic violence, so i pledge to you we shall have order in the United States. Again inorning america, and under the leadership of president reagan, our country is prouder and stronger and better. Why would we ever want to return to where we were less than four short years ago . I was born in a little town called hope, arkansas. Three month after, my father died. I remember that old twostory house where i lived with my grandparents. They had limited income. It was in 1963 that i went to washington and met president kennedy. Thats when i decided i could really do Public Service because i cared so much about people. It is exhilarating to me to think as president , i could change all our peoples lives for the better and bring hope back to the american dream. Join us live sunday morning at 8 30 a. M. Eastern for the full program. If you like American History tv, keep up with us during the week on facebook, twitter, and youtube. Learn about what happened this day in history and see preview clips of upcoming programs. Follow us at cspanhistory. Americanon artifacts, you visit Arlington National cemetery to see objects in a memorabilia box laid in a 1950 cornerstone in 1915. 105 years later, the box was removed and opened to see what was inside. Heres a preview. I mean i have to say, throughout the process of kale and opening the box, i thought my chest was going to explode because i just did not know what the contents would be, what they would look like. ,e knew what was in there, but like caitlin said, also to things could have gone wrong with the water damage. At one point, someone said is that water at the bottom of the box, and i just about fell over. When caitlin finished cutting the lid of the inside box and peeled back the lid, that was the first thing that struck me. The condition and the care that iny took to put these items in 1915. Just about everything was wrapped in tissue paper or wax paper. The flag was rolled up and tied carefully. Everything looked like it went in yesterday. That was really what struck me, and i just could not wait to get in and unwrapped each item. Historiant for onceinalifetime experience. You can see more of the 1915 memorabilia box at Arlington National cemetery sunday on at 6 00n artifacts p. M. And 10 00 p. M. Eastern time. This fall, American History tv is winding back the clock to feature archival films about historic campaigns. Next, assignment washington, the correspondent marino de medici, profiling an italian newspaper journalist as he goes about his daytoday activities in washington and covers the 1976 president ial contest between president gerald ford and challenger jimmy carter