Wayne smith who served as a combat medic during vietnam. We wanted to get home. We just wanted to survive. And yet there is an enormous guilt that stays with me and many my brothers and sisters today that we should have known better. We should have been sitting where you are. That we should have been more active, more informed, and more in opposition to that war. Amy all of that and more coming up. This is democracy now democracynow. Org, the war and peace report. Im amy goodman. As the nation celebrates memorial day, we look back at the vietnam war. Fifty years ago, on march 7, 1965, 3500 u. S. Marines landed in south vietnam, marking the start of the u. S. Ground war in vietnam. That same day, in alabama, state troopers beat back civil rights protesters in selma trying to walk over the Edmund Pettus bridge. Weeks later, the first teachin against the vietnam war was held at the university of michigan. By 1968, the u. S. Had half a million troops in vietnam. The war continued until apr
Narrator the news that day would start a chain of events that would threaten to forever change the way americans see the game of football. It is hard to find a former pro Football Player whose body hasnt paid a very high price. Narrator mike websters body was delivered to the Allegheny County coroners office. Webster ends up in the autopsy room. And the pathologist whos on call that day is this guy, bennet omalu. Omalu parked his car and walked into the office and he said, whats going on . And one of his colleagues said, its mike webster. Hes up in the autopsy room. And omalus response was, whos mike webster . And everybody looked at me like, where is he from, is he from outer space . Who is this guy who doesnt know mike webster in pittsburgh . Hes a nigerianborn, incredibly welleducated guy, but he doesnt know anything about football. Narrator a doctor, omalu was also a trained neuropathologist. From the beginning of the autopsy, dr. Omalu could see the effects of 17 years in the foot