Oliver Stone has made another Vietnam War film – PINKVILLE – about the My Lai Massacre (read his interview at the website listed under CONVERSATIONS on this blog). He has made several powerful points including these about Bush’s recent VIETNAM/IRAQ analogy:
Speaking of parallels, President Bush recently made the case that the lessons from the aftermath of the Vietnam withdrawal is reason to stay in Iraq. Any thoughts?
Now that’s despicable. The man went to Yale, but he never went to class. Obviously he didn’t learn history. Anyone who knows anything about Vietnam would know that it was not the American withdrawal that precipitated chaos in this area. It was quite the opposite. It was the American invasion that precipitated the chaos. I don’t think he was a good student. I was in the same class with him at Yale — ‘68. I left, he stayed. But he didn’t learn his lessons.
He also had this to say about whether he would ever make a film about Iraq. I believe it just about covers it regarding one of the ultimate parallels and lessons our present administration refuses to learn about Vietnam:
Do you think you’ll make an Iraq movie eventually?
It’s a good subject, but you know, it’s another generation’s war. I think it could be told better by someone who has really lived it like I lived Vietnam. But I’m interested in the politics of what happened behind it. That fascinates me. Right now the surge — it resembles a lot of the Vietnam stuff because we always heard that there was a light at the end of the tunnel. That was a very consistent quote: “It’s changing, it’s getting better, [another] six months, another 100,000 troops.” We heard that again and again and I think any Vietnam veteran or person of my age from that era will tell you that it’s very similar. False hope.
Wow – this is quite an interview – very good! It is wonderful to hear this from someone who has paid a lot of attention to history – and who I greatly respect. It was quite creepy being blamed by Bush for lots and lots of deaths! (given I was very active against the war)
But it sure sounds to me like it did in Vietnam … creepy and always trying to slant the news – not a lot about the truth!! They are still trying to control us as activists of that time … still trying to claim we didn’t care about this country and that we smeared vets terribly – I sure never did that and never saw it. I am not saying it didn’t happen … but certainly not where I was … and I would have said something if someone did – believe me!!
Very refeshing – thank you again!
~ Diane Clancy
http://www.dianeclancy.com/blog
Thanks for your response to the Stone quotes. The rest of the interview is also powerful. There are several really disturbing reports on “Democracy Now” online about what is really going on in Iraq and what we’re not hearing about in the distracting and deceitful testimony of Petraeus. It is clear that our government does not want us to know what is really happening on the ground in Iraq because it is so deeply disturbing…
Hello everyone here. I am no critic. I am but of 14 years of age. My grandfather was a Staff Sergeant in vietnam. He was part of a LRRP team. ( Long Range Recon Patrol ) He is now 67. We recently found out he was infected with “Agent Orange”. Which for any of those who don’t know what that is. Is a vegetation killer. I was only 6 when he started telling me of his war stories. Dak-To and Ho-Chi-Mien trail. He was a Ranger in the 173rd airborne brigade. I have read many of these stories. My uncle is A Ltcolonel in the 101st. He flys kiowa warriors.
Thanks for your comment Joseph. I am imagining that hearing your grandfather’s war stories was an intense experience. I appreciate you finding this blog and reading the stories. I would greatly appreciate any feedback you have regarding the stories you have read. I hope your grandfather will not have to suffer from the Agent Orange contamination. I also hope that the Veteran’s Administration recognizes their responsibility to assist him in coping with his condition.
Thanks again for taking the time to visit this site. If there are any stories that you would like to share that your grandfather has told you, I would be very pleased to consider publishing them here.
Peace,
Tom