Beyond the Battlefield | First Coast Vietnam veterans discuss the war

50 years after the last combat soldiers exited Vietnam, First Coast News On Your Side's Jeannie Blaylock hosted a roundtable discussion with veterans who were there.

[cindytran]

Thank you for reminding me said the right word sir . And well come home. To all.our heroes veterans. May God bless America and bless you all

[marifrances]

God bless all of these men, thank you all for your service. 🙏🇺🇸

[cindytran]

Thank you for all your services and your sacrifice your life for our country freedom for all we live today men's and women's may God bless America and bless you all safely and strong healthy always whatever you are.doing in Jesus Christ name amen amen amen

[olivias.]

Thank you and God bless all of our brave veterans!

[ejsocci]

Welcome everyone and thank you all so much for your service.👊🏻🇺🇸

[willmears]

These people represent all thats good in America. A Vietnam Veteran I Corp. 1967-1969 PhuBai/Hue/KheSanh

[PigzHeadNz]

Welcome home Gentlemen ❤🎉
And
Thank you for your service 🙏🙏

[willmears]

One incorrect statement was that the "ARVN 1st Div. left early (before the Tet new year holiday) because the Marines were coming." That is totally incorrect. Because of the supposed Tet truce, the ARVN 1st Div had left nearly all of the 10, 000 1st Division soldiers return to their families for the national holidays, leaving a skeleton crew of about 400 manning their HQ corner of the Citadel. There were NO Marines coming at that time since it was before the Tet offensive. The only US troops in Hue at that time was a small detachment of US Army MPs guarding the MACV compound. The Marine detachment of about 400, from Phu Bai, about 8 miles South on Hwy. 1, were only ordered to Hue after the approximately 10, 000 NVA had taken over the city of Hue on the morning of Tet. The Marines and small MP detachment were so outnumbered that a second detachment was sent from Phu Bai on Feb. 3. The Marines initially fought with odds of 20 to 1, and with the second detachment about 12 to 1. These Hue hero's also fought a totally unknown urban warfare, house to house, which NO US military had been trained for since WWII. A Vietnam Veteran I Corp. 1967-1969 Phu Bai/Hue/Khe Sanh

[sheilalarkin]

We won all of the battles. The politicians lost Vietnam😡

[snowmanth]

I ~S~ Salute EACH & EVERY SINGLE ONE of these great brave men. Thank you for your service Boyz!!

[Brandon-qnws]

Dr Butler shouldve been the only interviewer in this video.

[greasyflight]

Was not a war...more bombs were dropped on Vietnam than WW2 combined...2 million Vietnamese deaths...Fifty eight thousand US deaths....x 3 that is not a war tell me why?

[victorleblue]

Sucked we had to fight against racism and discrimination. But this is where we were and this is still where we are…including within the VA rating system/process. Danang/CamRanh Bay ‘70

[wyatterp]

We won every battle then the Government gave up!!!! From one combat veteran to my brothers' thank you and god bless!!! I'm very upset about Vietnam, Iraq, and Afghanistan!!!! Our Government didn't have there Veterans in mind!!!

[shaneobrien]

God bless America amen amen amen 🦁🐯🐎

[wyatterp]

When I was stationed at Ft. Riley 1st ID, the population around the base hated G.I.s, and this was 1980 5 years after the war. We weren't allowed to wear our fatigues off base unless we were coming or going home or to our unit and for gas. We were so singled out. I was not spit on or called baby killer but I was called derogatory names, and things thrown at me. This continued until 1984 when I went to Germany.
In 1989 I returned to Ft. Riley and immediately could tell the difference, especially around Kansas State University (KSU) student population. Whether it was from the Granada and Panama incidents or other Military operations, there was a huge shift in attitude toward soldiers. I then was Deployed to the Gulf for 8 months where I served on the front line as an FO. Because I had so many friends and family in Vietnam, and my own knowledge from reading books and watching history documentaries of personal accounts made me feel so guilty to receive the homecoming we did. I did not accept it. I broke my back during an engagement and tank battle at 73 Easting. When I returned to the States I recovered, I had 12 years in and received orders for Korea w/in 30 days of returning. I was 4 months out from Re-enlistment and wanted to stay in but wanted some time to recover a little more with my newborn child and wife. NO-GO the Army said! I tried Re-enlisting for other duty stations or MOSs, but the Army was downsizing! so I gave up the military career that I loved without knowing how messed up my life was going to become because of what I personally went through during my service at Ft. Riley and combat!
So Welcome home to all Vietnam Vets and Thank You for your service and for what you've done for the veterans that have come after you, you've done so much!!

[ridza]

Why the other brother not been interviewed twice or more….whats the point of bringing him there into your show is it just to to fill up the chair.

[sutannguyen]

If USA 🇺🇸 won the War in Vietnam..USA did payout
More moneys 💰 to rebuild up all Vietnam Countries and USA must helped Vietnamess Peoples to lived for after War Vietnamess Peoples got no job..the way USA 🇺🇸 wanted Southern Republicans VN to lost the War..and USA 🇺🇸 Planed to take some Vietnamess Peoples to USA 🇺🇸 to live..because before 4-30-1975.. no't many Vietnamess Peoples lived in the United States 🇺🇸..and after Vietnam War got done Vietnamess Peoples got in USA 🇺🇸 by 10 US 🇺🇸 Ship took about over 150, 000 Vietnamess Peoples to lived in the USA 🇺🇸..and Until todays Vietnamess Peoples got to Lived in USA 🇺🇸 go up to 2.2 millions Vietnamess Peoples all Northern and Southern Vietnam did haved to lived in USA 🇺🇸 right now..
We are thank You all US 🇺🇸 Military 🪖 Army, , Navy, , Airport,
Marines, and more.. Americans Veterans..did came Serviced in Vietnam for over 20 years of war..and We
Are alway Remembers more than 58.000 USA 🇺🇸 Sounders
Never came back forever.!!.❤🎉❤🎉❤🎉❤🎉❤🎉

[cibriosis]

i'm not black but the black guy kept repeating the bulshit i related to that cause i could feel his anger and frustratation.

[seangoudarzi]

US lost the war. These people are delusional.
Of course US could have won if they used a nuclear bomb but it was not possible for US to do that once again after WW2.
The battlemoral within the troops was dangerously low and the military lost the support of the people. The reason was that the troops and the people did not believe in the cause.
It would have been different if the war was in US soil but no one wants to die in a jungle far away from home.

Also US overestimated its military and under estimated the vietnamese.