April, 2000

Vietnam: A Nation, Not a War
 
25 Years From Vietnam

 


History and Reconciliation
Americans continue to brood about the purpose and the toll of the war. In Vietnam, it's called "The American War," and the anniversary is a time for victory celebrations. Still, many Vietnamese are eager to accept Americans as friends - and business partners. And many Vietnamese who sided with the U.S. during the war continue to suffer.

The Legacy of Agent Orange
Thousands of Americans who served in Vietnam suffer from diseases they say were caused by exposure to the defoliant called Agent Orange. In Vietnam, the health and environmental damage caused by the chemical is easy to see. But scientists say the impact of Agent Orange in Vietnam has not been sufficiently studied, so the extent of harm is difficult to judge.

Vietnam's MIA's
While U.S. officials continue to search for the remains of some 1,500 American soldiers who never came home from the Vietnam war, the number of missing Vietnamese soldiers may be 300,000 or more. Some Vietnamese have employed psychics to search for their missing relatives - with surprising results.

 

 


The Movie in Our Heads
American culture has shaped powerful myths about the war - and some of the most powerful ones surround the Vietnam-era veteran. John Biewen looks at who they were then, and who they are today.

Jim Northrup - Poet, Veteran
Writer and former Marine Jim Northrup reflects on his Vietnam War experience. See our slideshow with photos by Steve Schapiro and text by John Biewen, and listen to excerpts from Northrup's story-poems.

The War Against the War
The protesters and supporters of US involvement in Vietnam have had three decades to reflect on what they were fighting for. Sandy Tolan reviews the impact and legacy of the antiwar movement.

The Vietnam Tapes of Michael A. Baronowski
In 1966 a young Marine took a reel-to-reel tape recorder with him to the battlefield. Until he was killed in action, Michael Baronowski made tapes of his friends, of life in foxholes, and of combat. His comrade Tim Duffie tells the story of war, loss, and friendship with the help of Lost & Found Sound's Christina Egloff and Jay Allison.




Resources   Bibliography and lists of Vietnam-related organizations and links.

Vietnam Scrapbook  

How does the war in Vietnam continue to affect people's lives today? Read the hundreds of personal stories and photos submitted to our Vietnam Scrapbook.

  On April 28th, Robert O. (Bobby) Muller, President of the Vietnam Veterans of America Foundation, joined us live online to talk about the Vietnam War and its legacy, and his own experiences as a wounded veteran. Read the Transcript

Also on April 28th, Robert Templer, author of Shadows and Wind, and a veteran Vietnam correspondent, joined us live online to talk about contemporary Vietnam and the legacy of the war. Read the Transcript




Major program support for "Revisiting Vietnam" is provided by the Stanley Foundation.

Major funding for American RadioWorks is provided by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting and the Florence and John Schumann Foundation.

The Stanley Foundation The Corporation for Public Broadcasting
National Public Radio Minnesota Public Radio
  Project Producer-Editor: Deborah George
Associate Producer: Stephanie Curtis
Web Site Art Director: Ahree Lee
Web Site Developer: Michael Wells
Web Manager: John Pearson
Photography: Steve Schapiro
Audio Engineers: Tom Mudge, Maggie Villager, Michael Cullen
Production Support: Carlos Briceno, Jeff Feddersen, Dan Gorenstein, Jennifer Woebke, Nicole Zeuner
Managing Editor: Stephen Smith
Executive Producer: Bill Buzenberg
   
   
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