Vietnam
Stories and memories of Minnesota’s Vietnam veterans.
Episodes
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Vietnam Shorts:
Living with PTSD
Post-traumatic stress disorder was not recognized as a psychiatric disorder until 1980, years after many Vietnam veteran had returned home. St Paul veteran Ron Kane believes his PTSD may be the result of the split second decisions he had to make in the field that had fatal consequences for men he led.
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Vietnam Shorts:
Lao Soldiers: The Fight Continues
Minnesota is home to a large number of Lao and Hmong warriors. In their homeland, they were recruited and trained by the CIA as part of its secret war and resettled in Minnesota after the war. Despite being credited with aiding the US, they are still pushing for recognition and veterans benefits.
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Vietnam Shorts:
Combat Injuries
Some 300,000 American servicemen were injured in Southeast Asia. Army veteran Truedell Guerue is one of them, hospitalized for more than a year after suffering maiming injuries. Army nurse Valerie Buchan was on duty to treat the wounded and recalls the special hell that burn victims endured.
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Vietnam Shorts:
The Unknown Enemy
Dennis Mitchell remembers being given a machete when he served in Vietnam—not as a weapon, but to clear the jungle. Eluding the enemy in the dense country was dangerous, and so was trying to distinguish the enemy among civilians who might be armed.
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Vietnam Shorts:
Their Fathers’ Legacy
Many who fought in Vietnam were the offspring of the soldiers who fought in previous wars and enjoyed the wholehearted backing of the American public. Three Vietnam vets contrast their experiences with that of their fathers.