Vietnam
Stories and memories of Minnesota’s Vietnam veterans.
Episodes
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Vietnam Shorts:
The Jungle
Minnesota soldiers who arrived in Vietnam had to adjust to the blistering heat as they carried out their duties in the tropical climate. Living and fighting in the humid jungle presented another challenge to soldiers on the ground.
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Vietnam Shorts:
The Military Historian
After his service in Vietnam ended, Army veteran Doug Bekke became the longtime curator of the Minnesota Military Museum at Camp Ripley. In that position, he interviewed scores of soldiers from every war and that has given him perspective on the meaning of military service.
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Vietnam Shorts:
At the Capitol
Every year, Minnesota veterans who fought in every conflict gather at the State Capitol to lobby state lawmakers and listen to their agenda for legislation that will impact services for the men and women who served. They found a sympathetic ear in State Senator Jerry Relph, a former Marine first lieutenant who served in Vietnam.
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Vietnam Shorts:
The Warrior
For Trudell Guerue, a Lakota who grew up on the Rosebud Reservation in South Dakota, military service is part of a rich cultural tradition. Native people had the highest per capita record of service in Vietnam of any ethnic group. Guerue explains how his community supported him when he returned to the reservation after being wounded in Vietnam.
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Vietnam Shorts:
Managing Casualties
A career military officer, Jerry Newton’s assignment in Vietnam was to collect data about the number of American casualties. His reports ultimately wound up on the Oval Office desk of President Johnson. But Newton found that politics often entered into how his data was portrayed.
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Vietnam Shorts:
No Names
As an Army nurse in Vietnam, Valerie Buchan worked 12-hour shifts caring for a steady stream of young GI’s injured in combat. She explains how her heartbreak over one young soldier who couldn’t be saved changed the way she cared for the wounded.