Vietnam
Stories and memories of Minnesota’s Vietnam veterans.
Episodes
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Vietnam Shorts:
Agent Orange
Years after the war ended, it continued to claim casualties. Thousands of soldiers exposed to Agent Orange, the chemical used to defoliate the jungle, suffered with a range of illnesses, many of them deadly. Former Marine Jerry Relph is one of them, diagnosed with a cancer linked to Agent Orange.
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Vietnam Shorts:
Out of Synch
As the war in Vietnam escalated, so did the protests on college campuses. When Doug Bekke volunteered to fight, he was the same age as many of the students staging anti-war activities. He describes a memorable encounter at the University of Minnesota when his deeply held values were challenged and he felt at odds with his contemporaries.
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Vietnam Shorts:
Green and Black
When Ronn Easton joined the Army, he thought that he would find the equality that had eluded him as an African American raised in the south. But he found that fighting for his country was not the equalizer that he had expected.
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Vietnam Shorts:
The Army Nurse
Long hours, harsh conditions and horrific wounds. Nurse Suzanne Constantini’s year of caring for wounded soldiers in an ICU in Vietnam left her with memories she had a hard time shaking. But her military service also led her to her true love.
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Vietnam Shorts:
A Visit to the Wall
Serving in Vietnam left Ronn Easton with a combat injury and searing memories. Decades after his Army hitch was up, the former soldier found comfort and resolution when he visited the Vietnam Memorial in Washington, DC.
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Vietnam Shorts:
Returning to Vietnam
Years after his service ended, former Marine infantry soldier Fletcher Hinds remained deeply troubled by his actions during the war. As part of his healing, he’s returned to Southeast Asia on humanitarian missions and co-founded a charity that rebuilds the country that was once the enemy.