Vietnam: A Television History; America's Mandarin (1954 - 1963); Interview with Roger Hilsman, 1981

05/11/1981

Roger Hilsman worked in the Kennedy Administration, first as director of the State Department's Bureau of Intelligence and Research and then as the Assistant Secretary of State for Far Eastern Affairs. He was criticized for drafting a cable on behalf of President Kennedy to the American Ambassador to South Vietnam instructing the Ambassador to give direct support to the opponents of President Ngo Dinh Diem. He describes the Kennedy White House as youthful and confident but shaken when Soviet Premier Khrushchev announced his support for insurgencies around the world. He says this announcement paved the way for the US counterinsurgency operations in Vietnam. Hilsman says he tried to convince Kennedy that the way to fight guerillas was with guerillas themselves. He also recounts Kennedys distaste for sending American troops into Vietnam. He describes meeting with South Vietnamese leadership in the early 1960s, the mixed signals they received, and a lack of political support for their policies. He says Kennedy was desperate to get America out of Vietnam.

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Series: Vietnam: A Television History
Program: America's Mandarin (1954 - 1963)
Program Number: 103
Title: Interview with Roger Hilsman, 1981
Series Description: This 13 part series covers the history of Vietnam from France's colonial control, through the 1945 revolution, to the 1975 U.S. evacuation from Saigon and the years beyond. The series' objective approach permits viewers to form their own conclusions about the war. 101--Roots of a War--Despite cordial relations between American intelligence officers and Communist leader Ho Chi Minh in the turbulent closing months of World War II, French and British hostility to the Vietnamese revolution laid the groundwork for a new war. 102--The First Vietnam War (1946-1954)--The French generals expected to defeat Ho's rag-tag Vietminh guerrillas easily, but after eight years of fighting and $2.5 billion in U.S. aid, the French lost a crucial battle at Dienbienphu--and with it, their Asian empire. 103--America's Mandarin (1954-1963)--To stop the spread of communism in Southeast Asia, America replaced France in South Vietnam--supporting autocratic President Ngo Dinyh Diem until his own generals turned against him in a coup that brought political chaos to Saigon. 104--LBJ Goes to War (1964-1965)--With Ho Chi Minh determined to reunite Vietnam, Lyndon Baines Johnson determined to prevent it, and South Vietnam on the verge of collapse, the stage was set for massive escalation of the undeclared Vietnam War. 105--America Takes Charge (1965-1967)--In two years, the Johnson Administration's troop build-up dispatched 1.5 million Americans to Vietnam to fight a war they found baffling, tedious, exciting, deadly and unforgettable. 106--America's Enemy (1954-1967)--The Vietnam War as seen from different perspectives: by Vietcong guerrillas and sympathizers; by North Vietnamese leaders; by rank and file; and by American held prisoner in Hanoi. 107--Tet (1968)--The massive enemy offensive at the Lunar New Year decimated the Vietcong and failed to topple the Saigon government, but led to the beginning of America's military withdrawal. 108--Vietnamizing the War (1968-1973)--President Nixon's program of troop pull-outs, stepped-up bombing and huge arms shipments to Saigon changed the war, and left GI's wondering which of them would be the last to die in Vietnam. 109--Cambodia and Laos--Despite technical neutrality, both of Vietnam's smaller neighbors were drawn into the war, suffered massive bombing, and in the case of Cambodia, endured a post-war holocaust of nightmare proportions. 110--Peace is at Hand (1968-1973)--While American and Vietnamese continued to clash in battle, diplomats in Paris argued about making peace, after more than four years reaching an accord that proved to be a preface to further bloodshed. 111--Homefront USA--Americans at home divide over a distant war, clashing in the streets as demonstrations lead to bloodshed, bitterness and increasing doubts about the outcome. 112--The End of the Tunnel (1973-1975)--Through troubled years of controversy and violence, U.S. casualties mounted, victory remained elusive and American opinion moved from general approval to general dissatisfaction with the Vietnam war. 113--Legacies--Vietnam is in the Soviet orbit, poorer than ever, at war on two fronts; America's legacy includes more than one half million Asian refugees, one half million Vietnam veterans and some questions that won't go away. Series release date: 9/1983
Program Description: To stop the spread of communism in Southeast Asia, America replaced France in South Vietnam--supporting autocratic President Ngo Dinyh Diem until his own generals turned against him in a coup that brought political chaos to Saigon.
Duration: 00:41:27
Asset Type: Raw video
Media Type: Video
Subjects: Catholics, Asian; Discrimination--Religious aspects--Buddhism; United States--History, Military--20th century; Escalation (Military science); Kennedy, John F. (John Fitzgerald), 1917-1963; Johnson, Lyndon B. (Lyndon Baines), 1908-1973; Ngo, Dinh Diem, 1901-1963; Vietnam War, 1961-1975--Personal narratives, American; United States--Foreign relations--1945-1989; Vietnam (Republic); Ap Bac, Battle of, Ap Bac, Vietnam, 1963; Ambassadors; Communism; Self-immolation; Counterinsurgency; Vietnam (Republic)--History--Coup detat, 1960; Vietnam (Republic)--History--Coup detat, 1963; Military assistance, American; Ngo, Dinh Nhu, 1901-1963; Vietnam War, 1961-1975
Genres: Documentary
Topics: War and Conflict
Creators: Ellison, Richard (Series Producer)
Contributors: Hilsman, Roger (Interviewee)
Publication Information: WGBH Educational Foundation
Rights Summary: No materials may be re-used without references to appearance releases and WGBH/UMass Boston contract. 2) It is the liability of a production to investigate and re-clear all rights before re-use in any project. Rights Holder: WGBH Educational Foundation
Citation: Chicago: “Vietnam: A Television History; America's Mandarin (1954 - 1963); Interview with Roger Hilsman, 1981,” 05/11/1981, GBH Archives, accessed April 19, 2024, http://openvault.wgbh.org/catalog/V_6A42A930901C49978A9A42D75E388826.; MLA: “Vietnam: A Television History; America's Mandarin (1954 - 1963); Interview with Roger Hilsman, 1981.” 05/11/1981. GBH Archives. Web. April 19, 2024. <http://openvault.wgbh.org/catalog/V_6A42A930901C49978A9A42D75E388826>.; APA: Vietnam: A Television History; America's Mandarin (1954 - 1963); Interview with Roger Hilsman, 1981. Boston, MA: GBH Archives. Retrieved from http://openvault.wgbh.org/catalog/V_6A42A930901C49978A9A42D75E388826

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Vietnam: A Television History; America's Mandarin (1954 - 1963); Interview with Roger Hilsman, 1981