GBH Openvault

Vietnam: A Television History; Vietnam Air Strikes-Strike Photography

Part of The Vietnam Collection.

06/17/1965

1) AtoA MCU A-4E in flight towards target.2) AtoG MLS Target area, showing winding river; run is being made on target; PAN, showing hits being made and explosion on the Vihn Son supply dump and army barracks; more explosions go off; another ripple of bombs explodes on target area. G3) AtoG MS Army barracks and supply dumps; smoke rises from the area; another ripple of bombs explodes, followed by a second ripple of bombs exploding over target area making a direct hit (this is similar to a pilot"s eye view). G4) CU Sailors holding a sign: "This Film Brought to you Through Courtesy of Satan"s Kittens, VF-191"; men are on flight deck of the carrier deck.5) AtoG Pilot"s eye view: Aircraft going in on a dive on the Than Hoa bridge; aircraft turns around; whole bridge is centered in center of scene; Bullpup missile streaks down towards the bridge; aircraft moves off.6) AtoG LS Pilot"s eye view: Aircraft moving in towards bridge for an attack with Bullpups; terrain is slanted beneath the camera aircraft on pass in towards the bridge; Bullpup hits center of bridge and explodes on a direct hit. G7) AtoG Pilot"s eye view: Bridge centered; Bullpup streaks towards target One missile explodes on target; the second missile streaks toward the target and also makes a hit; two direct hits are made on bridge.

Series

Vietnam: A Television History

Title

Vietnam Air Strikes-Strike Photography

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

Duration

00:03:57

Asset Type

Stock footage

Media Type

Video

Subjects

Airplanes

Nationalism and communism

National liberation movements

Air squadrons

Vietnam War, 1961-1975

Military missions

Air pilots

Vietnam (Asia) nation

Military aircraft

Bull pup (Missile)

Signs and signboards

Ships bridges

Bombing, Aerial--Vietnam

Locations

Than Hoa Bridge, Vietnam

Genres

Documentary

Topics

War and Conflict

Creators

Ellison, Richard (Series Producer)

Publication Information

NARA

Rights Summary

Public Domain Rights Holder: NARA

Citation

Chicago: “Vietnam: A Television History; Vietnam Air Strikes-Strike Photography,” 06/17/1965, GBH Archives, accessed December 21, 2024, http://openvault.wgbh.org/catalog/V_B06FF2FA97984DF8A4EB73A705917227.

MLA: “Vietnam: A Television History; Vietnam Air Strikes-Strike Photography.” 06/17/1965. GBH Archives. Web. December 21, 2024. <http://openvault.wgbh.org/catalog/V_B06FF2FA97984DF8A4EB73A705917227>.

APA: Vietnam: A Television History; Vietnam Air Strikes-Strike Photography. Boston, MA: GBH Archives. Retrieved from http://openvault.wgbh.org/catalog/V_B06FF2FA97984DF8A4EB73A705917227