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American Experience; Last Days in Vietnam; American Experience; Last Days in Vietnam

Part of Stories of East and South East Asia.


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Series
American Experience
Program
Last Days in Vietnam
Program Number

2706

Title

American Experience; Last Days in Vietnam

Series Description

Premiered October 1988 As television's longest-running, most-watched history series, American Experience brings to life the incredible characters and epic stories that helped form this nation. Now in its eighteenth season, the series has produced over 180 programs and garnered every major broadcast award.

Program Description

During the chaotic final days of the Vietnam War, the North Vietnamese Army closes in on Saigon as South Vietnamese resistance crumbles. The United States has only a skeleton crew of diplomats and military operatives still in the country. As Communist victory becomes inevitable and the U.S. readies to withdraw, some Americans begin to consider the certain imprisonment and possible death of their South Vietnamese allies, co-workers, and friends. Meanwhile, the prospect of an official evacuation of South Vietnamese becomes delayed by Congressional gridlock and the inexplicably optimistic U.S. Ambassador. With the clock ticking and the city under fire, a number of heroic Americans take matters into their own hands, engaging in unsanctioned and often makeshift operations in a desperate effort to save as many South Vietnamese lives as possible. Directed and produced by Rory Kennedy.

A Moxie Firecracker Production for American Experience.

Duration

00:59:94

Asset Type

Broadcast program

Media Type

Video

Subjects
Military Forces and Armaments
War and Global Conflict
Politics and Government
Social Issues
Global Affairs
Genres
Documentary
Topics
History
Creators
Kennedy, Rory (Director)
Publication Information
WGBH Educational Foundation
Citation
Chicago: “American Experience; Last Days in Vietnam; American Experience; Last Days in Vietnam,” GBH Archives, accessed November 23, 2024, http://openvault.wgbh.org/catalog/V_CF6E35ED9CA24E39B22E7DEC944087FD.
MLA: “American Experience; Last Days in Vietnam; American Experience; Last Days in Vietnam.” GBH Archives. Web. November 23, 2024. <http://openvault.wgbh.org/catalog/V_CF6E35ED9CA24E39B22E7DEC944087FD>.
APA: American Experience; Last Days in Vietnam; American Experience; Last Days in Vietnam. Boston, MA: GBH Archives. Retrieved from http://openvault.wgbh.org/catalog/V_CF6E35ED9CA24E39B22E7DEC944087FD
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