Author Topic: Must See TV Thread  (Read 112650 times)

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Offline mitlen

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Re: Must See TV Thread
« Reply #975: September 22, 2017, 12:31:47 PM »
My Dad served four years in Vietnam, three tours. One training pilots to fight and attack ground positions, one as a front line cargo delivery pilot (think bringing fresh ammo and food to troops on tiny dirt air strips hacked out of the jungle during the Linebacker 2 push), and lastly as a gunship pilot. He got a chance to go back to Vietnam about six months ago and was incredibly impressed with the country, they progress they'd made, and how much mutual respect he found with people of his approximate age.

Everybody's experience was different  ...  combat/non-combat  ...  home/the theater  ....    but they are all part of the fabric.    Thus far, Novick and Burns have done a great job of weaving those stories.

I've gotten too far off track.   Time to go back to bein' a smartass in the GDT.    :)

Offline GburgNatsFan

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Re: Must See TV Thread
« Reply #976: September 22, 2017, 01:25:58 PM »
I'm glad you digressed. This is important.

I remember in AIT at Ft. Polk we were taught the difference between the report of an AK-47 and an M-16.    As I watch the series, I find all aspects of it to be profoundly personal.    My experience during the war was different than most Vietnam era vets.    Denton's headstone at ANC was particularly touching.   During the telecast, I find my self floating off on some "trip"/reminiscence and missing parts of the telecast.    I'll probably have to watch the damn thing again.      I'm really glad they focus on a few vets and/or their families perspectives and the anti-war movement as well.   The tapes of LBJ and his cabal irritate the hell out of me.    One of the attention getting /head shaking moments for me was Neil Sheehan's comment about how it galled him when people questioned the courage, etc. of the combat soldiers/Marines in Vietnam.    He compares them favorably to the "Greatest Generation".     The term "Greatest Generation" galls me.    The "Greatest Generation" (Truman, Ike, JFK, LBJ, McNamara, Bundy, Rusk, Nixon, Taylor, Bunker, etc.) did this to my generation.    So I'd like to pump the brakes when we start talking about the "Greatest Generation".    They did good things and some   ...   not so good but I digress.       :)

Offline skippy1999

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Re: Must See TV Thread
« Reply #977: September 22, 2017, 01:31:00 PM »
I'm glad you digressed. This is important.


Seriously, I'd never thought of that but you're exactly right Mitlen.

Offline mitlen

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Re: Must See TV Thread
« Reply #978: September 22, 2017, 04:07:26 PM »
There's a local (DC Metro) flavor to the series tonight at 8:30 on WETA.    It's the effect on the Metro area.    At 9 PM is a piece on Latinos and the war.

Offline tomterp

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Re: Must See TV Thread
« Reply #979: September 22, 2017, 05:10:25 PM »
My Dad served four years in Vietnam, three tours. One training pilots to fight and attack ground positions, one as a front line cargo delivery pilot (think bringing fresh ammo and food to troops on tiny dirt air strips hacked out of the jungle during the Linebacker 2 push), and lastly as a gunship pilot. He got a chance to go back to Vietnam about six months ago and was incredibly impressed with the country, they progress they'd made, and how much mutual respect he found with people of his approximate age.

Like the AC-47? 


Offline mitlen

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Re: Must See TV Thread
« Reply #980: September 24, 2017, 09:38:05 PM »
So I move from Tet (PBS) to Special Ops in Afghanistan (CNN).     

Offline dracnal

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Re: Must See TV Thread
« Reply #981: September 25, 2017, 09:31:19 AM »
Like the AC-47? 

(Image removed from quote.)

AC-130A and AC-130H.  He has flown every single H model they ever put in production.

Offline Natsinpwc

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Re: Must See TV Thread
« Reply #982: September 25, 2017, 11:01:28 AM »
So I move from Tet (PBS) to Special Ops in Afghanistan (CNN).   
Watched some of last night's episode but made me too angry to watch Johnson and Westmoreland lie through their teeth. I will try and pick it back up tonight. Still need to watch the first two episodes.

Offline mitlen

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Re: Must See TV Thread
« Reply #983: September 25, 2017, 11:47:08 AM »
Watched some of last night's episode but made me too angry to watch Johnson and Westmoreland lie through their teeth. I will try and pick it back up tonight. Still need to watch the first two episodes.

Yeah, that's the one thing that really pisses me off.    They all knew.    I can't wait to hear Nixon.     :smh:

Offline JCA-CrystalCity

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Re: Must See TV Thread
« Reply #984: September 25, 2017, 11:53:33 AM »
Watched some of last night's episode but made me too angry to watch Johnson and Westmoreland lie through their teeth. I will try and pick it back up tonight. Still need to watch the first two episodes.
Speaking of the lying, one of the ironies of Tet, at least in the Burns/Novick narrative through their interviews, was that it was a major military defeat for the VC and North Vietnam, but because Westmoreland, Johnson et al. were pumping out the "we've got them on the run, we've nearly got this wrapped" happy talk, the US public was shocked at the mere fact that the VC could attack, fight, and get into cities and bases.  At that point, the US public didn't care that the US and ARVN repulsed the attack and that the population did not flock to their liberators as had been the VC / North Vietnamese intent. 

Offline mitlen

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Re: Must See TV Thread
« Reply #985: September 25, 2017, 11:58:49 AM »
Speaking of the lying, one of the ironies of Tet, at least in the Burns/Novick narrative through their interviews, was that it was a major military defeat for the VC and North Vietnam, but because Westmoreland, Johnson et al. were pumping out the "we've got them on the run, we've nearly got this wrapped" happy talk, the US public was shocked at the mere fact that the VC could attack, fight, and get into cities and bases.  At that point, the US public didn't care that the US and ARVN repulsed the attack and that the population did not flock to their liberators as had been the VC / North Vietnamese intent. 

Too cute by half.

Offline Natsinpwc

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Re: Must See TV Thread
« Reply #986: September 25, 2017, 11:59:47 AM »
Yeah, that's the one thing that really pisses me off.    They all knew.    I can't wait to hear Nixon.     :smh:
Still waiting for his secret plan to end the War. It must really piss you off to have served there. I have a friend who won't watch the series for that reason.

I think Johnson gets more blame than Nixon. As much as I disliked Nixon.

Offline mitlen

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Re: Must See TV Thread
« Reply #987: September 25, 2017, 12:01:22 PM »
Still waiting for his secret plan to end the War. It must really piss you off to have served there. I have a friend who won't watch the series for that reason.

I think Johnson gets more blame than Nixon. As much as I disliked Nixon.

Vietnam era   ...   I got lucky.     Real lucky.


Offline Natsinpwc

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Re: Must See TV Thread
« Reply #988: September 25, 2017, 12:03:04 PM »
Speaking of the lying, one of the ironies of Tet, at least in the Burns/Novick narrative through their interviews, was that it was a major military defeat for the VC and North Vietnam, but because Westmoreland, Johnson et al. were pumping out the "we've got them on the run, we've nearly got this wrapped" happy talk, the US public was shocked at the mere fact that the VC could attack, fight, and get into cities and bases.  At that point, the US public didn't care that the US and ARVN repulsed the attack and that the population did not flock to their liberators as had been the VC / North Vietnamese intent.
I suspect most of the population was wary of both sides. Just wanted to be able to live their lives in peace.

Offline HalfSmokes

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Re: Must See TV Thread
« Reply #989: September 25, 2017, 12:07:42 PM »
Still waiting for his secret plan to end the War. It must really piss you off to have served there. I have a friend who won't watch the series for that reason.

I think Johnson gets more blame than Nixon. As much as I disliked Nixon.

I think Kennedy should get far more blame than he does; by the time of his assassination, everything that happened under Johnson was effectively in place. You had large numbers of American advisors, a collapsing south Vietnamese government and a military/intelligence leadership that vehemently opposed just letting the south fall to the north

Offline JCA-CrystalCity

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Re: Must See TV Thread
« Reply #990: September 25, 2017, 12:12:39 PM »
Still waiting for his secret plan to end the War. It must really piss you off to have served there. I have a friend who won't watch the series for that reason.

I think Johnson gets more blame than Nixon. As much as I disliked Nixon.
the teaser for tonight's episode, which I think runs at least through the 68 election, was a quote from some European analyst or paper saying, going into the conventions, that Tet and baby Tet (may '68) made it likely that, whoever was elected in November, would be out of Vietnam after a couple of months in office.

Offline mitlen

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Re: Must See TV Thread
« Reply #991: September 25, 2017, 12:12:54 PM »
I think Kennedy should get far more blame than he does; by the time of his assassination, everything that happened under Johnson was effectively in place. You had large numbers of American advisors, a collapsing south Vietnamese government and a military/intelligence leadership that vehemently opposed just letting the south fall to the north

I kind of see it the same way.    I think JFK gets a lot of passes (understandably) on stuff he did.

Offline Natsinpwc

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Re: Must See TV Thread
« Reply #992: September 25, 2017, 12:15:44 PM »
I kind of see it the same way.    I think JFK gets a lot of passes (understandably) on stuff he did.
True. However Johnson did the escalating even though he seemed to have misgivings about it. Who knows what Kennedy would have done?

Offline mitlen

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Re: Must See TV Thread
« Reply #993: September 25, 2017, 12:16:51 PM »
True. However Johnson did the escalating even though he seemed to have misgivings about it. Who knows what Kennedy would have done?

Oh there's plenty to go around.   Not sure about what JFK would have done but I know what he didn't do.   In one of the early episodes, JFK expressed misgivings but wanted to get re-relected   ...  so he did nothing to stop the drift.

Offline imref

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Re: Must See TV Thread
« Reply #994: September 29, 2017, 07:58:35 PM »
Jeopardy is now must see tv. The current champion, Austin, has won $123k in four days while getting beeped and making comments about the answers.  He’s a clone of Zach Galifinakas.

Offline imref

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Re: Must See TV Thread
« Reply #995: October 02, 2017, 07:53:03 PM »
Austin dominating again tonight. Bet almost all his money in a daily double toward the end and got the right answer.

Offline imref

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Re: Must See TV Thread
« Reply #996: October 03, 2017, 10:24:12 PM »
Austin wins $69k tonight. Goes into final jeopardy with a $35k to $18,800 lead, bets $34k, and wins. Amazing.

Offline imref

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Re: Must See TV Thread
« Reply #997: November 22, 2017, 09:40:18 AM »
bing watching John Adams and I keep thinking I'm at a Nats game whenever I hear the opening intro.

Offline Natsinpwc

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Re: Must See TV Thread
« Reply #998: November 26, 2017, 05:59:30 PM »
Not sure if it's on there but PBS in Cincy has the Moody Blues on tonight. Days of Future Passed. Just watched a Cat Stevens show.

Offline Mathguy

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Re: Must See TV Thread
« Reply #999: December 19, 2017, 10:36:40 PM »
Has anyone been watching the PBS show Frontline about the 2 episodes called "Putin's Revenge" ?