Abstract:

By 1961 it was evident that installing President Diem in South Vietnam was a bad choice; within a year American advisors would increase from 400 to 12,000. This program goes behind the escalation of American commitment in Vietnam by interviewing many key figures on both sides. Memoranda, declassified documents, and newsreel footage are combined with commentary from diplomats and advisors, such as Robert McNamara, Secretary of Defense, 1961-67; Colonel Bui Tin, People’s Army of Vietnam; and Walt Rostow, Deputy National Security Advisor. The program concludes with the U.S.-backed overthrow of Diem and Ho Chi Minh’s increasing popularity. A Discovery Channel Production. (53 minutes, color)