Letters home from vietnam by bernard edelman, editor w. Letters home from vietnam 1990 6th soap opera digest awards santa barbara. Dear america questions dear america letters home from. September 16, 1988, section c, page 18buy reprints. Letters home from vietnam allows readers to witness the war firsthand through the eyes of the men and women who served there. In this collection of more than 200 letters, they share their first impressions of the rigors of life in the bush. The common theme of each of the writers was their sense of duty to their country despite the hardships. Letters home from vietnam is a 1987 american documentary film inspired by the anthology of the same title, directed by bill couturie in 1987. In the foreword, he reflects on his own tour of duty and his memories of the intensely personal, yet also. Letters home from vietnam recalls the vietnam war in. Letters home from vietnam also was released theatrically, on 49 screens in the united states and canada in september 1988, a rarity for any film that has been made for cable. Many citizens, especially young people, protested u. By interweaving authentic letters from our men and women in southeast asia with chronological footage of events in nam and.
This documentary takes a deeper look into the letters that were sent from battle from 1954 to 1975. Nearly forty years after the official end of the vietnam war, dear america allows us to witness the war firsthand through the eyes of the men and women who served in vietnam. What piece of legislation is passed in august 1964. They had no comforts and were forced to live in harsh conditions most of the time that they were there. Mcgowan theater, washington, dc based on the book of the same name, this 1987 emmy award winning hbo documentary features actors and actresses reading actual letters home from men and women serving in the vietnam war. Letters home from vietnam, the hbo movie now being released theatrically, is the first film about vietnam to come to us free of bias, free of rhetoric. An overwhelmingly eloquent book of the purest and most simple writing on vietnam. More than 200 letters home from vietnam era servicemen to family, friends, and others have been selected for publication in this volume about the most intimate thoughts of the soldiers who served in vietnam. Dear america letters home from vietnam dvd 1988 hbo. Decades after the end of the vietnam war, dear america allows us to witness the war firsthand through the eyes of the men and women who served in vietnam. All the confusion, pain, despair, and even hope of the men and women who served in vietnam is captured in dear america. Bernard edelman, a vietnam veteran who was an associate producer of the film and also edited the companion book for the new york vietnam veterans memorial commission, will introduce the screening, take questions afterwards, and also sign copies of the book. Letters home from vietnam conveys the american experience in vietnam from the perspective of those who were there.
Dear america letters home from vietnam 1987 full movie related search. In conjunction with its new exhibit remembering vietnam, the national archives will screen dear america. Aug 14, 2011 24 videos play all letters home from vietnam andrew hunter al white. Letters home from vietnam on thursday, january 18 at 7 p. Using the medium of letters sent home by american soldiers many of whom did not survive long thereafter, dear america takes only 84 minutes to relate. Based on the book of the same name, the program is devoted to poignant recitations of letters to and from american participants of the vietnam war. When do the first american combat troops arrive in vietnam. The vietnam war was extremely controversial during this time. Based on the book of the same name, this 1987 emmy awardwinning hbo documentary features actors and actresses reading actual letters home from men and women serving in the vietnam war.
What reason do some soldiers give for fighting vietnam. It is a wonderful product for teachers to use when they are teaching a unit on the vietnam conflict. This program is presented in collaboration with the vietnam veterans of america. Roger ebert commented, there have been many great movies about vietnam. I havent heard from anyone in about two weeks, and normally i get 10 letters a week. One of the greatest hardships faced daily by the soldiers was. Using real letters written by american soldiers which can be read in the book along with many more and archive footage, the film creates a highly personal. By interweaving authentic letters from our men and women in southeast asia with chronological footage of events in nam and the world, the program evokes memories of the. These are read on the soundtrack by more than two dozen professional actors. Letters home from vietnam is an american grammy awardwinning 1987 documentary, inspired by the anthology of the same title, directed by bill couturie. Letters home from vietnam was first telecast april 3, 1988, over the hbo cable service. Due to the overwhelming response to the commissions request for letters, dear america. I was a teenageryoung adult while this war took place, and each letter reminded me of someone i knew.
Archive footage of the war and news coverage thereof, augment the firstperson narrative by men and women who were in the war, some of whom. Archive footage of the war and news coverage thereof, augment the firstperson narrative by men and women who were in the war, some of whom did. Since your last letter, i almost feel as if you are my sister. William westmoreland sds richard nixon domino theory. The means of turning this concept into a film came from cowriter richard dewhurst, who showed couturie a copy of the book dear america. Dean rusk credibility gap eugene mccarthy vietminh. Eloquent, gutwrenching letters from american men and women stationed in vietnam paint a poignant picture of wars agonies and joys. Consisting of 208 letters, poems, and journal entries written by 125 people, this book is a heart wrenching, first hand account of the personal experiences of soldiers both on and behind the front lines in vietnam, and. Using your textbook and the movie, define the following terms. Then he screened the entire archive of tv news footage shot by nbctv from 1967 to 1969 2 million feet of film totaling 926 hours.
Letters home from vietnam from the worlds largest community of readers. The story of a marine grunt in the first battle of khe sanh april 1967 duration. The film is based on actual letters that were written by the men and women who served there. Was number nine on roger eberts list of the best films of 1988. Archive footage of the war and news coverage thereof augment the firstperson. Read by dozens of actors such as harvey keitel, matt dillon, and kathleen turner, these letters show a more human story of the war than we see in most media outlets and reveal real people in real situations trying to explain or understand. There was an abundance of insects that bothered the soldiers and was mentioned in the documentary multiple times. Tom berenger full list of movies and tv shows in theaters, in production and upcoming films. In this collection of more than 200 letters, they share their first impressions of the rigors of life in the bush, their longing for home and family, their emotions over the conduct of the. Dear america letters home from vietnam 4 author notes as a collection of letters from hundreds of authors, it would be confusing and impractical, if not almost impossible, to provide notes on all of the authors. Featurelength documentary film featuring reallife letters written by american soldiers, sailors, airmen, and marines during the vietnam war to their families and friends back home. The vietnam war provided fertile land for films, especially in the.
Using real letters written by american soldiers which can be read in the book along with many more and archive footage, the film creates a highly personal experience of the vietnam war. Dear america letters home from vietnam part 1 8 by royalfool1195. The film was shown in theaters throughout europe and asia. Bernard edelman, a vietnam veteran who was an associate producer of the film and also edited the companion book for the new york vietnam veterans memorial commission, will. Dear america letters home from vietnam part 2 8 by royalfool1195. In 1981, six years after the official end of the vietnam war, mayor edward koch of new york city appointed a task force of twentyseven leading citizens of the city to develop a framework for a fitting memorial to vietnam war veterans. Dear america letters home from vietnam 5 william broyles jr. English text summary notes dear america letters home from. Dear america letters home from vietnam 1987 full movie.
To many americans, the vietnam war remains an open wound. Letters home from vietnam 1987 1 sheet video release movie. The book is an anthology of letters assembled by the new york vietnam veterans memorial commission, to which the director offered the profits from the. Using the medium of letters sent home by american soldiers many of whom did not survive long thereafter, dear america takes only 84 minutes to relate america s 10year quagmire in southeast asia.
There were many daily hardships faced by soldiers in vietnam. Using real letters written by us soldiers and archive footage, the film creates a highly personal experience of the vietnam war. This download is intended to support the hbo film dear america. Letters home from vietnam tv movie 1987 dear america. Based on the book of the same name, this 1987 emmy award winning hbo documentary features actors and actresses reading actual letters home from men and women serving in the vietnam war. Letters home from vietnam, originally published in 1985. It was also screened out of competition at the 1988 cannes film festival. The milagro beanfield war charlie bloom 1988 the telephone telephone man 1988 dear america. Aug 11, 2011 dear america, letters from vietnam 006 duration. He also gained access to footage from the defense department, including previously classified film of action under fire.
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