Numerous Vietnam War vets have volenteered to me that Forrest Gump's segment is the most accurate to their actual experience.

I have a friend who earned the Silver Star on Hamburger Hill. He said the movie is pretty accurate except the hill "wasn't that high". However, there was only one movie he had to walk out of because of its realism and that was Forest Gump. The complete surprise, the chaos, the shouted commands, the desperation and even the way the men moved was so real he had to walk out.

I'm glad he mentioned the "war plan" particularly with Hamburger Hill. Many questioned what was the point? In WWII, you gained ground and island hopped whereas in Vietnam, you played wack a mole and tried to stack bodies higher than your losses without understanding their perspective of you

Watching any movie about infantry getting ambushed makes my palms sweat. I've lived through many actual combat ambushes and IEDs but I stand alive today because of the fact that I experienced it all in either trucks or tanks. And it is absolutely magic how much of a game-changer having a mount is during combat. In 2004 we had a rooftop ambush by Sadr's militia in southern Baghdad and in every conceivable way they had the initiative with rockets and rifles and we were all in soft skin HMMMVs we inherited from 82nd airborne. The end result? We got one guy who was shot in the leg. For straight up humanitarian reasons I hope we never ever have to go back to dismounted infantry warfare. Mechanized warfare doesn't make as exciting of films but it sure is nice having casualties reduced by about 90% lol.

8:25 - I got to meet Sammy Davis in Indianapolis when I worked at the airport there. He was waiting for his luggage and I being in the Civil Air Patrol at the time, knew what all of his awards and decorations meant that he wore on his dress uniform. I saw his Medal of Honor and made it a point to go over to him, shake his hand, thank him profusely for his service, and then ask if there was something I could do for him. He smiled warmly, thanked me, and said that he was just waiting for his bags to come out on the carousel. I didn't dare ask him what he got the MoH for as typically recipients had to go through something horrific to get it. Instead, I looked him up when I got home and my jaw dropped when I read his story. It was a real pleasure to meet and talk to him.

1. While serving with the 155th AHC in Ban Me Thuot I noticed that out on the main street the Montagnards had built small puptent shaped frames of bamboo or wood, with several longer pieces down the sides and top. Barbed wire was wrapped all around the structure; sides, floor, and ends. A prisoner would be forced inside. There was not enough room for the prisoner to stretch out, sit, kneel, or lie down without being stabbed by rusty barbs. These structures were along the main street in the blazing sun. No place to go to the bathroom. and any passers-by could torment prisoners at will. You don't believe the VC or NVA did the same in retaliation? 2. I used to play guitar with a Vietnamese gentleman who spent over a year in a reeducation camp. He managed to walk away from a work group and make it across the border to Cambodia, then across that country to Thailand and then ultimately to the United States. Taken at his word, things were not much better in those camps. Not enough food or water, drinking their own urine. 3. My uncle served in the Marines as an advisor and could speak fair Vietnamese. He knew General Nguyễn Ngọc Loan. General Nguyễn Ngọc Loan wound up living in Virginia and owned a restaurant in the DC area. My uncle told me that several VC massacred the general's best friend's wife and children in Saigon. The plaid shirted Viet Cong that General Nguyễn Ngọc Loan executed in that famous photo was one of those VC. He had been captured moments after the massacre and the general shot him shortly after that. I do not doubt my uncle's word. I know nothing of General Nguyễn Ngọc Loan's character, but I do know that things aren't always as simple as they appear.

A little thing - as a fellow tour guide I love the fact that every time this guy uses an acronym, he immediately gives the full name, eg “an RPG, or Rocket Propelled Grenade”. 4:31 truly the mark of someone who knows how to use jargon, but also make it accessible to an audience

My father fought during the war when he was around 19 I believe! He fought for the south and loved watching Vietnam war movies 🙂

The railway bridge in Casualties Of War is in Thailand. It was built by Allied POWs during WW2. I have walked across it a few times on tours that follow the railway to educate people about what happened there. My dad was a POW, Australian Army, and he worked on the line in Burma.

The only time we used “blue line” was in reference to a water way-creek or river-which appeared as blue lines on our maps and were often our only reference points in lowland free-fire zones. Any other assembly position and the like would have had a letter designation, like “X-Ray.” This was in 67 and 68, when I was with the 11th Cav.

Awesome! So glad you did Forrest Gump! Seems to track with what my Dad said about authenticity (he served as an infantry sgt on the Batangan Peninsula in 1969). You didn’t rate the non-combat parts, but he said the Lt Dan stuff with the showers, socks, rain, etc, was also reminiscent of his time there. A lot like Forrest Gump too, he said in his entire time in Vietnam, he never physically saw the enemy - like face to face. It was always ambushes, booby traps, nightime rocket attacks, etc.

I really do love this series and the experts and how they educate around the clips. Thanks for this content.

The Iron Triangle (1989) is one of the most interesting movies about the Vietnam War I've seen because the story is partially told from the point of view of the Vietcong.

Nice you included Hamburger Hill! 😎👍 Great job

I think Bill did a much better job in this video than his first one. Good job.

This guy was my professor!!! Me and my classmates loved his class !

This is really entertaining, keep em coming!

Incredible that the revolver at 10:05 has to be censored -- in a video about the Vietnam war 🙄

With the exception of the last movie clip, I have seen all of the these Vietnam War Movies. The best is Hamburger Hill and the saddest is Casualties of War. I even heard that Causalities Of War got criticized by some veterans for making them look bad. But you know what they say any war can make anyone an evil monster.

He should cover the opening battle scene from Tropic Thunder.😂

Bill could have talked about Project 100,000 units when it came to Forrest Gump. His drill sergeant kept praising him ironically for his intelligence and he narrated how good of a fit he was.

Still need to do Danger Close and The Odd Angry Shot.

7:16 it is common in movies to have the lead actor conveniently lose their helmet so they are more recognizable in the scene. I am going to Ho Chi Minh City in March I booked a tour of the Chu Chi tunnels and Mekong Delta while I am there.

finally Hamburger Hill. my favorite war movie of all times.

I'd love to her your opinion on Bat 21, my favorite Vietnan movie. True, its not technically accurate despite being based on a real rescue. But I always loved the aerial shots done in real time and the rare nod to the FAC pilots who flew with no protection or defenses.

This guy is acting like the NVA didn't torture prisoners lmao. Look up that guy who morse code blinked "torture" during an interview. The south did it too but you shouldn't act like the NVA didn't partake.

'84 Charlie Mopic' and 'The Boys from Company C' never get enough love.

5 years after the Vietnam War ended there were only 591 POW’s that returned after Operation Homecoming. 2,600 MIA/POW’s were unaccounted for in Laos and North Vietnam.

Would love for this guy to break down Danger Close: The Battle of Long Tan

The big thing I did not enjoy when I watched "Da 5 Bloods" was how there was a scene where the vets are all talking about real life African American heroes from Vietnam that never had movies made about them. I took a moment to process it before saying out loud (and imagining I was talking directly to Spike Lee), "You're the director. You could have made that movie! Why are you griping about something you're actively taking part in?"

7:17 His helmet falls off when he hits the ground and ends up on the wrong side of the raised bit. Even someone as slow as him isn't going across that to get his helmet.

Glad you're reading these comments--most of these movies were in the comments of Pt. 1. So with that in mind... I'd love to hear historians weigh in on the best Iraq/Afghanistan War portrayals, now that 20 years have passed since they broke out. Also love to hear someone react to movies' portrayals about the post-war experience, whether with the VA, families, PTSD treatment, etc.

So glad you thought highly of Go Tell The Spartans. I never served in the Army...but I grew up in it and my Father fought in WW2, Korea and Vietnam. His character was very much like the major portrayed by Burt Lancaster. But I met and observed every type of personality depicted in the film. The gung ho, low IQ lieutenant (I swear he lived right next to us in our duplex). The career minded Captain who seems very competent,, and wants that CIB. The burnt out sergeant, the radio operator corporal who at a glance looks like he couldn't fight his way out of a paper bag, but in real combat proves a smooth calm warrior. The college grad intel weenie (whose analysis proves spot on) The corrupt ARVN commander who doesn't want to expend his 105 rounds. Even the "mosquito patrol and bug juice testing) is exactly the kind of thing that trickles down from above that an officer has to do. The Vietnamese family who are innocent farmers by day and VC fighters at night. The producers also got the uniforms, weapons, and equipment right for that period.....green OD's wit white name tags...Sikorsky Helo instead of a UH1 Huey, American advisers with M1 carbines, 30cal m1919 browning mg's and M3 Grease guns. The old French compound...(My Dad's unit cleared out just such a compound to repost it and within a day one of the old French bunkers collapsed and smothered two of their guys to death. The movie isn't over the top with battle scenes....but watch the whole movie and it's almost like you can see why we ended up leaving and why South Vietnam fell.

The punji trap would also have the effect of puncturing your legs again when your buddies would try to drag you out of it.

One about the battle of Hamburger Hill, the 101st didn't just go up 7 times, they took it each time. And it wasn’t 7 either, it was more like 11 or 12. Everytime they took the top of the Hill they would dig into their previous positions and withdraw around an hour later and the NVA would just reoccupy it

Glad you were there, how about the 11th ACR and Airborne in Cambodia

I wish they would film the story of the LRRPS that reconned Hamburger Hill before the battle. It's an interesting story. I know he's saying PAVN because that's what they are now, but I'll always call them the NVA because my Dad fought them from October 65 to October 66.

Hamburger hill is one of my favorite movies of all time

"So you dont want to mistreat them too much." Hanoi hilton enters the chat.

Would love to see what he says about Danger Close: The Battle of Long Tan

'PAVN wore uniform ' - shows a photo of ARVN

FINALLY! Covering hamburger hill!

One of my Machining professors was in charged of a patrol boat said the biggest issue he had was guys freezing up and not suppressing enemy forces. Very cool guy

I like your stuff

Why did he gloss over the torture at the "Hanoi Hilton "?

My great uncle was Army Intelligence and in-country ‘67-‘69. All he will ever talk about is the equipment he used, and how he knew he was done with the military after a nighttime fight in ‘69 that resulted in at least 200+ Vietnamese dead

Having served, I would say that Full Metal Jacket (despite some obvious embellishments) represents the most realistic example of boot camp.

Absolutely agree with him about'Go Tell The Spartans". I would love to see him do a side by side comparison of 'Go Tell the Spartans' with the idiotic 'The Green Berets'. It would be hilarious! 👍🏻

This guy does love his acronyms

Having read books and heard interviews with many US POWs from the Vietnam War, I would say they would have a big disagreement with this "experts" assertion that the NVA treated them well.

“A Bright Shining Lie” is worth a look

My Father was 101 Airborne and fought in Vietnam. He wouldn't talk about his time in Vietnam but after watching Hamburger Hill he took me, my uncle's and cousins to see it, he said it was the closest representation of his time served and answered a few questions and never spoke on it again

Love Go Tell the Spartans. Also enjoy The Boys in Company C. Can't watch any Vietnam War film with my father, who was there and is a member of the VHPA, likes to point out the inaccuracies. I talked to him quite a bit, and one thing he mentioned that the movies don't capture is the humor and boredom of the downtime.

He forgot my favorite one I think..Platoon by Oliver Stone. But overall I truly appreciated his insights about Vietnam War.

The siege of fire base Gloria is a good 1 with R. LEE Ermey in it.

Read the story of how Col Robert L Howard earned his Medal of Honor in Vietnam. Jaw dropping!!! Let alone the fact he was nominated for the MOH 3 times and wounded 14 times within a 54 month span earning 8 Purple Hearts and the Distinguished Service Cross. Also, how he earned his Silver Star is mind blowing as well!!! He’s noted as one of the most decorated soldiers in the Vietnam war.

I love how RPG can be said as Rocket Propelled Grenade, even tho Ruchnoy Protivotankovyy Granatomot is not meaning literally this... but it is. :D

He is a professor of Southern. GATA and Hail Southern. I just graduated from there with my degree in History

Tet '68 was a multi-faceted operation. It was intended as a serious show of capability to spite and refute the claims that the VC / PAVN were "spent. It was also designed by Hanoi to "skew the roles of the NLF / VC and the PAVN. The southern "irregular"s were NOT trained or equipped as conventional infantry and they had never operated on such a scale in the open in daylight. Thus, when they launched, they needed to move VERY quickly in towns and cities with which not many were familiar.The "timetable' obvious;ly "slipped, or oemthing and objectives did not fall on schedule. There had also been insufficient fighters and "guides" "pre-positioned in strategic locations. The assault on Cho Lon (the big market) seemed to go awry. Fighting in a seriously (even in those days) built-up area is a martial art of its own, not necessarily a good place to be for a bunch of 'farm boys a LONG way from home and conducted without serious, realistic rehearsals. Thus, the lightly-armed infantry and sappers found themselves in a "free-fire zone". US and ARVN air power wreaked havoc. The AC-47 gunships were unleashed . But the Tet Offensive '68 achieved its goals: If made the US look politically and strategically inept. Furthermore the wholesale slaughter of the NLF / VC meant that the "regular" PAVN were now the only real game in town and in charge. It was then the "Hanoi Way" or NO WAY.. A couple of good books that cover some some of the events of time are: "Page after Page", by Tim Page, who took some of the "classic" photographs of the war. Another is "Ridding the Devils" by Australian reporter and all-round interesting person. He managed to survive a VC vehicle ambush on a car-load of reporters / photographers. The other BIG action in Viet Nam was, of course Dien Bien Phu. There are two cinematic versions that I have seen The first was made very shortly after the French fortresses fell. The original used the actual locations for sets. The also had a LOT of captured Legionnaires and equipment to play themselves. (No live ammo for them, though). the other was made as an "international" effort, several decades later, and in colour. There was no trouble finding "locals to fill the roles of the Legionnaires. A LOT of military-aged young men who were in Viet Nam at the time, mostly working for various commercial operations, went into a different, but similar location where a "replica" of al the key bits of the battle had been built. I have not seen it for years; time to look out for it on some "interesting" streaming service?

Not combat scenes, but I always felt that the boot camp sequences in Forrest Gump were very accurate.

That's innacurate right there,PAVN They were NVA North Viietnam Army

I was there for Tet. Interesting times.

MACV was my dad’s unit. Tet started just 2 mos before his tour was up.

would highly recommend "Rescue Dawn" that is a doozy

When did NVA become PAVN? For 40 years I only heard of the former but now everyone refers to them as the latter. What's the deal here?

How is having prisoners play Russian roulette not “in the realm of possibility?” It’s LITERALLY possible to play Russian Roulette and people have been doing it since the invention of the revolver. There may not be evidence of it during the Vietnam war, but it certainly could’ve happened. ?

I'm confused about this term PAVN, only in the last few months have I suddenly heard a couple different historians use this acronym. In all my 47 years of life they have always been NVA, every book I've read, every movie, TV show, documentary etc. it's always been NVA. Why are they suddenly using PAVN now? I'm always skeptical about sudden acronym changes. Just like, why did DUI suddenly become OWI? Is there some mysterious powerful group that dictates these things? Is it only me who finds this weird?

04:38 ARVN picture

I would've love to see him rate the Vietnam flashback in the prematurely cancelled series adaptation of _Quarry_ .

And what about: "Tropic Thunder" ?!

One reason for the massive use of air power in order to keep ground casualties down.

How about the Angry Odd Shot with the Australians in Vietnam War?

oh sweet. hes back!

Suggestion: BJJ(Brazilian Jiujitsu) artist breaks down BJJ scenes in movies and tv

You vc?! 😂 I don't know why but that's something I yell at people in DayZ, that and "Charlie's in the trees!"

Okay, not a lot of people know this (because they associate the movie with the face painted bank robber), but Dead Presidents IS A VIETNAM MOVIE. (and if you're gonna review that, then you should also look at The Boys in Company C)

thanks a lot, France

Gonna call out Forest Gump where we first meet Lt. Dan. Lt. Dan is at a field camp and takes poop in makeshift potty with 4 walls. Those 4 walls would've been very luxurious for that type of area. Most field camps the potty was just a barrel and plywood with a hole in it, no walls. That's based on the 1st hand accounts I've read, seems pretty common.

Breaks down military history professor: He's a decent professor, but he teaches at Georgia Southern - not an Ivy League school. 6/10

Is it me or did he miss out "Platoon" ? I think that is the best Vietnam war movie ever.

Thankyou for sharing your knowledge should be taught in schools

Its interesting that some movies actually get somethings right

I don't recall ever hearing PAVN. it was always NVA.

No mention of 'Danger close' again

If you're judging Casualties of War based on the accuracy of the bridge scene, you miss the point. All these films take license over the facts in some way or another. But, as a veteran, it's always nice to hear from experts who didn't serve.

The picture depicting WW1 when he’s talking about hamburger hill is actually a WW2 picture. Just saying…

What about Danger close: The battle of long tan and the odd angryshot

Shame we didn't get to The Greatest Beer Run Ever, it actually had a really good depiction of the buildup to the Tet Offensive

The booby trap was the scariest weapon in the war,more deadly then any advance weapons.

Go Tell the Spartans is pretty good

Would've loved to see one of these done by John Musgrave.

My step dad ended up a POW, I'm guessing by the VC because he was definitely mistreated. When he needs to take a sweaty or wet shirt off, it needs to be done fast because if it stays up over his head for any length of time he freaks out. He's 78 and hasn't spoken a word about it except for the fact he was. Would do anything to hear his story from start to finish

Forest Gump getting one of the higher scores even though the war is a relatively small part of the film, lol.

On Hamburger Hill, by summer 1968, NAPs were assigned as replacements, mostly E-3 & 4. On air support, fast movers were not simply flying around waiting for a call. RVN- era Pathfinder here, you have to give an entrance & exit azimuth. Army would call local 105, maybe 155. Clear to me when I hear arm chair 11Bs.

Just because he wrote a book on My Lai massacre doesn't mean he needs to deny that American POWs were tortured.

I'm a little disappointed that you did not bring up the issue of all those guys going full auto on a combat position. In Vietnam, and most other combat scenarios for that matter, fully auto would only be used in situations where the enemy position is unclear or where suppressive fire would be needed, such as in a hasty retreat.

VC didn’t torture. Got it.

this dude looks and speaks like Matt Taibbi, I can't unsee it :D

My favorite Vietnam War movie is We Were Soldiers with Mel Gibson.

My uncle was a ranger river rat type of military dude you don’t ask about his experience so all i can go on is i saw his shadow box once and he had what i determined to be 5 army commendation medal 2 silver stars 3 bronze stars and a couple medals from the south Vietnamese government. But i never hear miltary stories on any of these vietnam videos about the “river rats”