They come to us after the journalists, the generals, and the politicians have had their say. This book does a really good job of showing what the troops were feeling while in the Vietnam. Some are eloquent, others less so. William R. Stocks. Read this book as a Senior in high school and its stuck with me for a long timeits crazy to read a book like this at 18 and grasp the fact that these were letters written by guys your same age just 30 years earlier. ." When you see the screens that present the following information, copy it into the table. The book is chronologically listed and you can see the changing feelings of the soldiers. "Dear America- Letters Home from Vietnam" / V, Module 25: Lesson 1: Moving Toward Conflict K, Unit 10 Homework Quiz Things Answers USH (Kam, The Language of Composition: Reading, Writing, Rhetoric, Lawrence Scanlon, Renee H. Shea, Robin Dissin Aufses, Edge Reading, Writing and Language: Level C, David W. Moore, Deborah Short, Michael W. Smith, Literature and Composition: Reading, Writing,Thinking, Carol Jago, Lawrence Scanlon, Renee H. Shea, Robin Dissin Aufses, (JAPN 102) Lesson 7: (Culture Note: Ki. It's purpose was to scope out the military men who had disguised themselves as civilians. Dear America: Letters Home From Vietnam Bernard Edelman W. W. Norton & Company, Jun 4, 2002 - History - 316 pages 3 Reviews Reviews aren't verified, but Google checks for and removes fake. "Boston Globe"Dear America is painful, but it must be difficult to be realistic and entertaining about war. Reading it, I felt I was listening to the voices of the men and women who lived and fought in Vietnam. He died in action on the Fourth of July, 1966. Archive footage of the war and news coverage thereof, augment the first-person "narrative" by men and women who were in the war, some of whom did not survive it. This packet groups the chapters together and provides questions for each section. . window.__mirage2 = {petok:"KpOTmu2bpdpnnM8UIFv2GUFQLYCogr_bRkiqjAh0ziM-86400-0"}; This is one that broke my heart - I could imagine the voices of so many young men, lost and broken in not just vietnam, but in the grasp of war. Too many times I have seen guys near me get hit and go home in a plastic bag. A heart broken fifteen years ago today, when you lost your life in Vietnam. 1987 American documentary film by Bill Couturi, For the unrelated Scholastic book series, see, Between 19982012, the award was bestowed as, The Couch Trip, For Keeps, Dear America: Letters Home from Vietnam, Rent-a-Cop, The Lonely Passion of Judith Hearne, 1988|Siskel and Ebert Movie Reviews, "Dear America: Letters Home From Vietnam", "Festival de Cannes: Dear America: Letters Home from Vietnam", Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Hosted Nonfiction Series or Special, The Great War and the Shaping of the 20th Century, I Am a Promise: The Children of Stanton Elementary School, Leah Remini: Scientology and the Aftermath, TCA Award for Outstanding Achievement in Movies, Miniseries and Specials, Fallen Champ: The Untold Story of Mike Tyson, Life with Judy Garland: Me and My Shadows, The Jinx: The Life and Deaths of Robert Durst, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Dear_America:_Letters_Home_from_Vietnam&oldid=1107017053, Short description is different from Wikidata, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 27 August 2022, at 17:56. Major ad/promo. 1-86-NARA-NARA or 1-866-272-6272, Based on the book of the same name, this 1987 Emmy Award. The war lasted from November 1955 to April 1975 (19 years and 4 months) when the N. Vietnamese party took Saigon. Revealing the complex emotions and daily realities of fighting in the war, these close accounts offer a powerful, uniquely personal portrait of the many faces of Vietnam's veterans. Each day the streak got bigger, and the men became meaner. There are letters from soldiers writing about the beauty of the country, the kindness of the people, and others that think the place is disgusting and should be left to the dogs. Poignant in their rare honesty, the letters from Vietnam are "riveting, extraordinary by [their] very ordinariness for the most part, neither deep nor philosophical, only very, very human" ( Los Angeles Times ). Absolutely no words can describe exactly how this book made me feel. I got a call through to my parents a little while after I talked to you. 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. But on this past New Year's Day, I talked by phone to a friend of yours from Michigan, who spent your last Christmas and the last four months of your life with you. And he said how you, of all people, should never have been the one to die. Dear America: Letters Home From Vietnam. Dear America: Letters Home from Vietnam. Until I see you again. (1852), Excerpts from Science as a Candle in the Dark Sagan, Carl (1996), Excerpts from the Physics of Star Trek Krauss, Lawrence M. (1995). : In the very near future, the undersigned will once more be in your midst, dehydrated and demoralized, to take his place again as a human being with the well-known forms of freedom and justice for all; engage in life, liberty and the somewhat delayed pursuit of happiness. This book takes a long hard look at wartime and how if affects the soldiers living it. Each chapter filled with letters that have a specific theme, be prepared to cry, cringe, and cheer your way through it. Abstain from saying anything about powdered eggs, dehydrated potatoes, fried rice, fresh milk or ice cream. Orientation At the end of each letter, the editor included a brief note of when the writer wrote, where they were assigned and, in too many cases, how they died in Vietnam. DISPATCHES FROM A WAR ZONE - DEAR AMERICA: LETTERS HOME FROM VIETNAM, directed by Bill Couturie; screenplay by Richard Dewhurst and Mr. Couturie; cinematographer and original photography. LANGUAGE: Vietnamese This book was incredible. ." Vietnamese took this to their advantage, and attacked the U.S. troops, they were unprepared. Most online reference entries and articles do not have page numbers. but the caution is understandable since this book was published in conjunction with the opening of a new Vietnam memorial. $11.35. "Dear America" is a collection of letters back home from men-and women- in Vietnam. I have come away with a new appreciation for veterans of Vietnam after getting a glimpse of what they went through. Everyone but you, Bill. Um, I'm actually going to go buy it on Amazon right now. Explore Now Get Free eBook Sample Buy As Gift LEND ME See Details Overview New from ReAnimus Press! Archive footage of the war and news coverage thereof, augment the first-person "narrative" by men and women who were in the war, Read allA documentary featuring letters written by U.S. soldiers, sailors, airmen, and Marines during the Vietnam War to their families and friends back home. What was the purpose of it? This book is not for the faint hearted, but what could paint a more accurate picture of war than the letters of soldiers. The night because they could not see their surroundings, to the men it felt like they were surrounded. Dear America Letters Home from Vietnam 1987 l 1of2. . Bernard Edelman, a Vietnam veteran who was an associate producer of the film and . How might the Mylai Massacre effect the support of war from home? Archive footage of the war and news coverage thereof, augment the first-person "narrative" by men and women who were in the war, some of whom did not survive it. Too many of the letters have the biographical note KIA.And how well these soldiers wrote. It has no plot except that thousands of young men went to a faraway country and had unspeakable experiences there, and many of them died or were wounded for life in body or soul. -rough-housing -smoking cigarettes -drinking -playing card games -everyone is having fun -like a war is not even going on The attitudes of soldiers during course of war. There are frightening fire fights and unflinching shots of men in the process of dying. The words are the words of the soldiers themselves, and the images are taken from their own home movies and from TV news footage of the war. So, doll, in titi time I will be with you again.. I loved reading about the heroic acts and demonstrations of loyalty and bravery, but even more so, the admissions of genuine fear, anger, insecurities, and confusion about the purpose of what they were doing. Then he screened the entire archive of TV news footage shot by NBC-TV from 1967 to 1969 - 2 million feet of film totaling 926 hours. But I feel a need to know about this war, and these letters home from the war are heartbreaking. SOURCE: Bowman, David, and Peter Roepke. I don't know why, since I was born during the war and should really not be affected by it. Describe the physical geography of Vietnam. Do not be alarmed if he should jump up from the dinner table and rush to the garbage can to wash his dish with a toilet brush. He told me how after a while over there, instead of a yellow streak, the men got a mean streak down their backs. Dear America: Letters Home From Vietnam - YouTube 0:00 / 1:18:31 Sign in to confirm your age This video may be inappropriate for some users. Keep cool when he pours gravy on his dessert at dinner or mixes peaches with his Seagrams VO. USA.gov, The U.S. National Archives and Records Administration Cite this article Pick a style below, and copy the text for your bibliography. Black Ford), Excerpt from My Army Life (c. 1866, by Frances C. Carrington), Excerpt from Memories of the North American Invasion (c. 1850, by Jos Mara Roa Barcena), Excerpts from on the Growth of Plants in Closely Glazed Cases Ward, Nathaniel B. This is not a book I would normally read, but my husband recommended it. Dear America Letters Home From Vietnam War DVD HBO Brand New Sealed 2005. If there is any book to show the reasons to stop these wars this is it. "Baltimore Sun"Dear America tells of an ache as ancient as timeadolescents off to war with high expectations, who soon change greatly. In 1975, he won the Pulitzer Prize for distinguished criticism. Some of the letters read lie poetry, while others simply share the danger and drudgery of being in a combat zone. Francois Truffaut once wrote that it was impossible to make an "anti-war film," because any war film, no matter what its message, was sure to be exhilarating. He also gained access to footage from the Defense Department, including previously classified film of action under fire. following the performance, we met privately with them, and we all sat stunned as grown men wept hysterically on account of the memories it brought back for them, as many of the veterans were the same age we were at the time of the performance when they first saw combat overseas. With Tom Berenger, Ellen Burstyn, J. Kenneth Campbell, Richard Chaves. "An overwhelmingly eloquent book of the purest and most simple writing on Vietnam."David Halberstam. The book is exactly what the title says -- actual letters home written by the men -- boys, really -- who served on the front lines of Vietnam. A portrait of Americans' experiences in Vietnam, told through letters written to friends and loved ones back home. . I'm no one to tell you about your son. this war, and all others, happened to actual people (whom had friends, lovers, siblings, and parents), and the sight of those men crying haunts me still. 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. The attitudes of soldiers at the beginning of the war. For more information on the exhibit, visit, Remembering Vietnam is presented in part by the Lawrence F. OBrien Family, Pritzker Military Museum & Library, AARP, FedEx Corporation, and the National Archives Foundation. It was sad to read comments about these guy's future plans only to find out that they never made it that far. Too many of the letters have the biographical note KIA.And how well these soldiers wrote. A documentary featuring letters written by U.S. soldiers, sailors, airmen, and Marines during the Vietnam War to their families and friends back home. What major military actions does Nixon take upon becoming President? "Excerpts from Dear America: Letters Home from Vietnam (19671979) it was in that moment that evening, perhaps more than in any other, that i realized the real, life-long consequences of armed conflict. Dear America: Letters Home From Vietnam definitely captures the essence of the Vietnam war. More than twenty-five 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. You sounded so happy, and it sounded like you did not believe that I only busted a few bones. I love to just walk around in book stores and look for treasures. https://www.encyclopedia.com/history/dictionaries-thesauruses-pictures-and-press-releases/excerpts-dear-america-letters-home-vietnam-1967-1979, Coming Home: Vietnam Veterans in American Society. You don't know how close I have been to getting killed or maimed. This led to hundreds of innocent (and unarmed) women and children being killed. The film's narration consists of real letters written by American soldiers, which are read by actors including Robert de Niro and Martin Sheen. Therefore, that information is unavailable for most Encyclopedia.com content. Read full review, Check out the new look and enjoy easier access to your favorite features, Reviews aren't verified, but Google checks for and removes fake content when it's identified. I'm a shell, and when I'm scared I rattle. . I'm very, very glad I read this book. [2] Ebert wrote in his review: "This movie is so powerful precisely because it is so simple. In many cases, they have matched up individual soldiers with their letters - we see them as we hear their words, and then we discover their fates. Overall, an excellent documentary, one of the better ones of its era. //]]>, The twentieth century was a decade of war: of the hundred million war-related deaths worldwide since 1700, over 90 percent occurred in the twentieth century. There are moments here that cannot be forgotten, and most of them are due to the hard work of the filmmaker, director Bill Couturie, who has not taken just any words and any old footage, but precisely the right words to go with the images. Dictionary of American History. WANT A NOOK? USA.gov, The U.S. National Archives and Records Administration Because each style has its own formatting nuances that evolve over time and not all information is available for every reference entry or article, Encyclopedia.com cannot guarantee each citation it generates. We know their wives or girlfriends. mark h. brewer Edit Guru. This HBO production also received theatrical release. 2 years ago. People were questioning why we were sending our young men to Vietnam in the first place. Dear America: Letters Home from Vietnam is a 1987 American documentary film inspired by the anthology of the same title, directed by Bill Couturi.The film's narration consists of real letters written by American soldiers, which are read by actors including Robert de Niro and Martin Sheen.The footage includes film from TV news, the Department of Defense and home movies by the soldiers themselves. Youll find yourself smiling at the tenacity of the human spirit, and alternately crying at the futility of it all sometimes. The troops took all of their surroundings ad used it to their advantage. government official How lucky you were to have him for a friend. Letters and film footage from actual soldiers and nurses who fought in Vietnam are read aloud and shown in this "documentary." My mother did not believe that I was coming home. During the Vietnam War, numerous U.S. soldiers wrote to friends and loved ones who were waiting back home for their safe return. From the first days of swimming in the surf to the last exhausted days of fear and despair, it never looks away. They said the war was pointless. I found myself jumping first to the italicized paragraph following each letter, so that I could learn the fate of the correspondent prior to engaging emotionally with the material. Not having much knowledge on the Vietnam war, this book really opened my eyes and my heart - it really made me feel something, just reading these simple letters home. They tell me the letters I write to you and leave here at this memorial are waking others up to the fact that there is still much pain left from the Vietnam War. Vietnamese It was so heartbreaking and raw and beautiful. Why would the N. Vietnamese release the Christmas video? Reading the letters sent home will tear your heart out. https://www.encyclopedia.com/history/dictionaries-thesauruses-pictures-and-press-releases/excerpts-dear-america-letters-home-vietnam-1967-1979, "Excerpts from Dear America: Letters Home from Vietnam (19671979) No full understanding of the most disastrous foreign war in American history can be complete without reading these letters from the GIs to their loved ones back home. He also gained access to footage from the Defense Department, including previously classified film of action under fire. Complete each sentence with the comparative or superlative form of the modifier in parentheses. "I feared the war, yes, but I also feared exile., PRONUNCIATION: vee-et-nuh-MEEZ There was a lot of pain after the war. Sign in to rate and Watchlist for personalized recommendations. //