Good Morning Vietnam!
An interview with Adrian Cronauer. The real person, not the persona that Robin Williams created.
In the first edition of Valor, A publication of the National Vietnam Veterans Committee, Volume 1, Issue 1, James C. Roberts interviewed Adrian for the upcoming radio series, "Veterans Chronicles."
This revealing exchange reinforces what we have heard for years:
Adrian: Walter Chronkite went to Vietnam after the Tet Offensive and said that we were losing, which was a complete fabrication.
Not only does this fly in the face of the hollywood production, but adds just one more voice to identify this journalist as a defeatist as well as propagandist. Goodnight, Walter. You may never know how many people you killed with your misguided reporting. You are second only to Walter Duranty
posted by Chief RZ @ 5.5.06
7 Comments:
Chief,
Several years ago, I saw an interview with General Giap and when asked about the Tet Offensive he stated that the North Vietnamese thought they had lost the war after it failed and only American belief in their propaganda turned it into a victory. I believe it was on the 20th anniversary of the offensive and was part of a CBS news special.
I was in SEA as an advisor from 1973 to 1975. The real death blow was when congress defunded the South Vietnamese Aid. An act of treachery that will live in infamy since so many were subsequently murdered by the communists.
Wow, good work in uncovering the real person. I have to do some research on Adrian Cronauer before I can make an educated comment, though. I never saw Good Morning Vietnam because I dislike Robin Williams and assumed it to be like M*A*S*H, portraying soldiers in an unrealistically unflattering light.
alnot- Correct, and thanks for spreading The Truth about Vietnam.
amy- I did see the movie several times. It was similar to M*A*S*H.
I hope that Bruce Willis follows through with a movie on the "deuce four" and plays LTC Kurilla. The unit's 800 brave soldiers had a positive victory in Mosul in 2004.
Ooooo, "second to Walter Duranty!" A beautiful and well deserved slap in the face.
Where I am confused is the Adrian Cronauer interview. From one of my history lessons learned from movies, Adrian didn't come off as someone that would take the view that "we were losing" in Vietnam as a "complete fabrication."
I guess I'll just get back up on the fence while I try to decide whether to believe the truth or the movie.
a.k.a. -- If there were any doubt, here is another exchange:
Australian female reporter-- "Well by now enought time has passed thae we can begin to forgive you for what you did."
Adrian -- I don't think anybody who served in Vietnam feels he needs to forgive for anything, but that she was right in one respect--that enough time had passed, and that the Vietnam veterans could begin to forgive her for what she did.
I find this alternate reality that has passed for truth extremely disturbing.
The reaction to Iraq took so little time to gain steam, yet it plugs away and unfortunately succeeds to a degree.
Anyone can say what they want about Bush, but can you imagine the "Vietnam all over again mindset" that would be present had Kerry become president?
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