tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3010559333082508395.post7468578209582448200..comments2024-03-19T08:23:24.309-07:00Comments on Tom Cochrun /Light Breezes: STILL HURTSTom Cochrunhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04046822056852446079noreply@blogger.comBlogger14125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3010559333082508395.post-77881782614860969172017-09-25T23:23:21.233-07:002017-09-25T23:23:21.233-07:00Learning indeed!Learning indeed!Tom Cochrunhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04046822056852446079noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3010559333082508395.post-56345859337303112302017-09-25T23:22:45.267-07:002017-09-25T23:22:45.267-07:00Corruption is an apt description for many of the r...Corruption is an apt description for many of the regime leaders of the South. But we learn the leaders in the North were able to send their children to Russia or elsewhere to avoid the conflict they pressed. Tom Cochrunhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04046822056852446079noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3010559333082508395.post-87561417215448623042017-09-25T18:48:49.400-07:002017-09-25T18:48:49.400-07:00I'm halfway through the Ken Burns series on Vi...I'm halfway through the Ken Burns series on Vietnam. I'm learning so much. Such terrible mistakes were made.stephen Hayeshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17659054447637207734noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3010559333082508395.post-66211865633077675572017-09-25T18:24:19.522-07:002017-09-25T18:24:19.522-07:00VP/General Ky owned 5 or 6 liquor stores in Orange...VP/General Ky owned 5 or 6 liquor stores in Orange County after the war. A friend of mine worked in one of his stores while going to UC Irvine, said he was still a pompous, arrogant ass. Tieu died in Brookline MA. He lived very quietly. Jagerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15854309313920685901noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3010559333082508395.post-67941274730768937602017-09-25T15:55:13.437-07:002017-09-25T15:55:13.437-07:00I started working in the news room of a little rad...I started working in the news room of a little radio station in Muncie in '65. Surprising to some, Ball State had an active anti war community and a national guard unit that provided "conscripts" a fact that turned out to be a jolt to some BSU students who sought haven from the draft board. It provided a local slice of the national drama so much of my undergrad days were spent "working the beat" and wrestling with myself about my intentions. In addition to the note above, my goal of getting a commission, serving a few years and then going into foreign service or politics began to come undone by the war that seemed so wrong. And I fell in love with reporting.Tom Cochrunhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04046822056852446079noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3010559333082508395.post-66874695391322396932017-09-25T15:33:24.143-07:002017-09-25T15:33:24.143-07:00As I mentioned to Frank P. today, I am impressed w...As I mentioned to Frank P. today, I am impressed with the columns about each episode in the Washington Post by Alyssa Rosenberg. Her column today about General Loan shooting the enemy soldier in the head on the street in Saigon was particularly well done. I mention that after noting The New Yorker's profile of Ken Burns and his operation about a month ago. Back at Purdue, then, I had such a need to protest and feel I only went through the motions with the Moratorium Committee, among other lame activities. And then came word that one of my gung ho fraternity brothers, an ROTC jock turned Marine, had been killed in VN not six months into his initial tour. Craig Sparksnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3010559333082508395.post-28805003817858122762017-09-25T15:10:51.027-07:002017-09-25T15:10:51.027-07:00Excellent point. Indeed the Teach-In classroom has...Excellent point. Indeed the Teach-In classroom has been reopened.<br />You are right, sadly. We have not learned those lessons. <br />BTW I was scanning the Columbia footage for you. Tom Cochrunhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04046822056852446079noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3010559333082508395.post-52839822018425238232017-09-25T15:08:16.412-07:002017-09-25T15:08:16.412-07:00War is a failure of humans to thrive.War is a failure of humans to thrive.Tom Cochrunhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04046822056852446079noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3010559333082508395.post-12901281823814185202017-09-25T15:07:38.927-07:002017-09-25T15:07:38.927-07:00My father who was a Sgt. Major (former DI) fought ...My father who was a Sgt. Major (former DI) fought in the South Pacific and worked for the government for a few years after the war was a patriot, but he was among the first of his (WWII) generation to say the war was "wrong." He called it a "politician's war," said we were backing the wrong people but his greatest concern was that American troops were being mis-used and sacrificed for political objectives and egos. There was no "generation gap" in our home. <br />I was in ROTC and planned to take a commission and serve-but the war screwed with my inner calculus about all of that. Tom Cochrunhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04046822056852446079noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3010559333082508395.post-49593889589301832262017-09-25T14:58:47.239-07:002017-09-25T14:58:47.239-07:00Excellent summary and analysis as usual, Tom. We h...Excellent summary and analysis as usual, Tom. We have strapped ourselves in to watch the first five episodes (9 hours) with the expected mix of nostalgia, anger, frustration and renewed respect for Ken Burns' ability to tell personal stories and do good journalism. We still haven't learned the lessons of hubris, failed bureaucracy and the financial imperative of the military industrial complex. But it is heartening to see that Burns has reopened the Teach-In classroom.Frank Phillippihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15356905629121523842noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3010559333082508395.post-24999680376829812492017-09-25T14:55:17.201-07:002017-09-25T14:55:17.201-07:00Powerful. Powerful. Tom Cochrunhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04046822056852446079noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3010559333082508395.post-10094749231089800712017-09-25T14:41:51.850-07:002017-09-25T14:41:51.850-07:00It was a stupid and self-serving war, as almost al...It was a stupid and self-serving war, as almost all wars are. Kill to get combat training? Maybe if you're Attila the Hun. Even animals know better than to do that.STEVE FIGLERhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09915119676694280929noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3010559333082508395.post-70069582681002475502017-09-25T09:19:21.407-07:002017-09-25T09:19:21.407-07:00I've watched two episodes, mixed emotions and ...I've watched two episodes, mixed emotions and thoughts about it. As you know I was there for two tours, 66-68 with a two month period back in the middle at Bethesda USN MC. What has struck me so far is how there are still lingering "we coulda won that" ideas hanging on. WTF will we learn? Two months after I arrived at Than Son Nhut I knew we were in the middle of a civil war. Get an hour out of Danang to some 'ville, they had no idea who the president of SVN was, but they had a picture of Ho on the wall somewhere. <br />It was just a effed up mess. My father in law, long gone now, was commander naval forces Philippines, and was mentor to Zumwalt, who then was commander naval forces VN. After retiring, he told me he thought the whole reason the joint chiefs want to be there was to get combat training to a cadre of lower and middle rank officers, and NCO's. <br />Who knows....Should Fish Morehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13038376492887695725noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3010559333082508395.post-81894850792785272272017-09-25T08:44:12.377-07:002017-09-25T08:44:12.377-07:00I am recording the Burns series but have not yet b...I am recording the Burns series but have not yet begun to watch it. Perhaps today.Catalysthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03804837416104556928noreply@blogger.com