Podcasts about Viet Cong

LBJ kicks off Project Head Start; Queen Elizabeth visits West Berlin; U.S. destroyers shell the Viet Cong; John Lindsay runs for Mayor of NYC; Muhammad Ali defends his title. Newscaster: Joe Rubenstein.   Support this project on Patreon!

Doug Greenlaw sees his life as a series of "lightning strikes." He was literally struck by lightning when he was 13 years old, thankfully making an immediate recovery. He later left Indiana University to join the Army, become an officer, and serve in in the Vietnam War - first as a platoon commander and then as a company commander. He arrived in Vietnam in 1967.In this edition of Veterans Chronicles, Greenlaw takes us through his training, including a terrifying story from jungle training, and through his most harrowing moments in Vietnam. Greenlaw details the events of Thanksgiving Day 1967, when his platoon was dropped off in the wrong spot and quickly found itself facing a North Vietnamese battalion of 400-500 fighters. He explains the actions he took to keep his men alive until air and ground support could arrive - and he describes hand-to-hand fighting with an enemy officer in a North Vietnamese tunnel.Greenlaw also tells us his responsibilities and priorities as a platoon and company commander and how he and his men painstakingly looked out for enemy booby traps and explosives. He also reveals the extensive injuries he suffered after a soldier in his company tripped one of those wires.We'll also hear how Greenlaw's military service impacted his impressive rise as a sales and marketing executive, all the way to the top of MTV, Nickelodeon, and VH-1.Finally, we'll learn about Greenlaw's leadership with the Military Order of the Purple Heart, from leading his local chapter to serving as national commander for two years.

L'histoire de Pham Xuân An est digne d'un roman d'espionnage, sauf qu'elle est entièrement vraie. Pendant des décennies, cet homme a mené une double vie extraordinaire : journaliste respecté à Saïgon pour des médias occidentaux comme Time Magazine, il était en réalité un agent secret du Viet Cong, travaillant dans l'ombre pour le renseignement nord-vietnamien.Né en 1927 au Vietnam, Pham Xuân An est envoyé aux États-Unis dans les années 1950 pour étudier le journalisme à l'université d'Orange Coast College en Californie. C'est un homme cultivé, charismatique et très à l'aise dans les cercles américains. De retour au Vietnam, il devient correspondant pour plusieurs grandes agences de presse étrangères, gagnant rapidement la confiance de diplomates, d'officiers américains et de journalistes de renom. Il est perçu comme un observateur objectif, modéré, bien informé. En réalité, il mène une mission secrète bien plus audacieuse.Pham Xuân An était un espion au service du Nord-Vietnam, infiltré au cœur de l'élite politique et militaire sud-vietnamienne. Grâce à son statut de journaliste, il avait accès à des informations confidentielles, des rapports militaires, et des conversations privées de hauts responsables américains. Il retranscrivait tout cela en messages codés ou en microfilms, qu'il faisait parvenir à Hanoï via des messagers clandestins. Il a notamment transmis des données stratégiques sur les opérations américaines pendant la guerre du Vietnam, influençant directement certaines batailles clés.Ce qui rend son histoire fascinante, c'est la manière dont il a maintenu sa couverture pendant des décennies, même après la chute de Saïgon en 1975. Alors que d'autres espions sont démasqués ou éliminés, lui reste discret, protégé par son image publique de journaliste patriote. Ce n'est qu'après la guerre que son rôle réel commence à émerger. En 1976, il est officiellement nommé général dans les services de renseignement du Vietnam, une reconnaissance tardive mais immense.Beaucoup de ses anciens collègues journalistes furent abasourdis à la révélation de sa véritable identité. Certains se sentirent trahis, d'autres lui gardèrent leur estime, reconnaissant qu'il avait toujours fait preuve d'une éthique personnelle, ne mentant jamais plus que nécessaire et n'ayant jamais mis leurs vies en danger.Pham Xuân An est mort en 2006, honoré comme un héros national au Vietnam. Son histoire interroge profondément la frontière entre loyauté, trahison, et devoir. Il incarne l'archétype parfait de l'espion invisible : un homme effacé, brillant, qui a su manipuler la réalité avec une redoutable intelligence — sans jamais perdre son calme ni sa foi dans la cause qu'il servait. Hébergé par Acast. Visitez acast.com/privacy pour plus d'informations.

One of the short films, "Doldrums" will have its San Diego premiere Friday. It follows a Vietnam War veteran haunted by memories of the soldiers he led and the Viet Cong medic who saved his life.

Max Pearson presents a collection of the week's Witness History interviews from the BBC World Service about the Vietnam War and the invention of the hugely popular mobile phone game, Snake. Don Anderson, a former BBC TV reporter during the final days of Vietnam, discusses the atmosphere in Saigon as the North Vietnamese forces closed in. We also hear about the network of tunnels in the south of the country which Viet Cong guerrillas built during the fighting. Finally, the former president of the European Commission and two-time prime minister of Italy, Romano Prodi on steering through the ten-state expansion of the European Union in 2004.Contributors:Le Van Lang - a Viet Cong veteran.Dr Xuan Dung Tran - a doctor in the South Vietnamese Marines. Don Anderson - former BBC TV reporter.Phạm Chi Lan - economist at Vietnam's Chamber of Commerce and Industry. Romano Prodi - former president of the European Commission and two-time prime minister of Italy.Taneli Armanto - mobile phone game Snake, inventor.(Photo: Viet Cong soldier inside the Cu Chi tunnels. Credit: Dirck Halstead/Getty Images)

Capítulo 330: Pedro con el 50 aniversario de la toma de Ho Chi Minh (Saigón) por el Vietcong y Trump, sus promesas, el riesgo de recesión y sus primeros 100 días. Eduardo y el apagón, desde su experiencia y una vez recuperada la luz, el análisis.Podéis contactar con nosotros a través de Twitter en @trendingpod https://twitter.com/trendingpod o por correo electrónico a trending@emilcar.fm.

During the Vietnam War, North Vietnamese VietCong guerrillas built a vast network of tunnels in the south of the country as part of the insurgency against the South Vietnamese government and their American allies. The tunnel network was a key base and shelter for the North Vietnamese army in their victory in the war in 1975. In 2017 Alex Last spoke to Le Van Lang, a Viet Cong veteran who helped construct the tunnels in the Cu Chi District, which is 20km north of Saigon (now Ho Chi Minh City). Eye-witness accounts brought to life by archive. Witness History is for those fascinated by the past. We take you to the events that have shaped our world through the eyes of the people who were there. For nine minutes every day, we take you back in time and all over the world, to examine wars, coups, scientific discoveries, cultural moments and much more. Recent episodes explore everything from football in Brazil, the history of the ‘Indian Titanic' and the invention of air fryers, to Public Enemy's Fight The Power, subway art and the political crisis in Georgia. We look at the lives of some of the most famous leaders, artists, scientists and personalities in history, including: visionary architect Antoni Gaudi and the design of the Sagrada Familia; Michael Jordan and his bespoke Nike trainers; Princess Diana at the Taj Mahal; and Görel Hanser, manager of legendary Swedish pop band Abba on the influence they've had on the music industry. You can learn all about fascinating and surprising stories, such as the time an Iraqi journalist hurled his shoes at the President of the United States in protest of America's occupation of Iraq; the creation of the Hollywood commercial that changed advertising forever; and the ascent of the first Aboriginal MP.(Photo: A former VietCong soldier in the tunnels in 1978. Credit: Jean-Claude LABBE/Gamma-Rapho via Getty Images)

Precies 50 jaar geleden dropen de laatste Amerikanen, de ambassadeur en de mariniers die hem bewaakten, af uit Saigon. Binnen enkele uren was de stad, het laatste Amerikaanse bastion in Vietnam, in handen van het Noord-Vietnamese leger en de guerrillabeweging Viet Cong. Twaalf jaar lang hadden de Amerikanen er vergeefs gevochten om verspreiding van het communisme tegen te gaan, een hersenschim die zij de ‘dominotheorie’ noemden. 58.000 Amerikaanse soldaten, 3 miljoen Vietnamezen, en nog eens 600.000 Cambodjanen en Laotianen verloren het leven. Journalisten, zoals ik, waren verbijsterd door de gruwelijke wreedheden waarvan wij getuige waren, in plaatsenals Da Nang en Tai Ninh, en langs de Mekongrivier. En uit de meedogenloze wijze waarop Amerikaanse soldaten massaal in de pan werden gehakt. Uit de ogen van de Vietnamezen straalde wilskracht, uit die van de Amerikanen ongeloof en angst. Thuis, in Amerika, groeide het protest. De meeste burgers begrepen dat dit een verkeerde en on-winbare oorlog was. Uitgescholden veteranen Het pijnlijkst was het lot van veteranen, meestal dienstplichtigen, die bij terugkeer niet met respect werden onthaald, maar werden uitgescholden voor collaborateur en massamoordenaar. De huidige opperbevelhebber wist dienstplicht in Vietnam trouwens te ontlopen door afkeuring wegens een verzonnen en door een specialist bevestigde zere hiel. Trump herdenkt 30 april 1975 op Trumpiaanse wijze. Hij heeft zijn ambassadeur in Hanoi orders gegeven zich niet te laten zien bij officiële evenementen. Als onderdeel van de handelsoorlog heeft hij Vietnam getroffen met een extra zware heffing van 46 procent. Vietnam denkt ook deze oorlog te winnen. Guerrillabeweging Vietnam was een waarschuwing die door de wereld is genegeerd. Zelfs het machtigste leger kan niet winnen van een guerrillabeweging. Amerika verloor van de Viet Cong, Rusland verloor in Afghanistan van de mudjahidien, Amerika verloor in Afghanistan van de taliban en in Irak van sjiitische milities. In Colombia vecht de regering al 60 jaar tegen de linkse rebellen van ELN. Israël vecht al sinds 1987 tegen Hamas. Daarmee hebben al die guerrillabewegingen geen gelijk. Maar ze zijn taaier, koppiger, stugger, behendiger en onzichtbaarder dan reguliere legers, en het enige oorlogsrecht dat ze kennen is het vermorzelen van hun vijand. De tragedie op een dag als deze is dat kennelijk niemand gelooft in dat oude mantra: de geschiedenis herhaalt zich.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Darrell Castle talks about the war in which Europe currently finds itself as well as the seemingly inevitable war against Iran and its affiliates. Transcription / Notes WAR LASTS FOREVER Hello, this is Darrell Castle with today's Castle Report. This is Friday the 25th day of April in the year of our Lord 2025. I talk of war today as we are about two weeks away from May 8th which is the 80th anniversary of the German surrender in WWll or what became known as victory in Europe Day. I speak today not of the German surrender but of the war in which Europe still finds itself as well as the seemingly inevitable war against Iran and its affiliates. It is very easy to get into a war and so very hard to get out of one. The efforts to resolve the conflict between Ukraine and Russia have become more difficult because neither side has been defeated. They have killed each other and invented new technological methods of warfare but neither is in a position of absolute defeat. Many seem disappointed that the war might end and they look for ways to make it continue. The only way it can continue is if the United States and Europe remain committed by supplying the money and hardware the Ukrainians need to continue the struggle. Even if the U.S. decided to continue the supply chain the Ukrainians are running out of bodies. Even U.S. money and weapons might not be enough and so some are urging the use of U.S. and European troops to continue the fight against Russia. France seems to be seriously considering the idea. I have read that the usual argument in favor of U.S. commitment is that China is supplying Russia and some Chinese officers have been captured inside Ukraine where they were apparently learning about the incredible drone warfare campaign Ukraine has developed. I guess you don't need so many bodies if you can fight each other with robots. The situation in Ukraine reminds me of the U.S. efforts to extricate itself from Vietnam. Once again it's easy to get into but hard to get out of. The U.S. was never defeated militarily and U.S. troops were not defeated on the battlefield but neither did the U.S. win and so by not winning it lost. History is filled with examples of committed guerilla forces fighting and winning against technologically superior forces. The American colonists against the British Empire for example. The more powerful force, usually with long supply lines, grows ever more exhausted and the war appears unwinnable so they simply look for a way to quit, but sometimes the guerillas will not allow them to quit and keep their dignity. President Trump now finds himself in the position of fulfilling his promise of ending the war but the war is a lot more important to Ukraine and Russia than it is to the United States. The stated reasons for U.S. involvement, i.e. to weaken Russia have failed and it appears Russia is more resilient than previously thought. It appears to be the same situation the U.S. found itself in as it tried to leave Vietnam. The Viet Cong achieved their goals of uniting their country under their rule and the U.S. finally decided to accept that and just go. The Ukrainian situation has similarities because Russia occupies Crimea and several provinces in the Eastern border region of Ukraine proper, while Ukraine still occupies some positions inside Russia although not many. Ironically, this Kursk frontier is the exact same region where the Russians fought invading Nazis during WWll. Not much changes except technology because human nature never changes. Vice President Vance conveyed the President's thoughts about efforts to end the struggle in that if his final offer is rejected the U.S. might simply abandon the process. If the U.S. went away and took its bombs and bullets with it then Zelensky and Putin could resolve matters on their own. The U.S. negotiating team seems to be growing weary as Secretary of State Rubio has stepped back from it, according to J.D. Vance.

Send us a textRalph Pezzullo was born in New York City. When he was five years old his father joined the Foreign Service of the State Department. His job took them to Mexico, South Vietnam, Bolivia, Colombia, Guatemala, Uruguay and Nicaragua. They lived in Saigon during the Tonkin Gulf Incident, the overthrow of Diem, a number of other coup d'etats and almost daily Vietcong terrorist attacks against Americans. After that, they survived three years gasping for air at 13,000 feet in La Paz, Bolivia during the time that Che Guevarra was trying to build a guerrilla base in that country. By 1980 his father was the US Ambassador to Nicaragua, and Ralph was there witnessing the first days of the Sandinista Revolution.These experiences molded him. He saw how political instability could throw peoples' lives into chaos and test their character. In his teenage years he became a sounding board for his father's opinions on how to best formulate and carry out US foreign policy.  Many of his friends were other diplomats, CIA agents, and military attaches. Through observing them, Ralph developed an appreciation of the unique kinds of challenges US representatives faced in nations where our interests and cultural perspective often sharply differed from theirs.In 2004, shortly after moving his family to Los Angeles, he received an email from a gentleman who said he was a clandestine US intelligence operative and wanted to collaborate with him. The book they wrote together about the CIA-led operation to overthrow the Taliban in late 2001, called Jawbreaker, was published in 2005 and appeared on numerous bestseller lists. Following Jawbreaker, he started to receive calls and emails from other former government officials – DEA and FBI agents, police detectives, Special Forces soldiers, and Navy SEALs – who had interesting stories to tell. He helped turn some of them into bestselling books, including Most Evil and Inside SEAL Team Six.All of these courageous individuals had experienced conflict and human suffering first hand, and had their core beliefs tested. Their views often clashed with policy makers, who saw the same conflicts through the lens of bureaucratic politics. Many of his co-authors had experienced the same phenomena – how time after time our political and culture myopia, or inability to fully grasp the importance of local history, language, and culture, had led to bad decision-making and caused us to be ineffective.His new book is called Stolen Elections: The Plot to Destroy DemocracyBased on a four-year investigation into election fraud by two top government whistleblowers, including CIA hero Gary Berntsen.Their conclusion: Enemies of the United States including Venezuela, Cuba, China and Serbia have been determining the results of elections in the U.S. since 2006 through the use of electronic systems that they have developed. Using these systems, they now manipulate the results of elections in 72 countries around the world.We discuss Ralph's unique upbringing in various war-torn countries, which shaped his worldview and understanding of U.S. foreign policy. The conversation delves into the importance of cultural understanding in international relations, the hasty withdrawal from Afghanistan, and the implications of the military-industrial complex. He is also the host of the popular podcast Heroes Behind Headlines.Find out more at http://ralphpezzulloauthor.com/ Support the show

“This shocking expose of the CIA operation aimed at destroying the Vietcong infrastructure thoroughly conveys the hideousness of the Vietnam War” (Publishers Weekly).In the darkest days of the Vietnam War, America's Central Intelligence Agency secretly initiated a sweeping program of kidnap, torture, and assassination devised to destabilize the infrastructure of the National Liberation Front (NLF) of South Vietnam, commonly known as the “Viet Cong.” The victims of the Phoenix Program were Vietnamese civilians, male and female, suspected of harboring information about the enemy—though many on the blacklist were targeted by corrupt South Vietnamese security personnel looking to extort money or remove a rival. Between 1965 and 1972, more than eighty thousand noncombatants were “neutralized,” as men and women alike were subjected to extended imprisonment without trial, horrific torture, brutal rape, and in many cases execution, all under the watchful eyes of US government agencies.Based on extensive research and in-depth interviews with former participants and observers, Douglas Valentine's startling exposé blows the lid off of what was possibly the bloodiest and most inhumane covert operation in the CIA's history.The ebook edition includes “The Phoenix Has Landed,” a new introduction that addresses the “Phoenix-style network” that constitutes America's internal security apparatus today. Residents on American soil are routinely targeted under the guise of protecting us from terrorism—which is why, more than ever, people need to understand what Phoenix is all about.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-opperman-report--1198501/support.

No vídeo de hoje vamos explorar uma história ao mesmo tempo intrigante e assustadora, envolvendo as famosas operações psicológicas, ou "psyops". Durante a Guerra do Vietnã, soldados do Viet Cong eram aterrorizados por uma voz fantasmagórica, que supostamente vinha do além, implorando que abandonassem o combate. Essa gravação, conhecida como Ghost Tape Number 10, fazia parte da Operação Alma Errante, uma estratégia americana para minar o moral inimigo usando suas crenças culturais mais profundas contra eles.Vamos entender como essa operação foi conduzida, o impacto psicológico devastador que teve sobre os soldados norte-vietnamitas, e como a guerra psicológica se desenvolveu desde a Primeira Guerra Mundial até os dias de hoje. Exploraremos outras estratégias fascinantes, como transmissões musicais por helicópteros americanos, promessas de assistência médica para famílias inimigas, e táticas soviéticas como a infame Operação INFEKTION, que espalhou teorias conspiratórias sobre a AIDS.Psyops continuam presentes na guerra moderna, desde os conflitos no Oriente Médio até a guerra híbrida russa. Seja no Vietnã ou na Ucrânia, passado ou presente, EUA ou Rússia, as operações psicológicas permanecem um aspecto obscuro, porém crucial, da estratégia militar global.Não perca essa história impressionante e cheia de detalhes assustadores!

In this thirtieth installment of fictional horror written and narrated by Dan Cummins.... we head to the tropical jungle of Vietnam's Annamese mountains. On a dark, rainy night in January of 1968, PsyWar Detachment Six - a six-man team and part of the US military's shadowy MACV-SOG Command - was conducting black operations meant to terrify and break the spirits of the Viet Cong. But in the end, no one will be scared more than the soldiers themselves... This episode was scored by Logan Keith. We recommend listening with headphones to experience the full effect of all the creepy background noises! If you like this episode, please let us know wherever you rate and review podcasts. Thanks so much!For Merch and everything else Bad Magic related, head to: https://www.badmagicproductions.com

The Atlantic posts the receipts, Kristi Noem goes full Viet Cong, and Tulsi Gabbard either lied to Congress or needs a doctor. Plus Barbie Ferreira and Jared Goldstein join to talk theater etiquette, social media insecurities, and the moments in our lives when we fired off errant texts of our own.Upcoming shows: crooked.com/events

Esta semana Fuera de Foco se adentra en la complicada situación en Gaza, donde han surgido recientes protestas ciudadanas contra Hamás, pidiendo el fin de la guerra y mejores condiciones de vida. Estas manifestaciones, que parecen ser espontáneas, reflejan el descontento de la población civil, que se encuentra en medio de una grave crisis humanitaria. Aunque algunos se preguntan si estas protestas están siendo manipuladas, no hay pruebas claras de que Hamás las esté utilizando para reagruparse militarmente. Sin embargo, a lo largo de la historia, treguas y protestas han sido aprovechadas por grupos armados para reorganizarse, como sucedió con el Viet Cong o Hezbolá.Hamás ha respondido a las protestas acusando a Israel de manipularlas y reprimiendo algunas de ellas, mientras continúa con su narrativa de resistencia. Al mismo tiempo, ha propuesto ceder el control de Gaza a un gobierno tecnocrático en un escenario post-conflicto. La propaganda de guerra juega un papel crucial, ya que Hamás utiliza el sufrimiento palestino para ganar apoyo internacional y unir a la población. Los civiles en Gaza se encuentran atrapados entre la violencia israelí por la recuperación de los secuestrados y la destrucción de Hamas, la represión interna y la crisis humanitaria.Las protestas son un grito desesperado por vivir en paz y un llamado a la comunidad internacional para que mire más allá del conflicto binario de una manera simplista y se comprendan los efectos sociales y de desgaste que se está viviendo en la Franja. El episodio concluye enfatizando la necesidad de escuchar las voces palestinas, analizar los intereses en juego y comprender la tensión entre la disidencia y la lucha armada en Gaza.Fuente: Radio Sefarad.

We continue our special show to honor the 50th Anniversary of the Vietnam War's end. This hour, we feature a great friend of the show, Jim Van Den Heuvel, a local Vietnam Veteran. One of the amazing stories he shares is about his last days in Vietnam and how he was left alone overnight with the Viet Cong all around him. This is an amazing story from a man who continues to do everything he can to help fellow veterans. Thank you, Jim. For your Vietnam service to our country and your continued service in our community. This Veteran's Salute is courtesy of Olson Legal Group, LLC in Berlin and Oshkosh. Maino and the Mayor is a part of the Civic Media radio network and airs Monday through Friday from 6-9 am on WGBW in Green Bay and on WISS in Appleton/Oshkosh. Subscribe to the podcast to be sure not to miss out on a single episode! To learn more about the show and all of the programming across the Civic Media network, head over to https://civicmedia.us/shows to see the entire broadcast lineup. Follow the show on Facebook and X to keep up with Maino and the Mayor! Guest: JIM VANDENHUVEL

We invite veterans of Marine Corps Force Reconnaissance (Force Recon) to talk about their service in Vietnam. Bill Barber and Bruce “Doc” Norton both have stories about conducting deep reconnaissance, intelligence gathering, and direct action missions behind enemy lines. Unlike conventional infantry units, Force Recon operated in small teams, often just six to eight men, inserted by helicopter, boat, or foot deep into enemy-controlled territory. Their primary mission was to locate and observe North Vietnamese Army (NVA) and Viet Cong movements, determine enemy strength, and call in airstrikes or artillery on enemy positions. They also conducted raids, prisoner snatches, ambushes, and battle damage assessments. The nature of their work meant they frequently engaged in brutal, close-quarters combat, often fighting their way out of overwhelming enemy forces. Force Recon's training and operational methods set them apart from standard Marine infantry. They were trained in airborne operations, scuba diving, long-range patrolling, and survival in enemy territory. Their missions required a high level of stealth, endurance, and mental toughness, as they could be alone in the jungle for days, surviving on limited rations while avoiding detection. In Vietnam's dense terrain, Force Recon teams had to move silently, leaving no trace, and blend into the jungle to observe enemy troop movements. They carried suppressed weapons, radios for calling in fire support, and often had to break contact with superior enemy forces using a combination of speed, deception, and well-planned extraction procedures. Bill Barber served with the First Force Reconnaissance Company, Third Reconnaissance Battalion in I Corps Vietnam in 1965-1966. He stayed in the Marine Corps after returning from Vietnam and went on to serve in Desert Shield/Desert Storm and Panama Invasion. Bruce “Doc” Norton, a Navy Corpsman who served with Marine Force Recon in Vietnam, later became an author and historian, documenting the experiences of these elite Marines. Norton's writings provide firsthand insight into the brutal and relentless nature of Force Recon missions. His accounts describe the grueling conditions of operating in triple-canopy jungle, where visibility was limited, and the ever-present danger of ambushes, booby traps, and enemy patrols made every step a potential death trap. He wrote about the intense firefights that would erupt when a recon team was compromised, often requiring rapid extraction by helicopter under heavy enemy fire. In these situations, the ability to call in airstrikes and artillery with precision was the difference between survival and annihilation. Norton's experiences also highlight the bond among Force Recon Marines and their dedication to each other. As a corpsman, he was responsible for treating wounded Marines under fire, sometimes having to perform life-saving procedures while rounds cracked through the jungle around them. His books detail moments of heroism, loss, and the sheer physical and mental toll that these missions took on the men who conducted them. Unlike the large-scale battles of conventional Marine units, Force Recon's war was often fought in the shadows, a relentless cycle of stealth, violence, and survival. Marine Force Recon's impact on the Vietnam War was significant. Their intelligence-gathering efforts helped shape Marine operations in I Corps, allowing commanders to anticipate enemy movements and strike before the NVA or Viet Cong could. Their direct action missions disrupted enemy logistics, eliminated key targets, and kept pressure on enemy forces in areas where large Marine units could not operate effectively. Despite their small numbers, Force Recon Marines were a force multiplier, striking fear into the enemy and providing invaluable battlefield intelligence. We're grateful to UPMC for Life  for sponsoring this event!

In this emotionally charged episode of Born to Watch, the team marches into the searing heat and moral quagmire of Oliver Stone's Platoon (1986), a film that's arguably the definitive Vietnam War movie of its era. Whitey, G-Man, and the V8 Interrupter Dan revisit the battlefield with a mix of reverence, nostalgia, and hard truths, dissecting the film's impact, legacy, and the deep emotional chord it struck back in the day—and still does today.Kicking off with stories of their first encounters with Platoon, the guys quickly descend into one of their most layered and personal discussions to date. Whitey recalls being told by his dad he wasn't allowed to watch the film—despite already seeing Apocalypse Now and Mad Max at age six. That rebellious spark only deepened his bond with the movie once he finally got his hands on it as a teen. Dan admits to cheating on the crew, watching Platoon with his war-obsessed neighbours back in the ‘80s, completely unaware at the time of the deeper commentary Stone was laying down. For G-Man, Platoon was a rite of passage during his VHS-rented youth, watched on loop like a war-soaked mixtape.But the nostalgia is tempered with fresh eyes. This time around, Platoon hits different. What once felt like badass war action now reveals itself as a gut-punching meditation on morality, survival, and the breakdown of innocence. The guys explore the duality of the film's core—the Elias vs. Barnes dichotomy—representing each soldier's internal war. It's not just America vs. the Viet Cong; it's soul vs. savagery, duty vs. darkness.The cast? Stacked. And not just with stars—but future legends. Tom Berenger and Willem Dafoe snagged Oscar nods for roles that flipped their usual screen personas. Charlie Sheen's Chris Taylor acts as the audience's moral compass, thrust into a world of chaos with no road map. And in the wings, you catch early glimpses of Johnny Depp, Forest Whitaker, Kevin Dillon, and even a scene-stealing John C. McGinley. The Born to Watch crew marvel at the rawness and authenticity that pulses through every frame—helped in no small part by the film's unique decision to shoot in sequence, letting the emotional weight build naturally.And then there's the man behind the camera: Oliver Stone. A real-life Vietnam vet, Stone channelled his firsthand experience into a script that didn't just depict war—it unpacked it, exposed it, and dared to say that sometimes, the worst of humanity wears your own uniform. The pod digs into how Stone's commitment to realism (aided by military advisor Dale Dye, another vet) shaped everything from the dialogue to the weight of each bullet fired.There's the usual Born to Watch flavor too—G-Man's got the box office and awards rundown (hello, Best Picture and Best Director at the ‘87 Oscars), while Dan goes on a bandana-fueled tangent and questions whether Lieutenant Wolfe might be cinema's most inept officer. Whitey can't resist diving into the musical legacy, from that haunting Samuel Barber theme to how the soundtrack now echoes the trauma and tragedy of a generation.Of course, it wouldn't be Born to Watch without Listen to This, Voicemail Roulette (shoutout to “Will the Worky”), and the always-fun “Hit, Sleeper, Dud” segment, where Heartbreak Ridge, Extreme Prejudice, and King Kong Lives get their moment in the spotlight—or the firing line.By the end, the question looms large: Platoon or Apocalypse Now? Each host makes their case in what might be the pod's most respectful debate yet. As G-Man puts it, Platoon is about the war within, while Apocalypse Now is a descent into madness. Either way, both films leave an indelible mark—and so does this episode.So strap in, pop smoke, and join the squad as Born to Watch heads into the heart of darkness with Platoon. This one's for the grunts, the film buffs, and anyone who ever got lost in the jungle of morality and memory.

Delmar Beard grew up near Ft. Bragg, North Carolina. But when it was time to join the military during World War II, he chose the Navy. Serving as a gunner aboard an LST, Beard made multiple landings during the battles of Iwo Jima and Okinawa. Later, he did join the Army, and served for 22 years. He rose to the rank of command sergeant major and was deployed to both Korea and Vietnam.In this edition of Veterans Chronicles, Beard takes us from training to landing at Iwo Jima. He describes unloading the ship while Japanese bullets were whizzing around him and even fatally striking the sailor right next to him. He also tells us what he saw on the beach and in the hills and mountains above.From there, Beard tells us about operating the 40mm double-barreled anti-aircraft guns during the relentless Japanese air raids and kamikaze missions against the U.S. fleet. Finally, he takes us to Vietnam. Beard explains his command over a series of gun batteries stretching from Quin Yon to the DMZ and some of the most difficult moments of his time there.

From this week's Moneyweek Magazine …Two rumours have been swirling around the gold markets for many years. Some have called them conspiracy theories. Others note that conspiracy theories often prove true. What's the difference between conspiracy and truth? About 30 years.The first is that China has far more gold than it says it does. We actually now know this to be true. The other is that America has far less than the 8,133 tonnes of gold it says it possesses.This rumour has been doing the rounds since 1971, when Peter Beter, a lawyer and financial adviser to former president John F. Kennedy, said he had been informed that gold in Fort Knox had been removed. He went on to write a best-selling book about it: The Conspiracy Against the Dollar.The problem is a total lack of transparency on the part of the US authorities, something that according to current US president Donald Trump, and the head of the Department of Government Efficiency, Elon Musk, will not be the case for much longer.Roosevelt triggers a boomBut to understand this situation we need to go back in time, all the way to 1933, when US president Franklin D. Roosevelt famously devalued the US dollar and revalued gold upwards by 70%, from $20 an ounce (oz) to $35/oz, in order to bolster growth. US gold reserves would increase to unprecedented levels in the next 15 years.Some of the gold came from US citizens. It was now illegal for them to own gold and they had to hand any they owned over to the authorities. Some came from the fact that the government then bought all US mined supply (the upwards revaluation of gold triggered a mining boom) and any gold imported to the US assay office. The US even began buying gold on foreign markets to protect the new higher price.Thus US official holdings in 1939 on the eve of World War II totalled 15,679 tonnes. They would only increase. With Nazi invasions, European nations sent all the gold they could across the Atlantic, either for safekeeping or to buy essential supplies; 1949 saw the high watermark of US gold holdings – 22,000 tonnes, as much as half of all the gold ever mined.In July 1944, with it clear that the Allies were going to win the war, representatives from the 44 Allied nations met at the Mount Washington Hotel in Bretton Woods for the United Nations Monetary and Financial Conference to design a new system of money for the new world order.International accounts would be settled in dollars, and those dollars were convertible to gold at $35/oz. Countries had to maintain exchange rates within 1% of the US dollar. In effect, the US was on a gold standard, and the rest of the world was on a dollar standard.The system relied on the integrity of the US dollar to work, and that integrity was in question, even before the end of the war. The June 1945 Federal Reserve Act reduced required gold reserves for notes outstanding from 40% to 25%, and against deposits from 35% to 25%. Between 1944 and 1954, because of increased supply, the dollar lost a third of its purchasing power, though the $35 Bretton Woods price remained.“Six major European countries,along with the UK, co-ordinated sales to suppress the gold price”US government spending was soaring, and it began running balance of payments deficits – made worse by the costs of foreign aid, America's new welfare systems and maintaining a military presence in Europe and Asia. Gold began leaving the US. By 1965 reserves had fallen by 9,500 tonnes, down 40% from the 1949 peak.Successive US administrations tried to stop the outflow, without success. Dwight D. Eisenhower banned Americans from buying gold overseas, Kennedy imposed the “equalisation tax” on foreign investments, and Lyndon B. Johnson discouraged Americans from travelling altogether. “We may need to forgo the pleasures of Europe for a while,” he said.Fears that the dollar would devalue following the election (won by Kennedy) sent the gold price in London to $40/oz. The Bank of England, in collusion with the Federal Reserve, began increasing gold sales to keep the price down.Thus did the London gold pool begin, with the addition of six major European nations the following year (Belgium, France, the Netherlands, West Germany, Italy and Switzerland), which co-ordinated sales to suppress, or “stabilise”, to use their word, the gold price and defuse unwanted, upward market pressure.But the pool struggled against growing demand. In 1965, an ounce of gold was still $35, but the purchasing power of the dollar had decreased by 57% from 1945, while gold reserves had also fallen sharply. The culprit was the costs of the US government, in particular the Vietnam War and president Johnson's enormous welfare spending.If you are buying gold to protect yourself in these uncertain times - and you should if you do not already own some - as always I recommend The Pure Gold Company. Pricing is competitive, quality of service is high. They deliver to the UK, the US, Canada and Europe or you can store your gold with them. More here.Bretton Woods under pressureWith inflation rising at home and international confidence in the dollar waning, these programmes were not just costly – they undermined Bretton Woods. Non-American nations felt aggrieved that they had to produce $100 worth of goods and services to get a $100 bill, when the US could just print one. French finance minister Valéry Giscard d'Estaing called it “America's exorbitant privilege”.President de Gaulle, meanwhile, had had enough. He ignored the pool to turn all French dollars and sterling balances into gold. The French even sent battleships to New York to collect their gold. De Gaulle became the target of several assassination attempts – coincidence, I'm sure. There were rather more US dollars in the world than there was gold to back them, he felt, and he was right.By 1967, US foreign liabilities were $36bn, but it only had $12bn in gold reserves – a third of what was needed to back the dollar. West Germany, Spain and Switzerland began demanding gold for their dollars. Even the British, with sterling going through one of its quadrennial collapses, asked the Americans to prepare $3bn worth of Fort Knox gold for withdrawal. Private gold demand was overwhelming.“The floor of the Bank of England's weighing room collapsed under the weight of all the bullion”In November 1967, the British government devalued the pound by 14%, from $2.80 to $2.40, in order to “achieve a substantial surplus on the balance of payments consistent with economic growth and full employment”.In that month, the London market saw greater bullion demand than it would typically see in nine: as much as 100 tonnes per day. To stem demand they banned forward buying, leverage and the purchase of gold with credit. The pool still lost 1,400 tonnes that year, more than a whole year's mined supply.Selling pressure on the US dollar only increased when the Viet Cong and North Vietnamese People's Army of Vietnam launched the first of a series of surprise attacks on US armed forces in South Vietnam in January 1968.Desperate to prop up the system, US military aircraft flew tonne after tonne of gold to RAF Lakenheath from where it was trucked in military convoys to the back entrance of the Bank of England: at one point the floor of the Bank of England's weighing room collapsed under the weight of all the gold.You really should subscribe to this amazing publication.Shoring up the systemIn the four days between 11 March and 14 March 1968, some 780 tonnes were sold to market. The effort to protect the price was deemed hopeless. On 15 March, UK chancellor Roy Jenkins declared a bank holiday, and the gold market was closed for a fortnight, “at the request of the United States”.Zurich also closed. Paris stayed open with gold trading at a 25% premium. All in all, the final 15 months saw over 3,000 tonnes sold to market to protect that $35 price. The pool had lost more than an eighth of its reserves.Two days later, in the rushed-through Washington Agreement, governors of the central banks in the gold pool declared there would be one fixed gold marketfor official government transactions at $35/oz and another, free-market, price for private transactions. Not for the last time, central bankers were living in a world of their own.Gold is one thing. Gold standards are another. They tend not to last, particularly bogus ones such as this one, under which citizens themselves did not handle gold. Keynes called them barbarous – ironic, perhaps, given that he was one of the architects of this one.In August 1971, president Nixon took the US off the gold standard, a “temporary” measure that remains more than 50 years later. For the first time in history, gold – Switzerland aside – played no part in the global monetary system.Of course it was the fault of the speculators. It always is. “I have directed the secretary of the Treasury to take the action necessary to defend the dollar against the speculators,” Nixon said, deflecting responsibility, and “to suspend temporarily the convertibility of the dollar into gold”.High time for a US gold auditThe US keeps its gold in four places: at Fort Knox, Kentucky (roughly 56% of its 8,133 tonnes); at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York (8%); and the remaining 36% at the mints in Denver and West Point. There has not been a proper public audit of this gold since 1953. There have been internal audits, especially between 1974 and 1986, but these were not transparent.There are many people, among them gold experts, who do not believe the gold is there. The US spent it trying to suppress the gold price in the 1960s, theysay. But in this new age of American transparency, both Trump and Musk have repeatedly pledged that this gold will be audited.There is talk of it being done on a livestream. Trump has even suggested the gold has been stolen. “We're actually going to Fort Knox to see if the gold is there,” he said, “because maybe somebody stole the gold. Tonnes of gold.”They've been making such light of it, one has to assume they know the gold is there. Musk was laughing about the conspiracies on podcasts, and he even posted a picture of a Fort Knox starter kit: a brick and some gold spray. I can't see how they would be joking if there were any serious doubts.Secretary of the Treasury, Scott Bessent, has said quite categorically that the gold is there. The last audit was in September 2024, he said in a recent Bloomberg interview, before looking down the camera and assuring the US people that “all the gold is present and accounted for”. But this would only have been an internal audit, and it would not have been a full audit.According to the US Mint, “the only gold removed has been very small quantities used to test the purity of gold during regularly scheduled audits”. No other gold has been transferred to or from the depository “for many years”. How long is many years, though? As far back as the 1960s?It's quite astonishing just how secretive the whole thing is. They opened the vaults for a congressional delegation and certain members of the press to view the gold in 1974. There were rumours swirling about then too. “We've never done this before and we'll probably never do it again,” said the then director of the US Mint Mary Brooks.“The gold commonly confiscated under Roosevelt contained some copper, and is not pure enough for sale”Then in 2017, during Trump's first administration, Treasury secretary Steven Mnuchin and Senate majority leader Mitch McConnell were invited to view the gold. “The gold was there,” Mnuchin said. He is “sure” nobody's moved it. There are “serious security protocols in place”. But there are more than 4,000 tonnes in Fort Knox. A tonne would be about the size of a medium to large suitcase. Did he see all 4,000 of them?The other big issue is the purity of the gold. What is there might not all be of good delivery quality, meaning it would not be readily accepted in international bullion markets. If much of the gold is the bullion Roosevelt confiscated in the 1930s, it will be in the form of “coinmelt”: melted down coins.The commonly confiscated coins, such as the $20 double eagle, were only 90% pure and mixed with copper to make them harder. When melted down, they were not always properly refined to modern standards, while the bars they were melted into weighed 320-330 ounces, not the 400 oz bars of good delivery standard today. In practice, this means Fort Knox gold would not be accepted without additional processing.But, until a proper audit takes place, this is all speculation, albeit reasoned speculation. We don't know the full facts. The reasons given for not conducting a full audit are flimsy: we don't need to, it would be too much of an undertaking. Please!If the US gold turns out not to be there, then the gold price goes up – potentially a lot. If it is there, it's business as usual.For now, I'd say the markets are behaving as though it is business as usual. They are climbing, and every dip is being bought, largely, it seems, by central banks (especially in Asia), who are diversifying their holdings and de-dollarising. But this audit cannot come quickly enough.Large volumes of physical gold - over 1,000 tonnes by some counts - have recently been transferred from London to New York. One theory is that was the gold was transferred in anticipation of tariffs. Another is that it was the US buying ahead of its audit. We will soon find out.Finally, I would just like to debunk one theory doing the rounds. US gold is currently marked to market at $42/oz. After the audit, those 8,133 tonnes – assuming they are there and of good delivery quality – could be marked to market at current prices, meaning a significant uplift in the value of holdings.The theory doing the rounds is that Treasury ecretary Bessent will use some of the upwards revaluation to monetise the balance sheet – not unlike how Roosevelt did in 1933 – to create funds for, among other things, the strategic bitcoin reserve. But Bessent has quite clearly stated that is not his intention.This article first appeared in Moneyweek Magazine. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.theflyingfrisby.com/subscribe

From this week's Moneyweek Magazine …Two rumours have been swirling around the gold markets for many years. Some have called them conspiracy theories. Others note that conspiracy theories often prove true. What's the difference between conspiracy and truth? About 30 years.The first is that China has far more gold than it says it does. We actually now know this to be true. The other is that America has far less than the 8,133 tonnes of gold it says it possesses.This rumour has been doing the rounds since 1971, when Peter Beter, a lawyer and financial adviser to former president John F. Kennedy, said he had been informed that gold in Fort Knox had been removed. He went on to write a best-selling book about it: The Conspiracy Against the Dollar.The problem is a total lack of transparency on the part of the US authorities, something that according to current US president Donald Trump, and the head of the Department of Government Efficiency, Elon Musk, will not be the case for much longer.Roosevelt triggers a boomBut to understand this situation we need to go back in time, all the way to 1933, when US president Franklin D. Roosevelt famously devalued the US dollar and revalued gold upwards by 70%, from $20 an ounce (oz) to $35/oz, in order to bolster growth. US gold reserves would increase to unprecedented levels in the next 15 years.Some of the gold came from US citizens. It was now illegal for them to own gold and they had to hand any they owned over to the authorities. Some came from the fact that the government then bought all US mined supply (the upwards revaluation of gold triggered a mining boom) and any gold imported to the US assay office. The US even began buying gold on foreign markets to protect the new higher price.Thus US official holdings in 1939 on the eve of World War II totalled 15,679 tonnes. They would only increase. With Nazi invasions, European nations sent all the gold they could across the Atlantic, either for safekeeping or to buy essential supplies; 1949 saw the high watermark of US gold holdings – 22,000 tonnes, as much as half of all the gold ever mined.In July 1944, with it clear that the Allies were going to win the war, representatives from the 44 Allied nations met at the Mount Washington Hotel in Bretton Woods for the United Nations Monetary and Financial Conference to design a new system of money for the new world order.International accounts would be settled in dollars, and those dollars were convertible to gold at $35/oz. Countries had to maintain exchange rates within 1% of the US dollar. In effect, the US was on a gold standard, and the rest of the world was on a dollar standard.The system relied on the integrity of the US dollar to work, and that integrity was in question, even before the end of the war. The June 1945 Federal Reserve Act reduced required gold reserves for notes outstanding from 40% to 25%, and against deposits from 35% to 25%. Between 1944 and 1954, because of increased supply, the dollar lost a third of its purchasing power, though the $35 Bretton Woods price remained.“Six major European countries,along with the UK, co-ordinated sales to suppress the gold price”US government spending was soaring, and it began running balance of payments deficits – made worse by the costs of foreign aid, America's new welfare systems and maintaining a military presence in Europe and Asia. Gold began leaving the US. By 1965 reserves had fallen by 9,500 tonnes, down 40% from the 1949 peak.Successive US administrations tried to stop the outflow, without success. Dwight D. Eisenhower banned Americans from buying gold overseas, Kennedy imposed the “equalisation tax” on foreign investments, and Lyndon B. Johnson discouraged Americans from travelling altogether. “We may need to forgo the pleasures of Europe for a while,” he said.Fears that the dollar would devalue following the election (won by Kennedy) sent the gold price in London to $40/oz. The Bank of England, in collusion with the Federal Reserve, began increasing gold sales to keep the price down.Thus did the London gold pool begin, with the addition of six major European nations the following year (Belgium, France, the Netherlands, West Germany, Italy and Switzerland), which co-ordinated sales to suppress, or “stabilise”, to use their word, the gold price and defuse unwanted, upward market pressure.But the pool struggled against growing demand. In 1965, an ounce of gold was still $35, but the purchasing power of the dollar had decreased by 57% from 1945, while gold reserves had also fallen sharply. The culprit was the costs of the US government, in particular the Vietnam War and president Johnson's enormous welfare spending.If you are buying gold to protect yourself in these uncertain times - and you should if you do not already own some - as always I recommend The Pure Gold Company. Pricing is competitive, quality of service is high. They deliver to the UK, the US, Canada and Europe or you can store your gold with them. More here.Bretton Woods under pressureWith inflation rising at home and international confidence in the dollar waning, these programmes were not just costly – they undermined Bretton Woods. Non-American nations felt aggrieved that they had to produce $100 worth of goods and services to get a $100 bill, when the US could just print one. French finance minister Valéry Giscard d'Estaing called it “America's exorbitant privilege”.President de Gaulle, meanwhile, had had enough. He ignored the pool to turn all French dollars and sterling balances into gold. The French even sent battleships to New York to collect their gold. De Gaulle became the target of several assassination attempts – coincidence, I'm sure. There were rather more US dollars in the world than there was gold to back them, he felt, and he was right.By 1967, US foreign liabilities were $36bn, but it only had $12bn in gold reserves – a third of what was needed to back the dollar. West Germany, Spain and Switzerland began demanding gold for their dollars. Even the British, with sterling going through one of its quadrennial collapses, asked the Americans to prepare $3bn worth of Fort Knox gold for withdrawal. Private gold demand was overwhelming.“The floor of the Bank of England's weighing room collapsed under the weight of all the bullion”In November 1967, the British government devalued the pound by 14%, from $2.80 to $2.40, in order to “achieve a substantial surplus on the balance of payments consistent with economic growth and full employment”.In that month, the London market saw greater bullion demand than it would typically see in nine: as much as 100 tonnes per day. To stem demand they banned forward buying, leverage and the purchase of gold with credit. The pool still lost 1,400 tonnes that year, more than a whole year's mined supply.Selling pressure on the US dollar only increased when the Viet Cong and North Vietnamese People's Army of Vietnam launched the first of a series of surprise attacks on US armed forces in South Vietnam in January 1968.Desperate to prop up the system, US military aircraft flew tonne after tonne of gold to RAF Lakenheath from where it was trucked in military convoys to the back entrance of the Bank of England: at one point the floor of the Bank of England's weighing room collapsed under the weight of all the gold.You really should subscribe to this amazing publication.Shoring up the systemIn the four days between 11 March and 14 March 1968, some 780 tonnes were sold to market. The effort to protect the price was deemed hopeless. On 15 March, UK chancellor Roy Jenkins declared a bank holiday, and the gold market was closed for a fortnight, “at the request of the United States”.Zurich also closed. Paris stayed open with gold trading at a 25% premium. All in all, the final 15 months saw over 3,000 tonnes sold to market to protect that $35 price. The pool had lost more than an eighth of its reserves.Two days later, in the rushed-through Washington Agreement, governors of the central banks in the gold pool declared there would be one fixed gold marketfor official government transactions at $35/oz and another, free-market, price for private transactions. Not for the last time, central bankers were living in a world of their own.Gold is one thing. Gold standards are another. They tend not to last, particularly bogus ones such as this one, under which citizens themselves did not handle gold. Keynes called them barbarous – ironic, perhaps, given that he was one of the architects of this one.In August 1971, president Nixon took the US off the gold standard, a “temporary” measure that remains more than 50 years later. For the first time in history, gold – Switzerland aside – played no part in the global monetary system.Of course it was the fault of the speculators. It always is. “I have directed the secretary of the Treasury to take the action necessary to defend the dollar against the speculators,” Nixon said, deflecting responsibility, and “to suspend temporarily the convertibility of the dollar into gold”.High time for a US gold auditThe US keeps its gold in four places: at Fort Knox, Kentucky (roughly 56% of its 8,133 tonnes); at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York (8%); and the remaining 36% at the mints in Denver and West Point. There has not been a proper public audit of this gold since 1953. There have been internal audits, especially between 1974 and 1986, but these were not transparent.There are many people, among them gold experts, who do not believe the gold is there. The US spent it trying to suppress the gold price in the 1960s, theysay. But in this new age of American transparency, both Trump and Musk have repeatedly pledged that this gold will be audited.There is talk of it being done on a livestream. Trump has even suggested the gold has been stolen. “We're actually going to Fort Knox to see if the gold is there,” he said, “because maybe somebody stole the gold. Tonnes of gold.”They've been making such light of it, one has to assume they know the gold is there. Musk was laughing about the conspiracies on podcasts, and he even posted a picture of a Fort Knox starter kit: a brick and some gold spray. I can't see how they would be joking if there were any serious doubts.Secretary of the Treasury, Scott Bessent, has said quite categorically that the gold is there. The last audit was in September 2024, he said in a recent Bloomberg interview, before looking down the camera and assuring the US people that “all the gold is present and accounted for”. But this would only have been an internal audit, and it would not have been a full audit.According to the US Mint, “the only gold removed has been very small quantities used to test the purity of gold during regularly scheduled audits”. No other gold has been transferred to or from the depository “for many years”. How long is many years, though? As far back as the 1960s?It's quite astonishing just how secretive the whole thing is. They opened the vaults for a congressional delegation and certain members of the press to view the gold in 1974. There were rumours swirling about then too. “We've never done this before and we'll probably never do it again,” said the then director of the US Mint Mary Brooks.“The gold commonly confiscated under Roosevelt contained some copper, and is not pure enough for sale”Then in 2017, during Trump's first administration, Treasury secretary Steven Mnuchin and Senate majority leader Mitch McConnell were invited to view the gold. “The gold was there,” Mnuchin said. He is “sure” nobody's moved it. There are “serious security protocols in place”. But there are more than 4,000 tonnes in Fort Knox. A tonne would be about the size of a medium to large suitcase. Did he see all 4,000 of them?The other big issue is the purity of the gold. What is there might not all be of good delivery quality, meaning it would not be readily accepted in international bullion markets. If much of the gold is the bullion Roosevelt confiscated in the 1930s, it will be in the form of “coinmelt”: melted down coins.The commonly confiscated coins, such as the $20 double eagle, were only 90% pure and mixed with copper to make them harder. When melted down, they were not always properly refined to modern standards, while the bars they were melted into weighed 320-330 ounces, not the 400 oz bars of good delivery standard today. In practice, this means Fort Knox gold would not be accepted without additional processing.But, until a proper audit takes place, this is all speculation, albeit reasoned speculation. We don't know the full facts. The reasons given for not conducting a full audit are flimsy: we don't need to, it would be too much of an undertaking. Please!If the US gold turns out not to be there, then the gold price goes up – potentially a lot. If it is there, it's business as usual.For now, I'd say the markets are behaving as though it is business as usual. They are climbing, and every dip is being bought, largely, it seems, by central banks (especially in Asia), who are diversifying their holdings and de-dollarising. But this audit cannot come quickly enough.Large volumes of physical gold - over 1,000 tonnes by some counts - have recently been transferred from London to New York. One theory is that was the gold was transferred in anticipation of tariffs. Another is that it was the US buying ahead of its audit. We will soon find out.Finally, I would just like to debunk one theory doing the rounds. US gold is currently marked to market at $42/oz. After the audit, those 8,133 tonnes – assuming they are there and of good delivery quality – could be marked to market at current prices, meaning a significant uplift in the value of holdings.The theory doing the rounds is that Treasury ecretary Bessent will use some of the upwards revaluation to monetise the balance sheet – not unlike how Roosevelt did in 1933 – to create funds for, among other things, the strategic bitcoin reserve. But Bessent has quite clearly stated that is not his intention.This article first appeared in Moneyweek Magazine. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.theflyingfrisby.com/subscribe

Ralph welcomes Peter Beinart, to discuss his book Being Jewish After the Destruction of Gaza. An observant Jew, Beinart argues “We are not history's permanent virtuous victims. We are not hardwired to forever endure evil but never commit it.” Plus, premier global trade expert, Lori Wallach, joins to help sort out the on again, off again tariffs Donald Trump is assessing U.S. trade partners. What kind of a tool is a tariff? When should it be used? Who should it be used against? And are the current tariff threats on Canada really about stopping fentanyl?Peter Beinart is Professor of Journalism and Political Science at the Newmark School of Journalism at the City University of New York. He is also Editor-at-Large of Jewish Currents, an MSNBC political commentator, a frequent contributor to The New York Times, and a Non-Resident Fellow at the Foundation for Middle East Peace. His latest book is entitled “Being Jewish After the Destruction of Gaza” and his recent op-ed in the New York Times is “States Don't Have a Right To Exist. People Do.”We are not history's permanent virtuous victims. We are not hardwired to forever endure evil but never commit it. That false innocence, which pervades contemporary Jewish life, camouflages domination as self-defense. It exempts Jews from external judgment. It offers infinite license to fallible human beings.Excerpt from Being Jewish After The Destruction of Gaza by Peter BeinartIsrael can't destroy Hamas. Israel has totally laid waste to Gaza, and yet Hamas is still there. And Hamas will have new recruits from all of these people whose family members were killed by Israel. And Hamas will reconstitute its weapons, because I think actually a lot of the Hamas weapons now are coming from assembling Israeli weapons that were dropped on Gaza, just like the Viet Cong did in Vietnam. They reassemble to make their own weapons. So Hamas will still be there as a force for Israel to continue to fight. And I think Netanyahu will continue this war for as long as he can.Peter BeinartSo what I think Israel is trying to do, to various degrees of self-consciousness, is to try to reduce the population in Gaza and the West Bank. And that's why the Trump plan was so popular in Israel, not just among Netanyahu, but even among his centrist opponents, like Benny Gantz and Yair Lapid, who embraced the idea. Because for them, it solves the problem. Israel doesn't have a way of solving the Palestinian problem. So if you have fewer Palestinians, then they're less of a problem. This is, after all, how the United States solved its problem with Native Americans in the 19th century.Peter BeinartLori Wallach is a 30-year veteran of international and U.S. congressional trade battles starting with the 1990s fights over NAFTA and WTO where she founded the Global Trade Watch group at Public Citizen. She is now the director of the Rethink Trade program at American Economic Liberties Project and is also Senior Advisor to the Citizens Trade Campaign, the U.S. national trade justice coalition of unions and environmental, consumer, faith, family farm and other groups.He (Trump) also closed a thing called the de minimis loophole. That is this lunatic trade loophole that allows in uninspected (under $800 value) imports to every American every day… And then four days later, Trump met with the Federal Express CEO, who apparently was not happy because they deliver a bunch of those de minimis packages… This has become a superhighway for fentanyl… He (Trump) basically reversed the ability to stop fentanyl coming from China and to enforce his own China tariffs at the behest of the CEO of Federal Express.Lori WallachSo the difference between whether tariffs raise the consumer price has a lot to do with the same corporate price gouging that we've been seeing over the last couple of years. And we can see right now, for instance, on eggs. The actual supply of egg laying chickens and the actual supply of eggs is not a greatly reduced sector. That sector is now so concentrated at every level that the handful of companies can basically control the markup between what the farmers paid and what the consumer pays.Lori Wallach Get full access to Ralph Nader Radio Hour at www.ralphnaderradiohour.com/subscribe

On 8 March 1965 at Da Nang in South Vietnam, 3,500 Marines landed thus marking the beginning of US combat troops in Vietnam. 8 years later the Americans would withdraw having lost more than 58,000 dead, and 300,000 wounded. The Vietnam War itself cost, and these numbers are approximate, around 300,000 South Vietnamese troops dead, 1 million North Vietnamese and Viet Cong dead and more than 3 million civilians killed. Joining today is Geoffrey Wawro, historian and author of a new military history of this tragic conflict. This is the first of a two-parter as Geoff describes the background of US involvement, the mistakes made by the military leaders, and the Nixon administration's involvement. Part two is out on Wednesday as we discuss the war from 1968 as US troops lose discipline and the American public lost faith in the war. Geoffrey Wawro Links The Vietnam War: A Military History Aspects of History Links Latest Issue out - Annual Subscription to Aspects of History Magazine only $9.99/£9.99 Ollie on X Aspects of History on Instagram Get in touch: history@aspectsofhistory.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Gregory "Matt" Dillon was required to enroll in ROTC at the University of Alabama. Upon graduation, he was required to give two years in the U.S. Army. He ended up serving 24 years, including three tours in Vietnam. He served as operations officer for then-Lt. Col. Hal Moore with the 1st Battalion, 7th Cavalry, 1st Air Cavalry Division at the vicious battle of Landing Zone X-Ray in November 1965 In this edition of Veterans Chronicles, Col. Dillon explains the events that led up to the Battle of Ia Drang, how the fighting began, the saga of the lost platoon, the enemy's relentless assault on the second day of the battle, and how American air power proved to be a descisive factor in winning the battle.Dillon notes the heroism of the men who fought there and the tremendous leadership of Hal Moore. He also describes the actions in July 1969 that resulted in him receiving the Silver Star. And Dillon describes rescuing wounded men under heavy fire, the enemy AK-47 that he collected and thought he lost forever, and much more.

This week's pick was made supporter Dylan, who's previous picks have ranged from the gritty realism of Training Day to the surreal comedy The Big Lebowski. And this pick is going back to 1978 on on the serious side of the scale with, The Deer Hunter.The Deer Hunter was an ambitious and challenging endeavor, driven by director Michael Cimino's meticulous vision. Initially conceived as a smaller war film, the project expanded dramatically as Cimino rewrote the script, emphasizing the emotional and psychological toll of war. The film's harrowing Russian roulette sequences, which became its most infamous hallmark, were not based on historical accounts but rather intended as a metaphor for the randomness and brutality of war. The production faced difficulties from the start, with Cimino's insistence on authenticity leading to grueling shoots in both the U.S. and Thailand, where the Vietnam War sequences were filmed. The cast, led by Robert De Niro, Christopher Walken, and John Savage, underwent intense training to embody their roles convincingly, even immersing themselves in the culture of steelworkers in Pennsylvania before filming.The film's Thailand shoot was particularly grueling, with cast and crew working under extreme conditions to capture the harrowing war sequences. Controversy also surrounded the film's depiction of the Vietnam War, with critics arguing that its portrayal of the Viet Cong was one-sided and sensationalized. Additionally, Cimino's perfectionism led to a chaotic production schedule, frequently going over budget and over time. However, despite these challenges, The Deer Hunter became a landmark film, earning widespread critical acclaim and winning five Academy Awards, including Best Picture and Best Director for Cimino. The film's haunting themes, striking cinematography, and raw performances solidified its place as one of the greatest war films ever made, though its troubled production foreshadowed the excesses that would later plague Cimino's career.If you enjoy the show we have a Patreon, so become a supporter.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.patreon.com/thevhsstrikesback⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Trailer Guy Plot SummaryIn a world where friendship is forged in steel and tested by war… three men embark on a journey that will change them forever. From the quiet streets of a Pennsylvania mill town to the unforgiving jungles of Vietnam, they will face horrors beyond imagination. Captured. Tortured. Forced to play a deadly game where the stakes are their own lives. As they return home, shattered and haunted, one man will risk everything for the brother he left behind. Starring Robert De Niro, Christopher Walken, and Meryl Streep—this is The Deer Hunter. A story of survival, sacrifice, and the unbreakable bonds of friendship.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠thevhsstrikesback@gmail.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://linktr.ee/vhsstrikesback⁠

Good and bad unintended consequences.By FinalStand. Listen to the Podcast at Explicit Novels.The highest cost of losing a war is the rage of your children."Maybe the Canadian is not so much an 'ex' girlfriend?" Orsi leered. It was the old 'if he is so good that she still wants him back after a colossal screw up, I wanted a taste' expression."Do you think she will help you?" Katalin inquired."She'll help," Pamela huffed playfully. "My grandson has plenty of ex-girlfriends. Most of them want him back, despite his colorful lifestyle. It is one of his more amusing qualities.""Let's get something to eat," I tried to turn the conversation away from my past sexcapades."You are engaged?" Jolan didn't miss a beat."It is complicated," I sighed. "Let's just say I really like her, but she's seven years older, divorced with one young daughter and has a father who hates that I live and breathe.""Do you have any male friends?" Monika joined the Cáel Quiz Bowl."Yes," I replied with confidence. "My roommate Timothy and I are great friends.""He's gay," Pamela pierced their disbelief. "He and Cáel are true brothers-in-arms, I'll give Cáel that much.""Do you have any straight male friends?" Orsi was enjoying taunting me."Do Chaz or Vincent count?" I looked to Pamela."They are straight males, but they don't really know you yet," Pamela failed to be of much help. "I think Vincent insinuated he'd shoot you if you dated any of his three daughters. It was friendly of him to warn you. I supposed that could be construed as liking you.""Are all your acquaintances violent?" Anya seemed worried."Vincent isn't violent. He's with the US FBI," I retorted. Pause. "Okay, he carries a gun and shoots it, he's a law officer. They can do that.""You seem to be stressed," Orsi put an arm around my waist. "Let us ease your worries." Hallelujah!Note: One of History's LessonsIn the last 75 years of military history, airpower had been a decisive factor in every major conflict, save one. Most Americans would think the one exception was US involvement in Vietnam and they'd be wrong: right country, wrong time. Indochina's War of Independence against France was the exception. There, the French Air Force was simply inadequate to the task.Yes, the United States and its allies eventually lost the struggle in Vietnam. But it was their airpower that kept the conflict running as long as it did. For the most part, the Allied and Communist military hardware on the ground were equivalent. While the Allies had superior quantities of supplies, the Communists countered that with numbers, and therein lies the rub.Airpower allowed the Allies to smash large North Vietnamese formations south of the Demilitarized Zone and thus prevented the numerical advantage from coming into play. The North Vietnamese and Viet Cong made one serious stab at a conventional militarily challenge to the Allies, the Tet Offensive, and after initial successes, they were crushed.With the NVA unable to flex their superior numbers, the Allies were able to innovate helicopter-borne counter-insurgency operations. The North Vietnam's Army (NVA) was forced to operate in smaller units, so the Allies were able to engage them in troop numbers that helicopters could support. The air forces didn't deliver ultimate victory, but air power alone had never been able to do so on land. It was only when the US lost faith in achieving any positive outcome in Viet Nam and pulled out, that the North was finally able to overrun the South 20 months later. But every major power today understands the lesson.End of Note(Big Trouble in Little China)The military importance of airpower was now haunting the leadership of the People's Republic of China (PRC), the People's Liberation Army (PLA) and People's Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF). Their problem wasn't aircraft. Most of their air fleet consisted of the most advanced models produced during the last two decades. The problem was that 80% of their pilots were dead, or dying. Their ground crews were in the same peril. Even shanghaiing commercial pilots couldn't meet the projected pilot shortfall.Classic PLA defense doctrine was to soak up an enemy (Russian) attack and bog down the aggressor with semi-guerilla warfare (classic small unit tactics backed up with larger, light infantry formations). Then, when the invaders were over-extended and exhausted, the armored / mechanized / motorized forces would counter-attack and destroy their foes. This last bit required air superiority through attrition.The twin enemies of this strategy were the price of technology and the Chinese economic priorities. With the rising cost of the high-tech equipment and a central government focus on developing the overall economy, the Chinese went for an ever smaller counter attack striking force, thus skewing the burden of depth of support far in favor of their relatively static militia/police units.So now, while the PLA / PLAAF's main divisions, brigades and Air Wings were some of the best equipped on the planet, the economic necessities had also meant the militia was financially neglected, remaining little more than early Cold War Era non-mechanized infantry formations. To compensate, the Chinese had placed greater and greater emphasis on the deployment capabilities of their scarcer, technologically advanced formations.When the Anthrax outbreak started, the strike force personnel were the first personnel 'vaccinated'. Now those men and women were coughing out the last days and hours of their lives. Unfortunately, you couldn't simply put a few commercial truck drivers in a T-99 Main Battle Tank and expect them to be anything more than a rolling coffin. The same went for a commercial airline pilot and a Chengdu J-10 multi-role fighter. The best you could hope for was for him/her to make successful takeoffs and landings.A further critical factor was that the Khanate's first strike had also targeted key defense industries. The damage hadn't been irreparable. Most military production would be only a month to six weeks behind schedule. But there would be a gap.It was just becoming clear that roughly 80% of their highly-trained, frontline combatants were going to die anyway. Their Reserves were looking at 30~40% attrition due to the illness as well. In the short term (three months), they would be fighting with whatever they started with. Within the very short term (one week), they were going to have a bunch of high-priced equipment and no one trained to use it. With chilling practicality, the Chinese leaders decided to throw their dying troopers into one immediate, massive counter-offensive against the Khanate.Just as Temujin predicted they would. Things were playing out according to plan.Note: World Events SummaryRound #1 had seen the Khanate unite several countries under one, their, banner. Earth  and  Sky soldiers had rolled across the Chinese border as their Air Force and Missile Regiments had used precision strikes to hammer Chinese bases, sever their transportation network and crippled their civilian infrastructure.Next, the frontier offensive units had been obliterated, the cities bypassed and the Khanate Tumens had sped forward to the geographic junctures between what the Khanate wanted and from whence the PLA had to come. In the last phase of Round #1, the Khanate prepped for the inevitable PLA / PLAAF counter-strike.Round #2 had now begun:Step One: Declare to the World that the Khanate was a nuclear power. As history would later reveal, this was a lie, but no one had any way of initially knowing that. Hell, the Khanate hadn't even existed 72 hours ago. Satellite imagery did show the Khanate had medium-range strategic missiles capable of hitting any location in the People's Republic. In Beijing, a nuclear response was taken off the table.Step Two: Initiate the largest air-battle in the history of Asia. Not just planes either. Both sides flew fleets of UCAV's at one another. It wasn't really even a battle between China and just the Khanate. Virtually all of the UAV technology the Khanate was using was Japanese, South Korean and Taiwanese in origin, plus some US-Russian-shared technology thrown into the mix.When the South Korean design team saw the footage of their bleeding-edge dogfighting UCAVs shooting down their PRC opponents, they were thrilled (their design rocked!), shocked (what was their 'baby' doing dominating Chinese airspace?) and anxious (members of South Korea's Defense Acquisition Program Administration, DAPA, were rushing over to chat with them).Similar things were happening in Japan, Taiwan, Russia and the United States. The Communist Party leadership in Beijing were beginning to seriously consider the possibility that everyone was out to get them. Of course, all the Ambassadors in Beijing were bobbing their heads with the utmost respect while swearing on the lives of their first born sons that their nations had nothing to do with any of this.These foreign diplomats promised to look into these egregious breaches of their scientific integrity and were saying how sorry they were that the PLA and PLAAF were getting ass-raped for the World's viewing pleasure. No, they couldn't stop the Khanate posting such things to the internet, something to do with freedom. Paranoia had been creeping into the Potentates' thoughts since the Pakistan/Aksai Chan incident.As they watched their very expensive jets and UCAV's being obliterated, distrust of the global community became the 800 pound gorilla in the room. To add habaneros to the open wounds, the United States and the United Kingdom began dropping hints that they had some sort of highly personal communication conduit with the Khanate's secretive and unresponsive leadership. Yes Virginia Wolfe, the Western World was out to get the People's Republic.'Great Mao's Ghost', all that claptrap their grandfathers had babbled on about (1) the Korea War, (2) the Sino-Soviet grudge match, (3) the Sino-Vietnamese conflict and (4) the persistent support for the renegade province of Formosa all being a continuous effort by the liberal democracies and post-colonial imperialist to contain Chinese communism, didn't sound so crazy anymore.Step Three: Plaster all those PLA ground units that had started moving toward them when the air war began and the Chinese envisioned they would control the skies. The T-99 was a great tank. It also blew up rather spectacularly when it was stuck on a rail car (you don't drive your tanks halfway across China, it kills the treads).As Craig Kilborn put into his late night repertoire:"What do you call a Khanate UCAV driver who isn't an ace yet? Late for work.""What's the difference between me coming off a weekend long Las Vegas bender and a Khanate pilot? Not a damn thing. We've both been up for three days straight, yet everyone expects us to work tonight."Some PLA generals decided to make an all-out charge at the Tumens. Genghis's boys and girls were having none of that. They weren't using their Russian-built Khanate tanks to kill Chinese-built PLA tanks. No, their tanks were sneaking around and picking off the Chinese anti-air vehicles.The Chinese tanks and APCs engaged the dismounted Khanate infantry who, as Aksai Chin had shown, possessed some of the latest anti-tank weaponry. In the few cases where the PLA threw caution to the wind, they did some damage to the Khanate by sheer weight of numbers. For the rest, it was death by airpower.With their anti-air shield gone, the battle became little more than a grisly, real-life FPS game. It wasn't 'THE END'. China still had over 2,000,000 troops to call upon versus the roughly 200,000 the Khanate could currently muster. The PLA's new dilemma was how to transport these mostly truck-bound troops anywhere near the front lines without seeing them also exterminated from the air.After the Tumens gobbled up the majority of the PLA's available mobile forces, they resumed their advance toward the provincial boundaries of Xinjiang and Nin Mongol. There was little left to slow them down. The Chinese still held most of the urban centers in Xinjiang and Nei Mongol, yet they were isolated. And Khanate follow-up forces (the national armies they'd 'inherited') were putting the disease-riddled major municipalities under siege.All over the 24/7 World Wide News cycle, talking heads and military gurus were of two minds about the Khanate's offensive. Most harped on the fact that while the Khanate was making great territorial gains, it was barely making a dent in the Chinese population and economy. Uniformly, those people insisted that before the end of November, the Khanate would be crushed and a reordering of Asia was going to be the next great Mandate for the United Nations.A few of the braver unconventional pundits pointed out the same thing, but with the opposite conclusion, arguing:1.There were virtually no military forces in the conquered areas to contend with the Khanate's hold on the regions.2.Their popularity in the rural towns and countryside seriously undercut any hope for a pro-PRC insurgency.3.Driving the Khanate's forces back to their starting points would be a long and difficult endeavor that the World Economy might not be able to endure.When the PLAAF was effectively castrated after thirty-six hours of continuous aerial combat, a lot of experts were left with egg on their faces. One lone commentator asked the most fearful question of all. Where was the Khanate getting the financing, technical know-how and expertise to pull all of this off? There was a reason to be afraid of that answer.And while I was entertaining my six sailor-saviors, there were two other things of a diplomatic nature only just revealing themselves. Publically, Vladimir Putin had graciously offered to mediate the crisis while 'stealthily' increasing the readiness of his Eastern Military District. If there was any confusion, that meant activating a shitload of troops on the Manchurian border, not along the frontiers of the former nations of Mongolia and Kazakhstan.After all, Mongolia was terribly poor. Manchuria/Northeastern China? Manchuria was rich, rich, rich! From the Kremlin, Putin spoke of 'projecting a presence' into the 'lost territory' of Manchuria, citing Russia's long involvement in the region. By his interpretation of history, the Russians (aka the Soviet Union) had rescued Manchukuo (the theoretically INDEPENDENT Imperial Japanese puppet state of Manchuria) from the Japanese in 1945. They'd even given it back to the PRC for safekeeping after World War II was concluded.Putin promised Russia was ready and willing to help out the PRC once again, suggesting that maybe a preemptive intervention would forestall the inevitable Khanate attack, thus saving the wealthy, industrialized province from the ravages of war. Surely Putin's Russians could be relied on to withdraw once the Khanate struggle was resolved? Surprisingly, despite being recent beneficiaries of President Putin's promises, the Ukraine remained remiss in their accolades regarding his rectitude.In the other bit of breaking news; an intermediary convinced the Khanate to extend an invitation to the Red Cross, Red Crescent and the WHO to investigate the recently conquered regions in preparations for a humanitarian mission.That intermediary was Hana Sulkanen; for reasons no one could fathom, she alone had the clout to get the otherwise unresponsive new regime to open up and she was using that influence to bring about a desperately needed relief effort to aid the civilians caught up in that dynastic struggle. A Princess indeed. No one was surprised that the PRC protested, claiming that since the territory wasn't conquered, any intervention was a gross violation of Chinese sovereignty.End of Note(To Live and Die in Hun-Gray)Orsi may have been the troupe leader, but Anya needed me more, so she came first."I need a shower before we catch some dinner," I announced as we meandered the streets of Mindszent. My lady friends were all processing that as I wound an arm around Anya's waist and pulled her close. "Shower?" I smiled down at her, she was about 5 foot 7. It took her a few seconds to click on my invitation."Yeah, sure, that would be nice," she reciprocated my casual waist hold. Several of her friends giggled over her delay. We were heading back to the Seven Fishermen's Guest House."Do you do this, picking up strange girls you've barely met for, you know?" she said in Bulgarian, as she looked at me expectantly."Yes and no," I began, in Russian. "I often find myself encountering very intriguing women, for which I know I am a fortunate man. I embrace sensuality. That means I know what I'm doing, but I'm not the 'bring him home to meet the parents' kind of guy.""What of your fiancée? Do you feel bad about cheating on her?" Anya pursued me."Hana is wonderful. I've met her father and it went badly both times," I confessed."How?" Anya looked concerned for me."Would you two speak a language the rest of us can understand?" Monika teased us."Very well," I nodded to Monika, and turned back to Anya, "The first time, his son raped a girl and I threatened the young man's life," I revealed. "Jormo, Hana's father, wasn't happy when I did so. The second time, he hit me twice, once in the gut and once in the head," I continued."Why did he hit you?" Orsi butted in."I'd rather not say. You may think less of me," I confessed. Pamela gave me a wink for playing my audience so well. I'm glad she's family (kinda/sorta)."The boy, he is dead?" Magdalena guessed. "Hana's brother?""I really shouldn't talk about that," I evaded. "It is a family matter." That's right. The family that my grandmother had brought me into as her intern / slayer-in-training. There is no reason to create a new lie when you can embellish a previous one."Do you ever feel bad about what you do?" Katalin asked Pamela. We love movies."As I see it, if I show up looking for you, you've done something to deserve it," Pamela gave her sage philosophy behind being an assassin."Are you, bi-sexual?" Jolan murmured. Pamela smacked me in the chest as I laughed. "Did I say something wrong?" Jolan worried. Pamela was a killer."No, you are fine," Pamela patted Jolan's shoulder. "I'm straight and happily so. It just so happens that most of my co-workers are women. Day in, day out, nothing but sweaty female bodies working out, sparring and grappling together, and afterwards, the massages."That was my Grandma, poking all the lesbian buttons of the women around me. Best of all, she did it with the detached air of a sexually indifferent matron. She was stirring up the lassies while keeping them focused on me. We walked into the courtyard of our guest house."Don't take too long, you two," Orsi teased us."Ha!" Pamela chuckled. "That's like asking the Sun to hurry up and rise, the Moon to set too soon, or the sea to stay at low tide forever.""Anya," I whispered into her ear. "How many orgasms do you want?" Anya's eyes expanded. Her eyes flickered toward her friends, then back to me. She held up one finger, I grinned speculatively. Anya held up two fingers. I kissed her fingers.

I tunnel di Cu Chi, costruiti dai Viet Cong fuori Saigon durante la Guerra del Vietnam, rappresentano un esempio straordinario di opere estremamente ingegnose. Scavati in suoli argillosi resistenti, erano un complesso sistema sotterraneo con basi, ospedali e trappole letali come pali avvelenati e granate nascoste. In questo episodio vediamo come sono stati realizzati questi tunnel, il loro ruolo nella guerra contro gli Stati Uniti e come hanno contribuito alla riunificazione del Vietnam. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Despite all his rage, Odo is just some goo in a cage as we review "The Alternate. When Odo's step-dad pops in to annoy his son, a monster hunt ensues, O'Brien gets sent into Viet Cong tunnels, and this ensemble show casually demonstrates its power. 

Este documental de la serie Informes clasificados del History Channel narra el meticuloso y planeado ataque del ejército de Vietnam del norte en conjunto con el Vietcong (guerrilla comunista de Vietnam del Sur) iniciado en las postrimerías del mes de enero de 1968 y que se prolongó por 2 meses contra las fuerzas militares de Vietnam del Sur y de Estados Unidos. Aunque el resultado militar, fue una clara victoria de los ejércitos norteamericanos y de Vietnam del Sur, se ha considerado por buena parte de los historiadores como el hecho que generó mayor impacto en la opinión pública norteamericana dado que las imágenes televisivas y los informes que se conocían sobre la situación en Vietnam después de más de 2 años de combates demostraban que las tropas norteamericanas eran vulnerables a las ofensivas de Vietnam del Norte y del Vietcong. En efecto, las protestas de los opositores a la guerra de Vietnam iban en aumento y la declinación del entonces presidente Lindón Johnson a la campaña de reelección se ha tomado como un “símbolo” del reconocimiento de los adversos resultados estratégicos en Vietnam y de la inutilidad de la presencia militar norteamericana en Vietnam.

A special forces recon team sent to hijack a North Vietnamese supply truck must fight for their survival after their mission is compromised.

The agents head to Saigon to investigate the possible resurgence of a Cthulhu cult and a summit of heroin trafickers. Saigon is technically behind the frontlines, but between gangsters, cultists, and Viet Cong guerillas, it's as deadly as any battlefield. Caleb as Eli Munny, special forces Aaron as Gina Tan, CIA translator Tom as Marcus Abrams, ex-Army pilot Chris as David Nelson, FBI agent

El 1 de febrero de 1968 Nguyễn Văn Lém, un oficial del Viet Cong fue ejecutado sumariamente en Saigón por el general Nguyễn Ngọc Loan de la República de Vietnam durante la ofensiva del Tet en la guerra de Vietnam.

Geoffrey Wawro is a military Historian and author of The Vietnam War. In our interview today we dive into all aspects of the Vietnam War that made it one of America's darkest pages in its short but dense history. By the end of the war, more than 58,000 Americans would die, as too would 250,000 South Vietnamese soldiers. Over 1 million North Vietnamese soldiers and Viet Cong guerillas would also perish as well as over 2 million civilians' from both the north and the south, and thousands more from Laos and Cambodia. Support Dr. Wawro: https://geoffreywawro.com/books Reed Morin Show Links: Twitter - https://twitter.com/@ReedMorinShow Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/@reedmorinshow/ TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@UCF-l7x398gspEPdfE00fSwQ Timestamps: 00:001:49 Vietnam was a War of Choice 8:44 The Kennedy Administration 22:52 NVC Leaders 34:10 US Strategies of Vietnam War 46:16 LBJ Administration 1:04:01 How the NVC Waged War 1:13:39 Vietnam War Booby Traps 1:19:14 Deadliest Battles of Vietnam War 1:28:31 Life as a USA Soldier 1:47:48 Life as a NVC Solider 1:56:22 Napalm & Agent Orange 2:24:22 Nixon Administration Stops Peace 2:39:15 Gulf of Tonkin False Flag 2:43:20 CIA Operations during Vietnam War 2:53:31 VIetnam War Crimes 3:00:52 Fall of Saigon 3:13:43 Support Dr. Wawro! #podcast #podcastclips #jre #history #military #reedmorinshow

The U.S. Marine Corps recently captured a Viet Cong tunnel complex in Quang Tri province near the DMZ. It is believed that they removed something from that tunnel complex, not least because Corporal Paul Lewis, the unit photographer attached to Firebase Jonas, died from an “accidental firearm discharge” two days later. That was three days ago. Delta Green, a secret government agency dedicated to protecting the U.S. from the unnatural, sends in a team of agents to investigate and stop the outbreak. Aaron as Gina Lan, CIA translator Chris as David Nelson, FBI Agent Tom as Dr. Elliot Vannaker, physician. Jason as Stan Madison, US Army

fWotD Episode 2790: 1964 Brinks Hotel bombing Welcome to Featured Wiki of the Day, your daily dose of knowledge from Wikipedia’s finest articles.The featured article for Tuesday, 24 December 2024 is 1964 Brinks Hotel bombing.The Brinks Hotel in Saigon, also known as the Brink Bachelor Officers Quarters (BOQ), was bombed by the Viet Cong on the evening of December 24, 1964, during the Vietnam War. Two Viet Cong operatives detonated a car bomb underneath the hotel, which housed United States Army officers. The explosion killed two Americans, an officer and an NCO, and injured approximately 60, including military personnel and Vietnamese civilians.The Viet Cong commanders had planned the venture with two objectives in mind. Firstly, by attacking an American installation in the center of the heavily guarded capital, the Viet Cong intended to demonstrate their ability to strike in South Vietnam should the United States decide to launch air raids against North Vietnam. Secondly, the bombing would demonstrate to the South Vietnamese that the Americans were vulnerable and could not be relied upon for protection.The bombing prompted debate within the administration of United States President Lyndon B. Johnson. Most of his advisers favored retaliatory bombing of North Vietnam and the introduction of American combat troops, while Johnson preferred the existing strategy of training the Army of the Republic of Vietnam to protect South Vietnam from the Vietcong. In the end, Johnson decided not to take retaliatory action.This recording reflects the Wikipedia text as of 00:34 UTC on Tuesday, 24 December 2024.For the full current version of the article, see 1964 Brinks Hotel bombing on Wikipedia.This podcast uses content from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License.Visit our archives at wikioftheday.com and subscribe to stay updated on new episodes.Follow us on Mastodon at @wikioftheday@masto.ai.Also check out Curmudgeon's Corner, a current events podcast.Until next time, I'm standard Justin.

John Quintrell served in Vietnam as a member of the 2nd Battalion, 27th Infantry Regiment, known as the “Wolfhounds,” part of the 25th Infantry Division. His service spanned a full year of intense combat in 1968, during the Vietnam War. This was a period of high conflict, marked by the Tet Offensive and fierce engagements against the North Vietnamese Army (NVA) and Viet Cong forces. In his memoir, My 365 Days with the Wolfhounds, Quintrell provides a detailed, firsthand account of his experiences during that year. The book captures the daily realities of a combat soldier in Vietnam, including the challenges of jungle warfare, camaraderie among troops, moments of fear and resilience, and the psychological toll of war. His narrative combines personal anecdotes, vivid descriptions of firefights, and reflections on the broader impact of the conflict on soldiers and civilians. The memoir serves as a tribute to his fellow soldiers and offers readers a raw and authentic perspective on the Vietnam War from someone who lived through its harrowing realities. The podcast series Someone Is Killing the Wolfhounds is a dramatic adaptation My 365 Days With The Wolfhounds. It chronicles the intense, true story of a group of soldiers in Vietnam grappling with the horrors of war and their volatile, dangerous lieutenant, Ritter. The series captures their decision to take extreme measures to survive, combining the tension of Training Day with the gritty realism of Platoon. The podcast is produced by Voyage Media and features vivid storytelling with professional sound design, original music, and a compelling cast. It spans ten episodes, exploring themes of camaraderie, survival, and moral conflict amidst the chaos of the Vietnam War. Quintrell himself served as an executive producer, ensuring authenticity in the portrayal of events from his memoir​ You can listen to the podcast on platforms like Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and iHeartRadio. We're grateful to UPMC for Life and Tobacco Free Adagio Health for sponsoring this event!

I vårt mest hycklande avsnitt hittills bränner vi – på vår arbetsgivare Nils Nilssons begäran – ner den skånska delen av vår lyssnarbas genom att prata om snapphanarna! Vadan hycklande? Jo, för att Mattis inleder avsnittet med att avfärda känslor som koncept och avslutar det märkbart irriterad.Mattis är den som springer till skogs den här gången och går sålunda igenom snapphanarna. Detta innebär i praktiken en utskällning av lokalhistorisk historieskrivning och ett avfärdande av hela rörelsen som ”marginell”. Pers insats är den här gången att sucka över snapphanerörelsens tråkighet.Stort tack (och förlåt) till Nils! Det här är hans personliga expressavsnitt.Vill du också ha ett personligt expressavsnitt? Bli då vår patreon på tier Gustav II Adolfs livvaktsstyrka. Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Insurgencies have shaped the course of history, from colonial uprisings to modern guerrilla movements. But what exactly is an insurgency and what makes them so effective? In this episode, we dive deep into the anatomy of rebellion, drawing insights from Robert Taber's book, The War of the Flea. We'll explore how insurgencies grow, gain influence, and destabilize governments through persuasion, coercion, and strategic support networks. Along the way, we'll break down real-world examples and consider how these tactics might apply in today's security landscape here at home. Whether you're a student of history, a law enforcement professional, or a security-minded citizen, this conversation will challenge you to think critically about unconventional warfare in the modern age.So pull up a chair and sit a spell as we explore the dark world of insurgencies!Resources:The War of the Flea, Robert TaberWarlords, Inc., Noah Raford, et al.Counter-Insurgency, David KilcullenSupport the showBecome a Premium Member: Get Members Only Content on our Substack page. Click here.Link up with us:Website: Pearl Snap TacticalInstagram: Pearl Snap Tactical X: Pearl Snap TaciticalThe views and opinions expressed by the guests do not necessarily reflect those of the host, this podcast or affiliates. The information provided in these shows are for educational purposes do not constitute legal advice. Those interest in training in the use of firearms or other self-defense applications are advised to seek out a professional, qualified instructor.(Some of the links in the episode show notes are affiliate links. This means that if you make a purchase through these links, we may earn a commission at no additional cost to you. We only recommend products or services we have personally used and believe will add value to our listeners.)

Coast Guard pilot John Whiddon has been awarded two Distinguished Flying Cross medals. But the enemy he faced was not the Viet Cong or Iraqi air defenses. It was 30 foot seas, 70 knot wind gusts and freezing waters off the coast of Alaska. John was born in England and his father served in the Royal Navy.  Having finished college, he had applied for the US Coast Guard but had not received an answer. So he applied to the Royal Navy's helicopter flying program and was accepted. The week before he was set to leave for London, he received word that he had been accepted into the US Coast Guard Officer Candidate School. At the time, John was flying the HH-3F amphibious helicopters. They had a boat hull that would allow the aircraft to land in the water, but only in 8-10 foot seas and 8 knot winds. Following the failed rescue of the “Marine Electric” in 1983, the Coast Guard established their rescue swimmer program. John shares details of the two rescues for which he was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross, including the “Bluebird” rescue on December 10, 1987 off the coast of Alaska. A fisherman and his six year old son were in trouble. It was a night mission and weather conditions were terrible; blinding snow and ice, 30 foot seas and wind gusts up to 70 knots. The winds were so strong, several times the helicopter was actually blown backyards and toward the water. At one point their rear rotor came within 3 feet of the water. Because of the size and construction of the boat, placing the rescue basket on the sinking boat was not an option. It would become the first time in Coast Guard history that a rescue swimmer was used in a high seas rescue. After 45 minutes of failing to get the rescue basket to the swimmer and half a dozen near crashes, John and his crew began to recognize the very real possibility that they might crash themselves and, in that case, there was no one coming to rescue them. However, they didn't give up and finally got everyone board. John's interview is part of our partnership with the Distinguished Flying Cross Society and our shared mission to tell the stories of heroism or extraordinary achievement in flight.

Matthew Bannister on Madeleine Riffaud, the French resistance fighter who was tortured by the Gestapo, became a journalist and was embedded with the Vietcong in Vietnam.Chris Topp, the blacksmith who restored ironwork at Buckingham Palace, York Minster and St Paul's Cathedral.Barbara Taylor Bradford, the best-selling author of A Woman of Substance and many other novels.Dr Julian Litten, whose fascination for the rituals surrounding death led to him being called “England's foremost funerary historian”.Producer: Gareth Nelson-Davies and Ed PrendevilleArchive: General Charles De Gaulle speech, BBC Radio, 22/06/1940; Algerian War: 70 Years On, News Report actuality, France 24, 01/11/2024; Panorama: Vietnam: The Other World ,BBC Television, 31/03/1969; Barbara Taylor Bradford, Desert Island Discs, BBC Radio 4, 11/07/2003; Reading: A Woman of Substance, HarperCollins Publishers UK SoundCloud Channel, Audio promo - Release date 25/10/2012; Barbara Taylor Bradford interview, Woman's Hour, BBC Radio 4, 09/07/1999; Barbara Taylor Bradford interview, Saturday Live, BBC Radio 4, 30/11/2019; Reading: A Woman of Substance, HarperCollins Publishers UK SoundCloud Channel, Audio promo, Released date: 04/05/2017; BLACKSMITH'S CONTRACT: LOOK NORTH, BBC One North East & Cumbria, 14/07/1995; Reading the Past / Writing the Future - Chris Topp (Blacksmith), Uploaded to Youtube 14/05/2014; Songs of Praise: Rite of passage, Bereavement, BBC, 05/11/2002, Red Heaven Oral History Archive, Julian Litten talks with Dr Simon Machin, 14/03/2021; BBC News at One, BBC, 26/03/2015

We are privileged to welcome Le Ly Hayslip, whose memoir, When Heaven and Earth Changed Places, was the first to bring the story of a former Viet Cong and Vietnam refugee to American readers. Oliver Stone later made the book into a major motion picture starring Tommy Lee Jones. Ms. Hayslip is the founder of the East Meets West Foundation, now known as Thrive Networks. Her story is one of unimaginable trauma somehow matched by powerful resilience and a will to thrive. She was born in poverty in a village near Da Nang as the First Indochina War neared it height. What Americans call the Vietnam War followed, and her village became a frontline for the conflict between the Viet Cong and South Vietnamese government forces, backed by the United States. As a teenager, Le Ly joined the Viet Cong, primarily as a result of her village's political leanings and the influence they held over the area. Her role involved basic support tasks such as cooking and transporting supplies, but she also set booby traps and planted mines. She was arrested and tortured by South Vietnamese forces, who suspected her of espionage for the Viet Cong. This experience was traumatizing, and after her release, she faced suspicion from the Viet Cong as well, who questioned her loyalty. The double scrutiny and resulting abuses left her isolated and vulnerable. To escape the violence and constant threat of harm, Le Ly left her village and found work in Da Nang, where she encountered new struggles. She took on various jobs to survive–many of them illegal–and became involved with American soldiers, which brought a degree of financial stability but exposed her to new risks. In the early 1970s, Le Ly met Ed Munro, an American civilian contractor who eventually became her husband. Their relationship offered her a way out of Vietnam, and she emigrated to the United States with him. Upon arrival, Le Ly faced a new set of challenges: culture shock, language barriers, and the struggle to adapt to an entirely different way of life. Although safe from the violence of war, she was haunted by the trauma of her past and had to navigate the demands of her new life as a mother and immigrant. After settling in the United States, Le Ly worked a variety of jobs to support herself and her children. Though she and Munro eventually divorced, Le Ly persevered, working to provide for her family and find stability. Her journey gave her a unique perspective on both Vietnamese and American cultures, and over time, she began to process her experiences by writing her memoir, When Heaven and Earth Changed Places, published in 1989. In it, she shared her personal account of life during the Vietnam War, her family's struggles, and her journey to America. Her story offered an intimate view of the human cost of war, aiming to bridge understanding between Americans and Vietnamese. Le Ly's memoir caught the attention of American film director Oliver Stone, who was moved by her story and its focus on the impact of war on civilians, especially women. Stone had already explored the Vietnam War from an American perspective in Platoon and Born on the Fourth of July. With Heaven and Earth, released in 1993, he completed his Vietnam War trilogy, this time focusing on the Vietnamese experience. The film, adapted from Le Ly's memoirs When Heaven and Earth Changed Places and Child of War, Woman of Peace, follows her journey from Vietnam to America, highlighting her experiences with violence, survival, and resilience. Beyond her writing, Le Ly became a humanitarian and advocate for peace and reconciliation. In 1988, she founded the East Meets West Foundation, an organization dedicated to improving relations between Vietnam and the United States and aiding Vietnamese communities in need. The foundation has supported various projects, including medical assistance, educational programs, and infrastructure development, helping Vietnamese people affected by the war rebuild their lives. Through her humanitarian work, Le Ly sought to bridge the gap between her two worlds, fostering understanding and healing across cultures. Le Ly Hayslip's life story reflects the complexities of war, survival, and adaptation. Her work as an author, film collaborator, and humanitarian has contributed to greater awareness of the Vietnam War's impact on civilians and helped foster cross-cultural understanding. Through her story and her efforts, she has become a powerful advocate for peace and a testament to resilience amid the devastation of war. We're grateful to UPMC for Life and Tobacco Free Adagio Health for sponsoring this event!

In 1969 Col. David Hackworth formed what became known as Tiger Force to combat the Viet Cong. He later wrote a book called Steel My Soldiers' Hearts. In this 2002 interview Hackworth reveals the emotional batrtle he fought in writing it. Get your copy of Steel My Soldiers'Hearts by David Hackworth As an Amazon Associate, Now I've Heard Everything earns from qualifying purchases.You may also enjoy my interviews with Hal Moore and Elmo Zumwalt III For more vintage interviews with celebrities, leaders, and influencers, subscribe to Now I've Heard Everything on Spotify, Apple Podcasts. and now on YouTube Photo by Dale Cruse #VeteransDay #Vietnam #Korea #military

Pocas guerras han marcado tanto una época y a un país como la de Vietnam. La época fue la década de los sesenta, el país Estados Unidos. Pero no fue propiamente una guerra, sino tres que se encadenaron de forma inclemente durante más de dos décadas y desangraron a este país del sudeste asiático. La primera comenzó tras la rendición de Japón en 1945. Vietnam, parte entonces de la Indochina francesa, reclamó su independencia mediante una guerra de guerrillas contra la potencia colonial. Esta guerra concluyó con la retirada francesa tras la derrota en la batalla de Dien Bien Phu en 1954. Aquello trajo aparejada una solución a la coreana, es decir, la división del país en dos Estados: el Norte, con un gobierno comunista presidido por Ho Chi Minh y con capital en Hanói, y el Sur, con un régimen pro occidental y con capital en la ciudad histórica de Saigón, antigua sede de la administración colonial francesa. De este modo, lo que había sido una simple colonia europea un tanto marginal se colocó en el centro de los intereses geopolíticos de las dos superpotencias de la época. Para evitar que estallase una guerra civil los acuerdos de Ginebra que pusieron fin a la ocupación francesa preveían convocar en 1958 un referéndum para la unificación, pero nunca se llevó a cabo. Los soviéticos y los chinos tomaron posiciones en el Norte y Estados Unidos, temeroso del "efecto dominó" y la expansión del comunismo en el sudeste asiático, incrementó su apoyo al Gobierno del Sur enviando asesores militares y ayuda económica. Pero en el Norte no estaban por la labor de mantener el statu quo. Sus líderes ambicionaban unificar el país acabando con el Vietnam del Sur, al que consideraban un títere de Estados Unidos. Dio así comienzo la temida guerra civil auspiciada por guerrillas comunistas lideradas por el Frente Nacional de Liberación de Vietnam o Viet Cong. Fueron ganando terreno y poniendo en serios aprietos al Gobierno de Saigón, lo que provocó que la implicación estadounidense sobre el terreno fuese a más. El incidente del Golfo de Tonkin en 1964 proporcionó el pretexto para una intervención militar directa. Bajo la presidencia de Lyndon B. Johnson, Estados Unidos desplegó masivamente tropas en Vietnam, iniciando una escalada bélica que marcaría el comienzo de la tercera guerra, esta vez ya completamente internacionalizada. Los del Norte recibieron apoyo de la Unión Soviética y la China Popular, los de Sur del ejército de Estados Unidos, que en el punto álgido de la contienda llegó a desplegar en Vietnam más de medio millón de efectivos dotados de armamento moderno. La estrategia estadounidense se basaba en la superioridad aérea y la potencia de fuego. El bombardeo masivo de Vietnam del Norte y el uso de agentes químicos como el napalm y el agente naranja, buscaban doblegar la voluntad del enemigo emboscado en la selva. Pero aquello era muy diferente a otras guerras que habían librado los estadounidenses. El Viet Cong tenía un profundo conocimiento del terreno, el apoyo de buena parte de la población local y el respaldo del Norte. La guerra se convirtió en una sangrienta refriega entre dos modelos de combate: la guerra convencional estadounidense, basada en la tecnología y la búsqueda de una batalla decisiva, y la guerra de guerrillas del Viet Cong, caracterizada por la movilidad, el camuflaje, las emboscadas y el sabotaje. El ejército estadounidense, a pesar de su poderío, se vio atrapado en una guerra de desgaste, enfrentándose a un enemigo escurridizo que se diluía entre la población civil. La guerra de Vietnam duró, como decía antes, más de dos décadas y, al ser tan reciente, está muy bien documentada. Por eso le voy a dedicar dos programas, este y el de la semana próxima. En esta primera entrega entenderemos sus orígenes y nos adentraremos en la intervención estadounidense hasta la ofensiva del Tet en 1968, un punto de inflexión que preludió su última y definitiva fase. En El ContraSello: 0:00 Introducción 4:28 Las guerras de Vietnam 1:27:15 Romanos en Canarias 1:34:03 La invasiones húngaras Bibliografía: - "La guerra de Vietnam: Una tragedia épica" de Max Hastings - https://amzn.to/3CeTv8e - "NAM" de Mark Baker - https://amzn.to/3NZeE93 - "La otra historia de la guerra de Vietnam" de Jonathan Neale - https://amzn.to/3NYCcuP - "Breve historia de la guerra de Vietnam" de Raquel Barrios Ramos - https://amzn.to/48CYjk5 · Canal de Telegram: https://t.me/lacontracronica · “Contra la Revolución Francesa”… https://amzn.to/4aF0LpZ · “Hispanos. Breve historia de los pueblos de habla hispana”… https://amzn.to/428js1G · “La ContraHistoria de España. Auge, caída y vuelta a empezar de un país en 28 episodios”… https://amzn.to/3kXcZ6i · “Lutero, Calvino y Trento, la Reforma que no fue”… https://amzn.to/3shKOlK · “La ContraHistoria del comunismo”… https://amzn.to/39QP2KE Apoya La Contra en: · Patreon... https://www.patreon.com/diazvillanueva · iVoox... https://www.ivoox.com/podcast-contracronica_sq_f1267769_1.html · Paypal... https://www.paypal.me/diazvillanueva Sígueme en: · Web... https://diazvillanueva.com · Twitter... https://twitter.com/diazvillanueva · Facebook... https://www.facebook.com/fernandodiazvillanueva1/ · Instagram... https://www.instagram.com/diazvillanueva · Linkedin… https://www.linkedin.com/in/fernando-d%C3%ADaz-villanueva-7303865/ · Flickr... https://www.flickr.com/photos/147276463@N05/?/ · Pinterest... https://www.pinterest.com/fernandodiazvillanueva Encuentra mis libros en: · Amazon... https://www.amazon.es/Fernando-Diaz-Villanueva/e/B00J2ASBXM #FernandoDiazVillanueva #vietnam #indochina Escucha el episodio completo en la app de iVoox, o descubre todo el catálogo de iVoox Originals

It's been fifty years since the end of the Vietnam War, yet the memory of the war lives on, the nationwide protests of the 1970s mirroring ones happening on college campuses today. In today's episode we take a panoptic overview of the political debates in Washington, the ground and air operations in Southeast Asia, and the shocking erosion of American defense capabilities. We also dive into the five-decade-old question of whether the Vietnam War could have been won (proponents say victory could come by such strategy as Americans invading Laos and Cambodia and cutting off the Ho Chi Minh Trail; opponents say such policies as “search and destroy” led to recruitment of more Viet Cong soldiers rather than reduce their numbers). We're joined by Geoffrey Wawro, author of “The Vietnam War: A Military History.” We discuss whether the American war in Vietnam was a war of choice, pursued for all the wrong reasons. Shedding light on the inner workings of three presidential administrations and their field commanders, we look at political power, its limits, and the devastation that arises when power is compounded by willful delusion and carelessness in the White House, Congress, and the Pentagon.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Post 1956, several battles are fought between North and South Vietnam.  The Gulf of Tonkin Resolution of 1964 gives US President LBJ authority to increase US involvement in the Vietnam War. This is followed by targeted bombings under Operation Rolling Thunder by the US and counter offensives by the Viet Cong like the Tet Offensive. Agent Orange and Napalm droppings lead to a massive ecocide with severe after effects on the human population. Paris Accords of 1973 call for a ceasefire and North Vietnam triggers one last offensive towards reunification.

This episode of Welcome To The Party Pal features a deep dive into HBO's The Sympathizer, the historical black comedy drama miniseries based on the 2015 Pulitzer Prize-winning novel of the same name by Viet Thanh Nguyen. The series was created by co-showrunners Park Chan-wook and Don McKellar, with Park directing the first three episodes. The series is based on the story of the Captain, a North Vietnam plant in the South Vietnam army. He is forced to flee to the United States with his general near the end of the Vietnam War. While living within a community of South Vietnamese refugees, he continues to secretly spy on the community and report back to the Viet Cong, struggling between his original loyalties and his new life. Join in as hosts Michael Shields and Douglas Grant take you on a journey to Saigon, then to Los Angeles, and back again! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode of Alabama Politics This Week, Josh Moon and David Person delve into the toxic political rhetoric surrounding Donald Trump and its implications for American politics, particularly within the Republican Party. Celsa Stallworth from the SPLC's Alabama Office and Carlos Javier Torres from the Hispanic and Immigrant Center of Alabama join the show to talk about the importance of voter engagement within the Hispanic and immigrant communities in Alabama. Then, Dr. Jack Hawkins Jr., chancellor of Troy University, reflects on his tenure and the emotional journey of stepping down. He discusses the upcoming documentary "Beyond the War," which highlights his unique partnership with a former Viet Cong soldier and the importance of reconciliation. Finally, David and Josh critique the current political discourse, highlighting the toxicity and divisiveness that has emerged, particularly in the context of race and class. About Our Sponsor Alabama Politics This Week is sponsored by Wind Creek Hospitality. Gaming is the heart of Wind Creek Hospitality, but they offer so much more. Wind Creek's 10 distinct properties in the U.S. and Caribbean — including four in Alabama — provide world-class entertainment, dining, hotel stays, amenities and activities. As the principal gaming and hospitality entity for the Poarch Band of Creek Indians, Wind Creek continues to grow and offer guests luxurious destinations and opportunities for escape. Send us a question We take a bit of time each week to answer questions from our audience about Alabama politics — or Alabama in general. If you have a question about a politician, a policy, or a trend — really anything — you can shoot us an email at apwproducer@gmail.com. You can also send it to us on Facebook and Twitter. Or by emailing us a voice recording to our email with your question, and we may play it on air. Either way, make sure you include your name (first name is fine) and the city or county where you live. Music courtesy of Mr. Smith via the Free Music Archive: https://freemusicarchive.org/music/mr-smith/discography

The first episode of season 2 is here!! This week we talk to actor and SKS alum Raymond Lee. He walks us through his entire career, from moving to LA, getting his SAG card, the importance of a strong actor community (which he found at SKS!), booking his first series regular role, working with Tom Cruise on Top Gun, and his incredible experience as the lead on Quantum Leap. There is so much amazing advice for actors in this episode and we are so excited to share it with you! WHAT YOU CAN EXPECT TO HEAR: 1:05 How Ray got his SAG card acting in a Verizon droid commercial 3:11 Acting in theatre in LA and what led him to create his clown troupe, Four Clowns, and the opportuniites that followed because of it. 7:46 Auditioning for TV roles in LA and the huge difference between theatre training and audition training. Discovering SKS and how it helped in train his audition muscle. “And it was so important at that time to learn how to audition, because auditioning is such a strength and a skill in and of itself. Once you're on set, it can feel a lot different. But it was important that we had to figure out how to audition, which is where SKS case came in.” 10:04 At SKS I took away the most important lesson of all, which is to stay positive, to stay hopeful 10:24: You don't rise to the occasion. You fall to the level of your training. 12:56 Demystifying the audition process in classes at SKS 15:46 You didn't come to LA to sit on the bench…… 18:19 Relocating to New York after being cast in the play Vietcong and how the role helped transform him into a true leading male actor. 19:47 How Colleen helped bring the leading man out of him during and audition coaching. 24:07 When actors say “I want to make this different”. It's already different – YOU make it different. Embrace what you bring to the role. 25:21 The process of auditioning and booking the Alan Ball show Here and Now. 30:01 How becoming a dad changed Ray and changed the types of roles he was playing. 34:23 Ray shares his epic audition story for Top Gun: Maverick. 40:09 Life lessons from Tom Cruise on set of Top Gun. “as an actor, you can never know enough. I can do everything now at my age, because I was interested in doing everything. You need to be good at everything, because you never know when you're going to use this stuff.” 44:05 INSIDE STAN KIRSCH STUDIOS SEGMENT (our ode to James Lipton) 48:17 How Ray took care of himself during the long hours of shooting Quantum Leap. 51:14 Colleen and Ray working together on Quantum Leap and how special it was to watch the first episode.

What If… The Vietnam War Had Ended in 1964?For our latest counterfactual David talks to historian Thant Myint-U about his grandfather U Thant, UN Secretary General for most of the 1960s and the man who might have ended the Vietnam War before it really got started. How close did U Thant get to bringing LBJ and the Vietcong to the negotiating table in 1964? What ultimately scuppered his chances? And how differently might the Cold War have turned out if he had succeeded?Sign up now to PPF+ to get ad-free listening and all our bonus episodes: available now a new bonus on Michel Houellebecq's explosive political fiction Submission www.ppfideas.com Coming soon: More What Ifs… on WWI, the Russian Revolution and the Fall of the Berlin Wall.Up next: Fifteen Fiction for Summer from Coriolanus to Hamilton Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

For our latest counterfactual David talks to historian Thant Myint-U about his grandfather U Thant, UN Secretary General for most of the 1960s and the man who might have ended the Vietnam War before it really got started. How close did U Thant get to bringing LBJ and the Vietcong to the negotiating table in 1964? What ultimately scuppered his chances? And how differently might the Cold War have turned out if he had succeeded?Sign up now to PPF+ to get ad-free listening and all our bonus episodes: available now a new bonus on Michel Houellebecq's explosive political fiction Submission www.ppfideas.com Coming soon: More What Ifs… on WWI, the Russian Revolution and the Fall of the Berlin Wall.Up next: Fifteen Fiction for Summer from Coriolanus to Hamilton Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.