CAVWV - Coalition of Allied Vietnam War Veterans
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Tom Briggs Commentary
Episode 8

Fake History Episode 8

So far, I have spent a lot of time detailing my various impressions of the Burns & Novick documentary. After viewing this 8th episode I felt overwhelmed with a feeling of, as Yogi Berra may have said (but if he didn't someone must have said) Deja Vu all over again.

My problem with TV, film, and video presentations of history is that the viewer gets only a “feeling” about history. The overall feeling from Burns & Novick is of horror that war is hell and gloom from what one sees, cherry-picked facts, truths, and half-truths. As I reviewed the notes I made for this episode I saw the same pattern. Do I really need to go through a detailed review of the same patterns just with different times, events, and people?

The nurse who becomes anti-war, the repetitive counter-culture music (still no “Ballad of the Green Beret”), the combat veteran who does his job killing the enemy and seeing his buddies killed and becomes anti-war, a Black soldier turned against the war, a Hispanic soldier turned against the war, a Japanese-American soldier turned against the war, a Marine veteran turned against the war, lots of rioting by some small percentage of the total population but given vast coverage that magnifies its effect, even someone who ran to Canada.

However, here is what Terry Garlock, a Cobra helicopter gunship pilot has written about Tommy Clack, who is president and chairman of the board of the “Walk of Heroes” Veterans War Memorial located in Rockdale County, Georgia. Tommy lost both legs and an arm when hit by a rifle-propelled grenade in Vietnam. Clack told another Vietnam veteran, “After I was interviewed by Burns’ team, I was told directly by Ken Burns that they would not be using my interview since I was too positive about our generation and my pride in my service in the Vietnam War.”

I know that the Vietnam era media coverage and post-war academic teaching and writings about the war were mostly anti-war, and there seems to be a devotion to that kind of coverage and history. Perhaps because when Burns & Novick, and their subordinates, researched the subject all they found was slanted coverage and opinions. There is counter information out there, the master research tool of the current time, Google, will find more information about the Gulf of Tonkin, the communist death squads of TET 1968, in-depth treatments of the Phoenix Program, and more.

How many other Tommy Clacks did Burns & Novick interview but discard because what was said did not conform to their pre-conceived biases?

Have you watched this documentary so far? Has it encouraged you to go out and find recent writings about this war? If not, why not? Are you satisfied that Burns & Novick have given you all you need to know?

I hope you have not given up on learning what other truths may be out there beyond what has only been put out by anti-war people.


The Coalition of Allied Vietnam War Veterans is a registered 501c3 non profit incorporated in the State of Minnesota


  • CAVWV
    • About Us
    • Board of Directors
    • Coalition Partners
    • Meetings
    • Obituaries
    • Book & Film & Further Reading
  • Our Allies
    • Afghan War >
      • Afghanistan >
        • Conditions in Afghanistan
        • SIV Frequently Asked Questions
    • Our Allies Vietnam War >
      • Vietnam War >
        • Republic of Veitnam >
          • Current Conditions in Communist Vietnam
        • Cambodia & Khmer Republic >
          • Current Conditions in Cambodia
        • Laos "The Secret War " >
          • Current Conditions in Laos
          • Upland Lao
          • Midland Lao
          • Lowland Lao
          • Lao Lima Sites
          • Campaign 74B
          • Battle for Skyline Ridge
        • Canada
        • Korea - ROK
        • New Zealand & Australia
        • Taiwan - ROC >
          • Taiwan Current Conditions
        • Thailand
        • United States of America
        • Other Coalition Countries ( 1954-1975 )
        • POW-MIA-Genocide
        • Tibet
        • Communist Aggression >
          • Communist Combatents North Vietnam
      • Maps
  • Featured Focus
    • PBS "The Vietnam War" >
      • Thomas Briggs
      • The Vietnam War an Introduction >
        • 1/2 Tom Briggs Commentary
        • 3/p1 Tom Briggs
        • 3/p2 Tom Briggs
        • 4 Tom Briggs
        • 5 Tom Briggs
        • 6 Tom Briggs
        • 7 Tom Briggs
        • 8 Tom Briggs
        • 9/10 Tom Briggs
        • " Last Days in Vietnam " Documentary
      • Re-examining History
    • CAVWV "Completing the Record"
  • Special Projects
    • Declaration of Independence Khmer Translation
    • SOG Monument >
      • VA Responce
    • Phil Conran
    • Veteran defined >
      • Inclusive Recognition
      • Excluded Allies & Units
      • Proposed Amendment to SF1959 >
        • A25-0066 amendment
      • Letters and Testimony
      • Hmong Monument Controversy
    • Hmong Burial Controversy >
      • Public Law 115-141’s Division J, Title II, Sec. 251, Paragraph (b) (10)
      • Pre Burial Application w/ Qualifications
      • Analysis, Rationale and Research >
        • 1971 Moose-Lowenstein Report
      • Coalition Remedy to PL-115-141
      • Costa Remedy >
        • Press Release HR 4204
      • Insixiegmay Khao Case >
        • Appeal to Congress
        • Callahan Letter
      • Vila Chau Case
      • Tran Van Quy Case
      • Pre burial and addendum application
    • Timeline Series >
      • Timeline South Vietnam >
        • 1995-2000
        • 2000-2005
        • 2005-2015
      • Cambodia Timeline
      • Timeline Laos >
        • Laos Timeline Table I
        • Laos Timeline Table II
        • Timeline Hmong
      • Timeline Afghan Evacuation
      • Timeline Communism
    • Allied Veteran Story Collections >
      • Vila Chau
  • Events & Observances
    • Coalition Observances >
      • CAVWV Veterans Day Commemoration
      • Mental Health Awareness Month
      • Gen. John Vessy Day
      • American Allies Day
    • United States Observances >
      • 1973 Paris Peace Accords Anniversay
      • Vietnam War Veterans Day
      • Memorial Day 2025
      • Independence Day
      • POW / MIA / Genocide Rememberence Day
      • Flag Day
      • American Veterans Day
    • Vietnam Observances >
      • Vietnam Armed Forces Day June 14, 2025
    • Lao Observances >
      • SGU Veterans Commemoration Day
    • Hmong Observances
    • Khmer Republic Obervences >
      • Genocide Liberation Day
      • 1991 PPA Commemoration Day
      • Khmer Republic Anneversary Day
  • Contact Us