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It's Vietnam 1967 and veteran sergeant Zeke Anderson leads the young, new recruits of Bravo Company as they confront the terrifying reality of jungle combat..

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Series / Tour of Duty

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Tour of Duty was an American drama television series on CBS . It ran for three seasons from 1987 to 1990. It was inspired by the Academy Award winning feature film, Platoon , making stories about The Vietnam War acceptable mainstream entertainment.

The show followed an American infantry platoon on a tour of duty during the Vietnam War. The story focused mainly on Bravo company's second platoon under the command of 2nd Lieutenant (later 1st Lieutenant) Myron Goldman (Stephen Caffrey), and Staff Sergeant (later Sergeant First Class) Zeke Anderson (Terence Knox).

The first season opens in 1967 and follows a standard light infantry platoon. In the second season, the troops found themselves relocated to a base near Saigon while conducting the typical "search and destroy" missions. Female characters were also introduced (in hopes of gaining more female viewership and because of the premiere of the ABC Vietnam Army Nurses drama China Beach which was aimed at a more female audience). In the third season, the remaining female character was killed off and the platoon was transferred to a SOG (Studies and Observation Group) unit under the command of Colonel Brewster ( Carl Weathers ), conducting covert operations in Vietnam and in Cambodia, culminating in the fictional version of the raid on Son Tay Prison. The third season was the show's last.

Tour of Duty contains examples of:

• Advertised Extra : Kevin Conroy was a member of the main cast for the first season, but the writers could never figure out how to properly integrate him into the storylines, as his character was a commander who normally stayed on base. Stuck in Hawaii with nothing to do for most of the working week, he set up a small stand on the beach and sold sketch portraits to tourists out of boredom. His character was dramatically killed off before the end of the season.
• Anyone Can Die : The series did not shy away from killing off major characters, often without warning, highlighting the arbitrary and unfair nature of combat.
• Booby Trap : Practically anytime the squad is out on patrol, you can expect one (or more) to make an appearance. Some are averted, some....not so much.
• Horn is introduced as a pacifist and conscientious objector who'd rather play the harmonica than fight what he sees to be an unjust war. His character arc depicts his realizing the necessity of killing to survive in an environment that doesn't care about his philosophical views and his gradual transformation into a stone-cold killer. His final episode shows him suffering a crisis when he realizes what he's become.
• Butt-Monkey : Baker. Lampshaded towards the end of the first season: “I try to do everything right…everything wrong happens to me!”
• Communications Officer : PFC Roger Horn. Due to his pacifist beliefs and refusal to fight (at first), Anderson makes him the RTO so he can be kept close to him and the LT.
• Dies Wide Open : Capt. Wallace
• Finally, the last episodes of the series are almost universally depressing. Lt. Goldman is completely disillusioned and has stooped to the same tactics he testified against a friend for. Zeke , with nobody to return to, is given another batch of young idiots to watch die. Taylor, now the last of the old squad , is wounded in a firefight. Pop loses his son and is badly wounded. Griner comes home blind. Hockenbury's pacifism costs the life of a comrade and he is stuck in a care center watching wounded men die. Ruiz and Percell both struggle to adjust to life back home, and McKay is grounded from combat flight, has difficulty getting a job, and when he does he can find no joy in flying in a civilian capacity. The series saved its emotional gut punches for last.
• The Dreaded Toilet Duty : One episode features Percell being put on latrine duty as punishment for an infraction. The officer overseeing this delights in making this already horrible task even worse, berating and mocking Percell as he's burning the waste in the drums, and even taking a dump in one of the toilets before Percell's had a chance to put the drum back under the hole. When it's all said and done, Percell walks back into the barracks to get cleaned up and the other soldiers recoil from him due to how bad he smells.
• During the War : During The Vietnam War to be precise.
• Ensign Newbie : 2nd Lt. Goldman is this at the start of the show. He gains experience and maturity quickly over the course of the first season.
• Every Helicopter Is a Huey : Played straight for the most part. Other than a rare cameo of a Chinook in a couple of first season episodes, a crashed Cayuse in the opening credits, and a civilian Jetranger in the series finale, EVERY helicopter shown in the show is the venerable Huey.
• Haven't You Seen X Before? : Private Alberto Ruiz: What's the matter? You niggers never seen a spic before?
• Honor Before Reason : In Gray-Brown Odyssey , Lt. Goldman and a female VC prisoner, whom he holds at gun point after a prior ambush that also leaves him temporarily blind, come across a wounded communist sympathizer and his starving family. After hearing the VC explaining about the plight of the said family of four, Goldman gives them all his rations and is about to move on. The VC, knowing that Goldman does not understand Vietnamese language, not only tells the family that Goldman has just offered them food but also asks the family to mob the blind Goldman and help her escaping. A girl from the family grabs a knife to free the VC...... only to be prevented from going through with it by her wounded father, who thanks Goldman for the food and allows him to leave with the VC still his prisoner.
• Just Plane Wrong : In a "blink-and-you'll-miss-it" moment from the episode "Soldiers", a UH-60 Blackhawk helicopter can be seen being towed in the background when Percell, Taylor, and Ruiz are walking to board their plane. The Blackhawk didn't enter into service until 1979 - 12 years after the episode time period was set.
• Randy "Doc" Matsuda was Bravo Company's designated medic during the first season, before becoming a victim of Anyone Can Die .
• Hockenberry becomes the platoon's new medic in the 3rd season, though his pacifist ways and smartass mouth don't make him very many friends at first.
• Of Corpse He's Alive : Some of the characters are forced to do this when one of the new guys gets drunk in town and jumps to his death. They initially plant the body in the jungles with the intention of shooting him in order to make it look like the VC killed him. The platoon sergeant however, finds out, but not before the base is attacked by the enemy. The new guy's corpse startles a VC sapper who fires at the body before being killed. The dead soldier is honored for fighting bravely in the base's defense.
• Rank Up : Myron Goldman goes from 2nd lieutenant to 1st lieutenant between first and second seasons, Staff Sergeant Anderson is promoted to Sergeant 1st Class, and Johnson is promoted to Sergeant, both in season 3.

• The show had an odd tendency of killing off anyone who was 'getting short' (ie: Was about to complete their mandatory one-year Tour and be sent home). Even the main characters weren't always immune to this .
• Played with when one character was only grievously wounded when he found out he was 'getting short'. In a much later episode, we find out that said character later recovered in hospital, re-enlisted, got promoted, and returned to combat...only to be Killed Off for Real this time.
• Sergeant Rock : Staff Sergeant (later Sergeant First Class) Zeke Anderson, especially in the first few episodes when Goldman was more an Ensign Newbie . He is a grizzled veteran who has the respect of all of the men in The Squad .
• Shown Their Work : In the first season, particularly, the show went to great lengths to show accurate weapons, equipment, and tactics as well as creating a fictional yet believable military unit with its own backstory.
• Sleeves Are for Wimps : Anderson rarely wears his uniform shirt when out in the field, preferring to wear his equipment harness over a tank top, so his well-muscled arms are on full display.
• The Squad : The focus of the series is very much on 2nd platoon Bravo Company, complete with nicknames for almost every platoon member.
• Squirrels in My Pants : In the episode "Angel Of Mercy", Baker is suffering from diarrhea and has to go off into the bushes while standing watch to drop his pants. While he does so, a large toad jumps onto his dropped pants. At the same time, he happens to see some Vietcong slipping out of a tunnel to evade the American soldiers. Baker quickly yanks up his pants and Hilarity Ensues .
• Temporary Blindness : In "Brown-Gray Odyssey", Lt. Goldman temporarily loses his sight after his Jeep hits a mine, and the fire extinguisher backfires. He has to be guided by a female VC prisoner he is holding at gunpoint.
• Tokyo Rose : The series briefly featured a Vietnamese equivalent, note  Trịnh Thị Ngọ, better known as Hanoi Hannah with one GI asking another why he listened to that stuff. He replied that the propaganda was annoying, but that the music they played was actually pretty good.
• War Is Hell : Like most series about The Vietnam War made after Platoon , Tour of Duty focuses a lot on the horror of combat.
• Weapon Tombstone : Captain Wallace has one made for him, and several others, at Firebase Ladybird.
• In "Notes From The Underground", Sgt. Anderson and Lt. Goldman are maneuvering through underground tunnels. Anderson spots a snake up above them, and Goldman jumps back in time before it strikes. The LT is terrified of them but gathers enough courage to kill it. He then tells Anderson he's been afraid of snakes ever since he was a kid. Anderson says “you’d be nuts if you weren’t”.
• In the season 1 finale “The Hill”, Taylor and the newbie Mitchell take cover from small arms fire. All of a sudden, Mitchell starts screaming, saying a snake bit him. Taylor tries in vain to calm him, but in a matter of seconds Mitchell starts choking and dies. Horn: Dammit...that Pit Viper’s venom kills you faster than the electric chair.
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TOUR OF DUTY – 10 Facts About the 1980s Vietnam War Drama

By the mid-1980s, there had been TV shows set during the Civil War, World War II, and the Korean Conflict, but never the Vietnam War. That all changed with  Tour Of Duty.

Set in 1967–1968, this groundbreaking drama series follows an infantry platoon as they fight the enemy — and each other — in Southeast Asia. Members of the platoon in season one include Capt. Rusty Wallace ( Kevin Conroy ), Sgt. Zeke Anderson ( Terence Knox ), Lt. Myron Goldman ( Stephen Caffrey ), Pvt. Roger Horn ( Joshua Maurer ), Pvt. Doc Matsuda ( Steve Akahoshi ), Cpl. Danny Percell ( Tony Becker ), Pvt. Scott Baker ( Eric Bruskotter ), Sgt. Marvin Johnson ( Stan Foster ), Pvt. Alberto Ruiz ( Ramon Franco ), and Pvt. Marcus Taylor ( Miguel A. Nunez Jr .). Subsequent seasons attracted marquee stars in limited roles.

With its continuing narrative, big name stars, and historically high production values,  Tour of Duty  has many of the qualities of today’s premium dramas. But it struggled to find an audience in a primetime landscape littered with light comedies. Thirty years later, the critically acclaimed series feels more groundbreaking than ever. And you can see for yourself what makes  Tour Of Duty  a unique TV classic every Monday–Thursday late night on getTV! Here are some fascinating facts about this groundbreaking series.

1. It was inspired by  Platoon.

In December of 1986, Oliver Stone’s  Platoon  drew raves from critics and moviegoers with its unflinching depiction of the Vietnam War. More than a decade after the conflict ended, American audiences finally seemed to ready to examine a highly divisive chapter in our history. And when the film won four Oscars — including Best Picture — a TV show dealing with the same period was inevitable.  Tour Of Duty  is not based on  Platoon , but its depiction of an infantry platoon in the same period (1967–68) is clearly inspired by it.

2. The series was produced with military cooperation.

While  Platoon  was made without any official involvement by the Army,  Tour Of Duty  producers New World Television sought the blessing of the Department of Defense. With it came advice, equipment, and the use of the Army’s Schofield Barracks in Hawaii as the production’s home base. But government cooperation came with a catch: veto power. The Army insisted on changes during season one and, though executive producer  Zev Braun  agreed, he made it clear who was running the show. “It is our avowed purpose to show the reality of war,” he told the  Los Angeles Times  in 1987. “We will not accede (to a change) if it is a major part of the story."

3. Changes were made for season two.

After surviving a low-rated but critically acclaimed first season,  Tour Of Duty  was retooled for its second season. The setting was changed to the Tan Son Nhut Air Force Base near Saigon and new cast members were added, including  Kim Delaney  (a future Emmy winner for  NYPD Blue ) as a young reporter on the base. Women were added to the cast, in part, to better compete with  China Beach , a soapy, Vietnam War drama series that debuted on ABC in 1988.

4. It had tough competition.

When  Tour of Duty  premiered in September of 1987, CBS scheduled it on Thursdays at 8pm. Its competition was T he Cosby Show  and  Family Ties , then the two top rated primetime shows on network TV. Fans breathed a sigh of relief when CBS moved the timeslot to Saturday for season three — until they found out it was up against  The Golden Girls  and  Empty Nest .

5. It was filmed on the set of another famous military-themed series.

Along with a change in setting in season two came a change in location. Production moved from Hawaii to Hollywood, specifically to the back lot where the long-running  M*A*S*H  had wrapped production just a few years earlier. That Korean War-set series shared 22 cast and crew members with  Tour of Duty , including  Rosalind Chao ,  Mako , and  Robert Ito .

6. Season two was cut short.

While seasons one and three had standard, full-season episode orders from CBS, season two was cut to just 16 shows. It wasn’t necessarily the fault of low ratings or budget cuts, but rather a strike by the Writer’s Guild of America that endured for 5 months and hobbled primetime television. Thirty years later, it remains the longest strike in WGA history.

7. Big names were added for season three.

For the third season, action moved away from the base and back out to the field, as the platoon was transferred to a Studies and Observation Group unit. Big names were added to the cast to boost the ratings, including  Carl Weathers  ( Rocky ) as Colonel Brewster and  Lee Majors  ( The Six Million Dollar Man ) as Pop Scarlett. Future star  Kyle Chandler  ( Friday Night Lights ) also had a recurring role in season three as Pvt. William Griner. Notable guest stars included  Angela Bassett ,  Ving Rhames , and  David Allan Grier .

8. It was an expensive show to produce.

“We've got a series that we think is like none other,” executive producer Zev Braun told UPI when the series debuted in 1987. Production costs were unusually expensive for a primetime series of the era: $1.25 million per show. The pilot itself had a budget of more than $3 million, with season one costing more than $30 million. While that may not have paid off in the ratings, it did in critical acclaim and awards consideration.  Tour of Duty  was nominated for three Emmys, winning once for the show’s complex and highly realistic sound design.

9. It depicted real events.

Tour Of Duty  frequently depicted actual events that happened during the Vietnam War, including the raid of Son Tay Prison. And the first story arc of season three dealt with the highly emotional topic of missing in action soldiers. “Over 2,300 soldiers Americans classified 'Missing' in the Vietnam War are still unaccounted for,” a title read on the first episode of season three. “Reported live sightings could indicate some are still held prisoner in Southeast Asia.” On the show, the two M.I.A soldiers — Terence Knox as Anderson and Stephen Caffrey as Goldman — were recovered after being held captive in a Viet Cong prison camp.

10. There were  five  soundtrack albums.

Because of the huge popularity of the 1960s pop songs of the era,  Tour of Duty  inspired not one but four soundtrack releases between 1988 and 1989. There was also a fifth compilation release in 1992 after the series had concluded its three-season run.

For more,  visit the getTV schedule .

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The 21 Best TV Series About the Vietnam War

With so many notable events throughout history, you can pretty much rest assured that there will always be plenty of content about any of them regardless of the medium – film, TV, books, or others.

In fact, we’ve already got a few that you can start with: comprehensive lists of TV shows about both the First World War and the Second World War !

Now, we’re back with another list of shows about a major historical event: the Vietnam War.

When this battle comes to mind, most understand it from the perspective of the Western involvement. However, at the core of the Vietnam War was an internal conflict to prevent the spread of communism from the North.

The world’s biggest political superpowers – China and the United States – were involved, and it even spilled into the neighboring countries of Cambodia and Laos.

There are many facets to any war, and hopefully this list of the best TV series – both scripted and documentary-style! – about the Vietnam War brings those aspects to the forefront.

Let’s get started!

The best scripted TV shows about the Vietnam War

Tour of duty, cbs (1987 – 1990).

Tour of Duty is an Emmy award-winning military drama that shows the American involvement in the Vietnam War as they supported the south of the country.

In fact, it is one of the first TV shows to show American soldiers in combat regularly.

The series follows an infantry platoon as they’re on a tour of duty.

Through its coverage of issues such as politics, terrorism, racism, civilian deaths, sexuality, and many other heavy topics, viewers are made to understand the effects that war will have not just on soldiers, but on civilians and those around them as well.

Vietnam, Network Ten (1987)

Vietnam is an Australian miniseries with just 5 episodes, each about the length of a feature film.

The episodes follow the Goddard family – Douglas and Evelyn, and their children Phil and Megan – as Australia’s involvement in the Vietnam War continues to deepen from the 1960s through to the 70s.

Phil is drafted to serve in the war with his best friend Laurie and the two are quickly disillusioned by the tragedies they witness.

Meanwhile, the rest of the Goddard family are slowly torn apart by Douglas’ connection to those making decisions about Australia’s involvement.

Through the family, the series reflects the bigger picture of social upheaval happening in the country.

Vietnam War Story, HBO (1987 – 1988)

HBO brings a spectacular series to the list with Vietnam War Story , which employed a mix of fact and creative license in its storytelling.

It came about after the success of the movie Platoon and was an attempt to further tell stories covering all aspects of the American experience in South Vietnam throughout the decade they spent there.

Vietnam War Story is an anthology series, with each episode being standalone and telling a brand new story with different characters, like soldiers telling war stories at a rundown bar.

While the originating events were real, the stories themselves were fictionalized versions of real-life experiences.

A Rumor of War, CBS (1980)

Just 5 years after the end of the war, CBS released a two-episode miniseries based on Philip Caputo’s 1977 autobiography of the same name: A Rumor of War .

Considering how soon after the war it was released, it’s one of the earliest media works to feature American combat experiences in Southeast Asia.

Caputo was a US Marine lieutenant, and A Rumor of War chronicles the events surrounding his service during the early years of the Vietnam War, as well as how he slowly becomes disillusioned as the end doesn’t seem to come any closer.

China Beach, ABC (1988 – 1991)

As a bit of a break from the frontlines, China Beach takes its viewers to the inside of yet another, though not any less important, perspective of war: the medical workers.

The show’s title is a reference to My Khe beach in Danang, Vietnam, which earned the nickname China Beach from the American and Australian soldiers based there during the war.

The setting is the fictional 510th Evacuation and R&R facility, and it follows the daily lives and jobs of the nurses , doctors, soldiers, Red Cross volunteers, and civilians who work at the hospital and are faced with the aftermath of the brutalities of war as they try to tend to the injured.

Fortunate Son, CBC (2020 – present)

This Canadian series takes its name, Fortunate Son , from the Creedence Clearwater Revival song of the same name, and is loosely inspired by the experiences of the show’s co-executive producer Tom Cox’s mother, Mary Cox.

It takes place in 1968, a few years after the United States offered its help to the war efforts, and focuses on an American expat living in British Columbia, Canada, named Ruby Howard.

Ruby and her family are part of the anti-war activist movement and must therefore help Travis Hunter, a fellow American, cross the border into Canada in order to elude being drafted into the war.

Quarry, Cinemax (2016)

Cinemax’s Quarry was in the works all the way back in 2013 with a pilot order, but production didn’t wrap up and air until three years later!

Despite that, its run was short-lived and lasted just one season before its cancellation.

Quarry focuses less on the actual Vietnam War and more on the life of one individual whose life after it was changed forever.

Mac Conway is a Vietnam War Marine veteran who served two tours before returning to his home in Memphis, only to find that he’s been shunned by everyone, including his loved ones.

That leads him to get roped into a life of lies, corruption, and killing as he becomes a hitman for the mysterious Broker.

Sword of Honour, Network Seven (1986)

Sword of Honor is an Australian miniseries that aired for just one season in 1986.

Though there were only four episodes, each was about 100 minutes.

The series primarily follows Tony Lawrence, as well as his brother-in-law and best friend Frank Vittorio, as they join the battle right as it’s about to escalate.

They were both so young and though highly qualified, nothing could have prepared them from the horrors of war that they were yet to face.

After being ripped apart from their families and laying their lives on the line, they come back home and must learn to deal with the profound effects of the war in their own ways.

You Can’t See ‘Round Corners, Seven Network (1967)

When it comes to films and series, we’re more accustomed to seeing a TV show that is made based on, inspired by, or as a sequel to a movie.

It’s the other way around with You Can’t See ‘Round Corners , however, as the series was eventually adapted into a film two years after it aired.

The Australian series is based on the 1947 novel by Jon Cleary, with the timeline updated to be set during the Vietnam War, and follows the young Frankie McCoy, a small-time bookie who is about to be drafted to the war but defects after training.

This, on top of the trouble he gets into as a bookie, has both the military and the cops hot on his tail.

Frankie’s House, ITV (1992)

Journalism during the Vietnam War will always start an interesting conversation, as there are those who believe the media didn’t play a particularly positive role in the US’ involvement.

Frankie’s House sheds a light on the other side: of the dedicated journalists who will brave the dangers and aftermath to be on the frontlines to capture the truth that only a photo can.

This four-episode miniseries is the story of famed British photojournalist Tim Page, whose photographs of the Vietnam War have gone down in history, and his relationship with fellow photojournalist Sam Flynn while they were both out on the battlefield.

The Six O’Clock Follies, NBC (1980)

After all the gripping, historical war dramas on the list, NBC’s The Six O’Clock Follies is the first (and only) comedy series.

Though one could argue that it’s more of a workplace sitcom, The Six O’Clock Follies was set in Saigon in the midst of the war in 1967.

On top of that, it centered on the production and operations of The AFVN News and Sports, a radio program that ran every day at 6 o’clock for the Armed Forces Vietnam Network and was operated by two soldiers and a weather girl.

During their downtime, the radio crew heads to Midas Bar, the local pub owned by the program’s director as well.

The Sympathizer, HBO (2024)

Robert Downey Jr. is making his return to the small screen with HBO’s The Sympathizer , an ‘espionage thriller and cross-culture satire’ adapted from the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel of the same name by Viet Thanh Nguyen.

The series follows a half-French, half-Vietnamese communist spy during the final days of the Vietnam War and his exile to the United States.

The lead roles went to actors Hoa Xuande, Fred Nguyen Khan, Toan Le, and Ky Duyen. With Downey playing multiple supporting roles,  each aimed “…to represent a different arm of the American establishment.”

The Sympathizer is set to air on HBO sometime in 2024.

The best Vietnam War docuseries

The vietnam war, pbs (2017).

We’re kicking off the unscripted portion of this list with The Vietnam War , a 10-part (18-hour) documentary series that really takes its viewers through every aspect of the war from beginning to end.

Each episode covers a certain time period of a few years from 1958 to beyond 1973, allowing the story to truly develop and unfold clearly.

The series uses interviews, testimonials, home videos, photographs, TV broadcasts from that time, archive footage, and even secret audio recordings of the Kennedy household to show a comprehensive history of how America contributed to the war efforts, told from the perspectives of those who both supported and opposed it.

Battlefield: Vietnam, PBS (1999)

Battlefield: Vietnam is part of a bigger anthology documentary series from PBS which explores all the notable battles fought mostly throughout the Second World War and Vietnam War.

Each season employs the use of personal accounts from veterans and survivors, additional tactical details, background information on technology, details on smaller surrounding battles, and archival footage to provide a narrative of war.

The third season was Battlefield: Vietnam , which covered all smaller battles that raged between 1954 and 1975.

The series goes through a brief history, the military tactics used, and even some of the critical mistakes made by the United States.

Vietnam: 50 Years Remembered, Amazon Prime Video (2015)

Contrary to what most would believe, the United States wasn’t involved in the Vietnam War right off the bat.

No, they joined the war efforts a decade later in 1965; in honor of the 50th anniversary of this date, a seven-episode documentary series was released.

Vietnam: 50 Years Remembered used the personal stories of those involved in the US efforts including officials and veterans to detail the events in the battle over the decade that the US was part of the frontlines.

Included as well were details on the battles, strategies, and politics that changed as the presidency switched throughout the war.

Vietnam: A Television History, PBS (1983)

Though technically classified a miniseries, Vietnam: A Television History paints a comprehensive picture thanks to its 13-episode span; despite it being aired back in the 80s, the impact of it was large enough that it was rebroadcast a little over a decade later in 1997.

In fact, Vietnam: A Television History was the network’s most successful documentary until that time.

The docuseries comes from journalist and foreign correspondent Stanley Karnow and like many others, showcases the war efforts from the American perspective.

This also includes a history of Vietnam in the years immediately leading up to the start of the war, to show what led to it in the first place.

Battleground Vietnam: War in the Jungle, AppleTV+ (2005)

Battleground Vietnam: War in the Jungle is yet another documentary miniseries, this time with just eight episodes, that attempts to provide an in-depth narrative of the history of the Vietnam War.

The series covers the period from 1954 to 1975 and shines ‘a spotlight on U.S. government deceptions, the horrors of jungle warfare, and the war’s human toll’, according to the official logline.

Throughout the episodes, viewers bear witness to how the war began and how America became involved, the battles fought and the heroes who fought them, and the price everyone involved had to pay.

Vietnam in HD, History Channel (2011)

Outside of the United States, this six-episode documentary series from the History Channel is known as Vietnam Lost Films ; locally it’s known as Vietnam in HD.

From the titles alone, you might be able to guess that the documentary is structured using found footage of the front lines, perhaps by officials or correspondents who witnessed it all.

Intertwined with this footage are retellings of the experiences of thirteen individuals who played different roles in the war: a combat reporter, decorated heroes, a nurse, founding member of the National League of Families, and more – all portrayed by an ensemble cast.

Unseen Images: The Vietnam War, France 3 (1997)

Despite all the resources and media that has been made about the Vietnam War, both fictional and not, we wouldn’t really be able to fully know the whole picture, not when there is always so much hidden behind closed doors.

The French-made documentary Unseen Images: The Vietnam War attempts to somewhat lift that secret veil through its three parts, and the raw honesty through which it does has been highly praised by the Vietnamese.

The docuseries uses archive footage from combat cameramen that was previously classified but now, the thousands of hours of footage provides an even more shocking view of the Vietnam War.

Wings Over Vietnam: The Missions, Discovery Channel (1998)

Discovery Channel’s three-part documentary series Wings Over Vietnam: The Missions is part of the network’s DC Wings series, which focuses on various parts of the US Air Force.

This one, in particular, homed in on the USAF’s role in the Vietnam War – the various aircraft vessels and used and for what purpose.

A stellar combination of rare flight footage while in air combat, first-hand accounts and testimonials from surviving veterans and pilots, and graphically rendered explanations of strategy make for a detailed view of the Vietnam War from the air. It’s truly something you’ve never seen before!

1968: The Year That Changed America, CNN (2018)

CNN’s four-part documentary titled 1968: The Year That Changed America comes from the Emmy Award-winning producers Gary Goetzman, Mark Herzog, and actor Tom Hanks.

The title alone should clue you in: it covers one of the most pivotal years in recent American history when the country experienced shifts in politics both domestic and international, as well as social changes that have deep impacts to this day.

The Vietnam War is at the center of the first episode, and subsequent episodes covered the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. alongside the tumultuous presidential election of that year.

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Tour of Duty

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Tour of duty.

S3.E1 ∙ The Luck

S3.E2 ∙ Doc Hock

S3.e3 ∙ the ties that bind, s3.e4 ∙ lonely at the top, s3.e5 ∙ a bodyguard of lies, s3.e6 ∙ a necessary end, s3.e7 ∙ cloud nine, s3.e8 ∙ thanks for the memories, s3.e9 ∙ i am what i am, s3.e10 ∙ world in changes, s3.e11 ∙ green christmas, s3.e12 ∙ odd man out, s3.e13 ∙ make death proud, s3.e14 ∙ dead man tales, s3.e15 ∙ road to long binh, s3.e16 ∙ acceptable losses, s3.e17 ∙ vietnam rag, s3.e18 ∙ war is a contact sport, s3.e19 ∙ three cheers for the orange, white and blue, s3.e20 ∙ the raid, s3.e21 ∙ payback, contribute to this page.

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Tour of Duty

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