Customer Reviews

Vietnam: We Were Heroes

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

At first glance it appears to be a modern day tribute to our vets who participated in the Vietnam conflict, including interviews and reminiscing of events from those who were there. In contrast, it is just a bunch of old grainy 8mm and 16mm news reels and training films thrown together to compile a 3-DVD set. Personally I found the box cover and description very misleading. This is not the first negative experience I've had with Madacy Entertainment, the company who produces this DVD set. They seem to specialize in gathering old (mainly unwanted) footage, and hashing it all together to make DVD and VHS box sets and sell them to make a quick buck.

If you enjoy watching old films with original narration, that's fine (I do from time to time), but the box and product description need to state that. The problem I had with this (and reason for returning it), is because of the reason I just stated - being fooled and feeling like the butt of a cruel joke. I left a scathing review with another Madacy DVD set, "World War II - Battlefront 5 Pak," a 5-DVD set supposedly in 'glorious color.' But it was nothing but B&W footage that had been cheaply colorized. Horrible. My suggestion is - anything churned out by this company is to be avoided at all costs. I warned ya!

My father served in the pre-1st Cav Days with the Airmobile Group, then went overseas with the First Team and was there from 1965 - 1966. He was a Artillery Forward Observer with the line infantry companies. I have all of his pictures that I have scanned and am preparing a documentary on his time there based on personal interviews I have done with him recently.

I just bought this over this last weekend, and viewed most of the first disc last night. Although I too was a little taken back, as I thought it would be a modern documentary with the classic footage - I soon realized what a treasure trove of footage and data this is. True -it is slanted and has an old 6th grade science film narrative along with a very hokey soundtrack that belongs in a John Wayne movie - But - if you listen to what the narrator says and do your research on what was going on there with other documentaries and books, as well as the events around the Ia Drang ('We Were Soldiers'), you can see the 'propaganda' that the government can sometimes feed you. But - now I am glad to have these films, as you can really get a sense of how things were viewed back then, and compare them to now.

Don't believe the review that says - 'there is no good battle footage' - there is!!!, of infantrymen engaging the enemy as well as gunships and aircraft engaging enemy positions. My father was there, and said he never saw who they were firing at a majority of the time. If you were up close, it was rare - so for a cameraman to have actually shown the VC - would have been a unusual event. Check with those who served there, don't assume you are going to see footage like in the movies......

After seeing all of my fathers pictures, it was eerie to see movies of the places he had taken pictures of - almost as if these were 'home movies' he had taken. I look forward to viewing these with him next time he comes to visit. Both my brother and I followed in his footsteps and served as Artillery officers also - so this is especially fascinating as we both understand how the Army works - both the good stuff and the bad!

Three discs with 4.5 hours of video plus complete Order of Battle for all units that were part of 1st Cav in Viet Nam or attached to 1st Cav. Very valuable info for children or relatives of vets. All films were shot by U.S. Army combat cameramen, so this is the real story not Hollywood hype or comic book fantasies. Also, this is not the film "Platoon" or the revisionist history of "We Were Soldiers". These are all official U.S. Army documentaries plus captured VC and NVA footage. If you were really in the Cav in NAm, you will truly enjoy these films. Otherwise, wait for China Beach to be released on DVD.

I bought this collection because of the price, and well, I guess if you want a 5 dollar haircut your going to get a 5 dollar haircut.

This film reminds me of 6th grade, the way it's narrarted and its content. Don't expect to see any battle footage, it mostly covers logistics of how the United States was able to setup bases, etc. Which may sound somewhat interesting, but if your looking for events, battles, etc. do not purchase.

Exelent, lots of old films of the Grunts in the s**t. Dont' listen to the cry babys who dont' like it because these films are'nt jazzed up..........just real films of the real deal. Where do these spoiled reviewers come from anyway?

UNBELIEVABLE............................................PLEASE WATCH THIS DVD IF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN THE VIETNAM WAR REGARDING THE AIRCAV.....JUST AMAZING!!!!!!

The dialogue could easily have been written by "McNamara's Band" of people who pushed America into this no-win conflict and caused a generation gap that still exists to this day. Obviously filmed by official sources, this is a one-sided "pro war" stance that does nothing to tell the true story of valantry on both sides. Pure manafest destiny rubbish!

A better set is "Vietnam War with Walter Cronkite".

It is 12 hours long. Madacy appears to have several

sets of identical content with different packaging.

Outright crooks. Anything that says Madacy Entertainment

on the box, just leave it be. This isn't even worth 1 star.

If your into one sided propoganda news reels & training films you will like this, If your into the technology used in Vietnam you will like some of this.

But if you are looking for unbiased information on the Vietnam war or your interested in seeing any kind of battle footage you've come to the wrong place, I was discusted to see news reels portraying the Vietnamese as inferior savages who will take no prisoners.

For the record the NVA & VC did take prisoners, yes some were tortured but the US also tortured the Vietnamese. This is not me bashing the US this is me saying if your going to show racist footage at least be decent enougth to admit the US did it as well.