Ep 1. The Beginning (1964-1965)

The Beginning (1964-1965) is the first episode of the first season of the show Vietnam in HD. This groundbreaking documentary series chronicles the Vietnam War through the eyes of those who lived through it, using rare and never-before-seen footage to provide a gripping and immersive experience.

The episode begins in 1964, with the United States still reeling from the assassination of President Kennedy. The new president, Lyndon B. Johnson, is faced with the growing conflict in Vietnam, which he inherited from his predecessor. The communist forces of North Vietnam, under the leadership of Ho Chi Minh, are waging a guerrilla war against the US-backed government of South Vietnam. Johnson initially opts for a policy of containment, limiting US involvement to the provision of advisors and supplies.

The episode focuses on three individuals who would become major figures in the Vietnam War: Army Lieutenant Dan Martini, Marine Corporal Robert McClure, and war correspondent Dan Rather. The footage of these three men is largely drawn from newsreels and military archives, and the voices of the actors who portray them are taken from their actual recollections.

Lieutenant Martini is one of the first US soldiers to arrive in Vietnam, and he describes the shock of seeing the brutality of the conflict up close. He is tasked with training South Vietnamese soldiers, but soon realizes that they are not up to the task of fighting the well-disciplined and highly motivated soldiers of the Viet Cong. The South Vietnamese government is also plagued by corruption, and Martini begins to see the war as a lost cause.

Corporal McClure is part of a Marine unit that is sent to secure a strategic peninsula in South Vietnam. The Marines are on a mission to locate and destroy the Viet Cong's supply lines and prevent them from using the peninsula as a base. The footage of the Marines engages in firefights with the Viet Cong is intense and unrelenting, and it provides a visceral sense of the intensity of the combat.

Finally, Dan Rather is a young reporter who has just arrived in Saigon. He is eager to cover the conflict and provide a window into its complexities and realities. He quickly learns that the military and government officials are deeply suspicious of the media, and he must work hard to gain access to the true story of what is happening on the ground.

Throughout the episode, the viewer is exposed to the complexities and contradictions of the Vietnam War. The US is fighting ostensibly to halt the spread of communism, but the war is also driven by deep cultural and political divides within the country. The footage of South Vietnamese troops being trained by US soldiers provides a sense of the uneasy alliance between the two nations, as well as the tensions that exist between the soldiers themselves.

Overall, The Beginning (1964-1965) is a gripping and powerful introduction to Vietnam in HD. The series promises to provide a unique and immersive insight into one of the most important conflicts of the 20th century, and this episode sets the stage for what is to come. The use of rare and never-before-seen footage, combined with the interviews of those who were there, creates a powerful sense of immediacy and authenticity. This is a must-see show for anyone who is interested in the Vietnam War or the history of the United States in the 20th century.