We have been watching the film series, The Vietnam War, Episodes 1-5 the latest 5 days, Sun-Thu. There will be 5 more episodes Sun-Thu next week. They can be viewed on PBS's website shortly after they are aired on television. The whole series is 18 hours.
http://www.pbs.org/kenburns/the-vietnam-war/home/
I didn't care much for Episode 1, maybe because of the time span covered. But 2-5 have been excellent. I learned quite a bit from them, especially the USA inside politics the press didn't report at the time. LBJ was an awful human being. Yet he was funny with the colorful Texan language and idioms he used. I found some scenes unpleasant, even gruesome. I am amazed at some of the scenes captured by video cameras -- how somebody managed to be filming in those particular circumstances and Burns et al got and used their film. Episode 5's time frame ends just before the 1968 Tet Offensive. Having been there during that peak period of the war, the next episodes will be interesting.
Back in the USA, a coincidence occurred without my being aware of it at the time. I visited some friends in St. Louis about 2 weeks ago. I was headed home at the St. Louis airport, walking from the central part to the gate where my flight was to be. Walking toward me was Ken Burns. I didn't do anything to show that I recognized him. I didn't know then about the film series. If I had known, I probably would have said something to him and that I was a Vietnam vet.
On a plane trip to St. Louis 3 years ago I saw another famous person. When boarding a plane to St. Louis, I saw Jesse Jackson sitting in a first row seat in first class. I recognized him and looked at him and he looked back, nodding like he knew that I recognized him. He was on his way to Ferguson, MO. This was shortly after the Michael Brown shooting incident and the riots were still happening.
ReplyDeleteOver the years I've spotted some other famous people in airports -- Kristie Alley, Johnny Unitas, English actor Michael York -- but I will skip the details. On second thought I can't resist some detail about Kristie Alley. It was Boston, of course. I had been to a check-in counter and she was in line at one. I was 15-20 feet from her. I looked at her and she at me. I gave her a toast motion and said, "Cheers". She smiled. Maybe she was grateful I wouldn't inconvenience her anymore.
Airports are good places for such encounters.