Dear America: Letters Home from Vietnam (1987)

During the Vietnam War, numerous U.S. soldiers wrote to friends and loved ones who were waiting
back home for their safe return. This documentary takes a deeper look into the letters that were
sent from battle from 1954 to 1975. Various actors read the letters, creating a moving narrative,
accompanied by still photographs, archived war footage and relevant news stories of the Vietnam
War. As the letters are read, we get a detailed insight into what American soldiers were
experiencing.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bTnnsnr5zSo

Q1. What is your impression of the American soldiers when they arrive in Vietnam? Are they
happy to be involved in this conflict? Are you surprised by this footage or any of their comments?

Q2. What effect do you think the nightly news bulletins updating viewers with the casualty and
fatality numbers would have had on support for the conflict?

Q3. What seemed to be the catalyst for President Johnson’s escalation of engagement in Vietnam?

Q4. What experiences shown in this video assist in explaining the rates of mass PTSD that veterans
of the conflict in Vietnam experience when returning home?