American Experience The Fall of Saigon

The End of the Tunnel (1973-1975) On April 29, 1975 - 10 years after America had committed ground combat troops to Vietnam and two years after a ceasefire agreement had failed to stop the fighting - North Vietnamese communists toppled the South Vietnamese government in Saigon in a lightning offensive that startled the world. Marking the 30th anniversary of the city?s surrender, The End of the Tunnel chronicles the final two years of US involvement in Vietnam. Originally broadcast in 1983 as the final episode of the WGBH-produced series Vietnam: A Television History, it shows the desperation of the final days before Saigon fell and details the evacuation led by the US military. The film features an exclusive interview with Henry Kissinger, who was Richard Nixon?s national security adviser; film footage from Hanoi archives that depicts the start of the final push into Saigon; and interviews with North Vietnamese officers who were on the ground when the city fell. Peace Is at Hand (1968-1973) While American and Vietnamese soldiers continued to clash in battle, diplomats in Paris argued about making peace. After more than four years, they reached an accord that proved to be a preface to further bloodshed. Homefront USA Through troubled years of controversy and violence, U.S. casualties mounted, victory remained elusive, and American opinion moved from general approval to general dissatisfaction with the Vietnam War.