The U.S. military has been involved in over 100 campaigns, ranging from localized conflicts to major international wars. Many have been dramatized in film, and depictions of war, people who fought in them, and the home front changed over time. The Second Indochina War, known in the United States simply as the Vietnam War, lasted from 1955 to 1975. During that period, nearly three million Americans served, 58,000 died, and thousands more were scarred for life. Public support for the war peaked in the mid-1960s but collapsed after the Tet Offensive in early 1968. This course will examine how Hollywood’s treatment of the war and its participants changed over time, reflecting America’s gradual disillusionment with a conflict nearly nine thousand miles from its shores. This program will be presented via Zoom.

LECTURES:

1. Earliest Film Efforts
2. Protests and the Anti-War Movement
3. Non-Combatants and Veterans
4. Redemption and Revision

L. Jon Grogan has a BA in Political Science from Tufts, an MA in Public History from the University of San Diego, and a PhD in American History from Loyola University, Chicago. He is also a retired Marine Corps officer who has served in various command and staff assignments in the United States and overseas.  He has taught for many Osher programs across the country, and his portfolio includes courses in American, African, and military history. 

Live In-Person with Video Catch-up. Available 2-3 business days after the live lecture.