Vietnam Soldier & San Francisco Cop Got PTSD In 1968
The Vietnam War changed America and many of those who fought in it forever. Vietnam Vet David Bowman published a book describing what happened to him as a young soldier titled The Vietnam Experience. He also contributed to Dear America - Letters Home from Vietnam (the book and DVD) and to The Fifty Greatest Letters from America's Wars featuring his and others' letters home.
Bowman served as an infantryman from September 1967 through September 1968, with Company B, 1st Battalion, 8th Cavalry Regiment, and 1st Cavalry Division (Airborne)-the highest-decorated unit in the Vietnam War. When he returned home, he joined the San Francisco police in the late 1960s as a street cop with a beat.
I got the chance to interview David Bowman in 1989 as part of my 1990 television series on the 1960s. my team and I interviewed more than 200 individuals and ask each to describe what he witnessed and what effect it had on them. Bowman's experience was quite unique because after his time as a warrior in Vietnam, he took a job in San Francisco during the late 1960s when there was tension in America evidenced in San Francisco and Berkeley and Oakland by constant protests against the war and other forms of rebellion.
He describes the similarities between protecting his base in Vietnam and protecting the police department facility in Golden Gate Park. He describes hippie families and confronting political radicals. He remembers a time when radicals planted a bomb that killed several of his colleagues.
Of course every story is unique and my channel presents various experiences at that time for and against the Vietnam War and what the American government was doing and saying. I appreciate David not only for his service as a soldier and as a police officer but for his ability to articulate his experiences with such intensity.
If this interview has meaning for you, please click the super thanks button on the right side below the video screen and support my efforts to present more clips from my personal archive.
Thank you
David Hoffman filmmaker
"And there I was, back in Vietnam, guarding another base camp" Jeez when he said that you could hear pain in his voice.
Really to him americans are now the enemy
My Father served two tours in Vietnam. Midway through his second term he was injured severely and almost didn’t survive. He would never talk about it much. When I’d ask questions he would answer very direct and to the point . One day I found his collection of pictures from his time there. He looked through them with me. All in black and white. There was this one picture of him and about 20-25 soldiers, on R&R. They all took this one picture together, all of them. He started pointing to guys in the picture and saying: “ He didn’t make it. He didn’t make it. He didn’t make it.” He must’ve pointed to about 8-10 guys who he said didn’t make it. I will never forget the sound in his voice when he said those words over and over. It made me hurt for him and all the soldiers who experienced that war. My Uncle was killed about a month shy of his time being up in Vietnam. My cousin was only a couple months old when his dad died. He never got to meet him. God bless the Men and women who served during that war, never forget.
My father and many soldiers were well aware of the lies and manipulation that brought them to a foreign land and forced them to do things they otherwise wouldn’t have done. I learned of Gulf of Tonkin from an early age. This of course is included in the thoughts and prayers for all the people who’s lives were destroyed by not only this war, but all the wars in modern times that were nothing more than a racket to quote the heat Smedley Butler.
Our President "Joe Biden" he was called to Vietnam five different occasions he said he was a football player in high school and college he was a swimmer and a lifeguard once he got into the Senate..This "coward" went to his own doctor and they made something up for him they said he had asthma and he wasn't qualified to go to Vietnam..🤮.. probably between 30,000 to 50,000 maybe more they went to Canada to avoid the draft knowing they would never return as an American citizen when "Jimmy Carter" became president he signed documentation saying if you want to come back to the United States as an American citizen you are welcome back that was a real kick in the balls to all the veterans..😡 look at that wall in Washington DC how many men and women sacrificed their lives and died and years later the cowards get to return back to the United States.. I'd say Jimmy Carter and Joe Biden have to be the stupidest presidents the world has ever seen..John Kerry he spent only 4 months total in Vietnam and then went home when he got in front of Congress all the veterans thought he was going to defend them instead he threw everybody under the bus and stabbed them in the back..He's just as bad as Jane Fonda both of them are traitors...🤮🤬🤮🤬
Noubliez Jamais
@@_audacity2722 God bless the brave AMERICAN men who fought the Vietnamese lapdog. YOUR A COWARD BEHIND THE KEYBOARD. GOD BLESS 🇺🇸 🇺🇲🇺🇲🇺🇲🇺🇲🇺🇲🇺🇲🇺🇲🇺🇲
@@_audacity2722 why not bless them both? No one should have to die in war. Especially in that war. American or Vietnamese.
I didn’t find this vet intense but all the things he went through were intense. I found him to be intelligent, articulate and morally upright and sensitive. A great man indeed.
Fighting in the military does not make you a great man
@@zazasnruntz7505lol what an odd conclusion to come to from the original comment
He doesnt have the wisdom yet to understand or maybe the empathy or compassion, like the soldier said my friend we must look at things from a total bigger picture no? I am a pascifist a pascifist that would die for peace at the drop of a hat i am homeless when i have homes open to me and regarded as the lowest scum based on convenient labels the criminal justice system has placed on me despite commiting no violent or malicious crime it was not something id ever want to participate in or do again and i understand fully that i was a lesser person back when it happened and my heart and mind and soul was in the deepest pit of depression apathy and self destruction but yet even as i have changed and desire such beautiful and selfless and morally upright things and have changed so much they simply do not care, tthe suffering i have endured my entire life has made me given up on all worldly things to a degree anything to do with enriching myself with money , or seeking love or security or guidance from anything or anyone in the world while their are plenty of amazing amazing people simply cannot give me that which my spirit and heart needs, it comes from god for me, it comes.fron within, i will probably give up on probation at some point because of how disgusted and depressing participating in thier system and commands and tyrannical thier rules are, its truly heartbreaking to be in this situation and yet i feel closer to god and want to do good things and good deeds even more and more as the hardships stack up against me, i can see what jesus and martin luther and so many martyrs went thru and i find great comfort knowing many have walked my path. Lets judge no one friends lets give eachother time and space and respect and patience and kindness for most of us are trying to figuire out what life means what the highest "good" or other grand questions and while many people fall short or come to.dissapointing conclusions, many will also become greater then anyone of us!
@christking
@@timdillon4876shut up until you learn to write coherently
The being "weaned off war" self analysis is very insightful. I'm impressed by this man's ability to articulate his experience.
He left the war but the war never left him
I've been up watching Vietnam vet videos all night and I'm not even American (British), the reflection and insight some of these guys show, even when ironically they don't realise it, is beyond heartbreaking. I feel so lucky that I never saw what these men saw.
Why impressed? Think soldiers are dumb?
@@nicholitadlock6768 in comparison to most men's ability to articulate themselves as such in front of a camera, and also the ease of which people spoke back before social media anxieties. It's impressive. I have words in my own mouth thank you.
That is a reflection of the schools and society. I recall watching a video documenting Irish "punk rockers" in the 1970s or 1980s, I honestly can't remember the era. Even for "punks" the kids were well spoken. Clear annunciation and a seemingly broad vocabulary.
This guy doesn't seem like a malicious dude he just seems like a good guy who lived and worked with trauma. Thank you🇺🇸
Totally agree.
He sounds like a decent guy, but I guarantee he beat the hell out of some hippies back in the day.
@@chrisparker8539 for sure, police abuse is totally great. 🤡
@@jaa89623 decent people don’t usually beat the shit out of other people
@@opaljk4835 hippies would often spit and yell profanity at veterans returning home
I’m also Vietnam Vet served in a long range patrol Ranger company, from 1970 to 71. When I came home I went to school for a while and then I also became a San Francisco; police officer and did 28 years before I retired. My PTSD was magnified from being a cop. the stress of the job was intense. I can identify totally with this veteran who you interviewed. When he spoke about the Vietnam memorial it hit home. It’s very sacred place to me.
National Security Order 263.
@@jackmitton2534 ??
@@briandanker8431 NSAM 263 accepted the military recommendations of McNamara and Taylor, as follows: (1) changes to be accomplished by the government of South Vietnam to improve its military performance; (2) a training program for Vietnamese "so that essential functions can be carried out by Vietnamese by the end of 1965. Did JFK want to withdraw from Vietnam? John F. Kennedy had formally decided to withdraw from Vietnam, whether we were winning or not. Robert McNamara, who did not believe we were winning, supported this decision. 10 The first stage of withdrawal had been ordered.
@@jackmitton2534 schizo moment 😊
@@BonnieBunny118 NSAM 263 accepted the military recommendations of McNamara and Taylor, as follows: (1) changes to be accomplished by the government of South Vietnam to improve its military performance; (2) a training program for Vietnamese "so that essential functions can be carried out by Vietnamese by the end of 1965. Did JFK want to withdraw from Vietnam? John F. Kennedy had formally decided to withdraw from Vietnam, whether we were winning or not. Robert McNamara, who did not believe we were winning, supported this decision. 10 The first stage of withdrawal had been ordered.
I read the other day that Punks are good people pretending to be mean, hippies are mean people pretending to be nice. It really struck a chord.
Damn, there might be a modicum of truth to that 🤔 definitely not the absolute rule but certainly thought provoking
@@marsford2716 yeah I think so.
I have found it true in my own life. Most “hippies” or radical progressives ive known, talk a lot about nice sounding ideas and virtuous theories and portrayed a vision of virtue, but personally they were some of the meanest and most selfish people I’ve ever met. Extremely disrespectful and their virtue only went as far as their face and mouth.
they recently proved nixon kept the war going and killed about 50,000 americans so he could have a war boost to his poll numbers. had lots of supporters caring more about politics and power more than american lives, kinda like now
What a ridiculous generalization! I guess it’s fun, in hindsight, to reduce complex social movements to bumpersticker quotes. Actually, it’s obvious that hippies (not violent radicals) attempted to be kinder and gentler, and as such attracted many kind and gentle people. Sure, some punks have a heart of gold, but have you ever been to a punk show? Punk obviously flirts with violence and transgressive anti-social behavior, attracting those who have those tendencies. So punks are more likely to be outwardly mean, hippies to be outwardly nice. Now, since we expect hippies to be nice, sociopaths will pretend to be hippies, so yes some “hippies” are mean and vile. And many gentle kids are attracted to the aesthetic and attitude of punk to mask their vulnerability, to show their rejection of a cruel & brutal society, and the failure of the boomer/hippie generation to live up to their ‘peace & love’ ideals.
You can hear the emotion in his voice. He's giving a lifetime of worldview in this interview. Its heavy.
This gentleman gets emotional on several occasions, most notably the story about the deceased baby. That was a real punch in the gut.
That made him a more beautiful person in my view. His sensitivity towards people who were suffering whether or not he he agreed with them. David Hoffman filmmaker
@@DavidHoffmanFilmmaker right, that was clear..! He’s able to identify and articulate his emotions, rather than just being reactive or vindictive.
Cops see the absolute worst of humanity, it's a tough job.
Holy shit i had to pause the video and recollect myself after hearing about the baby, as a father of 2 with high anxiety that made me tremble.
Im really in awe at how good a soul this man has. I dont know how people can go through so much and turn it around and use their experience to help ease others turmoil.
Yep this old Marine survived all this, finally sober for 12 years. Thanks you Lord. Thanks from my hill top in Sc
Thank you for your service good sir…we see you.
God bless you sir!
Bless you friend. Your story is so valuable. Congrats on 12 years sober. 👏
Welcome home! Thank you for your service
im a younger Marine, struggled with substance abuse for six years in the corps, and many years before the corps. Finally sober now, what a pain in the fuckin ass. Good job man, Semper Fi. Wish I could buy you a beer. Get it?
Thank you for your service brother . My uncle died in Vietnam in JUNE 1966 fighting on hill 488 first marine from our county to die in Vietnam. His name was ALCADIO MASCARENAS . his 18 man recon team was surrounded by a battalion of dinks and nva .
I get goosebumps thinking about that book
Those guys were trapped in a sort of hell i wouldnt wish on any of my worst enemies. its amazing anyone made it out at all
I just read about your uncle by looking him up on Military Times. What a brave young warrior!! Much respect to your uncle and to your family for his honorable and courageous sacrifice. God bless.
@@Walter37165 thank you
Legit question, If I am right, the NVA were the "North Vietnamese" Army, but the only thing I can find on Dink is Double Income / No Kids (And I am assuming that the U.S. wasn't trying to stop a Yuppie Domino Effect. Who were the dinks. VietCong or someone else. {I am not Northern American so certain Acronyms are foreign to me}
This is hand's down the best Vietnam vet interview i have ever seen
Thank you Caleb. David Hoffman filmmaker
I know Dave. He and I served at Park Station together when we were young cops. I was also there when the station was bombed. Dave was an excellent cop. We both served in the 1st Cavalry Division in Vietnam but in different regiments and different years. We sometimes spoke to each other about our experiences. I
Could you elaborate more on what made him an excellent cop
Did you go to the Peoples Repuplic of Berzerkly. Haha. Sorry that cracked me up.
Thank you!
Just like every other kook with a phone
Amazing. Thanks for your service.
He's part of a generation we try to cast off, and from two professions often vilified (soldier and cop), but his words ooze with humanity. I'm so glad these stories are being listened to, because all the modern outrage that appeals to emotion and nothing else would see people like this completely dehumanized.
It's bizarre how this generation of Euro Americans worship law enforcement. This was not always the case. When they were the faces of criminality, they hated the police and had sympathy and empathy for their brothers in poverty trying to make a living the best way they could. Flamboyant gangsters were well loved and respected. Now that those faces has changed from white to black and brown, cops are seen as heroes.
You can literally see the evil in this white mans eyes 🤦♂️ the irony is what he described kind of sounded like slavery
The police earned their vilification. They've shown that they've worked for it.
@@HipixOFFICIAL Every officer and every soldier has their own story, and their own reaction to what they've experienced. To blanket-statement all cops is wrong and wrong-headed and simple-minded. It's the equivalent of saying all hippies were dirty drugged-up dead-enders, or all BLM supporters are clueless mushy-headed thugs. Stereotypes are easy, lazy, and not real. What is true is that police *culture* in America as well as police *unions* we can say with certainty have absolutely earned vilification. Both need massive enemas.
They weren't vilified for nothing. Check out the massacre of My Lai and how to U.S. authorities tried to cover it up. Your country has a lot of blood on its hands.
I was just starting high school in San Francisco when he was starting his career as a cop. I was terrified that my older brother would be drafted. I remember crying at night thinking about it. My dad was a pretty quiet guy, but we knew he didn't support the draft. He had been drafted and fought in the Korean War. Thankfully, the Vietnam War ended before my brother could be drafted. I did work with many Vietnam vets over the years, and most of them were great guys. Have known a few women who were nurses in Vietnam. They were also exceptional people.
I am in my early 30s and just wanted to say thank you for documenting these things! Without people like you, these things would be lost to history
God bless this man. You can feel the horror in his voice, and see it in his eyes.
Horror yes, but a great deal of wisdom. To stop and think that there might be a bigger picture is very mature. Hubby, didn't learn the big picture about a battle he was in until 1998 or 1999. He was watching PBS documentary. It was then he learned how very close they were to being over run and slaughtered..... He then realized why such a heavy use of artillery.
@@troubleshooter166 no!! Omg, I have to watch the full doc...
He's put together dude, regardless. Very concise speech. Intense, but he has earned the right to be.
I was just about to say the same thing. Within the first minute he mentions his frustration about not being able to figure out whether his friend survived or not… you can see the pain in his eyes
He fights that ear every
It's insane he couldn't get in touch with the family of his dead friends, that he couldn't even know of they died! It is just a sever injustice
I am still active duty with two tours in Afghanistan and one in Iraq. My first AF deployment I’d wake up and look at everybody and be like: Where’s Hamilton? Them: Oh you didn’t hear? He went home during last nights patrol. Me: Oh ok. Well I’ll have to get a beer with him when we get back. Them: No one is seeing him. Ever again….He’s…..gone….Me: oh I hadn’t realized….. Shit was just the same for me back in 2011. Thanks for letting write this. It felt nice. Take care and cherish every day
@@dantheman7506 my dear friend, I was a commending officer in an infantry unit in the Israeli army. In Israel the units keep such a strong tie with the families of the dead. It simply breaks my heart to know that my Americans brothers in arms are so poorly treated, really. You guys are at my heart, take care ❤️
@@TheRahimpur A lot of what the guy being interviewed is saying is not true. He could of easily found out what happened to his "friends", especially after the war. He didn't know what happened to those men because he didn't want to know what happened to to those men. When you go through a lot of trauma you start making your own truths in a subconscious attemlt to shield your psyche. He is obviously heavily traumatized and clearly sees "the hippies" as an extension of the Vietnamese enemy he never mentally stopped fighting. He is doubtlessly a great man and we are in his debt for his sacrifices, but heavily traumatized veterans like him should of never been allowed to serve as police officers. He even talks about how he militarized new police recruits that he trained. He genuinely felt that he was at war in Berkely, a college campus lol, and so he and men like him imparted the same traumatic lessons that kept them alive in Vietnam to a new generation of rookie police officers. The situation in Berkely was never a war zone "where they were under constant attack". There were a few cases of political violence, but police were never openly targeted with firearms every time they walked onto the street like he claims. There was no "years ofwalking the wire" in the upper class college campus of Berkley lol. The sad part is that he is not lieing, he genuinely believed that he was still in open war with the "communist radicals" of Vietnam. The large influx of combat veterans, many with PTSD that would immediately disqualify them for police service in our current times of psych evaluations, is a large part of what led to the militarization of our local police forces. Officers were now being taught warzone combat doctrine and that they were constantly under attack. We are still reeling from those law enforcement mistakes to this day.
@@matthew92604 this is a great underrated comment second he said i never heard from them again I knew he was off there is literally a whole memorial to find out what happened
@@metacomfortable ... they talked about the memorial after that.
My Grandpa is a US Marine who was wounded in combat in Vietnam. He didn’t get drafted he enlisted. After he got injured and sent home he became an undercover cop in Indiana in the late 60s-1970s. I’ve heard some wild stories from the undercover cop days, 1970 Midwest was wilder than you may think. Then he became a State Trooper. Super intense guy. God bless this man and the men like him.
The midwest was still the wild west lol
My Dad was in Vietnam and also became a Policeman in San Francisco in 1968 in the Haight Ashbury. His station was bombed in 1970 by the Weather Underground. Brian McDonnell died and he mentioned Ingleside Station where Jack Young was killed in 1971 by the BLA/WU….
“Sometimes bad things (keep) happen(ing) to a good man and nobody gives a damn” would be a fitting title for this guy’s biography. Thank you for your service David
I just don't understand why he became a police officer if he had PTSD, nobody forced him to make his profession revolve around guns and stressful situations like he had to in Vietnam, as a soldier he had no choice but as a civilian, he had many options to choose a career path that was relaxing, he chose the stress filled occupation of being a police officer.
@@rootbeer2399lmfao how completely clueless you are...he said being a cop HELPED him. Did you watch the video before you wrote a paragraph looking down your nose at him?
Hey David, I’m a 15yr old Canadian girl in Canada and I am so thankful for these videos because we’re having homework on the vietnam war our classes and your videos help me a lot.
Glad to hear that Crystal. David Hoffman filmmaker
Why Canadians learning about Vietnam??
@@gavinalvarez7272Why not? Although I will say from what I remember we did not cover even close to enough Canadian history in school, and even now as an adult with a strong interest in 20th century history - I know vastly more about US history than Canada (my home). Same goes for 19th century, 18th... History class in Canadian school as I recall had a strooooong emphasis on aboriginals, and even with them it was very superficial "noble savage" type stuff. Frankly I think a lot of what we were taught about the Indians was just wrong or misleading. Conversely I could very nearly list all the American presidents and give a little take on what they were about and what the American political order looked like in their era for about half of them. I know enough about various American political figures to have opinions about them, often opinions that run counter to the mainstream academics at that. But I doubt I could come up with more than 4 or 5 Canadian PMs off the top of my head. That includes the three I've been alive for haha It's a problem. Canadians don'tcare about our history like the Americans do. Maybe I'm projecting but I do think it's a broader cultural thing. Americans will straight up argue about and bring up various ideas and themes from their history in a way Canadians simply don't. It's a consequence of being a very liberal country, I think. It tends to be right wing type people who cherish and seek to understand their heritage and history. Liberals tend to operate in the eternal present. The "current thing" is always what matters most; the "progressive" thinks we're always progressing and that we're necessarily more enlightened and wise than our ancestors. These days I think the opposite is true, but regardless I suspect this leads them to gloss over and ignore the nuances and details of their own country's history. They teach and talk about it insofar as it bolsters their very modern worldview (hence the very heavy emphasis on aboriginals). Liberal progressives have had unchallenged complete control over academia, and the education sector broadly, in Canada for decades now. So they de-emphasize history and focus a lot more on all their favorite humanities issues (environmentalism, sociology, critical studies, cultural revolution stuff, social justice... and the like). It's lame.
Make sure you learn about history from as many perspectives as possible! It's the most important piece of our culture Those who do not study history are doomed to repeat it. This is true in economics, science, law and order, and ethics. You're the future.
30,000 Canadians volunteered to serve in the U.S. armed forces during the American/Vietnam war. It's called a history class. You learn about, wait for it...history. You need to pick up some more books and get off YT if you are asking such dumb questions@@gavinalvarez7272
The way he responds to questions is really articulate.
Thanks! For my father, probably one of the only Oberlin College graduates to accept his draft notice and go over there. Computer technician 1968-69 South Vietnam. Lover of peace and good human being. Thank you for sharing this video.
Thank you so much. David Hoffman Filmmaker
"My war continued." Those are some chilling words.
so as his eyes which Spark's adrenaline rush from time to time.
@@silvadossantos6803 yea you can see allot going on there
@@BoostedPastime the part that get me was when he spoke for people that lost limbs and went downhill.
You can tell this guy is a deep thinker. He is trying his best to make sense of this mess.
the smile after he said he didnt let them go. i know he is happy about that one and i love it
6:20 “i was weaned off of it”. I love his thought process here. Dude has every excuse in the book to play the victim but instead sees the good in every terrible situation he was put in. I salute you sir. God bless you.
Is he still alive? If he enlisted as a 18 year old in 1967. He's only 73 now! It would be really awesome to see a interview with him today.
Yes, that would be amazing! I wonder if Mr H could do that!!
I see my grandfather every week and I get snippets of his past. If you have anyone in your life with a grim, but interesting story.. please try to extract it. Humans need to see more of this so we can learn and strive for a better future for us and our fascinating brains.
I wouldn't be alive that long with my ptsd and it cant be nothing compared to his.
@@datadavis Men used to be men, sadly now generations of men have been failed in the West which is why we see poor mental and physical health.
And now the Hippies run our country. The same dirt bags he referred too.
My Uncle Victor was a US Marine in Vietnam in the late 60's and also joined the San Francisco Police Department when he came back. He also suffered from PTSD from both jobs. Before his retirement, he was put on desk duty due to suffering from short-term memory loss.
Tom,if your uncle is still living,I hope that he's doing well now and hopefully having a great retirement.
That's what you get for participating in bullshit imperialist adventures. I hope he never had a peaceful night's rest. Glory to the freedom fighters of Vietnam!
@@johndavis9432 He's doing alright, Thank You. He is living in North Carolina. He was divorced from his wife and mother of his two daughters but sees them as frequently as possible.
@@thomasmarciano6133 Tom,I'm glad to hear that your uncle is at least managing.That's great news.
@@johndavis9432 One of his daughters, Vicki (Victoria), was one of the first women to represent the USA in the 2006 Winter Olympics at Park City, Utah in the Women's bobsled competition.
I was a cop in the early 70's , spent time in Nam in 69. I could understand how a Nam veteran (combat) could kill someone because I think I was unbalanced at that time. What this guy says is absolutely true, I understand him
Nope you were very balanced same with this guy..........
Nope you were very balanced same with this guy..........
Nope you were very balanced same with this guy.........
he is being real with himself @@b-bopeddie1290
The horror of war remains in the eyes, it never fades. This man appears as someone with a good heart and good soul, sadly he also appears tormented and tortured. Thank You David for giving this man his voice and for us to be able to hear him.
Mr. Hoffman you are a national treasure, in my opinion.
As a 1970 Vietnam vet I feel this fellow vets emotions, mistrust and pain🇺🇸
My best friend served in Nam. He's a Native American Apache. This man has taught me more about life in the past few years than I thought I'd ever know.
When shit hits the fan - on the battlefield or in the streets - you will want a man like this to face off the threat.
Thanks for this insightful story. Two of my brothers volunteered for the military during Vietnam. I am thankful that both landed up in S Korea. They felt guilty for not serving in the war. Years later, the older one began volunteering with veterans affairs. Helping Vets get the care they needed or just would sit and listen to do whatever he could. Bless our troops. They deserve to be heard and validated.
Going to the VA is a nightmare for many. They are ignored and shrugged off. I have a couple of friends and an uncle that served in the gulf. They have what seems to be some sort of nerve damage. Constant nausea, body aches, etc etc. If you talk to vets, many suspect illegal weapons were used. They KNOW. No voting citizen has done a damned thing about it. We ignore them and only remember them at parades. We don't deman something be done. Instead, we let them be called crazy at these centers that don't really take care of them. And are their mothers silent? I don't care how old my son is, if the government fucks him over, it is my duty to make it known and to do something about it.
@@RunninUpThatHillh they probably are experiencing after effects of burn pits known to cause a variety of diseases, like neurological, damage to your eyes, lung problems, tremors, and every cancer you can think of. And more often than not it's the Republicans causing the proposed bills to not pass, considering major ones in power like Lindsey Graham, Trump and Mitch McConnell have all openly stated numerous times that they will do everything in their power to impede Democrats, no matter how bad the people want or need it, no matter if it helps everyone, no matter if it helps soldiers, no matter how positive it is, all because they're petty, tribalistic, old shit heads, that are already rich because they've done whatever their check writing masters tell them. The just got extreme backlash, when it came out that the Republicans were against passing the soldier burn pit compensation bill, that Democrats were all in favor for. People need to realize that politicians don't give a flying damn about anyone besides themselves or maybe their party if they're lucky, *especially* republican/Trumpers. Hell draft dodging Trump has mocked soldiers and PoWs multiple times. And now lately has been attacking the justis system (because it's finally holding him accountable) so the party that's supposed to be pro military, and pro "law&order" have 180°'d just in 4 years of Trump era, all because they want to play dumbass political tribalism games, and they don't give a damn about their constituents because their side knows that they're statistically lower iQ'd, easier to con, and are more likely to their pathological lying spins on the truth. This is why voting is so important, especially now that Republicans are causing so many voter restrictions, with anti-voter bills & propaganda, along with their (what should be illegal) gerrymandering. SMFH. I wish people would actually know what their candidate were pushing for, and then hold them accountable for when they implement something that's negative, or hold them accountable for blocking something that's positive.
@@RunninUpThatHillh Well said. 100% accurate concerning the Veterans Administration. USMC: 1973 - 1976. USN: 1978 - 1993. 100% PTSD rated. Thank you!!!
@@stereo-soulsoundsystem5070 You don't even understand the purpose of the Vietnam war.
@@tuckerbugeater It was to demonstrate the consequences of choosing an economic model outside the US sphere of influence and it cost 5+ million lives, most people outside of your USA raised bubble consider it morally reprehensible
What's really sad about Vietnam and all the pain it caused It was all for nothing,zero,zilch,nothing. A big thank you to our soldiers though.
Just like Afghanistan and now Iraq is a vassal state of Iran… the government sure has made the best choices in the last 60 years…
Well defense contractors and politicians made millions, so it wasn’t entirely for nothing :/
I see your point.My family escaped communist Cuba in 1970..My father volunteered for Vietnam but wasn't accepted.My neighbors are vietnamese,we hate commies & love our country & military.My point is many people are greatfull for the sacrifices made.
Wasn't it over the poppy control??
how many slaves did your family own?
Another Two Vietnam Vet Testimonies - kzhead.info/sun/as6En5iqe4GprYE/bejne.html
I can’t get over the fact he almost sounds like Seth MacFarlane. That being said, I never wanted this interview to end. Very intelligent man, great storyteller, with a wealth of knowledge. I’d like to hear more if we could
Absolutely incredible series of interviews on here, you really have preserved so much important history - the lives of normal people.
Thank you for your comment. If your resources allow, I would sure appreciate your using the THANKS button under any of my videos including the one you have commented on. It is something new that KZhead is beta testing and would mean a great deal for my continuing efforts. David Hoffman filmmaker
@@finnanutyo1153 his net worth is only 11 million dude stingy
@@Broken_dish lol net worth don’t mean jack, kid
@@jonathansanchez319 how can you read that and not think it was sarcasm
Everytime I watch an interview from you that was recorded a while back, I’m mind boggled by how articulate and level headed theses interviewees are! I feel like this is how it should be but new times have proved me wrong, thank you David!
These men and women are SO articulate. I feel like being able to speak well is a dying skill.
@@HiGlowie It definitely is. I speak "rather well" and people get excited over what should be regular vocabulary and articulation
I think there are about 8 people in the U.S. today who know the difference between There/their/they're Too/to/two Your/you're etc etc etc
Cell phones, facebook, have MSM and effectively retarded the current generation. We now have retard class and slave(mask) class.
@@bhall4996 it’s the same here in the U.K. even though I didn’t do well at school I can manage a sentence without too many mistakes
I came in ready to hear hate and bigotry, I left awe struck to his wisdom, his social intelligence, and care for others around him
Vietnam veteran becomes a beat cop in Hippie Central in 1968... the patience of a saint and courage of an angel. Thank you for your service to civilization.
Civilization? Is killing Civilization ?
The Vietnam memorial is so powerful. It’s not as big as some of the others in that area, but the atmosphere is something you have to experience at least once in your life. Incredibly solemn
Yes. It's been 17 years since the first and only time I saw it, watching this video made that feeling come over me again. That feeling is intensified when you look at the WWII memorial first, with all its pomp and pageantry, then you go and see the wall.
My husband went there to find his best friend's name. He cried when he found it.
This mans strength leaves me awestruck , I really have no words , a true man of honor.
David, thank you for doing this 35 years ago and for posting these today. It’s important we hear from Vietnam vets. Especially interesting is you interviewed them when they were entering middle age. I wonder what you’d find if you re-interviewed them in their senior years.
I had numerous acquaintances returning from Vietnam in the late 60's and early 70's. Nearly all advised me to avoid the Draft by any means possible. A couple of those Veterans took their own lives in one way or another in the following decade. By the time I became eligible, the Draft was ending. Coming from a Military Family (Revolutionary War, Civil War, Spanish American War, WW1, WW2) I had always planned on a Military Career...but those thoughts changed completely after listening to those Vietnam Veteran friends. My Wife's Cousin is M.I.A. in Vietnam to this day.
"I was casually weened off war" - as a combat vet and now LE, thats a spot on feeling I share. Thanks for your dedication to our country
i am 16 and love this content. can't wait to see what life will be like when I'm in my 60s
I'd like to see what your life is like when you are 60 as well. I hope that I do. David Hoffman filmmaker
There's a book by George Orwell, titled 1984, that describes exactly what life is going to be like when you are in your 60's.
@@daktarioskarvannederhosen2568 We took the totarialism of the past and the technology of the future.
This guy's inspirational story clearly gives the kids hope.
@@ronfroehlich4697 not 1984, brave new world. We’re already living it
my neighbor was a Marine in Vietnam in 1969 -1970. when he got out, he was a cop in Bay Area CA throughout the 70s. wild stories he has. He ended up starting a road building company after being medically retired from police and made a lot of money
The beauty and importance of being able to articulate and express yourself well.
I’m an Xer and grew up around these men. I have not served. I saw the direct impact on our society as a result of not taking responsibility for the mental health of our Vietnam Veterans. The same after Desert Storm and the subsequent crushing of Iraq. We have a responsibility to care for our Vets. 1982: 40 years, no significant improvement. We can do better than this
❤ So much empathy. PTSD is not rare in society unfortunately. Support your family members and neighbors as much as possible. Thank you David Hoffman! Unity and understanding is a possible solution.
Thank you so much for your comment (which I agree with) and the support of my efforts. David Hoffman filmmaker
In his right eye you can see his voice. In his left eye, you can see his emotions. Watch carefully. Thank you David Hoffman and your interviewee; he is smart, candid, and outspoken.
This is my favorite type of David Hoffman content - so real, so raw, its like an Uncle opening up to you after a few beers - Thanks for all your work through the years, David - Super thanks sent 👍
Thank you Mike. David Hoffman filmmaker
I read the title of this video, and I thought to myself that the man must be one of those 'angry cops', and we get to hear his story. Instead, it was a regular man who lived through two hells and eloquently talks about it. This was a fantastic interview; I hope he found peace and happiness in his life.
What a profound speaker. So calm and collected. And rest assured, he saw more than most 🙏🏻
Great interview. It only took the war in Vietnam and war in the streets to teach this man to think critically about what the government says. You can see the pain in him at certain points and I can't help but feel for him.
It's funny how there's a smile under so much of that distress and pain, almost like a pained joy.
My father did two tours in Vietnam and expressed much of what this man says. “Total picture rather than specific events.” This is something we should always have on our minds. Thank you Mr. Hoffman. Your videos aren’t always easy, but they challenge me to be better
This man is the real deal. Not many men of this depth and character anymore.
i'm glad he got to the point where he started questioning things and at least looking at both sides. man, this dude went thru war after war.
After my Dad returned home from Vietnam, he also became a police officer working in Denver, CO. After a few years of that, he ended up re-enlisting for another 20 years.
A fantastic interview. A thoroughly honest gentleman. I always have great love and respect for vets. They gave and continue to give everything. My dad was in the Royal Navy, my grandad fought in Normandy, and my uncle protected shipping against U boats in the North Atlantic. Brave as lions.
Wow that’s so incredible to hear, you have quite the badass family tree my friend across the pond. I thank them for their service, I’m so happy the U.S. and U.K. have formed such a good alliance over the past 150 years after how we originally came to become accustomed to one another back in colonial times lol, anyway wishing you and every Brit the best from America 🇺🇸 🇬🇧🇺🇸🇬🇧
When I first saw his face, I thought he looked angry, because his left side of his lip is shorter than his right, but, as he was talking, I could see the light in his heart, and also hear the hurt he experienced, just a touch because that would take years, but, I also admire his intelligent way of looking at the situation before forming an opinion. I looked up his books, and am glad you posted this.
I was in Waynesboro PA with my wife visiting her grandmother's grave. I saw one headstone with a note left in a plastic case, it was from a guy who carried the 19 Year old to the chopper in Vietnam. He said after all these years (2000) he finally found his fellow marines resting place. RIP David W. Johnston 10-29-1946- 5-29 1966.
I was really moved on my visit to the memorial and now appreciate for the first time it’s practical and emotional significance in allowing closure for veterans and families - thanks you for sharing this interview
Mr Bowman seems like a very smart person which has been able to rationalize his life’s experience. Not everyone is so capable. As a sixties generation teenager I thank you for sharing your story and thank you for your service, both as a soldier and a police officer.
I always love these uploads on Vietnam veterans sharing their thoughts and stories.
This is a truly great interview. Thank you David.
Incredibly introspective and well presented. His ability to communicate so effectively what he’s been through is top tier.
This is one of the most important interviews I have ever witnessed. All of today’s American youth should see this.
Man my dad was in Nam he came back home with a terrible addiction. However he was able to beat it he wasn’t to messed up he definitely liked to drink. With that he wasn’t mean he worked every day of his life. He was my Father,Hero,best friend,the only person I could EVER truly trust. I miss you very much Dad thanks for your service. Hell thanks for everything you did for me while you were physically on this mud ball with me. I wish you could have met your beautiful grandson Dad you would have been so proud.
What a brilliant interview. Thank you for this.
as a german living in vietnam I know a lot of stories from the opposite site. Thanks for sharing.
My good buddies uncle came back from Vietnam, moved into the woods of Montana and didn't talk to anyone for 4 yrs solid. Not a word. He was a shattered soul 🙌♥️
Feel so bad for Vietnam vets and what they went through, God bless them! Great interview🇺🇸
They MURDERED about 1 million Vietnamese people for no good reason. Going there is nothing to be proud of. They should just keep their bloody mouths shut and be humble.
From all sides!
They were victims of their own government that thought of them as little more than cannon fodder.
This man is both very intense and very articulate. Thank you for your service sir.
What an eloquent and thoughtful man. Shame what he must have gone through in that hell hole over there. Glad he made it out and did ok for himself.
You can tell by looking into his eyes that he has seen some crazy stuff in life. There is a very intense fire in his eyes.
That dead baby story is horrendous. I used to be adjacent to some hippy-type groups and the more I learned about some of them, particularly the druggy ones, the worse it got
Although hippies are/were unbearable to be around and their ideology was generally misguided, these people were significantly more radical than the average hippie
Ex cops tells stories about his take on being a part of the exact private domestic army our Founding Fathers warned off. Literally playing soldier at home. With admitted mental illnesses from the war, and heavily indoctrinated(such as yourself). And while I have sympathy for this man who clearly never had a chance to adjust to reality away from war, it's 2022, McCarthyism still exists, and "them dirty druggies' is still a common excuse for authoritarianism in the states. Your indoctrination not only cost us the American dream, and healthcare, and left us living in a police state, not to mention a depression that will likely fell this country; but you destroyed the neighboring countries too. What took prohibitionist less than a decade to realize they messed up, and reverse, took you over 60 years. And now we have the largest prison population, literally in history, and you clowns who are likely pill poppers yourselves, are demanding even more laws, and more penalties for people not hurting anyone. Because "hippy druggies bad! Government say so". Government also told you the Vietnamese would welcome U.S soldiers. and that the U.S would care for their soldiers back home. Maybe it's time to stop believing everything you are told.
what’s the worst thing you heard?
I live in Morocco and some hippies are here, doing things like running several animal rescue centers with hundreds of animals. It's disgusting.
@@SofaKingShit you’re describing someone else. Not some smack junkie who hates himself and his country. Stfu
Wow, what an interview. The sacrifices people have made for our security and safety today is immeasurable. God bless you David Hoffman for this interview and this veteran for his service 🙏🏼
My Dad served with 1st Batallion 9th Marines "The Walking Dead" in Vietnam 66-67. He became a fireman/paramedic for Orlando FD, in 1980 he rolled on a scene with some Cambodian children that had been rear ended. One little girl was DOA and he grabbed her and took cover, Dad was having a flashback and the Orlando Sentinel captured it in a front page photo. I still have that paper but unfortunately Dad ended his life at the dinner table on December 3rd of 92. I love and thank you, Mr. Hoffman for doing these interviews.
Thank you and your Dad. David Hoffman Filmmaker
You can feel the passion and sincerity in this man’s every word. I pray that he’s alive and still passing on this wisdom.
With each interview you have done from 1989 on the 60's that I have seen I am getting a broader understanding of the 60's I still don't think I'll ever truly understand the 60's enjoyed David Bowman views on the 60's and transitioning from the Vietnam War to a San Francisco police officer.
This was an exceptional interview. Thank you for sharing this with us. We don't spend enough time talking to those who were there. They have much to teach us, if only we would listen.
Thank you David for your work even now 40 years later this video of his interview is more important than you know. your work probably has helped the vets cope by letting them tell there stories and have them documented for future civilians and vets.
I thought the most important thing he had to say was the point that everyone had been through a lot, but the problem is that nobody can really understand what anyone else went through. We are all like islands of trauma. To me this makes sense. I sometimes have conversations with people where I can't understand how they are not capable of understanding other people's experiences. I wonder if something has shattered within us that makes it impossible for us to regain empathy, or if we just don't want to have empathy.
I met an Australian Vietnam vet, who was very down on his luck. He looked hollow-eyed and joyless. I entered into conversation with him, after a while he told me he hadn't been the same since returning from Vietnam (and I knew he didn't mean a holiday) I reached my hand out towards his and shook it, thanking him all the while. He was confused, why are you shaking my hand and thanking me. For doing your duty and going to war, for your long lean years of suffering and being blamed. He burst into tears, saying that no one had ever said that to him before. Why are these people not being thanked, I want to know?
Are you lining up to kiss all the Russian men mobilising too?
thanked for what? they probably deserve an apology from.the governments that sent them.
@@amanitaeagle4211 they definitely deserve an apology from these moron voters who put warmonger politicians in power and then say "thank you for your service" to broken old men
@@amanitaeagle4211 For their sacrifice?
Thank you for having the presence of mind to record these mens experiences and thank you for uploading the videos Kudos, love and respect from London UK 🇬🇧🇺🇲🇨🇦🇦🇺🇳🇿
Hes very interesting. I agree he's not evil or bad rather he's traumatized beyond traumatized. He's so calculated and articulate is pretty mesmerizing to listen to him speaking of his experience
Wow. Another incredible interview. Thank you for all you do. Your work is phenomenal.
Thank you for your comment. If your resources allow, I would sure appreciate your using the THANKS button under any of my videos including the one you have commented on. It is something new that KZhead is beta testing and would mean a great deal for my continuing efforts. David Hoffman filmmaker
Seems to be a rather profound man, he has such a dignity / rawness when he talks about these experiences.
Another good one I came across, David. I never thought of the importance of the wall and the thoughts they had, wondering about a friend. What an eye opener. I missed it all by a couple of years while I was in high school so I never had to suffer as they did. But I've never hated a man for what he had to do and often listened to their stories over the years to remind myself of what others do to keep me safe from suffering. ❤️
Great interview sad to see he passed last year, couldn’t imagine fighting in Vietnam let alone becoming a police officer. Thank you for letting this man tell his story Mr Hoffman!
Love you David. I’m 32 and your videos are very insightful and help me not forget our history. Trauma is universal, and these stories help us all get through the human condition.
Excellent interview just to share with everyone: A journalist with the Billings Gazette has a series called Vietnam Voices which interviews Vietnam vets and just allows them to tell their stories. I listened for hours.
Thank you for your comment. If your resources allow, I would sure appreciate your using the THANKS button under any of my videos including the one you have commented on. It is something new that KZhead is beta testing and would mean a great deal for my continuing efforts. David Hoffman filmmaker
I LOVE the Billings Gazette series of Vietnam vet interviews.
I’ve got so much respect for these men that come home from that hell.… I’m so glad I got to hear one more speak on their lives. Thank you
This is a better man for Serving and speaking about his experience and is humble enough to be real and say the truth.