'Contested Memories: The Vietnam War Fifty Years On'
At the start of October Dr. Bill Allison delivered the Gary R. Hess Lecture at his alma mater, Bowling Green State University. His research follows how perceptions of the war and its veterans have changed markedly, in part due to popular culture and the conduct of subsequent conflicts. While many more served in supporting roles than came face to face with the VietCong, Hollywood has often depicted veterans as "damaged", with the unlikely exception of Magnum P.I. in late-1980. Attachment changed too. While many felt war guilt in the 1980s, the resurgence of more successful military operations in the 1990s - for example, the Gulf War and actions in Balkans - saw many begin saying they had fought in Vietnam and created fictional service histories. All this effects the representation of the war and its veterans, as you're always writing for a particular audience. In fact, Ken Burn's seminal work, 'The Vietnam War', was a monumental endeavour, but perhaps its accuracy is lessened as it took 10 years to make (considering the changing tide of opinion over that time) and focuses too heavily on one Marine. Now, for Allison, we are entering a period of "respectful forgetting" as older veterans pass away and their stories are no longer in the public eye as much.
Read more - 'Historian explores the shifting views of the Vietnam War'
Added: 17th October 2022
