>>> KEN BURNS HAS SPENT DECADES TAKING HISTORY OUT OF THE BOOKS
AND PUTTING IT ON TO THE SCREEN. HIS AWARD-WINNING DOCUMENTARIES
COVERING EVERYTHING FROM SPORTS TO MUSIC TO WARS THAT SHAPED OUR
COUNTRY AND THE WORLD. HIS LATEST SET TO BE RELEASED.
A TEN-PART SERIES A DECADE IN THE MAKING ON THE VIETNAM WAR.
KEN, ALWAYS GOOD TO HAVE YOU HERE.
>> THANKS FOR HAVING ME. >> YOUR WORK ALWAYS SHINES.
NICE TO SEE YOU. LET'S START WITH WHAT YOU DON'T
THINK PEOPLE SHOULD DO. YOU DON'T THINK THEY SHOULD
BINGE ALL TEN EPISODES OF THIS. >> THIS IS TOUGH STUFF, BUT IT'S
NECESSARY STUFF. I'M NOT SAYING IT IS MEDICINE.
I JUST THINK WE'VE SPENT WAY TOO LONG NOT DEALING WITH THE
VIETNAM WAR AND NOW THE DIVISIONS WE EXPERIENCE TODAY,
THE HYPERPARTISANSHIP BORN IN THE VIETNAM WAR.
IF WE CAN PACK WHAT HAPPENED AND REPACK IT, WE MAY BE ABLE TO
HAVE A CIVIL CONVERSATION. >> IS THE BEST WAY TO TACKLE IT
CHRONOLOGICALLY OR DO YOU LOOK FOR AN ENTRY POINT?
>> CHRONOLOGICALLY. LET'S FIND A PLACE WHERE ALL
THESE DIVERSE POINTS OF VIEW -- MY CO-DIRECTOR AND I WENT TO
VIETNAM, FILMED NORTH VIETNAMESE SOLDIERS AND CIVILIANS, SOUTH
VIETNAMESE SOLDIERS AND CIVILIANS, ALONG WITH ALL THE
AMERICANS HERE. >> THERE IS A PORTION OF THIS
WHERE YOU'RE INTERVIEWING AMERICANS WHO WERE PILOTS
DROPPING BOMBS ON A TRUCK CONVOY ALONG THE HO CHI MINH TRAIL, AND
THEN YOU ALSO INTERVIEW -- GO AHEAD.
>> TWO WOMEN WHO WERE INVOLVED WITH REPAIRING THAT TRAIL OR
DRIVING THOSE TRUCKS. WHEN WE HAD THAT PILOT, WHO WENT
ON TO BECOME THE HEAD OF THE AIR FORCE, HE DIDN'T KNOW THAT THERE
WERE WOMEN DOWN THERE THAT HE WAS BOMBING.
SO WHAT HAPPENS IS, IF YOU CAN TRIANGULATE A WAR, YOU CAN
UNDERSTAND IT THAT MUCH BETTER. >> IT'S STILL RAW.
THE SUBJECT OF VIETNAM IS -- WHAT, WE'RE 50 YEARS BASICALLY.
>> EVERYBODY IS IN THEIR HARDENED SILOS OR NOT DEALING
WITH IT. WE WENT OUT TO PEOPLE ACROSS THE
POLITICAL SPECTRUMS FOR SUPPORT. WE GOT A SPONSOR, BANK OF
AMERICA. THIS WILL BE TOUGH STUFF.
LET'S DO A DEEP DIVE INTO THIS AND HAVE SOMETHING TO SHARE WITH
EVERYONE. >> I WAS WATCHING A SHOW ON TV
THREE MONTHS AGO. IT WAS ON A SPECIFIC ASPECT OF
THE WAR. 1968, I BELIEVE.
>> ONE WHOLE EPISODE OF OUR FILM.
>> WATCHING IT, I REALIZED EVEN THOUGH I WAS INVOLVED DURING THE
VIETNAM WAR, I KNOW LESS ABOUT IT THAN, FOR EXAMPLE, WORLD WAR
II. >> EXACTLY RIGHT.
A LOT OF IT IS BECAUSE IT IS UNFINISHED BUSINESS.
IT DIDN'T END WELL FOR US. WORLD WAR II IS THE GOOD WAR.
HOW COULD THAT BE? IT IS THE WORST WAR EVER.
BUT VIETNAM, WE SET ASIDE. IF WE LOOK AT THE
HYPERPARTISANSHIP NOW, WE HAVE TO DEAL WITH IT.
IF WE DEAL WITH IT, WE'LL LEARN, AGAIN, HOW TO SPEAK TO ONE
ANOTHER, HOW TO INVOKE THE BETTER NATURES.
>> I THINK YOU WERE 15 IN 1968. >> I HAD A HIGH DRAFT NUMBER.
THE LAST YEAR THEY WERE DOING THAT.
THAT WAS A BIG PART OF GROWING UP.
>> SO DO YOU ATTEMPT IN THIS TO ANSWER THE QUESTION, WAS IT
WORTH IT? WHOSE FAULT WAS IT?
WHERE DOES THE BLAME DIE? >> WE'RE ASKING ALL OF THOSE
QUESTIONS. I THINK AS WE DISCOVER, INN
PARTICULARLY, SUBJECTS ABOUT WAR, THERE'S MORE THAN ONE
TRUTH. WHAT WE WANT TO DO IS LAY IT OUT
FOR OUR AUDIENCE, FROM EVERY DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVE.
NOT MAKE ANYBODY'S VIEWS WRONG. IF YOU THINK WE SHOULD BE THERE,
YOU CAN FIND ROOM IN THE FILM. IF YOU KNEW FROM THE BEGINNING
THIS WAS THE WRONG THING. MORE IMPORTANTLY, ALL THE SHADES
OF GRAY IN BETWEEN, THERE'S A PLACE FOR YOU TO WATCH AND MAKE
YOUR OWN DECISION ABOUT IT. >> I'M YOUR BIGGEST FAN.
I WILL BE WATCHING. KEN BURNS, ALWAYS GOOD TO HAVE
YOU. >> THANK YOU, MATT.
>> WHAT A