A U.S. Army Captain, serving in Vietnam in 1969 is captured by a 17-year old Vietcong solider. The pair end up developing a bond.

Platoon is the story of every soldier whose innocence was lost in the war-torn jungles of Vietnam. Chris Taylor arrives in Vietnam and quickly discovers that his worst enemies are not just the Viet Cong, but gnawing fear, physical exhaustion and the anger growing within himself.

Characters with widely different philosophies about war act out the effects Vietnam has on their relationships.

"It wasn't rockets or artillery that came through the skies one week during the war. It was the horrific force of nature that suddenly put both sides in awe. As an unofficial truce began, questions and emotions battled inside every air crewman's mind as they faced masses of Vietnamese civilians outside their protective base perimeters for the first time. Could we trust them not to shoot? Could they trust us not to drop them off in a detention camp?...

"The Vietnam War has left a deep and lasting impression in American life, from its impact on the men and women who fought in it, to the journalists and photographers who covered it, to the millions of Americans who protested against it or supported it. Thanks to an uncensored press, the world knew and saw more of this war than any in history before or since. The Associated Press made an unprecedented commitment to reporting the conflict: It gathered...

The first segment in a 3-part film history of the Vietnam War, as chronicled by Walter Cronkite and other CBS News correspondents. Seeds of conflict looks at America's growing entanglement in Vietnam. America takes charge presents the arrival of the first American ground forces in Vietnam, followed by a massive buildup of U.S. forces as the war becomes Americanized. Courage under fire features remarkable combat footage from the first American offensive...

The Vietnam War is largely recalled as a mistake, either in the decision to engage there or in the nature of the engagement. Or both. Veterans of the war remain largely anonymous figures, accomplices in the mistake. Critically recounting the steps that led to the war, this book does not excuse the mistakes, but it brings those who served out of the shadows. Enduring Vietnam recounts the experiences of the young Americans who fought in Vietnam and...

"Witness the Vietnam War, its roots, its battles, its heroes and the price paid in the name of freedom. This stunning, detailed collection shows the war with heartbreaking realism. It looks at troubling questions about America's justification for the conflict, the horrors of jungle warfare and the human calamity of the war. Ultimately, it profiles the courage of the soldiers who put their lives on the line in the name of patriotism"--Container.