Small Wars Journal

History: Vietnam in HD

Wed, 11/02/2011 - 5:25pm

Vietnam in HD

Six-hour Series Follows in the Footsteps of Network’s Acclaimed

Emmy® Award Winning WWII in HD

Golden Globe® Winner Michael C. Hall to Narrate; and Famed Actors Including Edward Burns, Kevin Connolly, Jerry Ferrara, Adrian Grenier, Jennifer Love Hewitt, Zachary Levi, Blair Underwood, among others to Voice the Veterans

Premieres Tuesday November 8, Wednesday, November 9 and Thursday November 10, 9pm ET/PT

IT'S NOT THE WAR YOU KNOW

IT'S THE WAR THEY FOUGHT

New York, NY, October 12, 2011, 2011 – Two years after setting the new standard in war combat documentaries with its Emmy-winning masterpiece WWII in HD, HISTORY shifts its focus to a different generation and to one of the most controversial wars in American history. Vietnam in HD, an epic six-hour documentary series, will immerse viewers in the sights, the sounds and the stories of the Vietnam War in a way no other has done before. Vietnam in HD, narrated by Emmy-nominated actor Michael C. Hall, premieres on HISTORY this fall.

To make Vietnam in HD, as with WWII in HD, which was seen by more than 24 million viewers when it premiered in 2009, HISTORY scoured the globe for rare and never-seen, film, much of it shot by soldiers in action. Thousands of hours of uncensored footage, detailing every critical chapter of the Vietnam War, were located, restored and then transferred to High Definition. The dynamic footage combined with powerful storytelling will provide the viewer with an immersive experience and perspective on this war as never before.

Gripping first-person accounts from 13 individuals, whose lives were forever changed, haunted even, by their wartime experiences, give Vietnam in HD its compelling narrative structure. It is through the eyes of these men and women Ż many of whom didn’t receive the public appreciation they deserved upon returning to America Ż that the story of this war unfolds onscreen.

Viewers will meet brave men and women they will not soon forget. Among them: Karl Marlantes, a Marine whose unit saw some of the fiercest fighting in the A Shau Valley and the Da Krong Valley, and whose 2010 novel Matterhorn is widely regarded as the finest Vietnam book ever written; Arthur Wiknik, a draftee who led his squad to safety during the 10-day assault on “Hamburger Hill”; Gery Benedetti, a member of the Navy’s “Brown Water River Rats,” who transported infantry soldiers and Navy SEALS to various points of incursion along the Mekong River; Bob Clewell, a pilot in the Comancheros assault helicopter battalion who barely survived an ill-fated mission into Laos; Charles Brown, an African-American Army sergeant who led missions through the deadly jungles of Pleiku and Dok; Elizabeth Allen, an Army nurse who insisted on frontline duty and valiantly saved lives during the Tet Offensive; Joe Galloway, a United Press International reporter who was awarded a Bronze Star with V for Valor for rescuing wounded soldiers under fire at Ia Drang; Anne Purcell, wife of the highest-raking Army officer to be held as a Prisoner of War in Vietnam; and Barry Romo, an Army infantryman who transformed from a gung-ho patriot and war hero to staunch anti-war activist.

The veterans’ poignant stories are voiced and delivered with emotional impact by some of Hollywood’s top talents:

Adrian Grenier as Barry Romo

Edward Burns as Joe Galloway

Kevin Connolly as Keith Connolly

Blair Underwood as Charles Brown

Tempestt Bledsoe as Elizabeth Allen

Jerry Ferrara as Raymond Torres

Zachary Levi as Karl Marlantes

James Marsden as Arthur Wiknik

Jennifer Love Hewitt as Anne Purcell

Glenn Howerton as Donald DeVore

Armie Hammer as Gary Benedetti

Dylan McDermott as Jim Anderson

Dean Cain as Bob Clewall

The veterans themselves will also appear.

Vietnam in HD is produced for HISTORY by Lou Reda Productions. Executive Producers for Lou Reda Productions are Lou Reda and Scott L. Reda.  Director and Supervising Editor is Sammy Jackson. Lead Writer and Producer is Liz Reph. Executive Producer for HISTORY is Susan Werbe.