Title

The cat from Hué : a Vietnam war story

Description

After years of reckoning with his memories, the author has made sense of them in this memoir by weaving them into a compelling story. It is laced with humor, anger, love, and the unforgettable tale of a very idiosyncratic cat who was determined to play his part in the Vietnam revolution. In reconstructing his experiences, he has relied not only on his notes and memory, but also on hundreds of hours of film footage shot at the time. This gives the book an uncanny vividness and fidelity to facts.

Identifier

994863

1891620312

Creator

Laurence, John

Format

1st ed.

Source

Brian Lamb Booknotes Collection

Gift of Brian Lamb, 2011.

Catalog record

Language

eng

Date

2002

Program air date: January 20, 2002

Publisher

PublicAffairs

George Mason University. Libraries. Special Collections & Archives

Text

Transcription of Annotations
Notes from front endpapers: "1977 J. left CBS to try to write this book - took a year off - went to work at ABC. - I saw it as a terrible and ironic tragedy; lived in Belfast most of '71; then East Pakistan, Israel in '73; Lebanon in '75; Ethiopia, Cypress, Ireland. - 1993: felt like trying to write about Vietnam again; each morning at same time. - Méo and the trauma of Hue. - What's "Daily Miracle"? - Bang-bang wanted in New York. - 1st one flying back to An Khe, p. 130. - Grew up in Bridgeport; saw myself on TV first time Sept. 25, 1965. - "Took Valium to cut down on my drinking", p. 598. - Grew up in rural Ohio, went to Fairfield Prep. in Southern Conn.; Jesuits." - "Hue - why didn't he shoot? - p. 7. - Close combat was not often shot for TV. - I was determined to show people at home what was happening to their young men. - There were daily miracles, p. 32; a lot of people didn't want to work with me; enough footage - known as bang-bang. Carried flask of cognac - drank it on way out of Hue on chopper. - YD481: Kay pulled me off flight from Hue to Danang; plane crashed; all dead on way to Khe Sanh, p. 40. - The Citadel - I was a short timer after 16 months - 2nd tour; said a prayer, told them I was from New England. - Bullet by my head - daily miracle; everyone thought J.L. was dead. - Tet - a publicity stunt? - p. 71. U.S. Government consistently lied to Americans. - Méo - fiercely anti-American - arrogant and [?]. Journalists went to Khe Sanh in daytime. - Hue- 26 days, the worst, 10,000 dead. - p. 92: arrived in Vietnam 1965 - 25 yrs. old, a radio reporter for 5 yrs.; didn't want to be a TV reporter. - I volunteered for Vietnam - Nha Trang - Jim Wilson, photographer, said TV news was all pictures. - p. 104: An Khe - Maj. Charles Siler - PIO - "I was also scared' - riding in convoy at night. - WETSU - we eat this shit up. - Young woman (19 0r 20) pregnant, in a hole in village, killed by grenade: "I felt distress", p. 117. - Writing for television - tried to sound like radio in WWII; my idol was Murrow. - p. 137: When I arrived I thought it was an honorable cause and that success was certain. - Morley Safer - Cam Ne. - p. 180: The gunnery sergeant and Sakai - WWII - America vs. Japan. - p. 251: With Lt. Col. Luat - firefight between ARVN and PAVN - 30 SVN killed, 106 NVN - leaving scene, "mad minute" - only outgoing from SVN - Newsweek reporter pounded on APC door: Please, God, let me in. - p. 209: Largest operation of war (1965). 400 helicopters, 4500 soldiers, 45 miles from An Khe - Suoi Ca Valley - Charlie Black of Columbia - 20 reporters - tremendous competition among 3 networks - I got to pick my battalion - might get Combat Infantryman's Badge. - Operation Shiny Bayonet - 1st time shot at in Vietnam. - Morley Safer shows up in same spot as J.L. - Safer: "How would you like me to punch [you] in the nose?" - He went back to Saigon, took my film and work, incorporated it with his (p. 222); Statement on Evening News; he got awards. - Wilson Frank and J.L. show AIE combat runs out of Bien Hoa - drop bombs on VC village - kill farmers in field; Cambodia protests bombing of one of their villages; Dan Biondi won't confirm or deny (p. 231). - I had become a player in the Saigon information game, thought war was [an] honorable cause; fought in national interests of U.S. I was still "with the program". Met FAC pilot in Rex Hotel; he told J.L. that he'd hit wrong village." - Notes from half title page: "p. 366: Americans shot South VN off helicopters ; Lt. Col. House admitted it on camera; shown in States; Americans reacted strongly. Marines gave House two medals, then reprimanded him for giving story to the press and criticized me. - How did you remember all the quotes? - p. 315: Operation Masher: Vallop wounded - "worst situation" in Vietnam to that point according [to] commander. - p. 331: Back Saigon; drank a lot; bad dreams; rolled on sidewalk on Tu Do Street because I thought I saw [?]. - Graveyard changed way J.L. thought about war. - Another turning point for me was black market story, p. 341. - Tim Page and Sean Flynn: stoned. - After I returned to New York for funeral of Sam Castan, [J.L.] was sent around country - Chicago, L.A., Mississippi. Resigned from CBS - worked at WNEW; lived with Reda; began drinking; flashbacks to war. - Summer of '67 - Vietnam grim. How dishonest our govt. leaders can be - read R.W. Apple, Michael J. Arlen; shared summer cottage with David Halberstam; called CBS, asked to go back to Vietnam. - Why didn't you tell your CBS audience what men were saying? p. 254: Plei Me: Charlie Beckwith (Major, b. 1929). Senator Kennedy wants to land at this "shit hole". - LBJ calls reporters, stood watch at night - no longer hostile to journalists; Ron Nessen shows up 4 days, wants film out right away - VN colonel fakes injury to try to get out; American soldiers don't like VN soldiers. - p. 286: Nessen didn't deliver our film for a day - Plei Me, Ia Drang Valley - called a victory; army informed next of kin by telegram. - Big question: How could U.S. do what it did in VN? (p. 293)"

Subject

"Laurence, John."

"Vietnam War, 1961-1975--Personal narratives, American."

Relation

Original Booknotes interview

Rights

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