Understanding the Vietnam War

[Adults] The Vietnam War changed the GIs who fought it and the nation that sent them there. It was, in many ways, the death of American innocence, forever altering the way Americans see themselves and their role in the world. Yet there remains a cultural tendency to hold the War at arm’s length, as evidenced by how little Americans know of the War’s history and true causes.                                                                                                             

This 3-session presentation will examine how America slid into one of the most traumatic periods in its history. You can attend all three dates, or benefit from attending just one or two. The presentation focus will be different each date.                

Presented by Michael Rivest, Adjunct Professor at Hudson Valley Community College, and formerly, The College of Saint Rose.  

Michael recently published a piece in the Times Union, "Duty, Honor, and Roads Not Taken." 

Session 1 Topics: Monday, December 1, 2025, 6pm

• The Genesis of a War
• Know Your Enemy
• Ancient Fight for Independence
• The French
• Vo Nguyen Giap
• Ho Chi Minh

Session 2 Topics: Wednesday, December 3, 2025, 6pm

• 1945: Independence Denied
• Geneva Accords (1954)
• Ngo Dinh Diem
• America and Vietnam: Differing World Views
• Enter U.S. Advisers: 1950-1965

Session 3 Topics: Saturday, December 6, 2025, 2pm

• The American War
• USS Maddox and Turner Joy
• Failed Bombing Strategy
• Marines Land in Danang
• Battle of Ia Drang Valley
• Viet Cong and North Vietnamese Army
• Tet Offensive Strategy: The Border Battles
• My Lai Massacre
• Aftermath of a War