Truths from Veterans and Myths from the Media about the Vietnam War.  The American Legion supported Documentary made by Veterans who heroically served in the Vietnam War. 

This documentary was officially screened at the August 2025 American Legion National Convention and American Legion Posts across the U. S. provide showings. Medal of Honor recipient Patrick Brady and actor Sam Elliott provide commentaries. 

The Atlanta Vietnam Veterans Business Association Foundation (AVVBA) produced this Documentary to corrects widespread media myths. Veteran testimonies showcase humanitarian efforts and argue the war was winnable but lost due to political limitations.  Click here to watch the following myths unfold on the AVVBA Channel.

Common Vietnam War Myths vs. Truths per American Legion perspective:

  • Myth: American troops were mostly draftees.
  • Truth: Volunteers outnumbered draftees by nearly 4-to-1.
  • Myth:The South Vietnamese were unwilling to fight.
  • Truth: South Vietnamese soldiers often fought effectively, particularly during the 1968 Tet Offensive, even when surprising the enemy.
  • Myth: Returning veterans were welcomed home as heroes.
  • Truth: Many veterans faced hostility, such as being spat on, called insults, or having trash thrown at them upon returning, contradicting the notion of a supportive home front.
  • Myth:  The Vietnam War was unwinnable.
  • Truth: The conflict could have been won with different strategies, such as closing the Ho Chi Minh Trail and applying conventional military pressure earlier.
  • Myth:  The enemy occupied the U.S. Embassy in Saigon.
  • Truth: Despite media reports, enemy forces never actually breached or occupied the U.S. Embassy during the Tet Offensive.

Other Findings:

  • Foreign Intervention: The war was heavily influenced by foreign aid, with 50% of all Soviet foreign aid going to North Vietnam between 1965 and 1968.
  • Propaganda Effect: The documentary highlights how North Vietnamese propaganda, supported by Soviet/Communist party funding, influenced American media and Congress.

We Can Be Heroes congratulates and thanks the Atlanta Vietnam Veterans Business Association Foundation,  all U. S. Veterans who contributed to this documentary, and all who served. WELCOME HOME.

Caution: Be sure to watch this film on the AVVBA Channel and NOT THE PBS Channel. PBS issued a film by the same title after the veterans released this film. PBS should not have copied the title of this veterans film. Shame on PBS!

 

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