Introduction

American Experience, originally titled ‘The American Experience’, is an American television programme and a Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) documentary series created by Peter McGhee.

Outline

On 04 August 1964, a 26-year-old Navy fighter pilot was shot down over North Vietnam. The first American airman to be captured by the Vietnamese, Everett Alvarez was a prisoner of war for eight and a half years – the longest period of captivity of any American war prisoner in North Vietnam. Alvarez, along with 461 other captured American airmen, would not be released until the Paris Peace Accords were signed in 1973.

American Experience presents “Return With Honour,” the story of these captured airmen, featuring rare film footage from Vietnam’s archives. This two-hour special from Academy Award-winning filmmakers Freida Lee Mock and Terry Sanders represents “a major shift in the screen image of the Vietnam veteran,” according to The New York Times. More than 20 veterans describe their captivity and their struggle to survive–mentally, physically, and spiritually–and to return with honour. The film is introduced by Tom Hanks, who says, “I am fascinated and moved by these stories of extraordinary courage, sacrifice, and heroism.”

Return With Honour is a testament to the ingenuity and endurance of these extraordinary men. Through riveting first-person accounts, the film describes their sudden transformation from self-confident “top-gun” aviators into prisoners of war. The men recall the harrowing moments of their shoot down and capture, the many years they were kept in solitary confinement, and the repeated bouts of excruciating torture. And it is also the story of the women left behind who for years did not know whether they were wives or widows.

American Experience Series

A full list of the American Experience Series can be found here.

Production & Filming Details

• Creators: Peter McGhee, Henry Hampton, and Stephen Fitzmeyer.
• Production: PBS, WGBH-TV and WNET.
• Release Date: 14 November 2000 (US).
• Running time: 60 to 120 minutes.
• Country: US.
• Language: English.

YouTube Link