After viewing the 2017 PBS documentary "The Vietnam War" by Ken Burns and Lynn Novick, the author recognized that Americans hold widely varying opinions about the effects and significance of the conflict. Immediately, he anticipated an opportunity to write about an historic event of which he not only knew something but in which he had also participated. Vietnam and what transpired there for millions of Americans, both at home and "in-country," are distant and increasingly fading memories. The content herein comes from Vietnam War veterans and others, many of whose observations have never before appeared in print, and do not necessarily focus on the Burns-Novick documentary. In addition to new commentary, the author has recycled several earlier writings about his own service in the Marines and Vietnam.