Oliver Stone Looks Back at the Fall of Saigon 50 Years Later: “We’re Back to Learning Nothing” (Exclusive)

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30th April signifies the 50-year anniversary of the fall of Saigon, which was the capture of South Vietnam’s capital by the Communist Vietnamese army from the North, marking the formal end of the Vietnam War – a war that lasted for two prolonged decades and claimed countless lives. Around 60,000 of these were American soldiers. One such survivor is film director Oliver Stone, who was honored with various awards due to his wartime injuries, including the Bronze Star with “V” Device for bravery, Purple Heart with Oak Leaf Cluster (indicating two wounds), Air Medal, and Combat Infantryman Badge. Over the years, Stone, whose films like 1986’s Platoon and 1989’s Born on the Fourth of July have helped America process its war trauma, has shared his thoughts on his Vietnam experience, his transformation into pacifism upon returning to the U.S., and his views on the ongoing, destructive conflicts that persist across the globe today.

In 1965, I embarked on my first journey to Vietnam, having been a teacher there, following my studies at Yale. At 18 years old, I continued teaching after my arrival. Three years later, I returned to Vietnam, this time as a soldier. Being young, my consciousness wasn’t what it is today. It was an ideology we all shared during that era. Vietnam became the focal point of global attention, similar to how Ukraine is now, where people are passionate and convinced that they must defend their country.

The mindset of militarism took root in America; it seemed innate to our culture. Raised with conservative values, I found Vietnam an intriguing destination for teaching in 1965, experiencing it as a calling from above. However, my travels throughout Asia unveiled Cambodia prior to the war and led me to Laos. The more I observed, the more troubling it became. By the time I returned as a soldier, the scene was disheartening – all barbed wire encampments.

500,000 men were deployed to the battlefield, and as a soldier myself, I couldn’t help but observe that it was a chaotic situation. It seemed like an ineffectively managed war, with us tallying up the casualties while insisting we were victorious. The entire ordeal was built on falsehoods. There was also plenty of deception involved. In my book, “Chasing the Light,” I share my unique account of the Vietnam War. By the time I departed in December ’68, I had been injured twice and had experienced significant combat. I sustained a neck wound and shrapnel injuries on other parts of my body. Remarkably, I managed to survive the neck injury as it was only a fraction of an inch from my carotid artery. Yet, despite my injuries, I returned to battle.

As a gamer, I spent nearly a year and a half, traversing the dense jungles and vast plains by the coast. My experiences were numerous, and I can’t help but wonder if I unknowingly suffered from the effects of Agent Orange. Just like in the films such as ‘Platoon’, ‘Born on the 4th of July’, we often found ourselves wading through that harmful substance. Later on, I shared the Vietnamese perspective of our time there with my 1993 adaptation of Le Ly Hayslip’s book, ‘Heaven & Earth’. This portrayal captured the stunning beauty of Vietnam before our arrival.

By the time Richard Nixon moved into the White House in January 1969, I had departed Vietnam a month prior. The war persisted for another four years for Americans until 1973. It was during this period that Nixon negotiated a deal to bring home the prisoners of war. By 1973, most American combat troops had been withdrawn. The number of casualties between 1969 and 1973 was staggering, with both the administrations of Lyndon B. Johnson and Nixon sharing a significant burden.

1968 marked my return to the United States. Three years later, in 1970, I enrolled at New York University’s film school, a place that was quite radical at the time. The student body held a strong distrust towards veterans, so I mostly kept quiet about my past experiences. As the early ’70s progressed, my views on the war began to shift dramatically. By the mid-’70s, I found myself completely on the opposite side of the fence, sharing similar sentiments with Jane Fonda. Initially, her opposition to the war seemed odd to me, but after the conflict, I grew to admire her for it.

Looking back, I can’t help but remember the moment when Johnson decided not to run in ’68, signaling the end of his Vietnam policy. The military persisted, while the media, so eagerly pro-Vietnam, only added fuel to the fire. It’s disheartening how our country’s media often dictates public opinion. *The New York Times*, for instance, has been a consistent player in this game – their editorials during the Vietnam War, Iraq War, and beyond were unwaveringly jingoistic and pro-government. In essence, they were an extension of the government itself.

This pattern continued until the end of the Vietnam War, when *The New York Times* shifted its disdain towards Nixon. Now, they’re relentless in their criticism of Trump. However, the truth remains that they support the ongoing Ukraine war. It’s a recurring deception, one that the American public unfortunately continues to believe.

Back in 1975, on April 30th, the fall of Saigon brought a sense of relief washing over everyone. It was a momentous occasion, symbolizing an end, and it marked the beginning of a wave of poignant films like “The Deer Hunter” (1978), “Apocalypse Now” (1978), and Jane Fonda’s “Coming Home”. These movies were powerful, heartfelt productions. And then, remarkably, I found myself contributing to the narrative with my own film, “Platoon”.

I created the powerful anti-military film “Born on the Fourth of July,” which was released on December 20, 1989. On the same day, the U.S. initiated its invasion of Panama, marking a turning point – a return to reliance on our military and renewed faith in the system under President George H.W. Bush. Shortly after, we found ourselves embroiled in the Iraq war, largely influenced by propaganda. The media portrayed us as heroes, praising the military for their exceptional work. Soon enough, we were back in Iraq for a second time, marking the start of a continuous conflict. As Bush 41 famously stated, “The specter of Vietnam has been buried forever in the desert sands of the Arabian Peninsula.

There was a concern that our actions were becoming too peaceful, too lenient. As a result, they felt the need to regain a tougher stance. And indeed, we did become very tough. This led us to develop a policy, clearly documented and largely fulfilled, to target the seven countries on the NeoCon list. We’ve managed to strike six of them thus far. The remaining one, naturally, is Iran. If we were to engage Iran, it would be a grave error. We’d only serve to deepen Bush’s questionable actions in the annals of history. However, I believe we will eventually take action. Netanyahu is our leader; he essentially dictates our Middle East policy. I find him utterly fanatical. I thought he was mad during my previous encounter with him, and now more than ever, he seems to harbor an intense hatred towards the Arabs. Unfortunately, it appears we’re repeating past mistakes.

This country really has a problem with history, I think.

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2025-04-30 20:55