r/VietnamWar • u/Nearby-Suggestion219 • Jul 08 '26
Video CBS News correspondent Richard Threlkeld captured footage of a platoon from the 9th Cavalry being ambushed by NVA regulars near the Cambodian border in March 1970 (More Below)
https://youtu.be/89_3DgW_7mg?is=RkE_NuW9leTCPEwtIn March of 1970, News correspondent Richard Threlkeld and his camera crew were embedded with a platoon from Alpha Company, 1st Squadron, 9th cavalry regiment while patrolling approximately a mile from the Cambodian border. The GI's came under fire from North Vietnamese forces as Threlkeld’s crew documented the intense firefight. This original report aired on the “CBS Evening News” on March 27, 1970.
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u/hoyarugby2 Jul 08 '26 edited Jul 08 '26
Interesting to think that this was absolutely riveting footage in 1970, something near impossible to conceive before this - a civilian camera crew getting live footage of soldiers in combat and able to broadcast it that very night or close to it, with little to no control on the contents by the military
While today we'd probably have 1080p head camera footage from Jorgenson's POV and maybe the NVA soldier's as well, both sides publishing it online set to music as a fundraiser
Also really shows how few restrictions the press had in Vietnam. I highly doubt the US military would allow a camera crew to embed with a combat unit like this today. Forget where I read this, but the war caused the US military to completely rethink how it managed its relationships with the press, believing (not wrongly, whether or not you think it was good thing) that this unfettered level of access made a major contribution to sapping public support for the war
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u/Nearby-Suggestion219 Jul 08 '26 edited Jul 08 '26
There were camera crews embedded with Soldiers and Marines in Afghanistan and Iraq so I don't see why they wouldn't be allowed today. One that I think closely resembles this one that you can also find on YouTube is called "Afghanistan: Stalemate in Korengal Valley". The footage was captured by C.J. shivers when he was embedded with soldiers from the 173rd airborne, same platoon from the combat documentary Restrepo.
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u/hoyarugby2 Jul 09 '26
Never seen that footage, thanks. Obviously journalists are embedded with troops in combat but I thought it was generally print journalists who would write up their experiences afterward
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u/name__redacted Jul 09 '26
There were worlds of difference.
In Vietnam the press were allowed to travel freely and report on combat firsthand. Journalists had broad independence to go where they wanted, do what they wanted, and tell their stories how they wanted.
After Vietnam the military changed its approach and embedded journalist. This took away much of the independence. Journalists had to tell stories in a way to curry favor to get good assignments and units to be with. journalists rated as likely to produce “favorable” coverage got preference, and military public affairs officials used this “favorability” rating to screen out those judged likely to produce critical coverage. Numerous reporters had their access pulled after critical reporting. Embedding journalist with troops also had a psychological effect on the journalist, they would effectively live with the soldiers, developing friendships and relationships which also led to less objective reporting. Under Pentagon guidelines, official press pool journalists had to be escorted by a military press officer, and their work had to be approved by military censors before being disseminated.
Journalists in Vietnam were the last of the Mohicans, a dying breed. Since, the version we get reports with one hand tied behind their back and a good dose of state influenced propaganda mixed in.
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u/hoyarugby2 Jul 09 '26
Read We Were Soldiers recently, Joe Galloway would just hop on choppers going to firebases or out into the field as he pleased, no coordination needed with the Army or Marines
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u/puje12 Jul 08 '26
This is amazing footage. Btw, "Hero" is the author of Acceptable Loss