Oral Histories

Bill Beck

Forty years after the first full scale engagement between U.S. troops and the People’s Army of Vietnam, the Vietnam Archive at Texas Tech Un… read more

Forty years after the first full scale engagement between U.S. troops and the People’s Army of Vietnam, the Vietnam Archive at Texas Tech University in Lubbock interviewed veterans from the Battles of the Ia Drang Valley.

It was after these battles - waged in November 1965 - that North Vietnamese forces began engaging in guerilla warfare.

The Americans - outnumbered by the North Vietnamese Army - prevailed, but it was at a heavy cost. Bill Beck was an assistant machine gunner whose actions at a clearing called Landing Zone X-Ray earned him a Silver Star. In this hour-long interview - airing for the first time on television -- Beck recalls a routine mission on a beautiful Sunday afternoon that turned into a life and death struggle. close

Report Video Issue

People in this video

Hosting Organization

Series

More information about

Bill Beck Oral History Interview

3,089 Views
Program ID:
301572-1
Category:
Public Affairs Event
Format:
Interview
Location:
Washington, District of Columbia, United States
First Aired:
Mar 31, 2012 | 8:01am EDT | C-SPAN 3
Last Aired:
Apr 06, 2012 | 8:23am EDT | C-SPAN 3

Airing Details

  • Mar 31, 2012 | 8:01am EDT | C-SPAN 3
  • Apr 01, 2012 | 3:02pm EDT | C-SPAN 3
  • Apr 02, 2012 | 4:01am EDT | C-SPAN 3
  • Apr 05, 2012 | 10:22pm EDT | C-SPAN 3
  • Apr 06, 2012 | 1:42am EDT | C-SPAN 3
  • Apr 06, 2012 | 5:02am EDT | C-SPAN 3
  • Apr 06, 2012 | 8:23am EDT | C-SPAN 3