Beverly Keever and Ann Auman
Recorded
June 17, 2022
Archived
June 17, 2022
37:32 minutes
0:00 / 0:00
Id:
dda003132
Description
Beverly Keever (87) speaks to her friend Ann Auman (67) about her experience as a journalist on the the ground during the Vietnam War. She describes her experience of Operation Starlite, the Battle of Khe Sanh, and other pivotal moments during the war.Subject Log / Time Code
Beverly (B) says she arrived to Vietnam in 1962 and was able to work as a freelance journalist. B says the war ramped up and in 1965 the United States launched an offensive with paratroopers from the 173rd Airborne Brigade.
B details how the operation unfolded. B recalls what she wrote about the operation for a New York Herald Tribune story.
B says ultimately the operation was unproductive.
B says when she was young, she read the book "The Good Earth," and was inspired to visit China and other far away countries. B says she thought journalism could be a vehicle to help her see the world.
B talks about Operation Starlite in August 1965. She says the Marines claimed Operation Starlite was a huge success, masking the number of American deaths.
B paints a picture of the Battle of Khe Sanh. She describes the journalists she saw dead and how unsettling it was. B says at the time, President Johnson announced that he would begin pulling troops and pursuing peace talks and that he was not going to go for re-election.
B explains the saying "you never hear the shot that kills you." She says because she could not predict what would happen, she tried not to worry.
B says she left Vietnam because she met a wonderful Marine who she later married. She says she went on to have a great career as a professor.
B gives advice to students: find your passion.
Participants
- Beverly Keever
- Ann Auman