Film begins showing traffic and pedestrians in front of the City Hall in Saigon, Vietnam, at a quiet time during the Vietnam War. Camera pans back to reveal a huge botanical display being visited by local people. Young women in colorful áo dài (traditional dress) mingle among the visitors. Growers deliver flowers from a small bus for the display. Closeup of flower blooms as a man delivering more passes behind. A woman in a rickshaw carrying a huge bouquet of flowers. Closeup of two young women visiting the displays. An elderly man places a huge pot of white flowers into the display. closeup of white and orange-colored blooms. A small tree being carried into the display area. Scene shifts to a roundabout with statue of General Tran Nguyen Han in the center. (This was erected by the Republic of Vietnam in 1965.) Traffic moves past the Ben Thanh Market in the background. On the street outside the market building, merchants display their wares under umbrellas outdoors. Closeup of local people shopping in the outdoor stalls. Closeup of two young women shopping. Closeup of fruit displayed by one merchant. Several women and a girl making purchases. Closeup of a woman selecting pears for purchase. Closeup of another woman buying some sweets. Closeup of some cakes.
Army of the Republic of Vietnam (ARVN) soldiers stand near an armored locomotive at a railroad yard in Saigon, Vietnam. The ARVN soldiers board the train. An American advisor climbs aboard. View from the top of the locomotive as it leaves the Saigon railroad yard and passes through the city and wooded areas. (Vietnam War period).
Incoming U.S. Vietnam Ambassador Ellsworth Bunker and outgoing U.S. Vietnam Ambassador Henry Cabot Lodge shake hands with each other in Saigon, Vietnam. Reporters ask questions. Henry Cabot Lodge and his wife board plane and wave.
A film on the 1968 Tet Offensive on Saigon, Vietnam during the Vietnam War. Army of the Republic of Vietnam ( ARVN ) psychological warfare team in a combat area. Soldiers in the area. Damaged buildings along street sides and fire in buildings. Soldiers speak on loudspeakers and call on the people to remain calm. Heavy smoke columns rise from burning buildings. Civilians run and flee on a street. They are being evacuated by the soldiers to refugee centers. The soldiers help them to get out of the area. Doctors and nurses help the wounded civilians. A soldier speaks on a loudspeaker. A fire fighting squad in operation. Firemen douse fires.
The USS Harnett County (LST-821) in South China Sea, near the coast of Vietnam. Several U.S. Navy Riverine boats cluster around her. Closeups of Riverine boat crewmen. A Patrol Boat Riverine (PBR) headed out on patrol. Navy Seawolf UH-1B gunship of Light Helicopter Attack Squadron 3 (HAL-3) passes close by the camera. Aerial view of the Mekong delta region of South Vietnam showing rivers, streams, canals, and Mangrove forests and cultivated fields. View from cockpit of helicopter approaching the USS Harnett County and sound of the pilot requesting a "green deck" to land. Green flag flying over the landing zone on the ship. The chopper lands and deck crew secures it and beginning servicing it. View of the ship anchored 2 miles from the mouth of the Cochin River. Riverine patrol boat returning to the ship. A ship's officer (Lieutenant) on the bridge, speaking with sailors. They observe the shore with visual aids. Glimpse of a wooden Vietnamese fishing boat. Closeup of main rotor blades turning on a Navy U1B gunship. Crew boarding and the helicopter cleared for takeoff. It flies low over the river as it departs on daily patrol. . View from helicopter as it flies over the delta.
Navy Lieutenant exchanges salutes and receives reports from junior officers aboard the USS Harnett County (LST-821) anchored 2 miles from the mouth of the Co Chien River in the Mekong Delta of South Vietnam. Crew members don helmets and board riverine patrol boats. View from a patrol boat as it is underway. (LST 821 and another patrol boat are in background.) Closeup of gunner setting up his twin M2HB .50 caliber (12.7 mm) machine guns. Two patrol boats speeding across the water. Closeup of several crewmen in one of the boats. The second boat pulling up close to port, astern of the first boat. View from land as both boats enter a narrow river. closeup of the U.S. flag flying in the breeze. The patrol boats pass a Vietnamese family of 9 persons, in a wooden boat. Views of other local Vietnamese and their boats and dwellings along the river banks. A local ferryboat carrying many Vietnamese people. Patrol boat members watching activity with binoculars. One has his M16 rifle at the ready. The crew signals to a wooden Vietnamese boat flying the South Vietnam flag, which approaches and presents a document. The crew searches the boat and occupants for Viet Cong persons or supplies. Views of the patrol boat stopping and searching a number of small open wood boats and occupants. The Americans give small gifts to some of them, especially to any children. Closeup of a mother with several children in their boat. Closeups of individual Patrol Boat crew members, in relaxed moments, smoking, eating, and simply sitting as the boat cruises along the river. The U.S. flag fluttering. Dramatic view of clouds, gray sky, and wake of the boat in the water.