River Patrol: the Gamewardens Of Vietnam

Narrated by Robert Stack, this documentary on the river patrol boats that carried out Operation Game Warden in Vietnam from 1965 to 1972 combines lots of archival footage with contemporary interviews from General William Westmoreland and Admiral Elmo Zumwalt, among others. Since the video plays more as a commemorative tribute to the "brown water navy" than an independent investigative documentary, the script is given over to occasional hyperbole. Chronicling major events and operations in the river war, the bulk of the commentary is comprised of war stories--tales of heroic rescues and good will missions to South Vietnamese villages. Listening to the personal recollections and Stack's congratulatory narration, however, you almost get the feeling that America won the war--this is not a film about losses and defeat. (One moment of almost surreal quality comes when Zumwalt talks about how the use of Agent Orange helped reduce American casualties; this is reported without the slightest hint of irony.) River Patrol, ultimately, is the equivalent of a souvenir video. It's what the tour guides want the visitors to see. Still, the extensive footage of operations in Vietnam, the fact that there's little else available on this particular arena in the war, and the likelihood that this will be a popular title makes River Patrol a worthwhile addition. Recommended. (R. Pitman)