Page 210 - 1968 News Today

♪ ♪ >> shannon: four of the united states bravest are now enshrined in history after being awarded the medal of honor at president biden at the white house today. national security correspondent jennifer griffin profiles the courage under fire exhibited by these four vietnam war veterans that earned them the nations most prestigious military decoration. >> president biden: they went far above and beyond the call of duty, its a phrase always used, but it takes on life when you see these men. ...

I know that no award could ever make up for the loss of your father, for not having him there as you grew up, but i hope today you take some pride and comfort in knowing his valor is finally receiving the full recognition hes always deserved. january 31, 1968, it was an opening assault that would come to be known as the at the time tet offensive. north vietnam forces launched an attack on a strategically located air base near saigon. specialist 5 dwight birdwell responded. unknown to the 100 men...

I know that no award can ever make up for the loss of your father, for not having him there as you grew up, but i hope today you take some pride and comfort in knowing his valor, hes finally receiving the full recognition that hes always deserved. january 31, 1968, it was an opening assault come to be known as the tet offensive. bloody period of the vietnam war. north vietnamese forces launched an attack on a strategically located air base near saigon. dwight birdwell, unknown to approximately 1...

Craziness of australia, the reverence of the great gatsby, the shakespearean tragedy of romeo and juliet, the story of elvis as played by tom hanks and... austin butler, austin butler is particularly amazing as presley, lots of people have said it is all flash, but nonsense, it is a film that actually understand the subject, gets under the skin of its object and does so in a way that is kinetic and vibrant. if you have no interest in elvis at all, you can watch this and go, wow, that is a whirlw...

>> my thanks to all of you and now on to chicago and lets win this. >> suddenly everyone was running every direction and somebody said we think the senators been shot. >> please, it is very important. we need a doctor immediately. >> make room! make room! make room! >> knowing that we had seen him a day before that it was really sobering. >> rfks assassination almost seemed to step on the assassination of dr. king. 1968 all of these things sort of coa lessed. being a black american i felt a sens...

>> i certainly did. the superintendent said do not do that anymore or were going to have problems up here. not that i felt that i was im immune from my punishment. it was a very difficult year for black america. >> april of that year 1968 i was driving down from west point to practice tennis. and i was on the george washington bridge when i heard that dr. king had been shot. >> at 7:10 this evening martin luther king was shot in tennessee. >> i pulled my car to the side just to think about it. >...

>> in the army, yes. >> this was a turning point for you. >> against the rules. >> first time, yeah. and you paid for it, right? >> i certainly did. yes. the superintendent at the academy literally called he m on the carpet so to speak and said do not do that anymore or were going to have problems up here. not that i felt that i was immune from any punishment. it was a difficult time being black in 1968 with everything that happened that year. immune from my punishment. it was a very difficult y...

>> arthur was trying to figure out how he could help. that would be consistent with his life as a tennis player. >> 1968 was a seminal moment in tennis. prior to 1968 the pros and the amateurs were separated until open tennis arrived. >> before 68 it was almost impossible to make any real living off step nis. >> a revolution has taken place. the first open wimbledon. >> you had a higher level of competition. >> ashe seems nervous. the top spinning backhand is tearing arthurs game apart. ashe int...

>> there was a total desperation in the black community. what do we do now? arthur was trying to figure out how he could help. that would be consistent with his life as a tennis player. >> 1968 was a seminal moment in tennis. prior to 1968 the pros and the amateurs were separated until open tennis arrived. >> before 68 it was almost impossible to make any sort of real living off tennis. now you had big prize money and professionals. >> a revolution has taken place. the first open wimbledon. >> n...

But also continue with his tennis. so he was stationed at west point. >> in january 1968 i was covering tennis at "the new york times." arthur ashe was at west point in their data processing department and i thought id go up and interview arthur. ♪ what would i give ♪ >> i got the distinct impression that arthur was beginning to realize what he was capable of being off the court. that he could be a spokesperson for social change. >> i felt that i was coming into my own as far as being able t...