Cheap Tour of Duty (Video) (Terrence Knox) Price

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Customer Reviews of Tour of Duty

A stellar series
'Tour of Duty' is one of my favourite televisions series. It didn't last very long, but while it did, it presented a fairly realistic depiction of life in a squad of soldiers in Vietnam. Together with the series 'China Beach', it began to open doors to a difficult subject for the American public to deal with -- the American public, after all, got to see the Vietnam war almost live, day by day, year after year, in their homes on the television sets, the first war for that to happen. The controversial nature of the war and 'peace' aftermath made dealing with the subject tricky, but the writing, acting and direction in this series was superb.

The story follows an infantry company 'in-country', Company B, that is made up of a typical mixture of young, green recruits (often draftees) and a few experienced leaders, on their one-year tour of duty in Vietnam; the series began (and this video begins) in 1967, one of the early hot years of the conflict. The base is a typical firecamp, nicknamed Ladybird, with bunkers, sandbags, jungle surroundings, and lots of mud.

Stars of the series include many second-tier Hollywood film and television actors, who are all much better actors than their stature might indicate. Key figures included experienced and battle-hardened Sgt. Zeke Anderson (portrayed by Terence Knox, who has been star or guest star on dozens of television series) and relatively-new officer Lt. Myron Goldman (Stephen Caffrey, soap opera star also noted for some quality film work), as they work together to guide a group of men through the literal and metaphorical minefields of the Vietnam war. Other actors include Eric Bruskotter, Joshua Maurer, Kevin Conroy, Stan Foster, and Tony Becker.

This particular video is the pilot to the series. The men have a mission to destroy a hidden NVA base headquarters. It depicts the struggles and stress of jungle combat, and portrays the relationships built under fire by the men who come to depend upon each other for their lives.

The soundtrack takes a similar device from other Vietnam-era shows and films, that of using music contemporary with the conflict. 'Paint It Black' is the opening theme, an ironic and appropriate song and lyric.

Other videos of this series are also available, but the series has not yet been released on DVD, nor have all of the episodes been released on VHS.

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A realistic and moving Vietnam War TV series
Of all the television shows based on war, this one is perhaps my favorite. Tour of Duty realistically captures the drama, action, heartbreak, and trauma of the Vietnam War. Aired in the later 80's, around 1987-1990, Tour of Duty featured Guest Appearences by well-known actors, such as Carl Weathers.

Many of the episodes are based on real experiences documented in Vietnam, which will lend to the authenticity and reality of the series over all. Acting is very well done, and emotionally, the series really hits home. I remember watching this show with my father when I was younger, and can now fully appreciate what the series is all about.

The soundtrack is equally good, with songs of the era, as well as original musical scores that accompanied the show. The Ending theme was very moving in particular, played while soldiers carry off their fallen comrades against a setting sun.

The tape features several episodes, and it is quite unfortunate that this series was not releasedon DVD. The actors are not particularly well known today, but you still see some of them with small roles in feature films. All in all, a package well worth it for those that like war-based television shows, or Vietnam vets for that matter.

TNT has reruns of Tour of Duty on at 3pm Eastern Time, Monday through Friday. Be sure to watch.