The Frontiers of Freedom: From Vietnam to the Fall of the Berlin Wall

General Eric Shinseki grew up in Hawaii before attending West Point. He was greatly influenced by three of his uncles who served with the 442nd Infantry Regiment, a Japanese-American unit fighting against the Germans in Europe, during WWII. He graduated from West Point with the Class of 1965 and served two tours of duty in Vietnam. After returning from Vietnam, he attended grad school at Duke University and returned to West Point to teach in the English Department. General Shinseki retired as the Chief of Staff of the United States Army. In this interview, he discusses his tours in Vietnam, and his time as a Squadron Commander in Germany. He describes working with General Franks during the fall of the Berlin Wall.