It's one of the Vietnam War's most enduring stories: anti-war protestors spitting on returning veterans. But at least one historians says -- it never happened. In this hour of To the Best of Our Knowledge, sorting out myth from reality in war time. Also, Stephen Ambrose on the citizen soldiers who won World War Two.

Susan Moeller teaches journalism at Brandeis and is the author of "Compassion Fatigue." She tells Jim Fleming that modern media coverage of warfare has left the public hardened to horror and indifferent to human tragedy. Also, reporter Chuck Sudetic covered the war in Bosnia, and the massacre in Srebenica, for the New York Times. He tells Steve Paulson that as a foreign correspondent he knew the war was a great opportunity, but as a human being with family ties to the region, he was horrified. His book is "Blood and Vengeance: One Family's Story of the War in Bosnia.

Jim Fleming read excerpts from the Library of America's anthology, "Reporting Vietnam." Also, sociologist Jerry Lembcke is the author of "The Spitting Image: Myth, Memory, and the Legacy of Vietnam." He tells Steve Paulson that anti-war protesters never spit on returning Vietnam vets. In fact, they were often allies. But the popular image, correct or not, feeds what he calls "the Betrayal narrative" in modern American history.

Historian Stephen Ambrose is the author of "Citizen Soldiers: The U.S. Army from the Normandy Beaches to the Bulge to the Surrender of Germany." He talks with Jim Fleming about his conversations with thousands of WWII vets.

Distribution dates:

• week of 01/31/99 - hour 1