In June 1966, after completing final training for Vietnam on Exercise Traiim Nau in the jungles and swamps of New Guinea, 3 Squadron SAS (Australian Special Air Service) embarked by boat and plane from Australia to set up a Forward Operating Base in Phuoc Tuy province, a swampy hell of jungle and paddy-fields forty-five miles east of Saigon. The Viet Cong main forces units had a series of bases in the jungle, and the political cadres controlled most of the villages. Arriving in Phoc Tuy province, the Australians found they had to build their camp in the middle of wet season, which had turned the ground into a mud-bath. They were also compelled to build in the heart of an enemy-dominated region while living under ponchos and being constantly sniped at. The Aussies were still working under these appalling conditions when three members of the legendary 22 SAS arrived secretly from Bradbury Lines, Hereford, to give assistance in what was to be a major assault against the Viet Cong. These three were Sergeant Jimmy 'Jimbo' Ashman, who had been with the Regiment since its foundation in North Africa in 1941; Sergeant Richard 'Dead-eye Dick' Parker, who had previously fought with the SAS in Malaya, Borneo and Aden; and Lieutenant-Colonel Patrick 'Paddy' Callaghan, who had been pulled out of administration specially for this secret mission. The presence of the British SAS among the proud Australians, initially a source of resentment and conflict, eventually led to mutual respect. Working side by side, Brits and Aussies forged themselves into a potent fighting machine which was tasked with the fearsome job of rooting the Viet Cong out of the labyrinth tunnel system where they lived and died. It was a journey into hell, from which some would never return.

Yesterday's Soldier chronicles my journey as a young man, thrust from the world of religious life in a Massachusetts Roman Catholic seminary to the US Army, training to be an Infantry Officer during the Vietnam War. I entered religious life in the Congregation of Holy Cross in Massachusetts in 1963 with the intent of being ordained a priest. I lived in a strict male religious community very much like a monastery. Upon graduating from college there, Father Superior decided that I had only a "partial vocation," and released me from my vows and further advancement to ordination. This memoir shares my experiences in the US Army, from basic combat training to infantry advanced training to Infantry Officer Candidate school. It was at Officers Candidate School where I faced the hardest decision of my life to make--to become a non-combatant conscientious objector, risking the Army's punishment and imprisonment for that decision. Surviving the Army's systematic punishment ("the Treatment") during the long months of waiting for a decision in my case, I defied the will of my family, the demands of my church, and faced criminal charges by the US Army. Eventually, I was sent to Vietnam as a Conscientious Objector, where I dealt with more Army discrimination, the hazards of war, and connecting with the Vietnamese people.

Published on the 40th anniversary of the end of the war in Vietnam, this book brings to life the experiences and memories of South Vietnamese soldiers-the forgotten combatants of this controversial conflict. South Vietnam lost more than a quarter of a million soldiers in the Vietnam War, yet the histories of these men-and women-are largely absent from the vast historiography of the conflict. By focusing on oral histories related by 40 veterans from the former Republic of Vietnam Armed Forces, this book breaks new ground, shedding light on an essentially unexplored aspect of the war and giving voice to those who have been voiceless. The experiences of these former soldiers are examined through detailed firsthand accounts that feature two generations and all branches of the service, including the Women's Armed Forces Corps. Readers will gain insight into the soldiers' early lives, their military service, combat experiences, and friendships forged in wartime. They will also see how life became worse for most in the aftermath of the war as they experienced internment in communist prison camps, discrimination against their families on political grounds, and the dangers inherent in escaping Vietnam, whether by sea or land. Finally, readers will learn how veterans who saw no choice but to leave their homeland succeeded in rebuilding their lives in new countries and cultures.

The tactics and technologies of modern air assault – vertical deployment of troops by helicopter or similar means – emerged properly during the 1950s in Korea and Algeria. Yet it was during the Vietnam War that helicopter air assault truly came of age and by 1965 the United States had established fully airmobile battalions, brigades, and divisions, including the 1st Cavalry Division (Airmobile).This division brought to Vietnam a revolutionary new speed and dexterity in battlefield tactics, using massed helicopters to liberate its soldiers from traditional overland methods of combat manoeuvre. However, the communist troops adjusted their own thinking to handle airmobile assaults. Specializing in ambush, harassment, infiltration attacks, and small-scale attrition, the North Vietnamese operated with light logistics and a deep familiarity with the terrain. They optimized their defensive tactics to make landing zones as hostile as possible for assaulting US troops, and from 1966 worked to draw them into 'Hill Traps', extensive kill zones specially prepared for defence-in-depth. By the time the 1st Cavalry Division (Airmobile) withdrew from Vietnam in 1972, it had suffered more casualties than any other US Army division. Featuring specially commissioned artwork, archive photographs, and full-colour battle maps, this study charts the evolution of US airmobile tactics pitted against North Vietnamese countermeasures. The two sides are analysed in detail, including training, logistics, weaponry, and organization.

“Powerful. . . . A candid, highly informative, and heartfelt tale of forgiveness between former fierce enemies in the Vietnam War.” —St. Petersburg Times The #1 New York Times bestseller We Were Soldiers Once . . . and Young brought to life one of the most pivotal and heartbreaking battles of the Vietnam War. In this powerful sequel, Lt. Gen Harold G. Moore and Joseph L. Galloway bring us up to date on the cadre of soldiers introduced in their first memoir. Returning to Vietnam’s Ia Drang Valley more than four decades after the battle, Moore and Galloway renew their relationships with ten American veterans of the fabled conflict—and with former adversaries—exploring how the war changed them all, as well as their two countries. We Are Soldiers Still is an emotional journey back to hallowed ground, putting a human face on warfare as the authors reflect on war’s devastating cost. The book includes an Introduction by Gen H. Norman Schwarzkopf.

In 1970, John Kowalski was among the many young, inexperienced soldiers sent to Vietnam to participate in a contentious war. Referred to as “Cherries” by their veteran counterparts, these recruits were plunged into a horrific reality. The on-the-job training was rigorous, yet most of these youths were ill-prepared to handle the severe mental, emotional, and physical demands of combat. Experiencing enemy fire and observing death up close initiates a profound transformation that is irreversible. The author excels at storytelling. Readers affirm feeling immersed alongside the characters, partaking in their struggle for survival, experiencing the fear, awe, drama, and grief, observing acts of courage, and occasionally sharing in their humor. "Cherries" presents an unvarnished account, and upon completion, readers will gain a deeper appreciation for the trials these young men faced over a year. It's a narrative that grips the reader throughout.

How American soldiers opposed and resisted the war in Vietnam While mainstream narratives of the Vietnam War all but marginalize anti-war activity of soldiers, opposition and resistance from within the three branches of the military made a real difference to the course of America’s engagement in Vietnam. By 1968, every major peace march in the United States was led by active duty GIs and Vietnam War veterans. By 1970, thousands of active duty soldiers and marines were marching in protest in US cities. Hundreds of soldiers and marines in Vietnam were refusing to fight; tens of thousands were deserting to Canada, France and Sweden. Eventually the US Armed Forces were no longer able to sustain large-scale offensive operations and ceased to be effective. Yet this history is largely unknown and has been glossed over in much of the written and visual remembrances produced in recent years. Waging Peace in Vietnam shows how the GI movement unfolded, from the numerous anti-war coffee houses springing up outside military bases, to the hundreds of GI newspapers giving an independent voice to active soldiers, to the stockade revolts and the strikes and near-mutinies on naval vessels and in the air force. The book presents first-hand accounts, oral histories, and a wealth of underground newspapers, posters, flyers, and photographs documenting the actions of GIs and veterans who took part in the resistance. In addition, the book features fourteen original essays by leading scholars and activists. Notable contributors include Vietnam War scholar and author, Christian Appy, and Mme Nguyen Thi Binh, who played a major role in the Paris Peace Accord. The book originates from the exhibition Waging Peace, which has been shown in Vietnam and the University of Notre Dame, and will be touring the eastern United States in conjunction with book launches in Boston, Amherst, and New York.