In 1950, America pledged 15 million dollars in aid and the assignment of military advisors to French forces fighting in Vietnam. By the mid 50's, Americans began dying in a war that would go on to claim more than 58,000 of our bravest. Still, while Saigon had once been romantically dubbed "Paris of the Orient," very few Americans had yet heard of Vietnam. Their first introduction came in the early 60's, as they watched Buddhist Monks on the 6 o'clock news, publicly burning themselves to death in protest of their president's policies; and as Vietnam's First Lady - Madame Nhu - made headlines as an outspoken critic of the United States. Following the assassination of her husband and Vietnam's first president - Ngo Dinh Diem - Madame Nhu faded from view. Vietnam did not. 1964 brought the Tonkin Gulf incident, in which an American ship - the U.S.S. Maddox - was reportedly attacked by two North Vietnamese PT boats. For the next nine years, the Vietnam War and images of young soldiers dying, dominated the news. On April 30, 1975, two years after the official withdrawal of U.S. combat forces from Vietnam, Saigon fell to the Communist North. The last official American casualties were still to come. Those who survived, returned home to the sight of protests, flag burnings, chants of "Hell no, we won't go " and unfeeling questions of "So, how's it feel to be a baby killer?" Coming Home is written in honor of all those who served and whose lives were affected by the Vietnam War as well as those who lead the fight to create the Vietnam Memorial and to ensure that their sacrifices will never be forgotten. Reflections of Vietnam - a story told in verse by a then young Navy Journalist - reminds us all of the unforgettable, expansive, granite monument saluting each of more than 58,000 brave Americans who died in a far off place - 58,000 of our finest, who died honoring America's commitment to protect and preserve God's gift of freedom. Coming Home: Reflections of Vietnam is an American story. If you're a veteran (of any war) - if you feel chill bumps when you hear the National Anthem, or "Proud to be an American" - if you cannot walk past the Vietnam War Memorial without shedding a tear, this is your story.

To fully comprehend the Vietnam War, it is essential to understand the central role that southerners played in the nation's commitment to the war, in the conflict's duration, and in the fighting itself. President Lyndon B. Johnson of Texas and Secretary of State Dean Rusk of Georgia oversaw the dramatic escalation of U.S. military involvement from 1965 through 1968. General William Westmoreland, born and raised in South Carolina, commanded U.S. forces during most of the Johnson presidency. Widely supported by their constituents, southern legislators collectively provided the most dependable support for war funding and unwavering opposition to measures designed to hasten U.S. withdrawal from the conflict. In addition, southerners served, died, and were awarded the Medal of Honor in numbers significantly disproportionate to their states' populations. In The American South and the Vietnam War, Joseph A. Fry demonstrates how Dixie's majority pro-war stance derived from a host of distinctly regional values, perspectives, and interests. He also considers the views of the dissenters, from student protesters to legislators such as J. William Fulbright, Albert Gore Sr., and John Sherman Cooper, who worked in the corridors of power to end the conflict, and civil rights activists such as Martin Luther King Jr., Muhammad Ali, and Julian Bond, who were among the nation's most outspoken critics of the war. Fry's innovative and masterful study draws on policy analysis and polling data as well as oral histories, transcripts, and letters to illuminate not only the South's influence on foreign relations, but also the personal costs of war on the home front.

With the knowledge born of firsthand experience, James H. Willbanks tells the story of the 60-day siege of An Loc. In 1972, late in the Vietnam War, a small group of South Vietnamese held off three North Vietnamese divisions and helped prevent a direct attack on Saigon. The battle can be considered one of the major events during the gradual American exit from Vietnam. An advisor to the South Vietnamese during the battle, Willbanks places the battle in the context of the shifting role of the American forces and a policy decision to shift more of the burden of fighting the war onto the Vietnamese troops. He presents an overview of the 1972 North Vietnamese Easter Offensive, a plan to press forward the attack on U.S. and ARVN positions throughout the country, including Binh Long province and Saigon. The North Vietnamese hoped to strike a decisive blow at a time when most American troops were being withdrawn. The heart of Willbanks's account concentrates on the fighting in Binh Long province, Saigon, and the siege of An Loc. It concludes with a discussion of the Paris peace talks, the significance of the fighting at An Loc, and the eventual fall of South Vietnam.

This is the third volume in a planned 10-volume operational and chronological series covering the Marine Corps' participation in the Vietnam War. This volume details the continued buildup in 1966 of the III Marine Amphibious Force in South Vietnam's northernmost corps area, I Corps, and the accelerated tempo of fighting during the year. The result was an "expanding war."

This is the fourth volume in a planned 10-volume operational and chronological series covering the Marine Corps' participation in the Vietnam War. This volume concentrates on the ground was in I Corps and III MAF's perspective of the Vietnam War as an entity. It also covers the Marine Corps participation in the advisory effort, the operations of the two Special Landing Forces of the U. S. Navy's Seventh Fleet, and the services of Marines with the staff of the U.S. Military Assistance Command, Vietnam. There are additional chapters on supporting arms and logistics, and a discussion of the Marine role in Vietnam in relation to the overall American effort.

Whispering Death . . . is a shattering account of an eighteen-year old aviator from the streets of America to Vietnam, into the Macomb world of a Secret War run by the CIA, fought with clandestine forces, the Hmong hill people, and a vast and varied air armada. "This is a book that must be read . . . I highly recommend this book for knowledge of how the Secret War in Laos was fought and why we owe the Hmong so much." Harry C. Aderholt - Brigadier General USAF, Ret. "A superb tale of aviation adventure in the combat skies of Southeast Asia woven with extraordinary skill. Discover the Hmong hill tribesmen of Laos to be courageous, freedom-loving fighters. Read the first-hand accounts of their struggle and exodus after being abandoned by their American ally. This is a gripping, personal story from a new perspective. A must-read for fans of military aviation during the Vietnam War era." Larry Sanborn - Raven FAC - call sign: Sandy . . . Our Journey with the Hmong in the Secret War for Laos shadows the struggle of the Lao-Hmong people, who chose to ally with the Americans in their Secret War, suffered the brutality of combat for over a decade, and then endured the ultimate betrayal of the American government. "One of the most comprehensive and fascinating books ever written about America's most covert war. It embodies the desperate fight for freedom these Americans and Hmong faced together, bound as eternal brothers and sisters. And in the end how an American government left my people to die alone." Yang Chee, President, Lao-Hmong American Coalition