Each year, the Commandant of the U.S. Marine Corps selects one book
that he believes is both relevant and timeless for reading by all
Marines. The Commandant's choice for 1993 was We Were Soldiers Once
. . . and Young.""
In November 1965, some 450 men of the 1st Battalion, 7th Cavalry,
under the command of Lt. Col. Hal Moore, were dropped by helicopter
into a small clearing in the Ia Drang Valley. They were immediately
surrounded by 2,000 North Vietnamese soldiers. Three days later,
only two and a half miles away, a sister battalion was chopped to
pieces. Together, these actions at the landing zones X-Ray and
Albany constituted one of the most savage and significant battles
of the Vietnam War.
How these men persevered--sacrificed themselves for their comrades
and never gave up--makes a vivid portrait of war at its most
inspiring and devastating. General Moore and Joseph Galloway, the
only journalist on the ground throughout the fighting, have
interviewed hundreds of men who fought there, including the North
Vietnamese commanders. This devastating account rises above the
specific ordeal it chronicles to present a picture of men facing
the ultimate challenge, dealing with it in ways they would have
found unimaginable only a few hours earlier. It reveals to us, as
rarely before, man's most heroic and horrendous endeavor.
"From the Hardcover edition."
General
Is the information for this product incomplete, wrong or inappropriate?
Let us know about it.
Does this product have an incorrect or missing image?
Send us a new image.
Is this product missing categories?
Add more categories.
Review This Product
Mon, 28 Jan 2008 | Review
by: Xrizi
A superbly written and detailed account of the Ia Drang battle which heralded American full-scale military involvement in Vietnam in 1965. I was inspired to read the book when I saw the film "We Were Soldiers." The film is based on the first-hand account that the book gives of the first Ia Drang battle. The second half of the book also covers the follow-up horrendous encounter between the US and Vietnamese soldiers.
Did you find this review helpful?
Yes (1) |
No (0)