We Were Soldiers Once... and Young

This book is a complex but excellent read. It is laced with moments of sheer bravery and interludes of absolute terror. Lt. Colonel Hal Moore commanded the 1st Battalion, 7th Regiment, 1st Air Cavalry Division—part of the “The Garryowen” Brigade. This book covers the Battle of the Ia Drang Valley during the early years of U.S. involvement in the Vietnam War, in November 1965. The first major engagement between the forces of North Vietnam and the United States. I want to highlight one thing in the book, “The country that sent us off to war was not there to welcome… show more.

This was written by my late friend, Joe Galloway, and tells the true story of the first major encounter between elements of the regular armies of North Vietnam and the United States. It is full of heroic acts, the tragedy of the deaths of many fine men, and a satisfactory, if unsettling, conclusion. But for the grace of God, I would likely have been one of the men who died in those battles: A few months earlier, I had reenlisted as an Infantry private (after a break of three years from my previous three years in the peacetime infantry, half… show more.

I gravitate to books that stress the humanity of the war in Vietnam. This wonderful book, written by the commander of the unit involved in the battle and the brave US reporter that stood at his side, draws the reader in to understand and empathize with the young Americans who fought on that fateful field known as LZ X-Ray. 

Beyond being a gripping war story that will have you on the edge of your seat, We Were Soldiers also describes perhaps the most important single moment in the Vietnam War in which America first tested its helicopter war against the… show more.

Many people will remember Mel Gibson’s film adaption of one of the pivotal moments in America’s involvement in Vietnam, but for me, the book is far more fascinating and in depth. Written by the US commanding officer and the only journalist present for the battle, this book is an intriguing snapshot into the heroism and dedication of American soldiers who fought an enemy many times their numbers and survived countless bloody counterattacks.

This is an excellent read for anyone interested in learning more about American involvement in Vietnam.

On November 14, 1965, troopers from a battalion of the First Cavalry Division air-assaulted via Huey helicopters into the Central Highlands, just a few miles east of the Cambodian border. There, Lt Col Hal Moore led his battalion into the first “big unit battle” against three regiments NVA regulars. In We were Soldiers Once, and Young, Harold Moore and Joseph Galloway recount their first-person minute-by-minute, hour-by-hour narrative of one of the most brutal battles of the Vietnam War. This is the best account of infantry combat I have ever read and a primer on leadership and valor under fire.