We Were Soldiers Once… and Young explained

We Were Soldiers Once… and Young
Author:Lt. Gen. Harold G. Moore (Ret.) and Joseph L. Galloway
Country:United States
Language:English
Subject:Vietnam, War
Genre:Historical Non-fiction
Publisher:Random House
Release Date:October 20, 1992
Media Type:Hardcover and Trade Paperback
Pages:432
Isbn:0-679-41158-5
Dewey:959.704/342 20
Congress:DS557.8.I18 M66 1992
Oclc:25832046

We Were Soldiers Once...and Young: la Drang - The Battle That Changed the War in Vietnam is a 1992 book by Lt. Gen. Harold G. Moore (Ret.) and war journalist Joseph L. Galloway about the Vietnam War. It focuses on the role of the First and Second Battalions of the 7th Cavalry Regiment in the Battle of the Ia Drang Valley, the United States's first large-unit battle of the Vietnam War; previous engagements involved small units and patrols (squad, platoon, and company sized units). It was adapted into the 2002 film We Were Soldiers.[1] [2] [3] [4]

The cover features Lt. Rick Rescorla, a British-American Vietnam War veteran who served for both countries during the war. Rescorla was uncomfortable about being portrayed as a war hero and chose not to read it when he saw that its cover featured a combat photograph of him. When he learned that the book was being made into a film starring Mel Gibson, he told his wife Susan that he had no intention of seeing it, as he felt uncomfortable with anything that portrayed him or other survivors as war heroes, commenting, "The real heroes are dead."[5] Rescorla later served as the director of security for Morgan Stanley and is credited with saving nearly 2,700 lives during the September 11 attacks, dying in the process.[6]

Reception

The book was a New York Times best-seller. David Halberstam called it, "A stunning achievement—paper and words with the permanence of marble. I read it and thought of The Red Badge of Courage, the highest compliment I can think of."

General H. Norman Schwarzkopf said, "We Were Soldiers Once...and Young is a great book of military history, written the way military history should be written."[7]

Notes and References

  1. News: Pride and Anguish . The New York Times . 8 November 1992 . Proffitt . Nicholas .
  2. 45288931 . Vorbach . Joseph E. . Reviewed work: We Were Soldiers Once... And Young, Harold G. Moore, Joseph L. Galloway . The Fletcher Forum of World Affairs . 1995 . 19 . 1 . 189–194 .
  3. 45345614 . Harris . Jonathan B. . Reviewed work: We Were Soldiers Once and Young: La Drang—The Battle That Changed the War in Vietnam, Harold G. Moore, Joseph L. Galloway . Sais Review (1989-2003) . 1993 . 13 . 2 . 157–161 . 10.1353/sais.1993.0037 . 153408536 .
  4. 43961930 . Hughes . Wayne P. . Reviewed work: We Were Soldiers Once...And Young, Harold G. Moore, Joseph L. Galloway . Phalanx . 1993 . 26 . 2 . 11–12 .
  5. Stewart . James B. . James B. Stewart . February 11, 2002 . The Real Heroes Are Dead . . September 13, 2019 . September 12, 2019 . https://web.archive.org/web/20190912225637/https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2002/02/11/the-real-heroes-are-dead . live .
  6. Web site: The Rick Rescorla National Award for Resilience . Homeland Security . 2014-04-17 . 2023-01-26.
  7. Web site: REVISION OF THE COMMANDANTS PROFESSIONAL READING LIST . United States Marine Corps . February 1, 2018.
  8. Web site: The Commandant's Reading List from MarineParents.com: A Place to Connect & Share . MarineParents.com . February 1, 2018.
  9. Web site: Home Page | We Were Soldiers Once... and Young |url=http://www.lzxray.com/ |publisher=LZ X-Ray.com |access-date=April 23, 2017}}

    Since at least 1993, the book has been on the Marine Corps Commandant's Reading List for Career Level Enlisted.[7] [8]

    Further reading

    • 44637340 . Kingseed . Cole C. . Reviewed work: Giap: The Victor in Vietnam, Peter Macdonald; We Were Soldiers Once... And Young, Harold G. Moore, Joseph L. Galloway; After Tet: The Bloodiest Year in Vietnam, Ronald H. Spector . Naval War College Review . 1994 . 47 . 3 . 144–147 .
    • 25163721 . The Battle of the Ia Drang Valley: A Comparative Analysis of Generals, the Media, and the Soldiers . Fitzgerald . John J. . OAH Magazine of History . 2004 . 18 . 5 . 37–43 . 10.1093/maghis/18.5.37 .

    Editions

    References

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