Publisher's Synopsis
It was a time of confusion, militancy, and doubt.
During the Vietnam War, approximately 2,700,000 American men and women answered their nation's call to service. Young men, usually between ages 18-21, sent to Vietnam with the Army, Navy, Marines, and Air Force flew over enemy territory, investigated tunnels with explosives, performed search-and-destroy missions, conducted naval duties, operated military equipment, and provided medical aid for the wounded. They persevered, despite violent naysayers back home who belittled their efforts. Protesters failed to welcome them home and call them vile names. Worse, the men would later discover that while in service to their country, they were exposed to deadly substances that seriously affected their health. The stories include:A scout dog handler who struggles to keep his beloved canine and himself safe while the enemy puts bounties on their heads. Will an enemy bomb drop on their kennels? An infantryman pulls wounded to safety rom a mine-filled field, every step possibly his last. Can he make it out alive? A tunnel rat who braves being lowered headfirst by fellow Army soldiers in spider holes throughout the Vietnamese countryside. Will he encounter the enemy in the dark? A pilot whose Huey has been shot so many times by antiaircraft fire that it crash at any moment while he races to deliver wounded flight crew members to a medical team. Will they make it to safety? An Army medic struggles to treat an officer who has stopped breathing while on patrol, due to heat stroke. Can he revive the officer in time? A sailor who stays at general quarters on his ship. Will his ship survive the enemy's attack? A Marine is blinded and made deaf by enemy fire during an ambush. After falling into a crater, he lays stunned. Will friends or foe find him first? An artist is devastated by the loss of a friend whose helicopter crashed. Can he use his talents to help the friend's family through their grief? During the Tet Offensive, a single-side band operator frantically decodes an important message about an assault on the American Embassy. Will the officials receive the alert in time to defend themselves?
