We Were Soldiers Once...and Young: The Battle That Changed the War in Vietnam (Paperback)

If you want character build-up and insightful discourse on the motivations of men in extreme circumstances, look elsewhere.

In the vast majority of cases, it is the actions of the men that are detailed, not motivations or innermost thoughts. Even when the narration is handed over, first person, to the men who survived, we learn little of what made them do the extraordinarily brave things that fill page after page.

An unfortunate failing of this book is Hal Moore’s entirely understandable desire to pay tribute and respect to every man he mentions by name. In a somewhat clinical, militaristic fashion, each serviceman, in addition to his rank, has his middle initial included when first introduced. Also, if, as happens in all to many cases, that serviceman is subsequently killed or wounded, Moore insists upon repeating this gesture along with detailing his hometown and family background.

I suspect this “naming and placing” is an attempt to bring home to the reader the humanity of those who were cut down in their prime - often en masse. Unfortunately, for me, these continual roll calls serve to distract and interrupt from the hugely courageous actions of the men in question, thus diminishing that aspect of the narrative, whilst also, unfortunately, not actually making them any more real for me.

I feel I should somehow apologise for this criticism, because in so many other respects this is an excellent book. The concept of Air Mobility is briefly examined in the context of post the mass-paratroops landings of WW2, and the US experiences in Korea, and pre any other major engagements against the PAVN. The exacting operational considerations of an air-mobile engagement are also examined by Moore and prove insightful for the reader.

Moore emphasises how the “correct” use of close air and artillery-support was possible at LZ X-Ray, but not at LZ Albany. I feel he could have given more credit to the attacking commanders for identifying how to proactively overcome the threat and execute their plans accordingly. In general however, Moore does not show any jingoistic tendency to denigrate the abilities or sacrifices of the Vietnamese enemy and, if anything, a grudging admiration for their training and bravery is evident throughout the book.

In summary, this is not the easiest of reading, but it is rewarding.

Read it if you want to know more about the war in Vietnam. Or, if you want to know more about the men who fought the war in Vietnam, read a few other first-person accounts beforehand and then read it! Either way, read it.

In it, you'll discover act of heroism, bravery and courage in the line of fire such as Thomas Metsker who gave his place in the helicopter evacuating the wounded to a more seriously wounded soldier, only to see him die as he placed the injured man on the helicopter. Thomas Metsker is just one of the many men whose tale is told with remarkable clarity by the survivors.

There are poignant moments in the aftermath from the wives and children when they relate what happened to them, when they discovered their loved one would never be coming home and it was heart-warming to read about what happened to the survivors when the story ended.

When you have finished reading the book, go and see the film. It's not as accurate but still good.