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We Are Soldiers Still: A Journey Back to the Battlefields of Vietnam
Almost 15 years since its original publication the bestseller "We Were Soldiers Once... And Young" (1992) is still required reading in all branches of the military. Every day the authors receive letters from readers wanting to know what's happened to the characters they came to admire such as Ed "Too Tall to Fly" Freeman and Bruce "Old Snake" Crandall. There are also questions about whether they are still in touch with their North Vietnam counterparts and where they are now.Many of these questions are finally answered in title "We are Soldiers Still", which recounts a unique journey back to the battlefields by the commanders and veterans of both sides - a journey which ended with the authors and some of the comrades stranded overnight, alone, on the isolated field code-named Landing Zone XRay where so many perished. They will tell what was learned and felt during a night when a meteor shower filled the sky and peace came upon them. The authors mix gritty and vivid detail with reverence and respect for their comrades. Their authority on the military, their ability to capture man's sense of heroism and brotherhood, and readers' fascination with their story is sure to make this a must-buy book for all history buffs. While "We Were Soldiers" brought to life an important moment in US history, "We are Soldiers Still" will illuminate how that history has changed the authors, the men involved, and our country.
272 pages, Hardcover
First published August 19, 2008
173 people are currently reading
1309 people want to read
About the author
Harold G. Moore
9 books100 followersLieutenant General Harold Gregory Moore Jr. was a United States Army lieutenant general and author. He was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross, the U.S. military's second-highest decoration for valor, and was the first of his West Point class (1945) to be promoted to brigadier general, major general, and lieutenant general. He was the co-author (with Joe Galloway) of two successful books We Were Soldiers Once... And Young &We Are Soldiers Still: A Journey Back To The Battlefields Of Vietnam about the 1965 battle of the Ia Drang valley in Viet Nam, during most of which Moore (then a Lt. Colonel) was the primary U.S. officer commanding. Mr. Galloway was also present during much of the battle, as a combat correspondent for UPI. After a long and distinguished career, including combat service in the Korean War prior to his service in Viet Nam, Lt. Gen. Moore retired in 1977. He was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross, Army Distinguished Service Medal, Legion Of Merit (3 Awards), Bronze Star (4 Awards, including 2 for valor), Republic of Vietnam Cross of Gallantry with Palm (3 Awards) and many other medals, decorations, and badges. A full length biography of Lt. Gen. Moore ('Hal Moore: A Soldier Once... And Always', by Mike Guardia) was published by Casemate Publishers in November 2013.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 103 reviews
September 14, 2023
This book is the sequel to the first Vietnam memoir by Harold G. Moore, We Were Soldiers Once...And Young. In this book, the author and his friend, Joseph Galloway, return to Vietnam to see what changes have taken place in the years since he was there. They meet up with some other veterans and discuss their experiences during their time in the country. They also met with some of their former enemies, also discussing how the conflict had affected lives on that side as well.
This book is less than 300 pages, so if you are interested in a fairly short book about Vietnam, consider this one. I enjoyed both of the memoirs written by this author. I thought the details in which important experiences were described were well done. They provided an accurate amount of horror and were emotionally charged, but also providing some historical context for those who are not terribly familiar with Vietnam. I wish that I would have read the two books closer together, so if you have not read either, my suggestion would be to read them both at once.
This book is less than 300 pages, so if you are interested in a fairly short book about Vietnam, consider this one. I enjoyed both of the memoirs written by this author. I thought the details in which important experiences were described were well done. They provided an accurate amount of horror and were emotionally charged, but also providing some historical context for those who are not terribly familiar with Vietnam. I wish that I would have read the two books closer together, so if you have not read either, my suggestion would be to read them both at once.
September 10, 2021
A 7 hour and 45 minute unabridged audiobook.
Really enjoyed the original. Happy to report that this book did not disappoint. I enjoyed it. Difficult not to like the men who this is based on, and I sincerely hope it brought peace to members of a generation that needed it the most. So very close to a 4 star rating.
Really enjoyed the original. Happy to report that this book did not disappoint. I enjoyed it. Difficult not to like the men who this is based on, and I sincerely hope it brought peace to members of a generation that needed it the most. So very close to a 4 star rating.
August 10, 2015
One of the very best books on the subject of war etc I've ever read.
Here we have the same authors who were responsible for also excellent 'We Were Soldiers Once and Young' - Harold Moore and Joe Galloway. One of them a Lt. General and the other a journalist.
The two men return to the Ia Drang battlefield in the company of the men they were fighting against on that fateful day back in 1965.
There're not too many books on this subject which cause you to swallow hard, but this one is soooo well written, very emotional, and certainly had that effect on me.
To get the full appreciation from it the first book, dealing with the actual build up and battle in November 1965, should be read first. It would help greatly with the understanding of the finer points and personalities covered/mentioned here.
Personally the section which deals solely with Hal Moore's 'Lessons On Leadership' which covers around thirty pages I could have done without. Again its my preference, but to me it detracted somewhat from the atmosphere created by the main story itself.
That's probably why I didn't feel I could give it five stars.
However I will (God willing) be reading this book again at some stage I'm sure.
A totally recommended read - even with that unnecessary chapter!
Here we have the same authors who were responsible for also excellent 'We Were Soldiers Once and Young' - Harold Moore and Joe Galloway. One of them a Lt. General and the other a journalist.
The two men return to the Ia Drang battlefield in the company of the men they were fighting against on that fateful day back in 1965.
There're not too many books on this subject which cause you to swallow hard, but this one is soooo well written, very emotional, and certainly had that effect on me.
To get the full appreciation from it the first book, dealing with the actual build up and battle in November 1965, should be read first. It would help greatly with the understanding of the finer points and personalities covered/mentioned here.
Personally the section which deals solely with Hal Moore's 'Lessons On Leadership' which covers around thirty pages I could have done without. Again its my preference, but to me it detracted somewhat from the atmosphere created by the main story itself.
That's probably why I didn't feel I could give it five stars.
However I will (God willing) be reading this book again at some stage I'm sure.
A totally recommended read - even with that unnecessary chapter!
April 18, 2013
In their stunning follow-up to the classic bestseller We Were Soldiers Once . . . and Young, Lt. Gen. Hal Moore and Joe Galloway return to Vietnam and reflect on how the war changed them, their men, their enemies, and both countries—often with surprising results.
More than fifteen years since its original publication, the number one New York Times bestseller We Were Soldiers Once . . . and Young is still required reading in all branches of the military. Now Moore and Galloway revisit their relationships with ten American veterans of the battle—men such as Sgt. Maj. Basil Plumley and helicopter pilot Bruce "Old Snake" Crandall—as well as Lt. Gen. Nguyen Hu An, who commanded the North Vietnamese Army troops on the other side, and two of his old company commanders. These men and their countries have all changed dramatically since the first head-on collision between the two great armies back in November 1965.
Traveling back to the red-dirt battlefields, commanders and veterans from both sides make the long and difficult journey from old enemies to new friends. After a trip in a Russian-made helicopter to the Ia Drang Valley in the Central Highlands, with the Vietnamese pilots using Moore's vintage U.S. Army maps and Galloway's Boy Scout compass to guide them, they reach the hallowed ground where so many died. All the men are astonished at how nature has reclaimed the land once scarred by bullets, napalm, and blood. As darkness falls, the unthinkable happens—the authors and many of their old comrades are stranded overnight, alone, left to confront the ghosts of the departed among the termite hills and creek bed.
Moore and Galloway combine gritty and vivid detail with reverence and respect for their comrades. Their ability to capture man's sense of heroism and brotherhood, their love for their men and their former enemies, and their fascination with the history of this enigmatic country make for riveting reading. With sixteen pages of photos, tributes to departed friends and loved ones, and General Moore's reflections on lessons learned throughout his military career, We Are Soldiers Still puts a human face on warfare in a way that will not soon be forgotten.
More than fifteen years since its original publication, the number one New York Times bestseller We Were Soldiers Once . . . and Young is still required reading in all branches of the military. Now Moore and Galloway revisit their relationships with ten American veterans of the battle—men such as Sgt. Maj. Basil Plumley and helicopter pilot Bruce "Old Snake" Crandall—as well as Lt. Gen. Nguyen Hu An, who commanded the North Vietnamese Army troops on the other side, and two of his old company commanders. These men and their countries have all changed dramatically since the first head-on collision between the two great armies back in November 1965.
Traveling back to the red-dirt battlefields, commanders and veterans from both sides make the long and difficult journey from old enemies to new friends. After a trip in a Russian-made helicopter to the Ia Drang Valley in the Central Highlands, with the Vietnamese pilots using Moore's vintage U.S. Army maps and Galloway's Boy Scout compass to guide them, they reach the hallowed ground where so many died. All the men are astonished at how nature has reclaimed the land once scarred by bullets, napalm, and blood. As darkness falls, the unthinkable happens—the authors and many of their old comrades are stranded overnight, alone, left to confront the ghosts of the departed among the termite hills and creek bed.
Moore and Galloway combine gritty and vivid detail with reverence and respect for their comrades. Their ability to capture man's sense of heroism and brotherhood, their love for their men and their former enemies, and their fascination with the history of this enigmatic country make for riveting reading. With sixteen pages of photos, tributes to departed friends and loved ones, and General Moore's reflections on lessons learned throughout his military career, We Are Soldiers Still puts a human face on warfare in a way that will not soon be forgotten.
January 23, 2025
The last three chapters are the best.
October 9, 2011
I really liked this book. I now see Hal Moore as more of a person with his own flaws and idiosyncracies, but still a great warrior and hero. When you see the movie "We Were Soldiers" (starring Mel Gibson) you find yourself frequently saying "That wasn't in the book" (We were Soldiers once...and young,) and you wonder if once again Hollywood took 'Artistic License' with a great classic book. However, all of those moments are explained in this book. This book gives a more well rounded view of Hal Moore and Joe Galloway...and especially Sargeant Major Plumley, and other soldiers. Many of the humorous moments in the movie weren't in the original book, but are described in this book.
I also really enjoyed reading Harold Moore's reflection on the events and his feelings and interactions with his "opposite number" from the North Vietnamese Army. Even though I was a little girl during the Vietnam War, like everyone else in America, I guess I needed some closure on this. It was soothing to read about Hal Moore's rainy night on the old battlefield with some of his old comrads and how the battlefield was largely the same as they remembered, but when one old soldier searched for fragments or momentos all he found were wild flowers that weren't there before, but now seemed to thrive on the soil fertilized by the blood of the fallen. It reminded me of Peter, Paul, and Mary's Anti-Vietnam War anthem "Where have all the flowers gone?" I guess they found them.
I also really enjoyed reading Harold Moore's reflection on the events and his feelings and interactions with his "opposite number" from the North Vietnamese Army. Even though I was a little girl during the Vietnam War, like everyone else in America, I guess I needed some closure on this. It was soothing to read about Hal Moore's rainy night on the old battlefield with some of his old comrads and how the battlefield was largely the same as they remembered, but when one old soldier searched for fragments or momentos all he found were wild flowers that weren't there before, but now seemed to thrive on the soil fertilized by the blood of the fallen. It reminded me of Peter, Paul, and Mary's Anti-Vietnam War anthem "Where have all the flowers gone?" I guess they found them.
October 12, 2018
This is one of the most beautiful and powerful books that I've ever read. I never had the privilege of meeting Lt Gen Moore but, just from reading his book, I know I would have followed him into the Ia Drang valley in November 1965, and anywhere else since. Every chapter brought tears to my eyes. But mostly what made me sad is the complete and utter contrast with the so-called 'leadership' in America today.
I never met Lt Gen Moore but I can still follow where he led: "Never quit. There's always one more thing you can do to influence any situation in your favour."
I am the proud daughter of a Vietnam veteran. I am proud to be an American. And I will never quit.
#resist
I never met Lt Gen Moore but I can still follow where he led: "Never quit. There's always one more thing you can do to influence any situation in your favour."
I am the proud daughter of a Vietnam veteran. I am proud to be an American. And I will never quit.
#resist
December 30, 2019
This book felt disjointed to me and didn’t really seem to have very much relevance. The main push for this book seemed to be a gimmick for fundraising.
May 6, 2023
RICK “SHAQ” GOLDSTEIN SAYS: “GO TELL AMERICA WHAT THESE BRAVE MEN DID HERE; TELL THEM HOW THEIR SONS DIED.”
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On November 13th 1965 in the Ia Drang Valley an American battalion of only 450 men engaged three regiments of North Vietnamese soldiers in the first major battle between American and Vietnamese forces. The Americans were outnumbered by TWELVE-TO-ONE! “Over the next four days and nights 234 American soldiers perished in desperate hand-to-hand combat along with THOUSANDS of attacking North Vietnamese troops.” This battle was “the bloodiest of the entire Viet Nam War.” The co-author’s Lieutenant General (Ret) Moore who was a Lieutenant Colonel at the time and Joseph Galloway a reporter at the time (and by force of necessity and courage, became a soldier during that battle) were also the author’s of the now infamous book “We Were Soldiers Once… and Young”, which was also made into a big name Hollywood movie. The basis of this follow up book… was to have some of the remaining survivor’s from the American side… not only go back to the actual physical battlefield where the ghosts and souls of their fallen comrades remain… but to meet face to face their counterparts from the North Vietnamese Army.
Completing this story to the satisfaction of the author’s, entailed multiple trips back to Vietnam, and the overcoming of multiple hurdles made of red tape. There were many gut-wrenching situations that included tears and overcoming deeply engrained biases, that festered for four decades. It is amazing the mutual respect that was shown between the two countries commanders… and the eventual friendship… between two men… whose only goal in 1965 was to kill each other… and kill everybody associated with them. There were many lessons learned… that were learned too late to save thousands of lives. As a Vietnam era veteran myself… what was rewarding for me… as well… I believe… as for the loved ones of all the departed… was the utmost respect each commander had, not only for the bravery and courage of their own troops… but that each held the same opinion of the opposing soldiers. Both men stated in their own words, that after post battle intel was discussed… both commanders collaborated, that so many of the dead from both sides… were literally intertwined… so fierce was the “HAND-TO-HAND-COMBAT”.
There are very detailed and interesting historical discussions regarding the Battle of Dien Bien Phu where the French were defeated by the Vietnamese in 1954. Vietnamese Senior General Giap said: “that he simply didn’t understand why the Americans had not carefully studied the French war in Vietnam and the Battle Of Dien Bien Phu, particularly since, by the end, the United States was financing more than 70 per cent of the cost of the French military actions and providing much of the equipment and ammunition in that war. He told us if we Americans had studied what happened to the French surely we would never have come halfway around the world to take their place in Vietnam and pursue a long bloody war that ended just as badly for us as it had for the French.”
On November 8, 2003 at one of the annual Ia Drang reunions in Washington, D.C. one of the survivor’s Jack Smith gave a speech:
“AT ONE POINT IN THE AWFUL AFTERNOON AT ALBANY AS MY BATTALION WAS BEING CUT TO PIECES, A SMALL GROUP OF ENEMY CAME UPON ME AND THINKING I HAD BEEN KILLED (I WAS COVERED IN OTHER PEOPLE’S BLOOD), PROCEEDED TO USE ME AS A SANDBAG FOR THEIR MACHINE GUN, I PRETENDED TO BE DEAD. I REMEMBER THAT THE GUNNER HAD BONY KNEES THAT PRESSED AGAINST MY SIDE. HE DIDN’T DISCOVER THAT I WAS ALIVE BECAUSE HE WAS TREMBLING MORE THAN I WAS. HE WAS, LIKE ME, JUST A TEENAGER.
THE GUNNER BEGAN FIRING INTO THE REMNANTS OF MY COMPANY. MY BUDDIES BEGAN FIRING BACK WITH RIFLE GRENADES-M79’S TO THOSE OF YOU WHO KNOW ABOUT THEM. I REMEMBER THINKING: OH MY G-D, IF I STAND UP THE NORTH VIETNAMESE WILL KILL ME, AND IF I STAY LYING DOWN MY BUDDIES WILL GET ME. BEFORE I WENT COMPLETELY MAD, A VOLLEY OF GRENADES EXPLODED ON TOP OF ME, KILLING THE ENEMY BOY AND INJURING ME. IT WENT ON LIKE THIS ALL DAY AND MUCH OF THE NIGHT. I WAS WOUNDED TWICE AND THOUGHT MYSELF DEAD. MY COMPANY SUFFERED NINETY-THREE PERCENT CASUALTIES… NINETY-THREE PERCENT!”
To undertake this trip… to not only go back to the battlefield your friends were killed on… as you killed the enemy… to keep from being killed yourself… but to meet and befriend that same enemy… I can tell you from first-hand experience… that takes a unique-different individual… and not everyone on this earth who’s been through war… could come to grips with that. I know I still have too much inside of me… in hidden… and un-hidden chambers… of my very soul… to want to take such a journey. G-d bless America… and an extra blessing deservedly goes to all of us who have served.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
On November 13th 1965 in the Ia Drang Valley an American battalion of only 450 men engaged three regiments of North Vietnamese soldiers in the first major battle between American and Vietnamese forces. The Americans were outnumbered by TWELVE-TO-ONE! “Over the next four days and nights 234 American soldiers perished in desperate hand-to-hand combat along with THOUSANDS of attacking North Vietnamese troops.” This battle was “the bloodiest of the entire Viet Nam War.” The co-author’s Lieutenant General (Ret) Moore who was a Lieutenant Colonel at the time and Joseph Galloway a reporter at the time (and by force of necessity and courage, became a soldier during that battle) were also the author’s of the now infamous book “We Were Soldiers Once… and Young”, which was also made into a big name Hollywood movie. The basis of this follow up book… was to have some of the remaining survivor’s from the American side… not only go back to the actual physical battlefield where the ghosts and souls of their fallen comrades remain… but to meet face to face their counterparts from the North Vietnamese Army.
Completing this story to the satisfaction of the author’s, entailed multiple trips back to Vietnam, and the overcoming of multiple hurdles made of red tape. There were many gut-wrenching situations that included tears and overcoming deeply engrained biases, that festered for four decades. It is amazing the mutual respect that was shown between the two countries commanders… and the eventual friendship… between two men… whose only goal in 1965 was to kill each other… and kill everybody associated with them. There were many lessons learned… that were learned too late to save thousands of lives. As a Vietnam era veteran myself… what was rewarding for me… as well… I believe… as for the loved ones of all the departed… was the utmost respect each commander had, not only for the bravery and courage of their own troops… but that each held the same opinion of the opposing soldiers. Both men stated in their own words, that after post battle intel was discussed… both commanders collaborated, that so many of the dead from both sides… were literally intertwined… so fierce was the “HAND-TO-HAND-COMBAT”.
There are very detailed and interesting historical discussions regarding the Battle of Dien Bien Phu where the French were defeated by the Vietnamese in 1954. Vietnamese Senior General Giap said: “that he simply didn’t understand why the Americans had not carefully studied the French war in Vietnam and the Battle Of Dien Bien Phu, particularly since, by the end, the United States was financing more than 70 per cent of the cost of the French military actions and providing much of the equipment and ammunition in that war. He told us if we Americans had studied what happened to the French surely we would never have come halfway around the world to take their place in Vietnam and pursue a long bloody war that ended just as badly for us as it had for the French.”
On November 8, 2003 at one of the annual Ia Drang reunions in Washington, D.C. one of the survivor’s Jack Smith gave a speech:
“AT ONE POINT IN THE AWFUL AFTERNOON AT ALBANY AS MY BATTALION WAS BEING CUT TO PIECES, A SMALL GROUP OF ENEMY CAME UPON ME AND THINKING I HAD BEEN KILLED (I WAS COVERED IN OTHER PEOPLE’S BLOOD), PROCEEDED TO USE ME AS A SANDBAG FOR THEIR MACHINE GUN, I PRETENDED TO BE DEAD. I REMEMBER THAT THE GUNNER HAD BONY KNEES THAT PRESSED AGAINST MY SIDE. HE DIDN’T DISCOVER THAT I WAS ALIVE BECAUSE HE WAS TREMBLING MORE THAN I WAS. HE WAS, LIKE ME, JUST A TEENAGER.
THE GUNNER BEGAN FIRING INTO THE REMNANTS OF MY COMPANY. MY BUDDIES BEGAN FIRING BACK WITH RIFLE GRENADES-M79’S TO THOSE OF YOU WHO KNOW ABOUT THEM. I REMEMBER THINKING: OH MY G-D, IF I STAND UP THE NORTH VIETNAMESE WILL KILL ME, AND IF I STAY LYING DOWN MY BUDDIES WILL GET ME. BEFORE I WENT COMPLETELY MAD, A VOLLEY OF GRENADES EXPLODED ON TOP OF ME, KILLING THE ENEMY BOY AND INJURING ME. IT WENT ON LIKE THIS ALL DAY AND MUCH OF THE NIGHT. I WAS WOUNDED TWICE AND THOUGHT MYSELF DEAD. MY COMPANY SUFFERED NINETY-THREE PERCENT CASUALTIES… NINETY-THREE PERCENT!”
To undertake this trip… to not only go back to the battlefield your friends were killed on… as you killed the enemy… to keep from being killed yourself… but to meet and befriend that same enemy… I can tell you from first-hand experience… that takes a unique-different individual… and not everyone on this earth who’s been through war… could come to grips with that. I know I still have too much inside of me… in hidden… and un-hidden chambers… of my very soul… to want to take such a journey. G-d bless America… and an extra blessing deservedly goes to all of us who have served.
March 14, 2024
If you enjoyed We Were Soldiers Once…and Young then you owe it to yourself to give this book a try. I thoroughly enjoyed both of them, but I did find them to be significantly different reading experiences. The first book is predominantly the history of the battles that took place in the Ia Drang valley in Vietnam, along with some extra history of what happened to the people and the places both before and after the battles. The second book, while it initially struck me as additional history, I came to realize is actually a mixture of history and the authors reflections on what happened throughout history in those places with the people involved. I have to admit that I got this book before I had even read the original strictly because I loved the movie so much. I thoroughly enjoyed the first book, especially when I realized how closely most of the movie stuck to the book, and to hear all of the extra background information really made it even more moving for me. As for We are Soldiers Still, after getting into it a little bit, I thoroughly enjoyed the way the author presented his thoughts on the history of the battles,the places and the people. This book evoked even more emotions than I expected, taking me a full range from laughter to tears, sometimes very unexpectedly. I was a little surprised when, towards the end of the book, all of a sudden the history discussion came to an end and it shifted into what felt like a leadership seminar. After this, the topic turned into a discussion on war and the need for education on the subject so that war could be avoided. Finally it shifted back to giving additional information on some of the very important characters and what happened to them. I found all of this, including the leadership lessons to be very interesting and insightful, however, to me some of these additional parts at the end felt like they were added on as afterthoughts. While I was easily able to overcome this and still enjoy the entire book as a whole, for some people it might be disrupting. If you are just looking for the history of these battles, this book is definitely a bonus, but in my mind is not completely necessary. If you’re looking for insight Into the mind of a great leader or want to know more about what happened I highly recommend taking a journey through the pages of We Are Soldiers Still. Whatever your reasons are for picking up this book, I don’t think you’ll regret it!
October 2, 2023
This is a very solid book, well read, for those who know the first book. It doesn't work terribly well as a stand-alone work, but the additional information about the people involved is beautiful.
It almost excuses the North Vietnamens and Viet Cong for their beastly behaviour, but doesn't overlook the heroes among the South Vietnamese forces who did most of the fighting aginst them, though it never humanizes any of them and never interviews any, not even interpreters attached to American forces. That's a problem I am particularly sensitive to, since most of my family was behind the Iron curtain during my youth, and I grew up with people who entered German and Soviet camps because the United States followed the authors' preference of not getting involved in wars until absolutely necessary.
Further, and related to that last note, it shows well how the confident, consensus opinion of the day can be flatly wrong. The author was positive that the Iraq war was a disastrous distraction from "the good war" (not a term used in the book) of Afghanistan. Afghanistan is now back under the nightmare rule of those who attacked us on 9-11, but somehow seems largely irrelevant to American and the West strategically (though our abandonment of it likely lead Putin to invade Ukraine in earnest) and pumps out terror and drugs to Pakistan and Red China, and drugs to the former Soviet Space, whereas Iraq is a functioning, remarkably representative state, an a political/strategic thorn in the sides of Baathist Syria and the Islamic Revolutionary Republic of Iran.
It's funny how things turn out.
It almost excuses the North Vietnamens and Viet Cong for their beastly behaviour, but doesn't overlook the heroes among the South Vietnamese forces who did most of the fighting aginst them, though it never humanizes any of them and never interviews any, not even interpreters attached to American forces. That's a problem I am particularly sensitive to, since most of my family was behind the Iron curtain during my youth, and I grew up with people who entered German and Soviet camps because the United States followed the authors' preference of not getting involved in wars until absolutely necessary.
Further, and related to that last note, it shows well how the confident, consensus opinion of the day can be flatly wrong. The author was positive that the Iraq war was a disastrous distraction from "the good war" (not a term used in the book) of Afghanistan. Afghanistan is now back under the nightmare rule of those who attacked us on 9-11, but somehow seems largely irrelevant to American and the West strategically (though our abandonment of it likely lead Putin to invade Ukraine in earnest) and pumps out terror and drugs to Pakistan and Red China, and drugs to the former Soviet Space, whereas Iraq is a functioning, remarkably representative state, an a political/strategic thorn in the sides of Baathist Syria and the Islamic Revolutionary Republic of Iran.
It's funny how things turn out.
June 21, 2018
This book will be of interest to any one exploring the history of Vietnam or as in my case, planning to travel to the region. The Chinese, French, and U.S. all attempted to invade and were driven out, the outcome of the U.S. conflict in Vietnam was inevitable. The style of writing is straight forward and meticulous with details but I did not read the last few chapters. This was the second book written by Lt. General Moore, the first "We Were Soldiers Once ... and Young" was popular and read by Moore's Vietnamese counter parts whose approval of the first book helped lead to their meeting in person and visiting their battle fields in the the Central Highlands. Joe Galloway was a journalist who traveled with Moore and his soldiers and was even known and admired by the North Vietnamese. When the topic of U.S. MIAs was brought up their Vietnamese hosts pointed out that there were 300,000 Vietnamese soldiers and citizens whose bodies had not been found and so they understood the problem. I wish politicians, policy makers, and ambassadors would read this type of book and ponder the implications. Moore put it well when he wrote, " ... most wars are a confession of failure -- the failure of diplomacy, negotiation, and common sense ..."
November 28, 2021
I actually purchased this book in a small tourist gift store near Halong bay in 2015.Being Australian and only really interested in Australian war history in Vietnam I put it on my shelf for a few years but recently dusted it off to read it.It was a good reflection on a glimpse of how tough the War was on those battlefields and how much the USA suffered especially in the early years of the Vietnam war.
Wasn’t a huge fan of the movie they made to reflect the book and some scenes were very dubious as the book reflects a different story.
The leadership spiel at the end was ok I did feel it was necessary it just felt like I was reading a corporate management leadership booklet.
But all in all it has sparked my interest on the USA involvement in Vietnam as just like America,Australia too sent conscripted troops to when some were still just teenagers.But yeh would recommend this one.
Wasn’t a huge fan of the movie they made to reflect the book and some scenes were very dubious as the book reflects a different story.
The leadership spiel at the end was ok I did feel it was necessary it just felt like I was reading a corporate management leadership booklet.
But all in all it has sparked my interest on the USA involvement in Vietnam as just like America,Australia too sent conscripted troops to when some were still just teenagers.But yeh would recommend this one.
February 1, 2023
I'm going to be honest, I did not understand this book at all. After reading the summary of the book, it looks like it was sequel to another book where the authors go back to Vietnam to revisit their time during the Vietnam War. I think it was a bit slow, and some details were way to specific while other parts are not specific enough and I would get lost sometimes. Somethings I liked about the book was that it was talking about the after effects of the war on the people 15 years later. The former enemies would reunite and talk and revisit the battlegrounds. I also enjoyed that it talked about the Vietnam war a bit, which was cool. I'd recommend this book to some older people who want to know what it was like for these former war veterans to reunite with their combatants and revisit Vietnam with a different perspective.
October 16, 2023
This book was a profound and necessary conclusion to his first book as often what is overlooked in combat books, what happened after the battle.
The thing I found fascinating about the book was not only Moore's driving need to return to the battlefield but to meet his opposer, the Vietnamese commander. Moore's persistence and determination to overcome the bureaucracy (seems to be universal in governments around the world) became a friendship that that transcended cultural, political and military differences.
Reading Moore's description of his return to the location meeting that man that was intent on wiping his command was moving. I can only imagine the emotional roller coaster that we went on through this journey.
This book is was great conclusion to his first book.
The thing I found fascinating about the book was not only Moore's driving need to return to the battlefield but to meet his opposer, the Vietnamese commander. Moore's persistence and determination to overcome the bureaucracy (seems to be universal in governments around the world) became a friendship that that transcended cultural, political and military differences.
Reading Moore's description of his return to the location meeting that man that was intent on wiping his command was moving. I can only imagine the emotional roller coaster that we went on through this journey.
This book is was great conclusion to his first book.
January 24, 2016
In this book Harold Moore and Joe Galloway discuss how the traits that served them well on the battlefields of Vietnam continue to impact their lives and the lives of those around them. While the book We Were Soldiers Once . . . and Young was written from an American point of view, it occasionally mentioned the actions of the Vietnamese commanders. That perspective was obtained by means of several trips to Vietnam to meet with those commanders as part of the research effort. Furthermore, Moore and Galloway travelled to Vietnam several times after that book was written. A substantial part of this book describes these trips.
One trait that had served Moore well in Vietnam was a respect for the enemy. Why is this important? First, he never lost sight of the humanity of the enemy, even in the thickest of fights. Every man he lost in battle was a devastating loss to that man's family and friends back home. The same consequences applied to every enemy soldier killed in battle, as well. Second, a failure to respect the enemy would lead to overconfidence, a potentially fatal underestimation of the enemy's capabilities. Moore never lost this character trait and demonstrated it in his meetings with Vietnamese commanders. The mutual respect shown in these meetings eventually led to friendship between former enemies.
In one trip, Moore and Galloway were accompanied by several veterans of the Ia Drang battles and visited landing zones X-ray and Albany. During this trip, these veterans got to meet with Vietnamese veterans of these same battles. One machine gunner found himself talking with a commander whose battalion had been mowed down by him. This commander was the godfather of the daughter of one of the dead and only days before had presided over her wedding, a duty that would have been her father's responsibility had he not died in battle. Some of the American veterans of these battles had been bitter over the losses of friends and comrades, but these interactions showed them the humanity of these former foes who had suffered just as much.
As a professional soldier, Moore believed that military force was to be used only as a last resort because of the price in lives and because it it always much easier to avoid a war than to get out of it. He had not been impressed with the decision quality of the Johnson administration, and his first return trip to Vietnam reinforced that opinion. During some slack time in Hanoi, Moore and Galloway visited the Vietnam Historical Museum and saw a mural that put the war in perspective. This mural served as a map and timeline of more than a thousand years of history. A fifty-foot section of the mural portrayed a half dozen invasions and occupations of Vietnam by the Chinese, with some of the occupations lasting centuries before Vietnamese patriots and rebels drove out the invaders. The 150-year French colonial occupation garnered a mere twelve inches, and the entire Vietnam War was displayed in three inches. This mural showed in graphic detail that the Vietnamese had a history of fighting for generations to drive out foreign occupiers. If only the American political leadership had considered this before committing themselves to war.
Towards the end of the book, Moore outlines various leadership principles he had learned and practiced throughout his life, giving copious examples of how they helped him to succeed and stay out of trouble. He had practiced some of them as a teenager seeking appointment to West Point. Another one, regarding keeping alert for trouble when everything seems ok, may well have saved his battalion at landing zone X-ray. Patrols he had sent out one morning because it was too quiet ran into a column of PAVN soldiers stealthily advancing on his lines.
An appendix to the book pays tribute to two heroes: Rick Rescorla and Moore's late wife Julie.
Rescorla had been a die-hard platoon leader at landing zone's X-ray and Albany. Later in life, he was vice president for security at Morgan Stanley. During the 1993 truck bombing of the World Trade Center, he maintained order and successfully evacuated the staff. Recognizing that there would be more attacks later, he sought and obtained authority to run several surprise emergency evacuation drills each year. These drills paid off on September 11, 2001. Although Morgan Stanley was in tower 2 and had not yet been hit, Rescorla ignored instructions to keep his people at their desks and ordered them to evacuate and to run as fast as they could as far as they could. Thanks to his efforts, only six Morgan Stanley employees, including himself, died.
During the Ia Drang battles, the Army was unprepared for large-scale casualties, and telegrams sent to next of kin were delivered by taxi drivers. Julie Moore took it on herself to follow these cabs and comfort new widows and to stand next to them at graveside ceremonies. Afterwards, she and the wife of the division commander personally and successfully lobbied the Pentagon to change its policies. When the movie We Were Soldiers was being filmed, she noticed that the all-white cast of actresses portraying Army wives did not reflect the actual racial make-up of the women she had known and successfully lobbied the director to correct this.
These eulogies are tastefully done, and I believe they add to the quality of the book. I listened to an audio version of the book. Normally, these are narrated by professional voice actors, but this book is narrated by Joe Galloway. He doesn't sound as impressive as the voice actors, but it adds authenticity to the book.
One trait that had served Moore well in Vietnam was a respect for the enemy. Why is this important? First, he never lost sight of the humanity of the enemy, even in the thickest of fights. Every man he lost in battle was a devastating loss to that man's family and friends back home. The same consequences applied to every enemy soldier killed in battle, as well. Second, a failure to respect the enemy would lead to overconfidence, a potentially fatal underestimation of the enemy's capabilities. Moore never lost this character trait and demonstrated it in his meetings with Vietnamese commanders. The mutual respect shown in these meetings eventually led to friendship between former enemies.
In one trip, Moore and Galloway were accompanied by several veterans of the Ia Drang battles and visited landing zones X-ray and Albany. During this trip, these veterans got to meet with Vietnamese veterans of these same battles. One machine gunner found himself talking with a commander whose battalion had been mowed down by him. This commander was the godfather of the daughter of one of the dead and only days before had presided over her wedding, a duty that would have been her father's responsibility had he not died in battle. Some of the American veterans of these battles had been bitter over the losses of friends and comrades, but these interactions showed them the humanity of these former foes who had suffered just as much.
As a professional soldier, Moore believed that military force was to be used only as a last resort because of the price in lives and because it it always much easier to avoid a war than to get out of it. He had not been impressed with the decision quality of the Johnson administration, and his first return trip to Vietnam reinforced that opinion. During some slack time in Hanoi, Moore and Galloway visited the Vietnam Historical Museum and saw a mural that put the war in perspective. This mural served as a map and timeline of more than a thousand years of history. A fifty-foot section of the mural portrayed a half dozen invasions and occupations of Vietnam by the Chinese, with some of the occupations lasting centuries before Vietnamese patriots and rebels drove out the invaders. The 150-year French colonial occupation garnered a mere twelve inches, and the entire Vietnam War was displayed in three inches. This mural showed in graphic detail that the Vietnamese had a history of fighting for generations to drive out foreign occupiers. If only the American political leadership had considered this before committing themselves to war.
Towards the end of the book, Moore outlines various leadership principles he had learned and practiced throughout his life, giving copious examples of how they helped him to succeed and stay out of trouble. He had practiced some of them as a teenager seeking appointment to West Point. Another one, regarding keeping alert for trouble when everything seems ok, may well have saved his battalion at landing zone X-ray. Patrols he had sent out one morning because it was too quiet ran into a column of PAVN soldiers stealthily advancing on his lines.
An appendix to the book pays tribute to two heroes: Rick Rescorla and Moore's late wife Julie.
Rescorla had been a die-hard platoon leader at landing zone's X-ray and Albany. Later in life, he was vice president for security at Morgan Stanley. During the 1993 truck bombing of the World Trade Center, he maintained order and successfully evacuated the staff. Recognizing that there would be more attacks later, he sought and obtained authority to run several surprise emergency evacuation drills each year. These drills paid off on September 11, 2001. Although Morgan Stanley was in tower 2 and had not yet been hit, Rescorla ignored instructions to keep his people at their desks and ordered them to evacuate and to run as fast as they could as far as they could. Thanks to his efforts, only six Morgan Stanley employees, including himself, died.
During the Ia Drang battles, the Army was unprepared for large-scale casualties, and telegrams sent to next of kin were delivered by taxi drivers. Julie Moore took it on herself to follow these cabs and comfort new widows and to stand next to them at graveside ceremonies. Afterwards, she and the wife of the division commander personally and successfully lobbied the Pentagon to change its policies. When the movie We Were Soldiers was being filmed, she noticed that the all-white cast of actresses portraying Army wives did not reflect the actual racial make-up of the women she had known and successfully lobbied the director to correct this.
These eulogies are tastefully done, and I believe they add to the quality of the book. I listened to an audio version of the book. Normally, these are narrated by professional voice actors, but this book is narrated by Joe Galloway. He doesn't sound as impressive as the voice actors, but it adds authenticity to the book.
September 18, 2017
Where have all the flowers gone?
Apparently they have been growing in LZ X-Ray and turning it into a place of beauty and peace. If only the same could be said about LZ Albany.
This follow up to "We Were Soldiers Once and Young" made me cry as much as #1 -- which says something since I don't usually cry at all and took me under 24 hours read.
Also appreciated an Appendix -- concluding the stories of Cyril Richard "Rick" Rescorla (the platoon leader on the cover of "We Were Soldiers Once and Young") and Julie Moore -- two important pieces of the Ia Drang puzzle both Home and on the Battlefield.
Apparently they have been growing in LZ X-Ray and turning it into a place of beauty and peace. If only the same could be said about LZ Albany.
This follow up to "We Were Soldiers Once and Young" made me cry as much as #1 -- which says something since I don't usually cry at all and took me under 24 hours read.
Also appreciated an Appendix -- concluding the stories of Cyril Richard "Rick" Rescorla (the platoon leader on the cover of "We Were Soldiers Once and Young") and Julie Moore -- two important pieces of the Ia Drang puzzle both Home and on the Battlefield.
January 19, 2021
I didn't know that there was a book before this but I dove in anyway because they did a wonderful job of giving me the context. And both came across as approachable as they told their story that I could fill in the blanks as needed, almost to the point of some needless repetition.
I appreciated their frankness and bluntness in explaining their needs in returning to Vietnam through the experiences of their Vietnam war time. It was heartwrenching and informative demonstrating the healing power of conversation and closure.
I also liked that they held nothing back when it came to their viewpoints on current issues.
I appreciated their frankness and bluntness in explaining their needs in returning to Vietnam through the experiences of their Vietnam war time. It was heartwrenching and informative demonstrating the healing power of conversation and closure.
I also liked that they held nothing back when it came to their viewpoints on current issues.
May 15, 2020
If possible, even better than the first book!
Man, this book... I don't know where to begin. There are so many lessons that are just jumping off the pages. Lessons not just in leadership, but I'm forgiveness, in love and friendship and loyalty. Lessons in dedication and commitment to a cause bigger than yourself. Lessons in the true horrors and consequences of war. Every single American should read this book, no matter your race, color, creed, or political affiliation. The lessons in this book are universal.
Man, this book... I don't know where to begin. There are so many lessons that are just jumping off the pages. Lessons not just in leadership, but I'm forgiveness, in love and friendship and loyalty. Lessons in dedication and commitment to a cause bigger than yourself. Lessons in the true horrors and consequences of war. Every single American should read this book, no matter your race, color, creed, or political affiliation. The lessons in this book are universal.
November 14, 2019
Nice coda. A little light on content, more like a novella, but still a cool story about Hal's and Joe's return to Vietnam and peacemaking between former enemies. Hal gets on his high horse a bit about Iraq but he wrote this when things were at their worse. Understandable, though he had no problem with his son parachuting into Panama to overthrow a government. Glad I read it but not required reading.
February 7, 2020
The Vietnam war is an era which American army would never eve like to repeat. The lessons learnt from fall of French in Vietnam and then mistakes made by America by getting involved in far eastern country are interesting and should not be forgot.
The book brings out the important mistakes made by politicians and leadership lessons one should imbibe in life in a very well manner.
A very well written book for army history lovers
The book brings out the important mistakes made by politicians and leadership lessons one should imbibe in life in a very well manner.
A very well written book for army history lovers
September 6, 2021
Fifteen years after We Were Soldiers Once - And Young, Moore and Galloway and several of their army comrades went back to Vietnam to meet with some of the Vietnamese generals and visit some of the battlefields first encountered in 1965. Not unexpectedly, they found that their former enemies had similar memories and feelings about the horrors of the war and deaths they witnessed, and the places bore some of the scars but had mostly grown over. Some good perspectives on the meaning (or lack thereof) of war and killing of our enemies, and on what we failed (or refused) to learn from the American (and French) war in Vietnam (see, e.g., Afghanistan).
May 14, 2022
Excellent Continuation of Hal and Joe's Story
If you read the first book,, you will enjoy this one. Hal Moore and Joe Galloway continue wherever the first book left off. Very good information about the country of Vietnam, it's history and culture. The book shares important information about war and leadership that we can all learn from. Definitely worth your time to read and enjoy.
If you read the first book,, you will enjoy this one. Hal Moore and Joe Galloway continue wherever the first book left off. Very good information about the country of Vietnam, it's history and culture. The book shares important information about war and leadership that we can all learn from. Definitely worth your time to read and enjoy.
August 4, 2024
This book is a much easier read than We Were Soldiers Once and Young simply because it is less based on battle play-by-play and more on the analysis of war itself. The author's perspectives on the horrors of war and the leaders that continue to draw us into them was very insightful. I particularly enjoyed his statements on the duties of those in power to know and understand the history of war before they enter the country into one.
July 29, 2018
This is an outstanding book by an outstanding soldier and reporter on war, healing, forgiveness, and outstanding onsite into genuine leadership.
My only criticism is that the desire for freedom of those who suffered under the communist regime of the North Vietnamese received relatively little mention or recognition.
Well worth a read.
My only criticism is that the desire for freedom of those who suffered under the communist regime of the North Vietnamese received relatively little mention or recognition.
Well worth a read.
August 3, 2024
This book gave an incredible insight into leadership in combat and in life from two men who have seen more war than most people will read about. Being able to hear both sides of a battle from men who fought against each other offers an unfiltered look at the tactics and mind of both militaries involved. I would highly recommend this book to anyone in a leadership role.
April 16, 2019
Review for WE ARE SOLDIERS STILL
Truly exceptional and touching piece of military memorabilia. I highly recommend this and all others by these authors to anyone interested in military literature.
Truly exceptional and touching piece of military memorabilia. I highly recommend this and all others by these authors to anyone interested in military literature.
October 22, 2021
Excellent story and historical record. Vastly interesting facts about viet nam from ancient times to the time of book publication. I recommend it to anyone interested in the war or the country. I admit I listened to the audio cd read by the author and that made it all the more interesting.
January 1, 2024
I enjoyed both the book and movie We Were Soldiers Once and Young, so when I discovered there was a follow up I put it on my reading list. The research that went into the first book was interesting, but even better was reading about their travels back to the battlefields.
January 24, 2024
Well written. After having visited Vietnam recently I concur that we had no business being there. Author foresaw the Iraq quagmire as well. Author met his adversary at Iadrang and they became friends.
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