WE WERE SOLDIERS ONCE......AND YOUNG

                                                     LT.GEN. HAROLD G.MOORE (Ret.)

                                                          and JOSEPH L. GALLOWAY

In November 1965, some 450 men of the 1st Battalion, 7th Cavalry, under the command of Lt.Col. Hal Moore ,were dropped by helicopter in a small clearing in the Ira Drang Valley. They were immediately surrounded by 2,000  North Vietnames soldiers. Three days later, only two and a half miles away, a sister Battalion was chopped to pieces. Together, these actions at the landing zones X-Ray and Albany constituted one of the most savage and significant battles of the Vietnam War.

How these men perservered --sacrificed themselves for their comrades and never gave up-- makes a vivid portrait of war most  inspiring and devastating. General Moore and Joseph Galloway, the only journalist on the ground throughout the fighting, have interviewed hundreds of men that fought there, including the North Vietnamese commanders. This devastating account rises above the specific ordeal it chronicles to present a picture of men facing the ultimate challenge, dealing with it in ways they would have found unimaginable only a few hours earlier. It reveals to us, as rarely before, man's most heroic and horrendous endeavor.

Historian's Note. This is one of, if not the most, powerful and emotional historical account of combat that ever came out of the Vietnam War.

During this very period I was operating west of Danang in Elephant Valley. These areas were completely free to manuever for the Viet Cong and the North Vietnamese.

Many have seen the movie of the Ira Drang Valley but unless one reads the book he cannot grasp the full impact of what really  happened. It was the "Little Big Horn" all over again but this time the results would be different. The kill ratio was twelve to one. During the entire campaign the 7th Cavalry lost 305 soldiers while the NVA lost 3,561.

In an interview on TV, General Moore cried. He stated that he felt so much guilt....."From what" he was asked. "Remaining alive when so many of my men died" was his reply. I can relate to the General's feelings.

In 1993, The Commandant of the Marine Corps selected this book as both relevant and timeless for reading by all Marines...........I understand why.

Paul Marquis

Web Master

Jim Cannon

Historian

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