“Much of life is a matter of will, and so is war. As long as breath remains, there is hope.” This particular quote, in addition to the rest of the brief paragraph, caught my attention during the reading. The events that unfolded in the dark of the jungle were largely unpredictable and nerve-wracking, yet the Americans proved victorious due to…[Read more]

<p style=”margin: 5px 0px; padding: 0px; word-wrap: break-word; color: #111111; font-family: Georgia, ‘Times New Roman’, Times, serif; font-size: 12.25px;”></p>
The LT’s decision to send a group to the beach, while well intended, was concerning from the start. Murphy’s Law, as it would state, would just so have it that the soldiers’ demise would…[Read more]

The LT did not make the right decision because the right decision would’ve been pursuing his suspicions and filing a report. However, with the unorganized state of the war in Vietnam, I understand that this course of action was either taboo or entirely unheard of and as such, I think removing the problem soldier was necessary in maintaining the…[Read more]

Any decision a leader makes impacts someone, no matter how seemingly insignificant. As a military leader, this applies to an even greater extent since each decision relates to life or death. When the LT pulls his men in early due to a gut feeling, it clearly changed the course of the night’s events. When he boldly confronts the soldier who…[Read more]

LT McDonough is quickly thrown into the mix of things at LZ North English, leaving him little time to assess the men and the situation. Instead, he relies upon his prior knowledge and experience from training and establishes a plan to implement daily patrols. Next, he conveys this to the Sergeants upon his initial encounter with them, conveying…[Read more]

As much classroom learning and field training LT McDonough had prior to his deployment to Vietnam, it becomes immediately evident to him upon his arrival that he still lacks the real, true experience of combat. The empty looks on soldiers’ faces– their distance from reality– is the first telltale sign that perhaps combat takes a toll…[Read more]