Conrad M. Leighton

As a GI reporter for the 1st Air Cavalry Division in Vietnam, the author—“an enlisted man writing primarily for enlisted men”—chronicled the experiences of combat soldiers in newspaper and magazine articles. His stories gave the Army’s version of events, sprinkled with human interest and humor. They include his observations and photographs of jungle missions, life on firebases, struggles in the rear and his own survival as a harried frontline journalist. He also wrote almost daily letters home to his parents—personal dispatches filled with frank commentary and poignant, at times disturbing, anecdotes. His stories and letters are combined here in chronological order, providing a richly detailed narrative of combat in Vietnam.