Chaplain James D. Johnson broke all the rules to be with his men. He chose to accompany them, unarmed, on their daily combat operations, a decision made against the recommendations of his superiors. During what would be the final days for some, he offered his ministry not from a pulpit but on the battlefields--in hot landing zones and rice paddies, in hospitals, aboard ship, and knee-deep in mud. He even found time for baptisms in the muddy Mekong River. "You've never really lived until you've almost died," writes Johnson, one of the youngest army chaplains at the time. Through his compelling narration, he takes us into the hearts of frightened young boys and the minds of experienced men. In Combat Chaplain, we live for eight and one-half months with Johnson as he serves in the field with a small unit numbering 350 men. The physical price can be counted with numbers--ninety-six killed and over nine hundred wounded. Only those who paid it can understand the spiritual and psychological price, in a war that raised many difficult moral issues. "It placed my soul in the lost and found department for awhile," Johnson writes. Also provided here is an in-depth look at …

Interview with John Bounds, a U.S. Navy Seal veteran from McGregor, Texas who served in the Vietnam War. Bounds describes his time in boot camp in San Diego and experiences in Vietnam. He also shares his opinions on the war and the state of things at home in the United States.

Interview with Bernard Kubica, a crew chief in the US Marine Corps during the Vietnam War. He answers questions about his life prior to military service and his experiences overseas.

Interview with Gary Hightower, Signalman 1st Class Navy veteran of the Vietnam War originally from Baytown, Texas. Hightower answers specific questions concerning his time in Vietnam such as where he was stationed, what his job was, and if he had any scary combat moments; Hightower also explains his outlook on the war then, and in hindsight.

Interview with Gene Buehring, a veteran of the U.S. Army who served in Vietnam and was wounded in action. Buehring describes what every day life was like in the service and his experiences upon returning home. He also talks about meeting Bob Hope and the two times he was injured on duty.

As an intelligence officer during the Vietnam War, Fred L. Edwards, Jr., was instructed to visit every major ground unit in the country to search for intelligence sources—long range patrols, boats, electronic surveillance, and agent operations. “Edwards found time to keep a journal, an extremely well-written, sharply observed report of his adventures. Along with contemporary postscripts and a helpful historical chronology, that journal is a significant improvement on most Vietnam memoirs. It is the record of a Marine’s on-the-job education.”—Proceedings

Interview with Lieutenant Sam Hughes, an engineer in the United States Army during the Vietnam War. Hughes goes into great detail about his experiences early on in Vietnam, including hitchhiking to Saigon after their paperwork was lost; he also answers questions and explains how his life was when he returned home from the war. Hughes ends by commenting on the current war going on in Afghanistan.

Interview with Leopoldo Chapa, a veteran of the U.S. Navy who served in the Vietnam War from Baytown, Texas. Chapa describes his time in boot camp, what he experienced while in combat, and his opinions on war in general.

Report regarding Vietnam that gives context to a bilateral trade agreement under consideration by the U.S. Congress. From the summary: "This report details Vietnam's law and policy in six areas of labor rights: the right of association/collective bargaining; forced labor; child labor; health and safety; wages, hours and welfare benefits; and discrimination. This report also provides international context by contrasting the Vietnamese and Chinese labor rights regimes." Includes an appendix of Vietnamese labor laws (p. 37)

For Victor Hugo, the nineteenth century could be remembered by only its first two years, which established peace in Europe and France's supremacy on the continent. For General Lam Quang Thi, the twentieth century had only twenty-five years: from 1950 to 1975, during which the Republic of Vietnam and its Army grew up and collapsed with the fall of Saigon. This is the story of those twenty-five years. General Thi fought in the Indochina War as a battery commander on the side of the French. When Viet Minh aggression began after the Geneva Accords, he served in the nascent Vietnamese National Army, and his career covers this army's entire lifespan. He was deputy commander of the 7th Infantry Division, and in 1965 he assumed command of the 9th Infantry Division. In 1966, at the age of thirty-three, he became one of the youngest generals in the Vietnamese Army. He participated in the Tet Offensive before being removed from the front lines for political reasons. When North Vietnam launched the 1972 Great Offensive, he was brought back to the field and eventually promoted to commander of an Army Corps Task Force along the Demilitarized Zone. With the fall of Saigon, he …

Interview with Donald Burnitt, a U.S. Army veteran who served in the Vietnam War and was awarded the Purple Heart. Burnitt describes his experiences in the war, including the many combat engagements he was part of and when he was wounded in action when his helicopter crashed. He was also awarded the Silver Star and Bronze Star.

Interview with Sergeant Tom Hildenbrand, Jr., a United States Marine veteran of the Vietnam War originally from Galveston, Texas. Sergeant Hildenbrand answers questions and elaborates on his service time such as his training and incidents that his unit encountered. He tells of all the bombs the enemy would make and his being a part of the Tet Offensive of 1969.

Interview with Jimmy L. Smith, a US Navy Seal in WWII. He answers questions about his life during the war.

Interview with Robert E. Davis, a radio operator/communications specialist for the United States Air Force in the Vietnam War. He answers questions about and describes life as a soldier in Vietnam.

Interview with Raymond D. Carter, a U.S. Navy veteran of the Vietnam War who served as a bosun's mate on LSTs. Carter describes his experiences in basic training and his impressions of the war.

Interview with Richard Craig Warren, a paratrooper/weapons specialist in the US Army during the Vietnam War. He describes his time in the service, some of his most dangerous missions, and adjusting to life coming home as a disabled vet.

Interview with John David Burgess, a veteran of the U.S. Army who served in Vietnam as a helicopter crew chief with the 196th Infantry Brigade from Baytown, Texas. Burgess describes his experiences during the war and what a typical day was like while in Vietnam. He also speaks about an incident where the plane he was flying was shot down by enemy fire.

Interview with Kenneth Mayo, a supply manager in the US Air Force during the Vietnam War. He answers questions about his military service and his experiences abroad.

Interview with Burton Alvin Fowler, Jr., a Sergeant in the united States Army during the Vietnam War. Fowler answers questions and elaborates about his experiences during training prior to being sent to Vietnam as well as memories he has of fighting the war and the opinions he brought back with him.

Interview with Sergeant Major Lewis R. Guthrie, a United States Marine veteran of the Vietnam War, Desert Storm, and actions in Somalia. Guthrie answers questions and expands on his many experiences during the wars he fought in, where he trained, the supplies and rations they were given, and the combat that he saw.

Interview with Aletha Barsanti regarding her experiences as the wife of U. S. Army General Olinto Barsanti. They married in 1942. She remembers their courtship in San Antonio; their assignments in Europe, Japan, and Washington, D.C.; raising their children; his activities in the Korean War; his promotion to general; military protocol for the wives of general officers; and his one-year tour in the Vietnam War as the commander of the 101st Airborne Division. He was diagnosed with stomach cancer and died in May 1973.

Interview with Antonio Amador, a veteran who was wounded in action as a sniper with the U.S. Marine Corps during the Vietnam War. The transcript includes a list of questions, which include a focus on Amador being shot and his experiences while serving and back at home.

Interview with John Bounds, a U.S. Navy Seal veteran from McGregor, Texas who served in the Vietnam War. Bounds describes his time in boot camp in San Diego and experiences in Vietnam. He also shares his opinions on the war and the state of things at home in the United States.

Interview with Donald Burnitt, a U.S. Army veteran who served in the Vietnam War and was awarded the Purple Heart. Burnitt describes his experiences in the war, including the many combat engagements he was part of and when he was wounded in action when his helicopter crashed. He was also awarded the Silver Star and Bronze Star.