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

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 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.

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.

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 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 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 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.