The Author's Note

The author's note: I went to Vietnam on Nov. 28, 1966, as a naive nineteen-year-old draftee in the 1st Infantry Division. Later, I began documenting my experiences serving in a combat unit. I found that those personal experiences were very different from the stories told by the media and other returning veterans. Curious, I began to research facts on the internet myself. My commander, then Lt. Col. Richard Cavazos, grew up on the King Ranch. Its co-founder, Henrietta King, greatly influenced the King Ranch's culture by promoting the values of her Christian faith. Young Richard grew up in that environment. I believe that Christian environment helped Richard become the great tactical leader he became in Vietnam, as well as Korea. Under Richard's strong leadership, my battalion became a microcosm of orderly, successful tactical outcomes time and time again. In the book, I use my personal story and the stories of the men I served with to show how practical Christian values can produce a stable, winning atmosphere even under the extreme stress of heavy combat. I believe the seven years of research and numerous veteran interviews allowed me to bring a depth to my story that I otherwise would have missed.

Read excerpts

King Ranch Connection

An intimate character analysis of Richard and Henrietta King and how they came together to build a lifegiving legacy that saved the lives of my Dogface battalion over a hundred years later.

A Portal to Hell

Wayne's first deadly experience in combat and his first encounter with the voice of the Holy Spirit, Who's warning saved him and his buddies from instant death.

Alexander Haig

Thoughtful insight into the mind of a great American leader, as his Blue Spaders fought along side our Dogface battalion, in operation Junction City.

Little Man, Big Man

My definition of, and reasons why, Little Man Syndrome is so detrimental to any organization, but especially the military.

The Voice of God

A powerful testimony that shows, beyond a shadow of a doubt, the importance of listening to and obeying the Holy Spirit.

Ong Thanh Creek, a Perfect Storm

A thoughtful explanation, taken from the facts, and Wayne's combat experience, for why this diaster happened to the Black Lions and not my Dogface Battalion.

Mac's Return from Heaven to Hell

One grunt's feelings while returning to his combat unit after a heavenly getaway in Australia.

Vo Minh Triet

Insights into the mind of one communist commander as never before revealed.

Chapters in the book

Preface — a misfit in a 1st Infantry Division battalion, and the legacy he later saw
Chapter 1: King Ranch Connection
Chapter 2: Prelude to My War — Hampton, Virginia, November 1966
Chapter 3: Entering the Darkness
Chapter 4: A Portal to Hell
Chapter 5: The Boy Dies
Chapter 6: Hopelessness Reigns
Chapter 7: Changes
Chapter 8: Some Whys for “Stupid”
Chapter 9: Finding a Path Amidst Chaos
Chapter 10: Getting to Know Dick
Chapter 11: Haig
Chapter 12: Tree of Life
Chapter 13: The Interlude
Chapter 14: Little Man, Big Man
Chapter 15: The Voice of God
Chapter 16: A Growing Legacy Amongst the Weeds
Chapter 17: Shenandoah II: Leadership and Survival
Chapter 18: Freedom, Danger, and Donuts
Chapter 19: The Tragedy at Ong Thanh
Chapter 20: Up That Hill with Dick
Chapter 21: Lộc Ninh and the Shadow War
Chapter 22: Chasing Red Flags at Lộc Ninh
Chapter 23: Thunder Road and an Abrupt Goodbye

Who the book is for

This book is for readers who would like to get a real life glimpse at one example of what it takes to win at any level of a righteous endeavor, whether the larger outcome ends in victory or not. My book talks about spiritual aspects of that battle, but in a down to earth way, by describing how a not-so-God-fearing person, was conditioned to apply larger spiritual truths that brought victory after victory to our Big Red One Dogface Battalion in Vietnam.