Con Thien: The Hill of Angels

Acknowledgments

Grateful acknowledgment is made to the following for permission to reprint copyrighted material: Dear America: Letters Home from Vietnam , edited by Bernard Edelman for the New York Vietnam Veterans Memorial Commission, published by W. W. Norton and Company and subsequently by Pocket Books. Selections from Operation Buffalo: USMC Fight for the DMZ, by Keith William Nolan, Novato, California: Presidio Press, © 1991, Keith William Nolan, used by permission of Presidio Press. Selections from Honor the Warrior, by William L. Myers, Lafayette, Louisiana: Redoubt Press, © 2000, by William L. Myers, used by permission of the author. Selections from Ambush Valley, by Eric Hammel, Novato, California: Presidio Press, © 1990, Eric Hammel, used by permission of the author. I also wish to acknowledge the following individuals who went the extra mile for me on this book project: Marine Corps University Research Center Archives staff at the Quantico Marine Base, particularly Dr. Ginther and Kerry Strong, archives director; Jack Dyer, Lena Kaljot , and Fred Graboske at the Marine Corps Historical Center at the Washington Navy Yard; Col. R. B. Losee, USMC (Ret.), and Maj. Frank Southard, USMC (Ret.), for their help with the 2/9 experience at Con Thien; Brig. Gen. Frank J. Breth, USMC (Ret.), for his assistance in getting the 3/9 story told; and Quynh-Du Ton-That and Tran Nguyen for assistance with translating Vietnamese into English. The aid of Ms. Debbie McCabe, Military and Veteran Search, was a most valuable asset in ¤nding former Marine Vietnam vets. I am indebted to Acknowledgments the former Marines and Navy corpsmen who took a risk and shared their personal papers with me: Sal Bafumo, Jim Cool, John H. Edwards, Jack T. Hartzel, Andrew Jones, James Kaylor, and Ron “Doc” Smith. Many veterans volunteered their experiences through letters and computer e-mails, by phone, and in person. I truly appreciate their help. Last, I am eternally grateful for the enduring help and support from my wife, Sandra, and for all of her typing and proofreading assistance over the years. xx Acknowledgments Northern Quang Tri Province Leatherneck Square Con Thien Area Battles, 1966–68 ...