"Half a century has passed since the Vietnam War, and 50 years of novels of novels, films, and music have dramatized and mythologized the controversial conflict. But this book approaches the war in a uniquely personal way, focusing on individual stories of the men and women from every state and Service who fulfilled their duty during the Vietnam War. Their day-to-day experiences are heartbreaking, raw, detailed--and sometimes even humorous. More than 58,000 troops lost their lives in Vietnam. the rest came home to bitterly divided fellow Americans, and the protesters' hostility toward the war spilled over to the warriors. These individual stories give us a glimpse of what the war was like from a ground-level, personal perspective. Our effort here is to recognize and pay tribute to our Vietnam Veterans. It is well past time to welcome these men and women home, to remember their service, and to honor their sacrifices."--Jacket flap.