Editorial Content for The War Within a War: The Black Struggle in Vietnam and at Home
Contributors
Reviewer (text)
The US involvement in the Vietnam War had been ongoing for three years and had started to consume much of Lyndon B. Johnson’s presidency. The promise brought about by his Great Society programs tackling poverty and civil rights issues had begun to fade as more funding was needed for the war in Southeast Asia, which also required more troops.
By 1967, a disproportionate number of soldiers fighting and dying in Vietnam were African American. These young men, whether volunteers or draftees, flew halfway across the world to fight under the flag of a country that still was divided over the rightful place of Black people.
"Wil Haygood captures the essence of a transformative time when revolutionary change was in the air and the voices of protest were breaking through color barriers.... THE WAR WITHIN A WAR is an outstanding work deserving of a place on classroom bookshelves."
George Forrest was born and raised in a racially divided Maryland. His ticket to the war came about after he signed up for ROTC in college. In 1965, he was present and active in the memorable Battle at Ia Drang, where American forces were vastly outnumbered by their North Vietnamese counterparts. Surrounded and under constant gunfire, Forrest braved an enemy barrage to reconnect with his unit. His actions were heroic, yet he remained modest and took the loss of his men particularly hard.
Joe Anderson was born and raised in the Civil Rights battleground of Topeka, Kansas, where the landmark Brown v. Board of Education case would arise. He worked hard to gain admittance to West Point. Anderson’s leadership skills were noticed, and he found success in each subsequent school to which he applied. His exemplary leadership served him well when he rescued a missing platoon during his first mission in the Central Highlands of Vietnam. His exploits were documented by a French filmmaker and turned into a movie, The Anderson Platoon.
Wallace Terry spent two years in Vietnam while working as a correspondent for Time magazine. He had a sympathetic ear and could tell how the tenor of war had changed from his engaging conversations with Black soldiers. Despite the integration of the armed forces, bigotry was still a persistent issue that led to volatility at various stations and bases throughout South Vietnam. The uprising at Long Bien Jail was merely a microcosm of the racial turmoil affecting Black and white soldiers.
THE WAR WITHIN A WAR is an extensive and revealing history recounting not only the experiences of Black men who served in Vietnam but also the Black men and women fighting for equality back home. Many who are highlighted in this historically significant and poignant book served their country with distinction yet returned to a nation divided by racial strife and a polarizing war.
Wil Haygood captures the essence of a transformative time when revolutionary change was in the air and the voices of protest were breaking through color barriers. He underscores that there were heroes on and off the battlefields: soldiers and activists, nurses and journalists, men and women of color who have earned the right to be recognized for their contributions. THE WAR WITHIN A WAR is an outstanding work deserving of a place on classroom bookshelves.
Teaser
Drawing on the lives of soldiers and officers, doctors and nurses, journalists and activists, artists and politicians, Wil Haygood illuminates a generation caught between two battles: one on the front lines in Vietnam and another for justice and dignity in America. Among those at the heart of the story are Air Force pilot Fred Cherry, the first Black officer captured by the North Vietnamese and a hero to millions back home; and Elbert Nelson, a doctor who came to Vietnam after watching TV footage of the Watts riots in Los Angeles and soon found himself amid rising Black soldier protests overseas. Surrounding their experiences are the cultural and political forces of the era, including Martin Luther King Jr., Marvin Gaye, Berry Gordy and Lyndon Johnson, whose voices and actions shaped a decade of turbulence and transformation.
Promo
Drawing on the lives of soldiers and officers, doctors and nurses, journalists and activists, artists and politicians, Wil Haygood illuminates a generation caught between two battles: one on the front lines in Vietnam and another for justice and dignity in America. Among those at the heart of the story are Air Force pilot Fred Cherry, the first Black officer captured by the North Vietnamese and a hero to millions back home; and Elbert Nelson, a doctor who came to Vietnam after watching TV footage of the Watts riots in Los Angeles and soon found himself amid rising Black soldier protests overseas. Surrounding their experiences are the cultural and political forces of the era, including Martin Luther King Jr., Marvin Gaye, Berry Gordy and Lyndon Johnson, whose voices and actions shaped a decade of turbulence and transformation.
About the Book
Award-winning author and journalist Wil Haygood explores how the Vietnam War became a mirror for the struggle of Black Americans --- fighting for freedom abroad while demanding equality at home --- and a powerful lens through which to understand the racial and political divides that continue to shape American life.
Drawing on the lives of soldiers and officers, doctors and nurses, journalists and activists, artists and politicians, Wil Haygood illuminates a generation caught between two battles: one on the front lines in Vietnam and another for justice and dignity in America.
Among those at the heart of the story are Air Force pilot Fred Cherry, the first Black officer captured by the North Vietnamese and a hero to millions back home; Dr. Elbert Nelson, a doctor who came to Vietnam after watching TV footage of the Watts riots in Los Angeles and soon found himself amid rising Black soldier protests overseas; Wallace Terry, a groundbreaking Black reporter determined to expose the dynamics of race and war to the American public; and Philippa Schuyler, a biracial concert pianist who traveled to Vietnam to rescue mixed-race orphans, many fathered by Black soldiers, and died trying to bring them to safety.
Surrounding their experiences are the cultural and political forces of the era, including Martin Luther King Jr., Marvin Gaye, Berry Gordy and Lyndon Johnson, whose voices and actions shaped a decade of turbulence and transformation.
THE WAR WITHIN A WAR is both sweeping history and intimate revelation, capturing the tragedies and triumphs, the honor and hypocrisies, the courage and cowardice that shaped an era and whose repercussions resonate today.
Audiobook available, read by Cary Hite
