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.