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INTRODUCTION
 
 
 
This is the story of a small group of courageous and determined people. Against all odds, they helped to turn around a broken institution—the United States military, and to reinstill confidence among their ranks and in the eyes of the American people. These veterans recall, in their own words, how in the aftermath of bitter defeat, they overcame self-doubt as well as prejudice from their civilian peers. And above all else, how they developed qualities of leadership that were believed lacking in overall American society.
 
I am not a general or a professional soldier. However, I have been a young soldier covered in my own blood, lying in half-shock on a foreign battlefield. I have known the crushing feeling of being among those asked to put their lives on the line without having the support of our superiors, or the benefit of a coherent policy. That experience created a bond that unites most survivors of the Vietnam War. It motivated me to become a chronicler of men and women who have faced combat. And it inspired a core group of young officers and sergeants not to abandon a military community in shambles in the aftermath of Vietnam.
 
I started work on this project in the late spring of 1991, while the last large groups of U.S. ground troops, sailors, and airmen were returning from combat duty in the Persian Gulf after Desert Storm. For the next two years, as I conducted numerous interviews with men and women of all branches of service, U.S. forces were sent into Somalia, and a naval blockade and aerial patrols over Iraq continued, while the “drug war” in Latin America sputtered. And a debate raged over how to stop ethnic violence in the Balkans as the former Soviet Union was edging toward instability.
 
This dizzying turn of world events altered my original focus. I had intended to document a closure to the historical cycle that began with the introduction of U.S. ground forces to Vietnam in 1965, that reached its low point in the ill-fated 1980 hostage rescue attempt in Iran, and that ended triumphantly with the 1991 liberation of Kuwait.
 
But while the American public was celebrating joyous post–Desert Storm “Welcome Home” parades, a quiet sobriety was expressed by most senior military people I spoke with. And today, as the euphoria of victory fades, the greatest challenge that senior leaders face is to prevent their troops and young officers from resting on their laurels.
 
Domestic needs require that our military budget and manpower be scaled down. But instead of a “peace dividend,” the post–Cold War has rekindled age-old ethnic violence and regional instability. International economic competition has intensified. The scourge of drugs has spread. State-of-the-art weapons technologies are available on the open market. In many ways, the world has become a more unpredictable and explosive environment.
 
After the Gulf War, American forces immediately needed to continue training for whatever emergencies might occur next. However, the “draw down” of military budget and manpower is likely to require cutbacks in vital training time and resources, and may eventually curtail a Desert Storm–type ability to respond. Leadership, both in senior Pentagon management and in small field units, remains the intangible key to holding together a quality institution and saving lives in precarious situations.
 
My concern remains with the young American troops, who, unlike blocks on a war game board or characters in bloodless computer exercises, die easily. To be sure, there are important positive lessons to be learned from Desert Storm. However, there remains a chance that young soldiers or marines—overconfident from the ease of the victory over Iraq—may be sent into politically complex situations where battle lines are not clearly defined. Unlike in the desert of Kuwait, they may have to serve as peacekeepers in populated areas, perhaps under harsh conditions with harassment from violent forces and a questioning public at home. The use of overwhelming force may not be politically or morally feasible. Instead, leadership and discipline are critical. And lessons learned from Vietnam—which many people would like to “put behind us”—have renewed significance.
 
During Desert Shield/Desert Storm, only around three percent of the active duty forces were Vietnam veterans. But they played the premier role in planning the operations and leading the forces into battle in the air, on land, and at sea. During the current RIF (reduction in force) a substantial number of them will leave active duty. Within five to ten years, practically all those who experienced the pain of Vietnam and the rebuilding years will be retired.
 
As we rush toward the future, there are lessons from those difficult days that should not be overlooked or cast aside. At stake are not only the lives of our young men and women who may be sent into harm’s way. In this increasingly volatile world, the security of our nation may be jeopardized.
 
The fifty-six people you will meet in these pages—ranging from Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Colin Powell, Marine Corps Commandant Al Gray, Air Force Space Command General Chuck Horner to Navy SEAL Captain Timothy Holden, Army nurse Colonel Barbara Smith and Marine tank Master Sergeant James Graham—are all combat veterans. This should not be seen as a slight to the important role of those who work in the logistics and combat support branches. Any fighter will be the first to say that they could not succeed without those who provide the transport, maintenance, bullets, and beans. But as a former combat soldier, I best relate to those who do the fighting and bleeding, and who sometimes make split-second decisions that affect the lives of our sons and daughters under their command.
 
Besides the arduous trials of Vietnam and the intense planning for Desert Storm, the leaders in this book have collectively played a role in all major involvements of American military forces during the past five decades: These include the Pacific and European campaigns of World War II; the Korean War; the Cold War in Europe; the Cuban Missile Crisis; the fall of Iran and hostage rescue attempt; Lebanon; Grenada; Operation Just Cause in Panama, and Operation Provide Hope in Somalia. The through line that links all of these events and diverse leadership styles is that in all wars the combat experience has similar human traits.
 
Included as well are many valuable insights on the growing role of technology. Many new computerized weapons systems contributed to a quick resolution of the Gulf War. But technology by itself cannot guarantee success. Although Desert Storm was not a prolonged ground conflict, among the commanders I interviewed are a unique group who fought the Iraqis at close quarters. You will find that courage has many faces.
 
The book’s five sections are organized in a chronological flow of events. Through personal stories, reflections and insights, you will get a glimpse into the minds and souls of individuals who have played key roles on the battlefield. Between Vietnam and the Gulf, each officer or sergeant had to struggle, not only to rebuild the system; he or she also had the very personal struggle to define his or her own goals and sense of purpose.
 
We veterans believe that our learning experiences from Vietnam and the rebuilding period must be remembered. These lessons can be critical in helping a new generation deal with difficult geopolitical challenges. They can provide guidance to successfully protect our national security and to fulfill international obligations. And more important, they can prevent our political and military policymakers from sliding into “another Vietnam” while dealing with complex political and military crises during this unpredictable period of history.
 
—AL SANTOLI
   Falls Church, Virginia
   April 1993