by Allen B. Clark

SUMMARY OF THE BOOK VALOR IN VIETNAM

In late June, Allen B. Clark's new book titled Valor in Vietnam: Chronicles of Honor, Courage, and Sacrifice 1963-1977 will be published by Casemate Publishers.  The book will also be available at Amazon and Barnes and Noble. The Foreword is by Lt. Gen. (USA-Ret) Dave R. Palmer, former Superintendent of West Point. Endorsements have been made by VAdm (USN-Ret) David Robinson, Naval Academy graduate and Navy Cross recipient, and BG (USA-Ret) Harold Nelson, Allen's West Point classmate and former U.S. Army Chief of Military History.

Every war continues to dwell in the lives it touched, in the lives of those living through that time, and in those absorbed by its historical significance. The Vietnam War lives on famously and infamously dependent on political points of view, but those who have “been there, done that” have a highly personalized window on their time of that history. Valor in Vietnam focuses on nineteen stories of Vietnam, stories of celebrated characters in the veteran community, compelling war narratives, vignettes of battles, and the emotional impact on the combatants. It is replete with leadership lessons as well as valuable insights that are just as applicable today as they were forty years ago.

This is an anecdotal history of America’s war in Vietnam composed of firsthand narratives by Vietnam War veterans presented in chronological order. They are intense, emotional, and highly personal stories. Connecting each of them is a brief historical commentary of that period of the war, the geography of the story, and the contemporary strategy written by Lewis Sorley, West Point class of 1956, and author of A Better War and Westmoreland.

With a foreword by Lt. Gen. Dave R. Palmer, U.S. Army (Ret.), Valor in Vietnam presents a historical overview of the war through the eyes of participants in each branch of service and throughout the entire course of the war. Simply put, their stories serve to reflect the commitment, honor, and dedication with which America’s veterans performed their service.

Allen B. Clark graduated from the United States Military Academy at West Point in 1963. Two years later, in 1965, he volunteered for service in Vietnam and was assigned to the Fifth Special Forces Group. He was wounded in an early-morning mortar attack on the Dak To Special Forces camp on June 17, 1967, that necessitated the amputation of both legs below his knees. He lives in Dallas, Texas, and is the author of Wounded Soldier, Healing Warrior, the story of his journey of healing.

Copyright © 2012 Allen B. Clark.