The Formation of the 9th Infantry Division

The 9th Infantry Division was formed in a new and unique way in 1966. Traditionally, soldiers attended basic training on one Army post, Advanced Individual Training (AIT) at another, then reported to their units to begin serving with soldiers they had never met. The 9th was different. Recruits reported directly to the units they would serve in combat with. They received their basic and AIT under the leaders who would take them into combat in Vietnam.

The Training and Deployment

The book begins with training on the plains of Fort Riley, Kansas, then follows the battalion across the Pacific on the USS John Pope. It follows them to an open field, where they would have to build their own base camp. All too soon, they were thrown into the intense combat of Operations Cedar Falls, Junction City, and Manhattan.

The Experience of Combat

Theirs is the story of living, eating, sleeping, and trying to keep clean during perhaps the most decisive year of the most divisive war in our nation's history. The story ends with a brutal battle on a nondescript hilltop and the house-to-house fighting during the Tet Offensive of 1968. It is the story of some of the bravest, most dedicated soldiers to ever wear the uniform of the United States Army.