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| Category: Military |
(requires Adobe Reader)
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| About the Book | |
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Calvin William Heath enlisted in the U.S. Army in 1967 during the height of the Vietnam War. After completing his training, Calvin was assigned to Delta Company, 3/187th Infantry (ABN), 101st Airborne Division, one of the most highly decorated airborne units during the Vietnam War. In 1968, American troops all over South Vietnam were tracking down the remnants of VC and NVA units heavily damaged after the TET Offensive. On March 16-19, 1968, during Operation Rakkasan Chaparral, Delta found their targets—the Dong Nai Regiment and the 7th NVA Division—in the dense jungles of War Zone D located near Phuoc Vinh, South Vietnam. They quickly found themselves in a fight for their lives. Surrounded and seriously outnumbered, Calvin and a number of other Airborne Troopers were hit by a large command-detonated antipersonnel mine and heavy small-arms fire. In a flash, Calvin’s entire party lay dead or seriously wounded. Refusing to leave the other injured men, Calvin spent 13 harrowing hours as he and his wounded comrades fought off waves of enemy soldiers. As a result, Calvin was recommended for the nation’s third highest award for “Gallantry in Action” – The Silver Star. Unfortunately, Calvin returned to an ungrateful nation and an Army ill-prepared to deal with their damaged warriors. The treatment many of these brave soldiers received after the war was disgraceful and it remains a dark stain on our national fabric. Forgotten Hero chronicles the life of one combat veteran as he battles horrific post-war demons and a broken system. For three decades, Calvin fought a lonely and hopeless battle to restore his honor, until a lifeline was unexpectedly thrown to him by one of his battle mates.
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| About the Author | |
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Joseph Lindley is the recipient of the DAR's Historic Preservation Medal and has penned several books about Northeast Connecticut soldiers, to include A Thousand Days to Live and Thompson's Tourtellotte's and the Civil War. His interest in military history began when he served in the U.S. Army and the CTARNG. He has a B.S. and a M.A. in Education and lives in Thompson, CT with his wife Sue. |