This book grew out of an investigative newspaper series, “Buried Secrets, Brutal Truths,” published in the Blade of Toledo, Ohio, and its sister paper, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, from October 19 through October 22, 2003. As lead reporters on the project, we were granted a nine-month leave of absence to turn the stories into a book just days before the Pulitzer Prize Board recognized our work in the category of investigative reporting. Also sharing in the prize was reporter Joe Mahr, whose effort was invaluable in the stretch.
We want to thank a number of people at the Blade, especially publisher John Robinson Block, for allowing us the time to work on this book, and also Blade correspondent Michael Woods, whose friendship with Henry Tufts led to the Blade acquiring more than twenty-five thousand documents of the Army commander’s personal papers—important records that made the newspaper series and book possible.
Much of our work for the Blade became the foundation for this book, and to that extent, we would like to thank Mahr, a close friend and colleague who helped track down several former Tigers for the series. Blade editors also supported the newspaper investigation, including executive editor Ron Royhab, managing editor Kurt Franck, assistant managing editor Luann Sharp, state editor Dave Murray, copyeditors Ann Weber and Todd Wetzler, and librarians Mary Mackzum and Vesna Radivojevic.
Special thanks to Doug Koerner and Wes Booher for their insightful graphics, maps, headlines, and first-rate contest presentation of the newspaper series to the Pulitzer Prize Board and jurors. When the pressure was mounting, Doug and Wes stood by us. The same measure of thanks goes to Blade legal counsel Fritz Byers.
Kudos to the Blade’s photo department, including photographer Andy Morrison, who accompanied us to Vietnam and whose compelling photos of the Tiger Force survivors added a powerful dimension to the series and to this book. Also thanks to Blade photo editor Dave Cantor.
We’d also like to express our gratitude to former Army captain Billy Kelly, a Vietnam veteran, for his technical expertise during the writing of this book, and to the numerous Tiger Force members who agreed to be interviewed—however painful the memories. A special debt of gratitude to the families of deceased platoon members Donald Wood and Gerald Bruner—soldiers who risked their lives to stop the atrocities.
We would like to recognize the University of Toledo’s College of Arts and Sciences and Department of Communication for granting us office space while we wrote this book, especially the college’s former dean, David Stern; communication professors Richard Knecht, Jacqueline Layng, and Paulette Kilmer; and secretary Pat Damschroder.
Undertaking a book project of this magnitude can be frustrating and challenging, but along the way, several colleagues helped boost our morale and inspire us, including Blade reporter Larry Vellequette, Chicago Tribune reporter Sam Roe, Bowling Green State University journalism professor Melissa Spirek, Miami Herald assistant managing editor Manny Garcia, and attorney Gerardo Rollison.
In Vietnam, we were assisted by interpreter Nyugen Minh Nguyet, who joined us for sixteen days in the Central Highlands, and whose precise translations were crucial to understanding the events that transpired nearly four decades ago. A special thanks to the people of the Song Ve Valley for allowing us into their homes and sharing their painful recollections.
We’d like to thank the Collins McCormick Literary Agency, especially PJ Mark, for recognizing the value of the newspaper series just days after publication, and we would also like to express our gratitude to the people at Little, Brown and Company for their editorial support, including Junie Dahn and Karen Landry, and especially Geoff Shandler, our book editor, who truly understood the historical significance of the story and who pushed us to greater heights.
Additionally, a number of journalists deserve mention for seeing the importance of the Tiger Force story and sharing it with the rest of the country, including Seymour Hersh, who penned an article in The New Yorker; the late Peter Jennings, Ted Koppel, and veteran producer Jill Rackmill of ABC, who devoted generous segments to the series; and Terence Smith, media correspondent and senior producer for the Public Broadcasting Service’s NewsHour with Jim Lehrer.
In the end, this work would not have been possible without the dogged persistence of the lead Army investigator who refused to be undermined. Gus Apsey reluctantly talked to us about the case, his loyalty torn at times between the Army he loved and telling the truth about a case that dominated his life for more than three years. He refused to cast aspersions on the Army, even though he was deeply disappointed about the way the case was dismissed without a hearing.
Finally, to our wives, Judi Sallah and Suzyn Weiss, and our children, who were often left on weekends while we wrote the manuscript. Without their love and support, this work would not have been possible.
Michael Sallah and Mitch Weiss
October 2005