This book reflects the contributions and wisdom of many, most notably Chuck and Tom Hagel, the central figures of this narrative. They are American heroes. Both made available their time, interviews, photographs, papers, and related archives, to include fine collections at the Dr. C. C. and Mabel L. Criss Library of the University of Nebraska at Omaha and the U.S. Library of Congress. The Hagel brothers’ willingness to share their stories reflects a degree of moral courage equivalent to the bravery they showed time and time again under fire in Vietnam.
Special thanks go to my very patient agent, E. J. McCarthy. This book was his idea, and it was a good one. I must also salute the great team at Da Capo. Robert Pigeon and his associates, especially Lissa Warren, all deserve gratitude. Gifted project editor Christine Marra and her able team skillfully sorted out my draft. My colleagues at North Carolina State University have also been immensely supportive. This book reflects their collective wise counsel.
I must particularly recognize the late Keith Nolan, the dean of Vietnam combat historians. His many books covered all of the major operations of the war, drawing on extensive and thoughtful use of official sources, personal accounts, and a relentless quest for what the great British historian John Keegan once labeled the face of battle. Through Keith Nolan, readers learned what really happened in action after action that flared in the jungles and villages of South Vietnam. Had Keith lived, I am sure he would have done justice to the story of Chuck and Tom Hagel. I hope this book approaches what he would certainly have accomplished.
There have been many able journalists and authors who have taken up portions of the stories of the Hagel brothers. Among these, Myra MacPherson stands foremost. Her wonderful, haunting Long Time Passing (1984), a definitive collection of voices of that era, introduced readers to the Hagels long before Tom became a professor of law or Chuck entered the U.S. Senate. Charlyne Berens in Chuck Hagel: Moving Forward (2006) offered a superb single-volume political biography of the senator, to include a brief consideration of his military service. And Chuck Hagel himself, with coauthor Peter Kaminsky, wrote America: Our Next Chapter (2008), a candid and useful look at his background and beliefs. There are many other fine articles available that address aspects of the Hagels’ history. These have been cited in the notes.
In considering the brothers’ wartime service, I am grateful to both Chuck and Tom for all they have shared. The U.S. Senator Chuck Hagel Archives at the University of Nebraska at Omaha offer wonderful insights into the rich life of the Hagel family. The photo collection is especially impressive. In 1968, Mike Hagel carefully preserved the photos sent home by his brothers. We are all in his debt.
Particularly valuable insights can be found in the hours of unedited interview footage captured by Brad Penner for a half-hour Nebraska Educational Television documentary on the 1999 visit by Chuck and Tom Hagel to Vietnam. The brothers donated these recordings to the Library of Congress. This is a first-rate resource, amounting to a tour of the sites of key Vietnam engagements from 1968, with the brothers as guides. Chuck and Tom spoke with candor and conviction, and that shines through.
This book is neither an authorized biography nor a comprehensive life and times of the Hagel brothers. Rather, it is an infantryman’s account of two infantry sergeants at war. There’s a broader story told because there’s always more to war than fighting. The heroism and achievements belong to Chuck and Tom Hagel and their fellow Vietnam veterans. Any errors are on me.