The Battlin' Bastards of Bravo

In their own words, the men of Bravo Company, 1/506th, 101st Airborne, share their Vietnam War. The “Battlin’ Bastards” of B Company, 1st Battalion, 506th Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne Division, fought daily against a well-trained and determined enemy during their tours in Vietnam, 1968–71. Before the war, these men were brothers, sons, sweethearts, husbands, and fathers. Some were athletes, some musicians. Some were just out of high school, some in established careers. There is no monolithic “Battlin’ Bastard,” but when they joined the 101st Airborne Division—one of the most highly decorated divisions in the United States Army—in Vietnam, they united, fighting for each other, and fighting to return safely home. It was difficult to put their experiences behind them. As Bravo veteran, Terry Taylor, recalled, “I learned at the age of 18 that you don’t have to die to go to hell. Vietnam was hell on earth.” And yet despite the obstacles, many of these men built successful lives post-war. Decades after returning from the war, when the men were ready to cautiously revisit their experiences, the Bastards started stateside reunions. From these reunions came the wish to share their stories with the world, to honor, to educate, and to inspire. The result is this book, written from interviews and diligent archival research, in which the surviving “Battlin’ Bastards” tell their stories of combat in their own words, and honor those who “sacrificed for their country and their unit.” Additionally, the author of A War of Their Own has requested an update to the long description. Please update the final sentence in the second paragraph to: “In the United States at the time of the fall, he tried to learn their fate with Chickering's help, but Cambodia had become a tomb.”