Let the American Mothers Weep for their Sons
The book, written by Kenneth D. Hughes, in collaboration with Richard J. Hast, is an expansive first-hand account of the American War in South Vietnam. It is based upon personal interviews of more than ninety veterans, from privates to generals, with intimate details gleaned from letters, thousands of American and Vietnamese historical documents, photographs and maps. The book embraces a rare look at the communist perspective and the turmoil of the 1960s. The title is a quote from the Hanoi Council’s decision to launch an offensive to create casualties as America celebrated Mother’s Day on May 11, 1969.
A fourteen-day battle in August is the centerpiece of this saga, juxtaposed over Woodstock’s “Three Days of Peace and Music Festival,” in Bethel, N.Y.
At the end of each chapter, two unique features are, “The Toll,” of Americans killed, and “Back in the World,” which shares significant events in American history. The book includes over 100 photos and battle maps.
"Let the American Mothers Weep for their Sons" chronicles the 1969 combat tour of Sgt. Rick Hast, while sharing the experiences of more than 230 veterans who served in Charlie Company, and other companies of the 4-31st Infantry Battalion, the 196th LIB Brigade, and the Americal Division. It also includes battles fought by the 2nd and 3rd Battalions of the 7th Marine Regiment. The Americans were allied with the 5th ARVN Regiment and the Regional and Popular South Vietnamese companies. Their antagonists were the soldiers of the 2nd North Vietnamese Division and the 105th Viet Cong Battalion. They fought in the Que Son Basin, known as Death Valley in I Corps, the deadliest region of the Vietnam War.
