In the second installment of our three-part series inspired by Wil Haygood's book The War Within a War: The Black Struggle in Vietnam and at Home, we examine the complex realities of race, brotherhood, and survival during the Vietnam War.
The Battle of Ia Drang and Landing Zone Albany
Captain George Forrest was among the relatively few Black officers entrusted with combat command during the Vietnam War. In November 1965, he fought in the Battle of Ia Drang, including the devastating ambush at Landing Zone Albany. Forrest recalls his desperate efforts to reach his company, the loss of his radio operators, and the extraordinary courage of medic Daniel Torres, who volunteered to remain overnight with wounded soldiers in enemy-held territory.
Dottie Harris: Nursing in a War Zone
Stationed at Củ Chi in 1967, Army nurse Dottie Harris witnessed the devastating human cost of war while caring for severely wounded American soldiers. One of only a handful of Black nurses serving in Vietnam, Harris also encountered a complicated sense of kinship with Vietnamese civilians, who recognized something familiar in her experience as a Black American.
Soul Alley and the DAP
Black service members faced discrimination even while fighting for their country. Near Saigon, they established Soul Alley, a gathering place where familiar food, music, and culture offered a sense of belonging. The DAP, a distinctive handshake representing dignity and pride, became another expression of solidarity, though military leadership sometimes viewed it with suspicion.
Fred Cherry and Porter Halyburton: Brotherhood in Captivity
In a North Vietnamese prison, Black pilot Fred Cherry and white naval officer Porter Halyburton were placed together in an attempt to exploit America's racial divisions. Instead, the two men cared for one another through torture and captivity, forging a bond that challenged the expectations of their captors.
Long Bình Jail and Racial Unrest
Discriminatory discipline and harsh conditions at Long Bình Jail revealed another side of the American military experience. Following the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in April 1968, racial tensions intensified, culminating in a violent uprising at the military stockade that August.
Leroy Pitts: The Ultimate Sacrifice
Dottie Harris also remembers her friend Captain Riley Leroy Pitts, a Black officer who voluntarily left a comparatively safe assignment to lead soldiers in combat. On October 31, 1967, Pitts was killed during an engagement near Ap Dong. His extraordinary bravery earned him a posthumous Medal of Honor, making him the first Black commissioned officer to receive the nation's highest military decoration.
Throughout these stories, a central contradiction emerges: on the battlefield, soldiers often transcended racial divisions to protect one another, even as discrimination persisted within the institution they served.
The series concludes in Part 3, examining the difficult homecoming of Black Vietnam veterans and the continuing struggle for recognition and remembrance.
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