 There are several reasons why I've chosen to speak out on Vietnam now. The most compelling one, I stayed in the preface and I'll read it for you. We of the Kennedy and Johnson administrations who participated in the decisions on Vietnam acted according to what we thought were the principles and the traditions of this nation. We made our decisions in the light of those values, yet we were wrong. I believe we were terribly wrong and I believe therefore we owe it to future generations to explain why. In July 1965, my rifle company went to Vietnam with six officers and 200 marines. Eight months later, on March 4th 1966, my company was reduced to one officer and 50 marines and on that day alone in Operation Utah, 20 of my marines died and 40 of us were wounded. If I could but one more time have my first sergeant fall in Fox Company, Second Battalion, Seventh Marines to explain to them your book, I would say to them your Secretary of Defense has written a book that has taken away every geopolitical rationale for the war in any contribution you may have made to win the Cold War and with a with that very heavy heart I would tell my marines based on your book that they have fought and died in vain.