Fire in the Streets

by Eric Hammel

  PRIVATE SOURCES

  The preponderance of details contained in this narrative were gleaned from voluminous taped and written exchanges between the author and ninety-one survivors of the Hue fighting. An enormous amount of effort and energy went into verifying details with other survivors and matching events described by individuals with events described, usually quite tersely, in the official records. In every case, inevitably, exact matches could not be made. And, though most details were satisfactor­ily verified, disputes over others still rage between and among groups of eyewitnesses. Judging the efficacy of thousands of details, from both private and official sources, the results of disputes between sources, and, the verity of individuals is the stock and trade of the narrative historian. To the degree that doing so is a science, it is an inexact science. To the degree that doing so is an art, it is a very satisfying art.

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  Acknowledgments

  I have written more than a dozen books, and it still amazes me how many strangers step forward willingly to give of their time, energy, and sleepless nights. Unfortunately, it is sometimes im­possible to write a readable book using so much information, so some stories are not used. Here, then, are the names of all the men, and one woman, who provided information, whether it was used or not:

  Joseph E. Abodeely (1st Cavalry Division), George O. Adkisson, Jr. (MACV), Danny J. Allbritton (2/5), Alfred G. Al­varez (1st Cavalry Division), Charles R. Baker (5/7 Cavalry), Barney W. Barnes (2/5), Gordon D. Batcheller (1/1), Roger B. Bergeron (1/5), Douglas E. Blayney (2/5), Frank Breth (MACV), Chris Brown (2/5), Jeff Brown (2/5), James R. Bullington, Tuy-Cam Bullington, Josef Burghardt (1/1), Thomas R. Burnham (2/5), Edward B. Burrow, Jr. (1/5), Hugh L. Buzzell (1st Cavalry Division), Terry Charbonneau (1st Motor Transport Battalion), Ernest C. Cheatham, Jr. (2/5), George R. Christmas (2/5), Joseph T. Dawson (2/5), Michael P. Downs (2/5), Wil­liam P. Eshelman (4th VNMC Battalion), Michael L. Ferguson (1st ARVN Division), F. Fernandez Folio (1/5), Dennis J. Gillem (2/501 Airborne), Curtis D. Godfrey (1/1), Marcus J. Gravel (1/1), Robert A. Gross (2/5), Patrick Haley (2/5), Myron C. Harrington (1/5), Michael O. Harris (2/5), Robert L. Helvey (2/12 Cavalry), James P. Hunter (2/5), Steven M. Johnson (2/12 Cavalry), Thomas R. Johnson (Marine Attack Squadron 311), Walter Kaczmarek (2/5), James A. Kennedy (5/7 Cavalry), Kenneth Kromer (2/5), Donald H. Lajeunesse (2/5), Franklin P. Lambert (5/7 Cavalry), Michael T. Lambert (2/5), W. Roger Lansbury (2/5), Raymond F. Latall (Marine Air Group 12), Jack R. Lofland (Combined Action Platoon Alpha-2), Burdette W. Loucks (Lima/3/5), James H. McCoy (2/5), Charles McMahon (2/5), Charles L. Meadows (2/5), Robert L. Meadows (2/5), James M. Mueller, Jr. (MACV), John A. Mullan (1/5), Peter A. Murray (2/5), Jerome Nadolski (1st Motor Transport Battalion), Edward F. Neas (1/1), Jack E. Phillips (1/5), Carnell Poole (2/5), Daniel J. Powers (2/5), Ray E. Poynter (101st Airborne Division), Howard T. Prince, II (5/7 Cavalry), Ronald D. Ray (VNMC Battle Group Alpha), Patrick Reilly (2/5), William L. Rogers, III (2/5), R. John Salvati (2/5), Scott Sampietro (2/5), Robert Scott (101st Airborne Division), Ray Stewart (2/5), Bill Stubbs (1/1), Dennis Studenny (2/5), Richard S. Sweet (2/12 Cavalry), William Tant (2/5), Ronald Taylor (1/11), Robert H. Thompson (1/5), For­rest Towe (2/5), Jeffrey N. Tressler (Lima/3/5), Ngo Quang Truong (1st ARVN Division), Michael Turley (1/5), Edward Van Valkenburgh (2/5), James B. Vaught (5/7 Cavalry), Freder­ick J. Vogel (1st Reconnaissance Battalion), Vic Walker (1/5), James P. Walsh (1/5), Herbert Watkins, Jr. (1/1), Ernest Weiss (2/5), Raymond G. Wojda (2/5), Leonard A. Wunderlich (1/5), James Yates (2/5), Donald C. Young (1/5), T. L. Youngman (2/5), Valente U. Yruegas (2/5). Thank you, one and all!