Video from CBS Sunday Morning
"Soldiers often write memoirs about their time in combat. One Medal of Honor recipient, retired Green Beret John Duffy, has written an epic poem about one of the biggest battles of the Vietnam War. CBS News national security correspondent David Martin talks with Duffy about "The Battle for 'Charlie.'" from video introduction.
A Vietnam Veteran’s Epic Poem of War
It’s not often (if ever) a recipient of the Medal of Honor is also a published poet. But retired Green Beret John Duffy turned his trial-by-fire into an epic poem of the Vietnam War.
It was a brutal battle; no quarter asked, none given. You killed the enemy or the enemy killed you.
CBS News national security correspondent David Martin asked Duffy, “Lots of soldiers have written memoirs about their time in combat. You chose to write poetry. Why?”
“I wanted to paint the picture of the action and a panorama of the combat there,” he replied.
It’s called “The Battle for ‘Charlie,'” the name of a fire base blocking the North Vietnamese invasion route into the central highlands at the start of their 1972 Easter offensive. Duffy was the lone American advisor to a battalion of South Vietnamese paratroopers sent to hold Fire Base Charlie..." from the article: A Vietnam veteran’s epic poem of war