“At last light we are two miles behind the front lines facing some woods. Whenever the artillery fires, there is a tremendous roar and red streaks of light flash into the air. Moving figures emerge out of the darkness. The North Koreans are moving slowly toward us. “Fire,” Some of the figures fall, and others stop, as in disbelief. We fire again. The figures disappear in the darkness. The bodies left do not move. There is silence broken by the roar from the artillery close by, and the rumble from the other artillery in the valley. All night fighting is intense as far as ten miles behind the front lines.”

—Excerpt from Forgotten

Forgotten presents the reality of infantry combat by bringing to light the lessons about ideological conflict that were not learned in Korea and Vietnam. It illustrates the importance of combat camaraderie and the inner compass of individuals. The book is a partial correction of the distortion of combat by the media and military history that slight the individual with its focus on firepower, technology, political arguments, grand maneuvers, mistakes and myths.

Although Forgotten tells an interesting story of the past, it also looks to the future in the hope that the mistakes made in Iraq and Afghanistan will not be repeated. It identifies the two current existential threats to the United States, then suggests what must be done if America is not to decline.   

About the Author:

Sam C. Holliday fought as an infantryman in Korea and Vietnam, worked in the Pentagon on force planning for Vietnam, and was the first director of Stability Studies at the Army War College. After sixty years of research and reflection on War and Warfare, he has presented his conclusions with drama, philosophical perspective, and compassion.