Introduction

After a year in Vietnam, Douglas Smith was going home, and the Army interviewed him as part of a program to find out what worked and what didn't. Smith had first served on the staff of 9th Infantry Division, then spent six months commanding a mechanized infantry battalion. Mechanized infantry had different strengths and weaknesses than regular 'leg' infantry or airmobile troops, and Smith used different tactics to both minimize his risks and get the most from his men and equipment.

He also talks a great deal about how he tried to develop the junior leaders in his unit. He is somewhat reticent to criticize the Rules of Engagement, although his answer doesn't seem to add up completely. His accounts also show how units had to work alongside the pacification programs and talks about how it affected his operations. He comments on working with the ARVN (comments very different than those of Captain Kinzer, who fought alongside elite AVRN troops) and his perceptions of how American soldiers thought and fought. It's worth remembering that this interview was before the worst disillusionment set in amongst American troops.