Apache Snow — William L. Casselman

*** MAJOR EDITING REVISION JULY 2016 *** “Operation Apache Snow” is a story of the Vietnam War, which takes place in 1969 and primarily involves members of a single battalion of the 101st Airborne Division, who engaged the 29th North Vietnamese Army Division for 11-days on Hill # 937 in the infamous A Shau Valley. While the characters are fictional, the battle was very real and when it was over 70 Americans were killed in action, 420 were wounded and 633 North Vietnamese were confirmed dead. Matthew Kendal, a pastor's youngest son from a white middle-class California background, enlists in the army and volunteers for service in Vietnam to avenge his brother's death; a Green Beret sergeant killed in 1968. During training, Matthew becomes close friends with John Adams, a tough-skinned Afro-American youth from the poorer neighborhoods right outside our nation's capital, and Jose Martinez, a street-wise Chicano from East Los Angeles. Together they experience the rigors of Airborne training and journey to Vietnam to become Screaming Eagles, of the 101st Airborne. Placed in 2nd Squad, the story follows the actual events surrounding D Company during the intense battle for Hill # 937, which would later be known as the “Battle for Hamburger Hill”.