Extraordinary Valor is the true story of American Special Forces officer John Duffy, and South Vietnamese paratrooper, Le Van Me, as they fight to defend Charlie Hill, a key to holding Vietnam's Central Highlands during North Vietnam's 1972 Easter Offensive. John Joseph Duffy was born in Brooklyn, New York; Le Van Me in a small village outside the old imperial capital of Hue in South Vietnam. Living on opposite sides of the globe, they come together in the heat of war in Southeast Asia when Major Duffy is assigned as the American advisor to the elite South Vietnamese 11th Airborne Battalion where Me is second in command. The battalion receives the order to "Fight to the death" on Charlie Hill. After two weeks of intense combat, hundreds lay dead and those still standing are out of food, water, and medical supplies. Their ammunition is nearly gone. Duffy and Me draw on their bond of friendship and trust to make a selfless two-man last stand against the final North Vietnamese human wave assault. Both are badly wounded, Duffy multiple times. Their heroic action allows 36 members of the 471-man battalion to escape and be rescued. The rest are killed, captured, or missing in action. This is their story.
William Reeder is a retired U.S. Army colonel, highly decorated with extensive combat experience (Silver Star for gallantry, Valorous Unit Award, two Distinguished Flying Crosses for heroism, three Purple Hearts for wounds received in combat). In Vietnam, he was an AH-1 Cobra and AH-64 Apache attack helicopter pilot. He is also a former prisoner of war (POW) in Vietnam. Reeder holds a Ph.D. in history and does training and leadership development consulting with NATO Special Operations forces. He is a frequent speaker for veterans and other military and civic organizations.
"Riveting, raw, and insightful account of a South Vietnamese airborne battalion and the leaders who took it through one of the most horrendous clashes of the Vietnam War. William Reeder's brilliant writing took me right back into the heart of battle. It is real. Focusing on two heroes and one battalion's desperate fight, it is the forgotten story of South Vietnam's most elite forces and how they fought with extraordinary courage and sacrifice. It is also the story of the gallant young American paratroop advisors who served beside them."--General Barry McCaffrey, USA (Ret.), inductee into the U.S. Army Ranger Hall of Fame, and current NBC national security analyst
