For decades, the soldiers who served in Vietnam were shunned by the American public and ignored by their government. Many were vilified or had their struggles to reintegrate with society magnified by distorted depictions of veterans as dangerous or demented. Even today, Vietnam veterans have not received their due. Until now.

In this groundbreaking new book, veterans Joseph Galloway, New York Times bestselling author of We Were Soldiers Once and Young, and award-winning author Marvin J. Wolf reveal the private lives of those who returned from Vietnam to make astonishing contributions in science, medicine, business, and other arenas, changing America for the better. These profiles are touching and courageous and often startling. They include veterans both known and unknown, including Frederick Wallace ("Fred") Smith, founder of FedEx, Marshall Carter who became chairman of the New York Stock Exchange, and Eileen Moore, a former combat nurse and current appellate judge who also serves as a mentor in California's Combat Veterans Court.

Engrossing, moving, and eye-opening, They Were Soldiers is a magnificent tribute that gives long overdue honor and recognition to the soldiers of this "forgotten generation."