No Survivors

To many Americans, the VietnamWar was simply a misdirected conflict between the United States and the communist forces in Southeast Asia. Technology allowed Vietnam to become Americans first TV war and the images beamed across the nation further warped our understanding of the hostilities half a world away.     But, before there was any major build-up of American forces; before the war became a proving ground for various weapons systems; before the prime-time coverage and the public outcry, there were infantry advisors. Although their role was quickly eclipsed by the larger, all U.S.operations, their efforts continued throughout the war.     First sent by PresidentEisenhower in the late fifties, the advisors were America's initial Vietnam anti.  Their mission: train the SouthVietnamese in self-defense, weapons systems, and tactics. Accompany them on combat operations against the communists to provide tactical guidance and, once contact with the enemy was established, advisors provided the primary communications link to coordinate air strikes, artillery fire missions and medical evacuations.     In an attempt to make No Survivors as reader-friendly as possible, a glossary of common terms has been included in the back of the book.     Every aspect of the Vietnam War deserves special attention. No Survivors may help those who weren't in Vietnam - and those who were - better understand a relatively little-known corner of the conflict, the role of the advisor.