William P. Collier - Outnumbered 20 to 1

W RITING THIS BOOK was never a serious desire or intention of mine. Over the years since serving in Vietnam, I have learned that the vast majority of combat veterans from World War II up to and including Afghanistan have chosen to keep their experiences and memories mostly to themselves. This also was my sincere intention. However, certain events, organizations, and individuals throughout these many years eventually succeeded in altering my intentions.

My wife of 54 years, Patricia Shaull Collier, passed in December 2015. She knew more of my Vietnam stories than anyone else. Even so, she knew precious few of the stories and very little of how I felt about those experiences. To her credit, and thankfully so, she lovingly encouraged and prodded me throughout many years to record my Vietnam experiences. She was quite consistent in her prodding and suggestions and even bought me a tape recorder on two separate occasions, albeit to no avail. I am eternally grateful for my wife and her support. Her words of encouragement still resonate with me today as my principal motivator.

My daughter, Tricia Collier Richardson, always stated her desire for a written account of my wartime service as well. She has been a loud advocate for this book to be written. After the passing of my wife, Tricia relentlessly doubled down on her belief that it was time to write this book. She was an exceptionally strong encourager, especially during recent years. Thank you, Tricia. I heard you. I have appreciated your encouragement, and I love you for it.

My son-in-law, Alan L. Richardson, also agreed with my daughters frequent attempts to initiate the stories relayed in this book. He was my constant go-to person for computer-related problems and other important sundry recommendations. Thank you, Alan.

One of my granddaughters, Samantha Erin Collier, very frequently mentioned that I needed to record my stories. Thank you, Samantha, for your encouragement and interest in my military service.

Longtime close personal friends since 1964, Lieutenant Colonel (Ret.), U.S. Army, Donald L. Ekstrom, and his wife Donna have also frequently insisted that I write this book. Don served with the 1st Cavalry Division (Airmobile) in 1965 and as a district advisor in the Mekong Delta in 1966. Don received two Purple Hearts, and he understood the need to describe the battle for Mo Duc. Thank you, Don and Donna.

I am very fortunate that several friends substantially helped me during the writing of this book. Each one possessed specific levels of knowledge and expertise that proved to be invaluable in terms of storyline content, editing, and overall preparation.

I jointly co-founded a combat veterans support organization in 2011 in Columbia, SC, with two members of my church, Colonel (Ret.) Steven B. Vitali, U.S. Marine Corps, a decorated combat commander of the wars in both Iraq and Afghanistan, and the Reverend W. Robert Farmer, a Vietnam combat veteran.

Col. Vitali soon learned more details of my Vietnam experiences than I had intended for anyone to know. As a personal friend and a prolific writer himself, Steve constantly pushed me to write this book. During this past year, he provided me with immeasurable assistance in its preparation, especially with events and details pertaining to the battle in and around Mo Duc. I also asked him to write the foreword to this book, which he graciously did. I am grateful for his willing guidance, editorial assistance, and friendship. Thank you, Steve.