Book excerpt: The "innocence lost" - never to be regained - by America's youth during the Vietnam War lies strewn across America's landscape in the form of shattered lives and minds. We were sent there by U.S. government officials who played recklessly with our young lives; however, we did not know to what extent at the time. Maybe we still don't. But, we do know that for them, our so-called leaders, politics came first, and our welfare - our very lives - came second. We also know that very little was reported about that war during the period November 22, 1963, to August 5, 1964. John B. Givhan was there during that time, and he details early helicopter assault missions flown by courageous U.S. Army helicopter pilots, crew chiefs and gunners - their living and their dying. This is also about April 12, 1964, in the Mekong Delta in Vietnam, a day that is and will be forever etched in the minds and souls of the men of the 120th Aviation Company, the "Deans", when valor and devotion to duty reigned supreme - and whose innocence was lost!