The Brothers Who Fought Together In A War Only One Of Them Believed In

By Jennifer Brookland ,

Frank Stasio

Published February 6, 2018 at 12:15 PM EST

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Brothers Tom and Chuck Hagel served together in the same infantry unit when they volunteered to go to Vietnam.

courtesy of Daniel Bolger

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Retired Army Gen. Daniel Bolger drew on his own long career commanding troops in Iraq and Afghanistan to write about the Hagel brothers' experiences in the Vietnam War.

courtesy of Daniel Bolger

Photo of book cover picturing a young Tom and Chuck Hagel — 'Our Year of War' is out now from Da Capo Press.

In 1968, brothers Tom and Chuck Hagel volunteered for an infantry unit bound for Vietnam. One of them believed in the war; one was staunchly opposed to it.

But their differing ideologies did not matter once they got to the front lines: They fought side by side, and each even saved the other’s life under fire. “Our Year of War: Two Brothers, Vietnam, and a Nation Divided” (Da Capo Press/2017) chronicles their journey from hometown Nebraska to the jungles of Vietnam and back home to a fractured country.

Host Frank Stasio talks with author and retired U.S. Army General Daniel Bolger about the Hagel brothers’ understanding of service and their remarkable story of serving together in a war only one of them supported.