▁had ▁approached ▁their s ▁when ▁I ▁had ▁been ▁a ▁mid ship man ▁at ▁the ▁Naval ▁Academy ." ▁In tr igu ed , ▁H ank ▁chose ▁Vietnam ▁as ▁his ▁th esis ▁topic . ▁Ste eping ▁himself ▁in ▁the ▁country ' s ▁history , ▁he ▁was ▁influenced ▁by ▁Bernard ▁Fall ' s ▁ 1 9 6 1 ▁classic ▁Street ▁without ▁Joy : ▁The ▁Blo ody ▁Road ▁to ▁D ien ▁Bien ▁Ph u , ▁the ▁account ▁of ▁the ▁French ▁army ' s ▁eight - year ▁war ▁in ▁Ind och ina . ▁ ▁Brown - water ▁operations ▁in ▁Vietnam ▁ ▁In ▁the ▁spring ▁of ▁ 1 9 6 6 , ▁near ing ▁the ▁end ▁of ▁his ▁program ▁at ▁the ▁Naval ▁War ▁College , ▁H ank ▁came ▁to ▁Washington ▁to ▁the ▁Bureau ▁of ▁Person nel ▁to ▁request ▁his ▁next ▁assignment . ▁While ▁in ▁town , ▁he ▁discussed ▁his ▁future ▁with ▁his ▁d ad . ▁" At ▁the ▁end ▁of ▁every ▁war , ▁the ▁Navy ▁and ▁all ▁the ▁services ▁divide ▁themselves ▁up ▁into ▁those ▁who ▁fought ▁and ▁those ▁who ▁didn ' t . ▁If ▁you ▁didn ' t ▁fight ," ▁offered ▁Lloyd , ▁" it ▁doesn ' t ▁matter ▁what ▁the ▁reason ▁was , ▁you ' re ▁not ▁going ▁to ▁stay ▁compet itive . ▁So , ▁go ▁on ▁over ▁there ▁and ▁fight ." ▁ ▁Thus ▁ad vised , ▁H ank ▁went ▁to ▁the ▁b ureau ▁the ▁following ▁day ▁and ▁requested ▁Vietnam ▁duty . ▁The ▁response ▁was ▁not ▁encourag ing . ▁" We ' re ▁not ▁sending ▁any ▁Naval ▁Academy