Kenneth D. Hughes

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About The Authors

Kenneth D. Hughes

Kenneth D. “Ken” Hughes is the principal author of Relentless Valor. A lifelong student of military history, his extensive travels have taken him to battlefields across America, Western Europe, the Pacific, and—most recently—Vietnam. In 2008, he delivered the keynote address at the American Defenders of Bataan and Corregidor’s national convention in Louisville.

Ken served as an infantryman in the U.S. Army from 1967 to 1969. A graduate of the Non-Commissioned Officer Candidate Course, he attended Ranger School until an injury led to three months of recovery at Tripler Army Hospital.
Following his military service, Ken spent thirty-six years in law enforcement, retiring as Chief of Police for the Forest Park, Ohio Police Department, a suburb of Cincinnati. He is a graduate of the FBI National Academy, the Senior Management Institute for Police, and the Police Executive Leadership College. He holds a Master of Science degree from the University of Cincinnati.

Ken led professional research teams to the Royal Canadian Mounted Police Academy and the U.S. Military Academy at West Point to study leadership and training methodologies, and to Virginia Tech to analyze the 2007 Norris Hall mass shooting.

His recognitions include the Ohio Attorney General’s Distinguished Law Enforcement Service Award, the FBI National Academy Associates Officer of the Year Award, the Ohio Victims of Crime Silver Star Award, and the Hamilton County Police Association’s Officer of the Year.

Ken is married to Charlene, they have four children, ten grandchildren, and two great-grandchildren.

Richard J. Hast

Richard J. “Rick” Hast, co-author of Relentless Valor, was raised in Cincinnati and graduated from the Millersburg Military Institute in 1966, where he served two consecutive terms as Vice President of the student body. The son of a World War II combat veteran, Rick was drafted into the United States Army in July of 1968.

After completing Basic Training at Fort Benning, Georgia, and Advanced Infantry Training at Fort McClellan, Alabama’s Tigerland, PFC Hast deployed to Vietnam in December 1968. He was assigned to the 1st Platoon, Charlie Company, 4th Battalion, 31st Infantry Regiment, 196th Light Infantry Brigade, Americal Division. Operating from Landing Zone West in the Que Son, Antenna, and AK Valleys. His unit’s mission was to defend the Hiep Duc District Village on the southwestern edge of the Que Son Valley—an area the soldiers grimly called “Death Valley.”

During the enemy’s 1969 offensives, Rick’s platoon was ambushed by overwhelming North Vietnamese forces. After seven hours of fierce fighting, nearly every man in the platoon was killed or wounded. Rick survived, but was wounded in September during a battle on Banana Tree Hill. He was treated at the 95th Evacuation Hospital, but insisted on returning to his unit after three days.

For his valor and service, Rick was promoted to Sergeant and awarded the Bronze Star, Purple Heart, and Combat Infantryman’s Badge. He returned home in December 1969 and soon married his sweetheart, Jane. Together they have two sons and three grandchildren—Will, Kylie, and Kate.

Latest Works

Relentless Valor

Drawing from first-hand accounts of soldiers—privates to generals—Relentless Valor delivers an unflinching portrayal of the Vietnam War. With historical accuracy and perspectives from all sides—American, North and South Vietnamese, Viet Cong, and civilians.

In the unforgiving jungles of Vietnam, two young soldiers—one American, one North Vietnamese—fight for survival, loyalty, and love.

Rick Hast, a 21-year-old from Ohio, never planned on war. But when he loses his college deferment, he accepts the draft, driven by duty and the legacy of his father, a D-Day veteran. He dreams of doing his time, returning home, and marrying his sweetheart.

Nguyen “Van” Li, just 17, has his own mission: finding his missing brother, who serves in the North Vietnamese Army. Despite his mother’s fears, he answers the compulsory draft, not out of communist conviction, but out of love for his family. Along the perilous Ho Chi Minh Trail, he experiences war, brotherhood, and unexpected love.

As Rick soldiers with Charlie Company, patrolling the mountains and valleys, Van and his comrades set deadly ambushes, ensuring the Americans never feel safe. Charlie Company’s infamous Zapper Squad is so lethal that the Viet Cong place a bounty on them. Both Rick and Van fight alongside their brothers-in-arms, forging bonds while witnessing unspeakable loss.

Their fates collide in the Que Son Basin—aptly named Death Valley—during a brutal 14-day battle in August, as America revels in the peace and music of Woodstock, soldiers die on the battlefield, as anti-war anthems like “I-Feel-Like-I’m-Fixin’-to-Die Rag” echo back home.

Meanwhile, in the shadows, Pham Thi Tiep, a Viet Cong widow, rises to prominence as the leader of the Sisters of the Cao Chinh Trung. She turns grief into vengeance, orchestrating a vast spy network and advocating for women to take up arms.

This gripping novel immerses readers in the brutal realities of war, the resilience of the human spirit, and the stark contrast between the battlefield and the world left behind.