Women have a long and storied tradition of fierce warriorship. Vietnamese women fought the French, South Vietnamese Regular Army and American troops in the decades following World War II. In a country of ancient art and religion, of poetry and song, and of resplendent physical beauty, these women suffered the horrors of war as active combatants. Some experienced many life shattering years of torture and imprisonment. Ultimately, all shared in victory in defense of their homes and country. But, as is always the case in war, their victory is not without its contradictions, losses, and sorrows.