ONE of the concerns that haunts U.S. servicemen fighting that war in far-off Viet Nam is the nagging thought that people back home do not appreciate what they are doing and how much it can mean to the free world. Bridging the distance, in both miles and mind, between the warriors and the people they are fighting for is one of the responsibilities of good journalism. In the three years since the struggle in Viet Nam reached the proportions of war, TIME, in addition to its regular coverage, has had three cover stories on military commanders in the area: General Paul Harkins (May 11, 1962), Admiral U.S. Grant Sharp (Aug. 14) and General William Westmoreland (Feb. 19). The aim of this week's cover story is to tell the story of the combatants--the flyers, foot soldiers and advisers--on whom the outcome of the war may hinge, and who are now fully committed in its new phase.

Getting the story called for reporting by TIME correspondents from Oklahoma to Okinawa. Principally, it called for hard and fast work in the field by Hong Kong Bureau Chief Frank McCulloch (a Marine sergeant in World War II) and two of his correspondents, James Wilde and Peter Forbath. Their first task was to find the right man for the cover. They nominated--as representative and symbolic--Lieut. Colonel Robinson Risner, 40, and the editors readily agreed.

Correspondent Wilde sat down with veteran Jet Pilot Risner between bombing missions of the F-105 squadron he commands, and for hours they talked about the airman's role in the war. In the three days following the interview, Risner led three bombing and strafing missions over North Viet Nam, one of which was rated as perhaps the most successful air strike of the war. To get the rest of the story, the three reporters sought out other warriors in key positions, working much of the time under combat conditions.

In New York, Researcher Pat Gordon, Writer Bruce Henderson and Senior Editor Champ Clark used the reporting of the three-man team as the chief material for the cover story. All worked in the hope that the result would help to close the gap of understanding by giving readers everywhere a better appreciation of what U.S. servicemen are doing in the war in Viet Nam, how they are doing it, how they feel about it, and how they add up the price of success or failure.

This file is automatically generated by a robot program, so reader's discretion is required.