Read this excerpt from the text "not a dove, but no longer a hawk." there were many disappointments those first two years, but when i left vietnam in 1964, i was still, to use the current parlance, a hawk. i returned to saigon in 1965 for another year. now i have left again, and much has changed. there were 17,000 american servicemen in vietnam at the time of my first departure and there are now 317,000 and i, while not a dove, am no longer a hawk. . based on this excerpt, neil sheehan would most likely agree that initially he believed in the war, but over time he questioned america’s involvement. the use of military force is acceptable when facing communist-run countries. those who serve in the military should follow the orders of the president without question. the destructive consequences of war far outweigh any possible benefits.