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     Book Reviews - Vietnam Era Books

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Purpose and Scope

Students and Historians: An excellent list of written material sources on the Vietnam war is the Moise Vietnam War Bibliography by Edwin E. Moïse. Edwin E. Moïse is Professor of History, Clemson University. He is the author of several books, including: Historical Dictionary of the Vietnam War, Land Reform in China and North Vietnam: Consolidating the Revolution at the Village Level, Modern China: A History, and Tonkin Gulf and The Escalation of the Vietnam War.
Review Submission Instructions and Purchase point recommendations: Have you read a Vietnam War book we missed, found a hidden gem about the 1/50(M) in something you read, or maybe just disagree with our take on a book? Your input is encourged and most welcome! Just email your reviews or comments to Book Reviews.

Books may be ordered from or  (click on logo to order).


Books on the Vietnam War


Highly Recommended

Worth a look

Don't bother
Good and bad books about the Vietnam War.

Author/Title/Description

Reviewer

Review

Alexander, Ron. Taking Fire.
Ron was a chopper pilot with A/1/9 (Apache Troop, 1st Squadron, 9th Brigade, 1st Air Cavalry Division) - call sign A37 - known as "mini-man". Even though I knew that the book was a biography I could not put it down because I wanted to see what happened to him next. He included a lot of history of the 1st Cavalry and talked about LZs that I've heard mentioned by you guys. I give it a big smile
.

Gladys Grubb

Arthurs, Sergeant Major Ted G.. Land with no Sun - A year in Vietnam with the 173rd Airborne.
Stackpole Books (Stackpole Military History Series), Mechanicsburg, PA, 2006. You know it's going to be hot when your brigade is referred to as a "Fireball unit". From May 1967 through May 1968, Ted Arthurs was Command Sergeant Major for the 4/503rd Infantry, This is an account of his tour which included action at Dak To & the Tet Offensive. Well written with lots of detail of the load the 173rd Infantry Soldier endured....right down to the 80 pound rucksack! Of particular interest was the discovery in this book of the account of the death of LT Lawrence D. Greene, who, prior to deployment to the 173rd, was Commanding Officer of 1/50th Charlie Company back at Fort Hood!

Jim S

Atkinson, Rick. The Long Gray Line. The American Journey of West Point's Class of 1966
1989, Houghton Mifflin Company/Boston: ISBN 0-395-48008-6.  Rick Atkinson, a staff writer for the Washington Post, won a Pulitzer Prize for national reporting in 1982 for a series about West Point's class of 1966. This was an excellent read and packed with interesting stories of the very talented and dedicated members of this memorable military academy class.  Our own Tom Schroeder and Bob Ballard were members of the class of '66.  Ballard served with Bravo Company as a platoon leader before being killed in action on February 3, 1968.  Tom Schroeder Charlie Company XO and Delta Company CO, brought this book to my attention.  The author interviewed hundreds of men from the class and took the story beyond Vietnam to the years that followed...with the stories of many key members of this fine group of officers. This book falls into the "Must Read" category if you are a student or veteran of the war in Vietnam.

Jim Sheppard

Bergerud, Eric M. Red Thunder, Tropic Lightning: The World of a Combat Division in Vietnam.
Boulder: Westview, 1993. Half of this classic book is interviews with 25th Infantry Division veterans.
Birdwell, Dwight W. and Nolan, Keith W. A Hundred Miles of Bad Road.
1997, Presidio Press, Novato, CA 94945. ISBN: 0-89141-628-5. A book about a cav unit working south and west of Saigon that deals more with a tank company then APC's. It was interesting, but yet I think many points in it were exaggerated a bit. It just seemed that every day they were being ambushed, which we all know did not happen to the typical mechanized units (not saying that it could not happen to his unit, of course).
Note from Historian Jim Sheppard: I agree with Ken...having read this account in late 2013, this Armored Cavalry unit (C Troop, 3rd Squadron, 4th Cavalry, 25th Infantry Division) was comprised of APCs as well as M-48 Tanks operating North and West of Saigon during approximately the same time span as the 1st of the 50th operated in II Corps Tactical zone. The account of the Counterattack at Tan Son Nhut Airport on the edge of Saigon during Tet  was very well written. The unit also mirrored our problems as casualties and equipment/vehicle losses became an issue by late 1968.

Ken Riley

Black, Col.Robert W. A Ranger Born
2002, Ballantine Book Publishing Group, New York. ISBN 0-345-45241-0.
Memoir type account of the career of Colonel Robert W. Black, U.S. Army (Retired). Gives some insight into the history of the US Army Rangers...and goes into detail about his combat experiences as an enlisted man in Korea and as a Field Grade Officer who served as an advisor to Vietnamese Units south of Saigon in 1967-68. Very well written.

Jim Sheppard

Boyle ,Charles J. Absolution: Charlie Company, 3d Battalion, 22d Infantry.
Fredericksburg, VA: Sergeant Kirkland's Press, 1999. Boyle arrived in Vietnam in 1967, commanded a platoon, and then became a LT company commander in the 3/22 Infantry, 25th Infantry Division, early in 1968. A very good read, even if all the insights aren’t exactly what the author would have wanted.

Ray

Brennan, Mathew. Brennan's War
1985, Presidio Press, Novato, CA.
Don Cross writes:"A Well Written narrative on Brennan's three tours in Vietnam with the 1st Squadron, 9th Cavalry. Hard to put down...his tours have parallels with areas of operation of the 1st Bn, 50th Infantry".

Don Cross,
Jim Sheppard

Brennan, Mathew (Editor). Headhunters. Stories from the 1st Squadron, 9th Cavalry, in Vietnam 1965-1971.
1987, Presidio Press, Novato, CA.
This book is a collection of soldier's stories from the 1st Squadron, 9th Cavalry throughout their 6 years in Vietnam...very similar to the "War Stories" section of the 50th Infantry Association Website. Some of these accounts took place in the same Area of Operations covered by the 50th Infantry.

Jim Sheppard adds: "I agree Brennan is an excellent writer with a long and distinguished career, but I was extremely disappointed that the author completely ignored the 1st of the 50th role in bailing out the 1st of the 9th "Blues" at the outset of the Battle of Tam Quan on December 6th. No mention is made of Dennis Hinton's "A" Company heroism on Dec. 7th for which LT Hinton was recommended for the nation's second highest award ...the Distinguished Service Cross for Valor. Another example of unit 'Grandstanding' which usually ignored or glanced over the 50th Infantry's substantial contribution to the fight in II Corps tactical zone". In Brennan's defense, He was not involved in the Battle of Tam Quan & likely relied on the 1st Cavalry Division After Action Report...which, as we know, was not very accurate...often overlooking or only giving "passing comment" on the 50th Infantry's extensive part in the battle.

Don Cross

Burns, Carl William. Centaurs in Vietnam
2008, Trafford Publishing Co., Bloomington, Indiana. ISBN: 978-1-4251-7035-6 (Softcover).
A collection of personal accounts by men from the 3rd Squadron, 4th Cavalry, mainly "D" Troop. (Commonly called the "three-quarter Cav"). Of particular interest to your 50th Infantry Historian are the brief descriptive remembrances about the formation of the LRRP unit....which eventually held a 50th Infantry Designation, Company F (LRP) from December, 1967 through January, 1969.

Jim Sheppard

Carhart, Tom. The Offering. A generation offered their lives to America in Vietnam--One soldier's story
1987, William Morrow and Company, Inc./New York: ISBN 0-688-05753-5.  The Offering is the true story of a Lieutenant fresh from West Point (Class of "66....see "Long Gray Line") who arrives in Vietnam at the worst part of the war. Tom Carhart's vivid re-creation of those hellish days keeps his faith with those who offered themselves to their country. Some returned whole. Some came home badly wounded. Others made the greatest sacrifice: Their Offering was accepted. They are remembered on the black granite panels of the Vietnam Veteran's Memorial in Washington, D.C. 

I enjoyed reading this book. Carhart spent time in the best and worst of places and in Vietnam.  I also was familiar with both.

Jim Sheppard

Cash, John A. John Albright, and Allan W. Sandstrum, Seven Firefights in Vietnam.
New York: Bantam, 1985; reprint of 1970 U.S. Army publication.

Ray

Christian, David Victor Six.
David Christian was the youngest, most decorated officer from the Vietnam Conflict. A recipient of the DSC and seven purple hearts, he was with a recon element of the "Big Read One" (1st Infantry Division). The book is a chronicle of his military service and his post-war advocacy for Vietnam Veterans. Odd ending.

Don Cross

Currey, Cecil Bart. Long Binh Jail, An Oral History.
Washington D.C.; Brassey's, 1999. A controversial look at infamous LBJ, this book has been panned by some reviewers for overreliance on oral narratives from sometimes suspect sources. Whatever. This book gives some idea of life at LBJ, and shows why the field was considered preferable by most soldiers.

Ray

Dixon, Norman. On the Psychology of Military Incompetence.
London: Plimico, 1976. This is an unbelievably funny book which attempts to explain in parable form how a few can inflict misery on the many when competence and authority are mismatched. That is, it would be unbelievably funny if it weren't so true.

Ray

Dooley, Thomas A., M.D. Deliver Us From Evil. The fantastic experiences of a Navy Doctor among the terrorized Vietnamese Victims of the Communists.
1956, Farrar, Straus and Company, New York: Library of Congress Catalog card number 56-7816.  This is the true, first hand narrative of a twenty-seven-year-old Navy Doctor who found himself suddenly ordered into Indo-China, just after the fall of Dien Bien Phu. In a small International Compound within totally Communist-consumed North Vietnam, he built huge refugee camps to care for the hundreds of thousands of escapees seeking passage to freedom. Dr Dooley "processed" over 600,000 refugees who were then shipped by river and sea to Saigon. Revealing first hand accounts of Communist cruelty directed at the Roman Catholic populations of the North. A "Must Read" for anyone who thinks the Communists were simply fighting for National unity. Not only did they wage a campaign of lies and deceit, but here is solid proof of religious persecution that should have drawn world outcry and shame on Ho Chi Minh's government. This book was written as the CIA and American Government lamented whether to become involved in the coming political and military struggle between North and South. Dooley returned to Indo-China and set up remote hospitals in Laos after discharge from the Navy. Years later it was revealed that he aided the CIA with information on Communist Troop Movements around his hospital compounds. Dooley is said to have been John F. Kennedy's inspiration for formation of the Peace Corps. He died in 1961 at the age of 34 from Skin Cancer.  

Jim Sheppard

Downs, Frederick, Jr. The Killing Zone: My Life in the Vietnam War.
New York: Norton, 1978 (paperback Berkley, 1983). Excellent account by a 4th Infantry Division  infantry lieutenant who served in central Vietnam (partly in a populated area near the coast, partly in the highlands) from about mid 1967 to early January of 1968 when he lost a limb. He is now V.A. Director of Prosthetic and Sensory Aids. Hard to put down.

Ray

Downs, Frederick, Jr. Aftermath.
New York: Norton, 1984 (paperback Berkley, 1985). (Continuation of the book "The Killing Zone"): story of Downs' recovery after having his arm blown off by a booby trap January 11, 1968. Includes a few interesting facts about his previous combat service that hadn't gotten into his first book.
Dulany, Joseph P. Once A Soldier, A Chaplain's Story.
ISBN 0-9708830-0-5. Excellent Military Career Biography of the Battalion Chaplain for the 1st Battalion (Mechanized) 50th Infantry from September of 1967 until April of 1968. Chaplain Dulany gives an accounting of our battalion's activities for the period in Chapter 2.  To date (2007) this is the only text to do so...although several persons have "works in progress". I initially only intended to read what was pertenant to the 1/50th...but was drawn to read on and finished the entire book. I found it to be a very good read and highly recommend contacting the author for purchase of a copy. (Visit our 1/50th Chaplains page for purchase information - Note that Joe Dulany is an Association Life Member)

Jim S.

Ebert, James R. A Life in a Year:
The American Infantryman in Vietnam,1965-1972. Novato: Presidio, 1993. Based on a lot of interviews (One of whom was with "B" 1/50th in 1970...a Mike Roberts), but not a straight oral history. I found it a hard read...although comprehensive and very professionally written. The author broke down a normal enlistment...beginning with induction...explaining all the alternatives of the time based on the interviews.  Would be a good book for a student studying the war years, but not if you are looking for a story line or plot to follow.   I got bored after basic training...mainly because it's all stuff we lived...and not real interesting as such...so I had to put it down and start another book!

Ray & Jim S.

Edelman, Bernard, ed. Dear America: Letters Home from Vietnam.
New York: Norton, 1985. Paperback New York: Pocket Books, 1986. While the letters were selected to support the antiwar tone of the book, they sound real, they feel real and they were real. This book explores the human side of war through carefully screened and selected letters. Thought-provoking stuff.

Ray

Estep, James L. Comanche Six: Company Commander, Vietnam.
Novato, CA: Presidio, 1991.New York: Dell, 1992. Estep served four tours in Vietnam: as a Special Forces sergeant 11/62 to 11/63; a Special Forces officer 1/65 to 1/66; a company commander of C/2/5 Cav, First Cavalry (the main focus of this book) from late 1967 until he was seriously wounded north of Hue 3/68; and at the ARVN NCO Academy 7/72 to 3/73.

Ray

Evans, E. Franklin Stand To... A Journey to Manhood
2008, iUniverse Books/Lincoln, NE: ISBN 978-0-595-45053-4. Good personal account of a young Infantry Officer in the 4th Infantry Division. He writes: "Stand to" is short for "stand to arms." During World War I, it was believed that most enemy attacks occurred immediately before dawn. The practice of ensuring that all soldiers were awake and alert for an impending attack just before first light carried through into the Vietnam conflict. Each morning, soldiers on the defensive perimeters of firebases, patrol bases, and base camps were awakened and instructed to arm and dress in full combat gear. In World War I, "Stand to" was also referred to as "the morning hate."

Jim Sheppard

Fall, Bernard B. Hell in a Very Small Place.
Excellent book on Vietnam history, which chronicles the French disaster at the battle of Dien Bien Phu in 1954. Bernard B. Fall wrote from the persective of a former member of the French military and continued to write throughout most of the American involvement. He died covering the war in Vietnam. A top read.

Doc Melendez, Ray

Fall, Bernard B. Street Without Joy
Excellent book that examines how the United States came to be involved in Vietnam by examining US and European events of the 1940s and 1950s. It provides a good account of the attack of Group Mobile 100 in Mang Yang Pass and other operations where the 1/50 operated along the "Street Without Joy", the north-south highway through Vietnam. There is not a better nor more apt book on Vietnam. (1961)

Doc Melendez, Ray

Fall, Dorothy Bernard Fall: Memories of a Soldier-Scholar
2006, Potomac Books: ISBN-10: 1-57488-957-5, ISBM-13: 978-1-57488-957-4. Dorothy Fall has written a fantastic biography on her late husband, Bernard...author of "Street without Joy" and other books on Vietnam.  She aptly refers to Vietnam as Bernard's "Mistress"...and I sometimes wonder if we are not all in the clutches of this same seductress...dragging our thoughts back to her constantly.

This is another "Must Read" in my opinion.  Bernard was misunderstood by many in high places who could have benefited from his vast knowledge of the region and it's people.  A point made in Bernard's books...which I had not noticed before, was his belief that U.S. power had made the war militarily "unlosable"...yet politically unwinnable.

Jim Sheppard

Farinacci, Donald J. Last Full Measure of Devotion. A Tribute to America's Heroes of the Vietnam War
2007, Author House: ISBN-10: 978-1-4343-1856-5 (hc). Donald Farinacci, a Vietnam-era veteran, wrote this descriptive book which chronicles 22 individual Vietnam Heroes.

Leaving Politics out of this book, Farinacci does a fantastic job of bringing the action to life and giving us a clear picture of just how heroic these men were long ago.  I highly recommend this book...an easy read at only 122 pages.

The author also wrote "When One Stood Alone, John Sirica's Battle against the Watergate Conspiracy".  

Jim Sheppard

Fitzgerald, Francis. The Fire in the Lake.
One of the earlier, prize-winning books about the Vietnam conflict. It traces the historical, social and cultural differences between the U.S. and Vietnam and how these monumental differences played a large role in our misunderstanding and eventual failure in establishing the government of South Vietnam as an independent, viable government capable of surviving on its own.

Doc Melendez

Flanagan, John F. Vietnam Above the Treetops: A Forward Air Controller Reports
1992, Praeger Publishers, One Madison Avenue, New York:  Just as Tom Johnson's book won my heart as the best "Huey" novel of the Vietnam era...clearly John Flanagan's work describing his year as a FAC wins my high endorsement for his milieu. As an Air force Academy Graduate, Flanagan never expected to be so "up close and personal" to the ground pounders of Vietnam in 1966...yet found himself earning a spot with the crack U.S. Army "Delta force" teams in War Zone "C", with the Koreans near our old AO in Phu Cat (Before the massive air base was built) and finally at Khe Son during the massive NVA buildup that lead to the infamous siege in 1967-8. He ended his book with a wonderful paragraph that will hit home for many Combat Veterans of Vietnam: "But we who served have learned and gained. We have faced adversity, hardship, death, and, in some cases , ridicule, yet our values have survived and we can face eternity alone with them. We have our commitment, our commitment to each other tempered by the will to survive, something that only we fully understand. It is our values and our commitment that we must impart to our children and our successors. We are not obligated to pass the warrior sword to someone who chooses not to hold it as high as we did". John F. Flanagan, USAF Forward Air Controller, Vietnam, 1966

Jim Sheppard

Garland, LTC Albert N., ed. A Distant Challenge: The US Infantryman in Vietnam, 1967-1972.
Nashville: Battery Press, 1983.
Garlock, Terry L. Strength & Honor: A America's best in Vietnam.
2011, Virtualbookworm.com Publishing Inc, P.O. Box 9949, College Station, TX 77842:  I cannot say for sure, but I believe Terry Garlock contacted me a few years back about using my Halloween Firefight story for this book ...and I turned him down. Rather wish I had not as this collection of "short stories" is excellent. Garlock also points out to readers that they should read two parts of the work before beginning...which turned out to be one of the best and most accurate brief accounts of the war...and Vietnam's history as a warring nation. Notable was a story by former Chaplain, LTC Claude D. Newby...who many of you will remember gave the benediction at Jay Copley's Distinguished Service Cross Presentation at Fort Benning in 2011. A refreshing book with new stories! I highly recommend this book. By the way, if you are a serious collector of Vietnam era books...as I am, don't bother paying the high price at the book's web site for a signed copy. That is precisely what you get for about $20.00 more than you would pay elsewhere. No personalization...just signs his name! I was disappointed.

Jim Sheppard

Gay, Curtis P. One More Sunrise: A Memoir of a Combat Infantryman in Vietnam
2011, Authorhouse, Bloomington, IN 47403, ISBM: 978-1-4567-5441-9.  It has been a few months since I finished reading this account, so I will not go into much detail. It is another unedited "self-publish" book...probably slightly better than the normal self published effort...which are usually rather disappointing.

Jim Sheppard

Gibbore, James Soldier: A Sniper's Story of Vietnam
2000, Brundage Publishing, 74 Front Street, Binghamton, New York 13905: Set at our old home, LZ Uplift, the similarity to our story ends there. This is a totally wasted effort that could have been a classic sniper story... but the author has not gotten many facts straight...and over-emphasized all the negatives. In other words...another book that claims everyone was a drug-addicted, alcoholic nut-case. The icing on the cake was how he disparagingly described the Infantry "Line Companies". Obviously this man never had anyone edit his work...and it shows dreadfully. He also is writing from memory only...and it is obvious to any Vietnam Veteran that he has many facts distorted via Dislexia and/or phonetics. Some glaring examples...used over and over were: "Rut Sack" (for Ruck Sack), "Sea Rations", "Fort Louis" (Fort Lewis, WA), "Ophu Cat" (Phu Cat), "Quy Nhon" (Qui Nhon)...and these are just a few. He also had North and South directions all screwed up (NOT something a Ranger would do?) The last straw was when I realized all the men he described as KIA were not listed in the well known databases for Vietnam casualties! Obviuosly he used fictitious names...but made no such disclaimer in the introduction. This is such a waste. The only somewhat valid portions were the descriptions of his Sniper School training and Sniper activities...and, believe it or not...he writes well...but he should have had an editor, a Vietnam Historian and/or Veteran with some education and he could have had a first class effort. Sad. Don't bother wasting your time on this. I hate to bad-mouth a veteran...but I sincerely wonder about some of the "facts" portrayed in this work.

Jim Sheppard

Glasser, Ronald J. M.D., 365 Days.
New York: George Braziller, 1971. A U.S. Army doctor experiences the war by listening to wounded men who passing through the hospital where he served.

Ray

Glenn, Russell W. Reading Athena's Dance Card: Men against Fire in Vietnam.
Annapolis: Naval Institute Press, 2000.  Particular attention is devoted to the S.L.A. Marshall thesis about reluctance to fire, and to the effects of the tour system.  Glenn looked in his research especially but not exclusively at the 1st Cavalry Division, interviewing 1st Cav Vets in 1987 as part of a PhD project.

Ray

Goff, Stanley and Robert Sanders, with Clark Smith, Brothers: Black Soldiers in the Nam.
Novato, CA: Presidio Press, 1982. pb New York: Berkley, 1985. Oft quoted in COL D.M. Malone, Ret. excellent book-of-the-trade "Small unit leadership-A common-sense Approach", as giving excellent accounts of combat at the small-unit level described by soldiers in their own words and from their ground-level points of view.

Shane Sarlin, Australian Army Officer Cadet

 
Gwin, Larry. Baptism: A Vietnam Memoir.
New York: Ivy, 1999. On arrival in Vietnam as a lieutenant, approximately the beginning of August 1965, Gwin was sent to Vi Thanh in the Mekong Delta as an advisor to the 3d Battalion, 31st Regiment, 21st ARVN Division. He spent just over a month with this unit, which seemed to have little interest in combat. The bulk of the book covers his service as executive officer, A Company, 2/7 Cavalry, 1st Cavalry Division, September 1965 through the end of June 1966. He was at Landing Zone Albany in the Battle of the Ia Drang Valley.

Ray

Hayes, Roger. On Point: A Rifleman's Year in the Boonies: Vietnam, 1967-1968.
Novato, CA: Presidio, 2000. Hayes served with C Company, 1/5 Infantry (Mechanized), 25th Infantry Division. It is basically a story about an armored cavalry unit, such as ours, working out of the Saigon-west area. It pretty much defines a mechanized infantry unit's day to day operations. I found it interesting to read, and pretty much follows what we encountered as a mechanized unit.

Ken Riley  

Hayton, Bill. Vietnam: Rising Dragon.
2010, Published by Yale University Press, London: ISBN: 978-0-300-15203-6.
Vietnam is changing. This book talks about the many faceted social changes taking place...particularly how the Communist Party plays the game of give and take along the way. There's plenty of boring text here, but the author doesn't miss much in describing the inner working of a country struggling to evolve. I was not particularly fond of some of his comments about the United States...but will not go into detail. Suffice to say, working for the BBC, he likely has that same ultra-liberal attitude we all love in our own journalists who slanted coverage and ultimately turned public opinion against the war. Read this if you are starved for something to read...but it's already "dated" by change.

Jim Sheppard

Hackworth, David H. and England, Eilhys. Steel my Soldiers' Hearts
Ruggedland, LLC. ISBN: 1-59071-0029. "The Hopeless to Hardcore transformation of U.S. Army, 4th Battalion 39th Infantry, 9th Infantry Division, Vietnam, 1969." Retired Colonel Hackworth chronicles his tour as Battalion Commander of the 4/39th Infantry in 1969.  Extremely well written, but I would, just once, like to read a book by a Battalion Commander who didn't think he had it all right...and everyone else had their heads up their butts.  Sad part is....this guy was probably right!  He's the leader who would insist you "dig in" and "be prepared"...saving many lives in the process.

Jim Sheppard  

Hemphill, Robert. Platoon: Bravo Company.
Fredericksburg, VA: Sergeant Kirkland's Press, 1998. Hemphill commanded (late 1967 to early 1968) Company B, 3/22 Infantry, 25th Infantry Division, the company portrayed in the movie "Platoon."
Henderson, Bruce. Hero Found: The Greatest POW EScape of the Vietnam War.
2010, Published by HarperCollins, New York: ISBN: 978-0-06-157136-7.
Story of Dieter Dengler, son of a WWII German Army Officer whose mother brought him to the United States after that war. Henderson, a proven author who served with Dengler aboard the Seventh Fleet aircraft carrier USS Ranger in the gulf of Tonkin, gives a gripping account of how Dengler becomes a crack Navy A-1 Skyraider pilot...shot down over Laos...and his subsequent thrilling escape! Hard to put down...a well written account.

Jim Sheppard

Herman, Jan K. The Lucky Few: The Fall of Saigon and the Rescue Mission of the USS Kirk..
2013, Naval Institute Press, Annapolis, MD 21402. ISBN: 13-978-0-87021-039-6.
Excellent account of the successful rescue of over 32,000 South Vietnamese Refugees in the days following the fall of South Vietnam. Most of us have only a memory of helicopters being pushed into the South China Sea...but the true humanitarian effort as theses displaced Vietnamese began their journey that, for most of them, would bring them to the United States. These men of the USS Kirk went far above and beyond in fulfilling their duties...and left an indelible and positive image on these Vietnamese who suddenly found themselves without a country. There is a 1 hour documentary that can be easily found on the Internet that recounts the mission of the USS Kirk...with excellent photo and video footage as well as interviews with many of the key characters from the book effort.

Jim Sheppard

Herr, Michael. Dispatches.
New York: Knopf, 1977. New York: Avon, 1978. Herr went to Vietnam as a reporter for Esquire in 1967.

Ray

Humphries, James F. Through The Valley: Vietnam 1967-1968
Lynne Rienner Publishers, 1999, ISBN 1-55587-821-0. Meticulously researched and carefully documented, Jim Humphries' account of '67-68 operations with the 196th Light Infantry Brigade is gut-wrenchingly accurate to anyone who served at rifle company level in Vietnam. Even as he tells the real story of the American rifleman's fight, his considerable research enables him to present enemy intentions along the way. This book sets a new standard for combat accounts from Vietnam. It tells about the soldier's fight in a way that only a fellow soldier could, but is at the same time a fascinating, detailed and accurate historical account. This is a "must read" for anyone interested in how it really was.

Dick Guthrie Commented: "Written by a very close friend of mine from the 8th Special Forces in 1965. He lost an eye his first tour and went back to be S-3 his second tour...Great guy...Great soldier."

Dick Guthrie

Jacobs, Jack If not now, when?: Duty and Sacrifice in America's time of need...
2008, The Berkley Publishing Group, Published by the Penguin Group, New York: ISBN: 978-0-425-22359-8.
Colonel Jack Jacobs pens his own story, only briefly telling the story of the action which won him America's highest award for Valor, the Medal of Honor. His work is flawless, from diction, punctuation and sentence structure standpoints!  If it can be a negative...At times I felt I was reading a work meant to impress a college English Composition professor, as every other page contained text that would send most college students scurrying to check a dictionary!  As advertised, the book does have it's humorous moments! Jack Jacobs is very opinionated about our war efforts...both years ago and today...As are most former career officers who are now tapped for TV editorials!  I gave it high marks since it is well written...and Jacobs is not too "In your face" with his opinions...but, in fact, rather convincing. I am finding that most authors of this kind who reference Sun-Tzu's "The Art of War" actually do give arguments worth your attention.

Jim Sheppard

Jensen, Jay R. 6 Years in Hell: A returned POW views captivity, country, and the nation's future.
1974, Horizon Publishers, PO Box 490, Bountiful, Utah: ISBN: 0-88290-043-9.
Very well written chronicle of captivity by a Former POW. One of the first books written by one of the men released in 1973. Jensen goes into much opinionated description of how soldiers were treated by the North Vietnamese. Although mostly personal opinion, it is done intelligently and seemingly without prejudice. Jensen was likely "Toning this down" as men were believed to still be held captive when the book was written. There are some interesting comparisons penned between POWs from the Korean and Vietnam conflicts.

Jim Sheppard

Johnson, Tom A. To The Limit: An Air Cav Huey Pilot in VIETNAM
Published by Potomac Books, Inc., 2006, Herndon, Virginia, 20172-0605 ISBN 1-59797-001-8. One of the most exciting books written about the Vietnam Helicopter War.  In every chapter and every paragraph, you will ride along with Tom Johnson who was a huey "Slick" helicopter pilot as he flies for "A" Company - 229th Helicopter Assault Battalion - 1st Air Cavalry Division in Vietnam 1967-68

Jim Sheppard Comments: "Tom Johnson may very well have flown many of us in those opening months of our operations in Binh Dinh Province around Lake Dam Trao and Bong Son! We exchanged quite a few e-mail messages. I HIGHLY recommend this book. Tom's writing style has you easily understanding the workings of that Huey Slick we all knew so well! (They sure beat walking!)

"Get an autographed copy from the author by visiting his website for an order form at Bandit88.com...or download an order form from here: To The Limit Order Form.


Jim Sheppard

Jorgenson, Kregg P.J. Acceptable Loss.
New York: Ivy Books, 1991. Jorgenson arrived in Vietnam in September 1969 as a nineteen-year old sergeant assigned to the 1st Cavalry Division. He served as a Ranger/LRRP, and later in a Blue Team.

Ray

Karlin, Wayne Wandering Souls...Journeys with the Dead and the Living in Vietnam
2009, Nation Books/New York: ISBN 978-1-56858-405-8. Wayne Karlin is the author of numerous books of fiction and nonfiction. He served in the U.S. Marine Corps in Vietnam from 1966-1967. In 1998 he was awarded the Paterson Prize in Fiction, and in 2005 he received an Excellence in the Arts Award from the Vietnam Veterans of America. Here he authors the memoirs of Homer Steedly, a former 4th Infantry Division Platoon Leader who sent home belongings from an NVA Soldier he killed near the Mang Yang Pass...years later to find the family of the man he killed in combat and make an amazing return to meet the family and help bring their long lost family member's "soul" home. Personally, it is hard for me to be objective about the book, or more specifically, the author...since I have corresponded with the book's main character, Homer Steedly, in North Carolina, and tentative plans have been made to meet at the National Archives in the future. Homer Steedly is a man one could NOT POSSIBLY "dislike" after reading his story...The book is very well written.

Jim Sheppard

Keith, Phillip Black Horse Riders...A Desperate Last Stand, an extraordinary rescue mission, and the Vietnam battle America forgot.
2012, St. Martin's Press/New York: ISBN 978-0-312-68192-0 (hardcover). Alpha Troop, 1st Squadron, 11 Armored Cavalry, the famed Blackhorse Regiment, was a specialized cavalry outfit equipped with tanks and armored assault vehicles. On the morning of March 26, 1970, they began hearing radio calls from an infantry unit four kilometers away that had stumbled into a hidden North Vietnamese Army stronghold. This is the story of how Alpha Troop went to their rescue...and the ensuing battle for which, some forty+ years later, they were awarded the Presidential Unit Citation for their efforts. Your historian recalls chatting with the author at the National Archives during a research visit. Extremely well written and researched. Very well related to... as this chronicle details Armored Personnel Carriers in battle...something to which most of us can relate.

Jim Sheppard

Keith, Phillip Fire Base Illingworth...An epic true story of remarkable courage against staggering odds.
2013, St. Martin's Press/New York: ISBN 978-1-250-02495-4 (hardcover). Account of a vicious attack by the North Vietnamese Army in War Zone C on April 1st, 1970. Another extremely well written book.

Jim Sheppard

Ketwig, John ...and a hard rain fell: A GI's true story of war the in Vietnam..
2002, Sourcebooks, Inc., Naperville, IL: ISBN: 0-7394-2799-1.
The story is alleged to be true...but I believe the truth was stretched to it's limits in this work which fell way below expectation. Ketwig is a very good writer, but he tended to make it sound as though Vietnam was a constant stream of worst case scenarios every moment. I was disappointed to begin finding inconsistencies early on but continued reading...hoping this excellent writer would have a decent story to tell. I eventually ran across several references I know to be incorrect and simply could not read any more of this rubbish. I'm not saying this author was not traumatized by something he witnessed or partook of, but he insults those of us who experienced the worst when he describes how "Vietnam Really Was" (In his written opinion). This is a good book to leave on the bookstore shelf.

Jim Sheppard

Krohn, Charles A. The Lost Battalion of Tet...Breakout of the 2/12th Cavalry at Hue 2008, Pocket Star Books/New York: ISBN-13 978-1-4391-0114-8(Paperback),
The Lost Battalion, Controversy and Casualties in the Battle of , 1993, Praeger Publishers, Westport, CT: ISBN 0-275-94532-4 (Original version in Hardcover).

There is something of the "Bastard Child" in both Charles Krohn's 2nd Battalion, 12th Cavalry and our own 1st Battalion (Mechanized), 50th Infantry. While both served with the 1st Cavalry Division... at times, neither seemed to have the full respect of their "parent" Division staffs...that is, until both units proved themselves in battle! Krohn adds vivid detail of how the logistical nightmare that was the 1st Cavalry's move to I Corps at the outset of the Tet Offensive in 1968 affected his battalion...rapidly moved forward to reinforce the Marines at Hue without the support of Artillery nor their backpack gear....vital to their operation which quickly deteriorated as they found themselves facing forces of superior numbers that were protecting the command Center for the NVA operation in Hue! The account is extremely well written...and I am fortunate to have been contacted by Charles Krohn with a request to review his work. After some confusion on my part caused by the two slightly different titles (The Hardcover and Paperback have slightly different wording in the subtitles) I obtained copies of both editions. I almost "passed" on this reading, but am so glad I changed my mind. Having read the Marine Account of the Hue just a few months back...the details were fresh in my mind...and I gained new insight into how this embarrassment in Hue lasted nearly a month. Charles Krohn browsed our Memorial pages and pointed out to me the "tie" between two of our former 50th Infantry Soldiers who were transferred as part of the "infusion" program to the 5th of the 7th Cav...the unit who went right back into the village where the 2nd of the 12th was lucky to escape just days earlier. Michael Alley had served with our "Delta" Company and Arnold Melish had served with Charlie Company before being transferred. Both were killed near what Krohn refers in his book to as "This F-ing Place" on February 12th, 1968.

This book gets my highest praise...both for the excellent writing as well as the extremely accurate descriptions of the ways in which the "system" broke down in Tet...for the 1st Cavalry Division. Krohn manages to give good accounting...without malice...often playing "Devil's advocate" and explaining the shortfall of those responsible for the failures that nearly caused the annihilation of an American Battalion! Only the daring actions of their Battalion Commander, Richard Sweet, enabled the surrounded men of the 2nd of the 12th Cavalry to escape!

Jim Sheppard

Lamb, David Vietnam Now: A Reporter Returns.
2002, Public Affairs Books: ISBN 1-58648-089-8. Whenever I see a book dealing with present day Vietnam, I immediately get defensive & "assume" it to be another liberal media blast at our role many years ago. THIS BOOK doesn't fit that negative mold...and is extremely objective. A very informative and interesting look at how a whole new generation of Vietnamese are welcoming not only American visitors by the thousands...but embracing american principles of economics (in spite of the old school communist "die hards").  David Lamb has captured the "feel" of Vietnam as it is today...a changed land.  As well as I thought I knew the people of Vietnam...I realize I knew very little.  Planning a trip back to Vietnam??...I am...and I recommend reading this book before you go! Informative and very well written.

Jim Sheppard

Lanning, Michael Lee. The Only War We Had.
New York: Ivy Books, 1987.  Account by a lieutenant who commanded a platoon of C Company, 2/3 Infantry, 199th Light Infantry Brigade, April-October 1969, in III Corps.

Ray

Lanning, Michael Lee. Vietnam, 1969-1970: A Company Commander's Journal.
New York: Ivy Books, 1988.  Lanning commanded B Company, 2/3 Infantry, October 1969 to January 1970.

Ray

Laurence, John. A Cat From Hue
2002, Public Affairs, ISBN I-891620-31-2. An award-winning reporter for CBS television news writes compellingly about his experiences covering the Vietnam War from 1965 to 1970. During those years he reported with compassion and insight on the tremendous bravery and sacrifice of our soldiers. As time went on, he grew increasingly disillusioned with the upper leadership and the national level decisions that kept our troops in that fight. For 850 pages, he vividly recounts credible stories of brave grunts in combat as he renders his journalist's viewpoint. And he does it well. The stories are told so vividly that the book is hard to put down. At times it even seems to be about the troops. In fact, though it is - as advertised - about reporting, and the association the reporter makes between himself and the bravery of the troops is just a little bit gratuitous. They were ordered there and doing their unpleasant duty; he was there getting recognition, getting ahead. I give it two bayonets up. It's self-serving, but extremely well told.

Dick Guthrie

Leppelman, John. Blood on the Risers: An Airborne Soldier's Thirty-five Months in Vietnam.
New York: Ivy Books, 1991. Leppelman joined the 173d Airborne Brigade in February 1967. Extremely bitter about what he regarded as lousy weapons and lousy officers, he transferred first to riverine forces, and eventually the Rangers.

Ray

Lind, Michael. Vietnam The Necessary War
The Free Press, ISBN 0-684-84254-8, 1999. His theories of the liberal left in the US war were particularly interesting to me. He shoots down or argues against a lot of the anti-war myths. His bottom line is we had to get in for international politics and we had to get out for domestic politics. Although it more or less ignores the successes in the later years of the war as most do.

James Hansen
SGT, 11F40
G3, 1st Inf Div
69-69

Linderer, Gary A. Phantom Warriors.
2000, Ballantine Books, New York, ISBN 0-7394-1719-3. A collection of accounts of actions for the various Long Range Reconnaissance Patrol Units in Vietnam as well as the offshoot Long Range Patrol evolution from Division level LRRP units to Ranger Companies. There are several excellent accounts of the 50th Infantry LRP teams that operated with the 9th and 25th Infantry Divisions. The author graciously gave his permission for the 50th Infantry Association to copy his work in our memorial efforts. Informative reading by an author who was part of one of these excellent units.

Jim Sheppard

Linderer, Gary A. Phantom Warriors, Book Two.
2001, Ballantine Books, New York, ISBN 0-7394-1724-X. More  stories of the LRRP & LRP units of Vietnam (See "Phantom Warriors" above). Both books are very well written.

Jim Sheppard

Littauer, Raphael and Uphoff, Norman. The Air War in Indochina.
Boston: Beacon Press, 1972. Scholarly study of Vietnam by antiwar team from Cornell. Prepare for a real hoot! The strong antiwar flavor coupled with academic rigor produced a book with excellent Vietnam statistics coupled with wildly inacurate deductions as to what the statistics meant! If you want to quote cost per bomb or correlate the fish harvest with B52 strikes, this is the book for you. Despite my political ranking, I love this book!!!

Ray

Marrin, Albert. America and Vietnam: The Elephant and the Tiger
New York;1992. Dr. Marrin is chairman of the history dept. at Yeshiva University in New York. This book is a good starting point for younger readers such as high schoolers first studying the war. He covers everything from the early Chinese occupation, the French, the American involvement and the aftermath of the war all in 268 pages. Worth a look.

Mark Hannan

Marshall, S. L. A. Battles in the Monsoon.
New York: William Morrow, 1967. Three battles in the Central Highlands, summer 1966. Our own Dick Guthrie studied this book with his Bravo Company Platoon Leaders on the trip to Vietnam aboard the USNS John Pope.  S.L.A. Marshall was a retired US Army Brigadere General and an Operation Analyst for the US Army, Vietnam. This is a well written account of some major encounters in the area between An Khe and the "Crows Foot" region (Northwest of our LZUplift) Marshall also wrote the DA Pamphlet "Vietnam Primer - Lessons Learned" with the late David Hackworth...another good reference book for Vietnam bound officers and enlisted men.

Jim Sheppard

Marshall, S. L. A. Bird.
The Battery Press, Inc. Nashville, TN 1983 (4th edition). ISBN: 0-89839-072-9.I had this book in my extensive library but had not read it. In my research helping Tom Kjos (1st of the 12th Cav) and his work on the Battle of Tam Quan, I saw mention of the fact in an intelligence report that the 22 NVA Regiment...the key unit in that major battle, had not seen action since it's attack on LZ Bird a year earlier. I immediately dug out my maps and reference material to see where bird was. Often referred to (in error) as "LZ BYRD"...it was 19 clicks West and a 6 clicks North of LZ Uplift in the Crow's Foot area. The LZ took it's name from a prominent bend in the river that formed a peninsula which roughly resembled a bird's head. Marshall describes the attack in this book. The 2 Artillery batteries and small group of infantry perimeter guard were fortunate to have a few men who managed to re-group and fire effective (and newly arrived)"Bee-Hive" rounds that essentially caught the enemy completely by surprise as they milled around in plain sight! Believing they had won! The few Americans still alive were ignored as the NVA swarmed over one of the Artillery battery's guns...they were in such disorganization that they allowed the Americans to regroup in the dark and seize the initiative. Another classic from "SLAM" Marshall.

Jim Sheppard

Marshall, S. L. A. The Fields of Bamboo.
New York: The Dial Press, 1971. Three battles just beyond the South China Sea, during Operation Nathan Hale and Operation Thayer-Irving in June and October of 1966. Another well written account of some major encounters in the vicinity of Quin Nhon...one of which was in the southern reaches of our Area of Operations in late 1967 and early 1968. This is the second book I've read by "SLAM" (As Dick Guthrie called him)....and another good read.  I will say, if you are familiar with the area of Hoa Hoi (which is in view on one of the L7014 map sheets we have in our archives), that the location description in the book is way off.  Marshall desribes the setting as 2 clicks from the beach...where the map shows this to be more like 12 clicks.

Jim Sheppard

Martini, Edwin A. Agent Orange: History, Science and the Politics of Uncertainty..
2012, University of Massachusetts Press: ISBN: 978-1-55849-975-1.
I cringe when I pick up a new book on some aspect of the Vietnam era and see "Professor of such and such". Invariably, there will be that anti-USA jargon that pollutes otherwise good historical research. In spite of the authors insistence in the introduction that he had no "Political agenda"...I couldn't even get past the first chapter without being totally disgusted. It's sad that I have this shortcoming...as there is likely some good information buried in between the USA bashing. Maybe I will try picking this up at some later date...when I have had time to let my expectations adapt to the fact that this writing will tick me off.

Jim Sheppard

Maslowski, Peter and Winslow, Don. Looking for a Hero: Staff Sergeant Joe Ronnie Hooper and the Vietnam War.
2004, Board of Regents of the University of Nebraska: ISBN: 0-8032-3244-6.
I THOUGHT I would be reading a book about the Medal of Honor Winner...and Hooper's story is told between another rambling description of the war...painted in the context we all hate...that WE lost the war. It was outrageous to watch the way they weaved American military endeavors around their premise. As a Historian, I found several glaring mistakes in their "translation" which almost made me put the book down...but I will not go into detail. They destroyed SSG Joe Ronny Hooper in the parts that dealt with his biography. To be sure, the man was no "Boy Scout"...but even the authors admitted that he was second to none on a battlefield. I thank God America HAS such men in times when we are called to defend freedom around the world. The authors should take note that if they lived in a Communist Vietnam...they would not be permitted to write anything disparaging about communism or the communist's part in the war. Many spent their remaining days in prison for such "acts of treason". Read this if you are starved for something to read...or do as I eventually did...Skip the parts about the authors opinion of the war and read only the parts about Hooper. Even That portion is very poorly done. The only thing good about this book is that it is very well written grammatically.

Jim Sheppard

Mason, Robert. Chickenhawk
New York: The Viking Press, 1983. An excellent first person view of the war from the pilot seat of a Huey during the period from 1965-66. Mason went in with the 1st Cavalry when they first set up Camp Radcliff in An Khe. The book has heartache and humor as well as breathtaking descriptions of flying in the most incredible conditions.

Mark Hannan

McDonough, James. Platoon Leader.
Novato, CA: Presidio, 1985  New York: Bantam, 1986. 173d Airborne Brigade, 1970-71.
Memon, Angelina Wentz (Pham Ngoc Anh) Misplaced
2007,PublishAmerica, LLLP, Baltimore, MD. ISBN: 1-42416668-3. "Self Publish" personal account of an Amerasian's trials and tribulations before, during and after the fall of South Vietnam as her family finally is able to leave Vietnam and come to the United States. Reads like a diary, short and charming.

Jim Sheppard

Meyer, John Stryker Across The Fence: The Secret War in Vietnam.
2011,SOG Publishing, Oceanside, CA 92054. ISBN-13: 978-0-983256700. Excellent accounts of SOG operations in Vietnam. This and a second book by Meyer: "On The Ground" are 2 of the best books in my Library on these elite reconnaissance units.

Jim Sheppard

Meyer, John Stryker On The Ground: The Secret War in Vietnam
2007, Levin Publishing Group, Oceanside, CA 92057: ISBN-13 978-0-9771431-7-7. This book and "Across the Fence" are two very well written books describing the authors experiences and those of other Special Forces who operated as SOG teams in Vietnam. Author John Stryker went on to a career as a newspaper writer after military service.

Jim Sheppard

Miller, Frank D.. Reflections of a Warrior
The amazing story of a Medal of Honor winner who spent the majority of his time in Vietnam with MACV_SOG. Hard to put down.

Don Cross

Milliken, James W. Enter and Die!
2009,Xlibris Corporation: ISBN 978-1-4415-3187-2. This is "easy to read" account of life as an Infantryman in the Delta of Southern Vietnam. Jim "Milkman" Milliken lives not too far from your Historian, Jim Sheppard, in Southeastern Pennsylvania. We exchanged e-mail over the term "Tu Dia", for which I could find no Vietnamese Translation, but was used to marked heavily booby-trapped areas in Jim Milliken's areas of operation with the 9th Infantry Division.

Jim Sheppard

Moore, Lt. Gen. Harold G. & Joseph L. Galloway. We Were Soldiers Once . . . and Young.
New York: Random House, 1992. The battle of the Ia Drang, 1965. Moore was a battalion commander; his friend Galloway witnessed the battle as a journalist. Written as part historical account and part first person reporting; this book is both inspiring as it chronicles the heroes and sad as it describes poor command decisions which ultimately cost many soldiers to die. Arguably the best book on Vietnam. Highly recommended.

Doc Melendez, Ray

Moore, Lt. Gen. Harold G. & Joseph L. Galloway. We Are Soldiers Still.
New York: HarperCollins Publishers, 2008. ISBN 978-0-06-114776-0. Hal Moore & Joe Galloway chronical their return to the Ia Drang...accompanied by a small group of 7th Cav vets and several Commanders from the NVA Forces they faced years before. An interesting read.

Jim Sheppard

Murphy, Edward F. Dak To: The 173d Airborne Brigade in South Vietnam's Central Highlands, June-November 1967.
Novato, CA: Presidio, 1993. Explains very well the heavy casualties suffered by the 173rd in the first half of 1967. Compelling....yet very depressing.

Dan Schlecht

Newby, Claude D. It Took Heroes, A Cavalry Chaplain's Memoir of Vietnam.
New York: Ballantine Books, 2003. Claude Newby recounts his experiences as an Infantry Battalion Chaplain during 2 tours in Vietnam.  His first tour finds him in many areas that the 1/50th would occupy a year later.  Chaplain Newby took his duties to the field with the line Companies of the Infantry whenever possible....often getting caught up in the battles and firefights of his troops. Of interest is that Newby was recommended to receive a Combat Infantry Badge by former 1/50th Charlie Company Commander Jay Copley. Chaplain Newby became the only Chaplain to receive a CIB during the Vietnam War.   Highly recommended.

Jim Sheppard

Ninh, Bao The Sorrow of War.
New York: Pantheon Books & Writer's Association Publishing House, Hanoi, 1991. ISBN 0-679-43961-7
Bao Ninh was born in 1952. During the Vietnam War he served with the 27th Youth Brigade. Of the 500 who went to war with the brigade in 1969, he is one of ten who survived. A best seller in Vietnam, but I was dissapointed by the fact that this is Fiction. Although based on Bao Ninh's experiences...I could not help but wonder where fact and fiction started and stopped.  I suppose, to be honest, I could identify with the "sorrows" involved, but the book could not hold my interest.  Although a best seller in Vietnam, the book was not well received by the communist party since it does not laud their victory over the south...but consentrates on it's title as a theme.

Jim Sheppard

 
Nolan, Keith W. Sappers in the Wire: The Life and Death of Firebase Mary Ann.
College Station: Texas A&M University Press, 1995. The 1/46 Infantry (Americal), night of March 27, 1971, Quang Tin province. First person accounts of a disastrous sapper attack several months after the 1/50 had left Nam. It is a thought-provoking account of declining standards and morale.

 Ray

Nolan, Keith. Ripcord: Screaming Eagles Under Siege, Vietnam 1970.
I have not read this book yet, but several people have recommended it to me.

Doc Melendez

Nolan, Keith W. Search and Destroy: The story of an Armored Cavalry Squadron in Vietnam.
2010. Zenith Press,  an imprint of MBI Publishing Company, Minneapolis, MN: ISBN: 978-0-7603-3312. I was extremely disappointed in this work which chronicled the 1st Squadron, 1st Armored Cavalry Regiment in Vietnam. The author insisted on using the antiquated Vietnamese punctuation marks and also quoted men from the unit "unedited"...in fact highlighting their grammatical errors reflected in letters home long ago. I found this an extremely condescending read...making most of the men quoted seeming like idiots...when, in fact, they were not. I continued reading this book to about the half way point before finally giving up. The author continually made a mockery of awards citations and the fact that they rarely reflected the actual events. (Although this was basically true, one had to consider the logistics involved in these awards...and the fact that they were often authored by clerks with little or no knowledge of the real events. The system did an admirable job...considering the times and circumstances.) I was disgusted by the negativity the author found in nearly every action of this fine unit. Although I am giving this a "worth a look" symbol...that's really paying respect since this author died of cancer recently...after having devoted his entire working life to the Vietnam War.

Jim Sheppard

Novosel, Michael J. Dustoff.
LTC Novosel, a WWII veteran chopper instructor pilot, flew 2,345 missions that evacuated 5,589 wounded, winning the CMH and DSC along the way,

Ray

O’Brien, Tim. If I Die in a Combat Zone.
True story of O'Brien's tour in Vietnam....an excellent follow-up to his book "The Things they Carried". Hard to put down. Highly recommended.

Don Cross

O’Brien, Tim. The Things They Carried.
This piece of fiction stands as monumental work on the enigma of Vietnam. While being a fictional work, the author says that many of the stories are grounded in fact. Yet throughout the various stories truth and reality and fact and fictional become mixed with one another. This work emphasizes the reality of the experience. Highly recommended.

Doc Melendez

Peterson, Robert Rites of Passage: Odyssey of a Grunt
1997, Badger Books, Oregon, WI 53575: ISBN: 1-878569-48-1.
Another first person account of a "leg" infantryman in Vietnam. Of interest is a brief description of a very busy and much more well fortified LZ Litts. Litts was a busy landing strip and headquarters to the 3rd brigade of the 25th Infantry Division in May of 1967.

Jim Sheppard

Pham, Andrew X. Catfish and Mandal: A 2-Wheeled Voyage Through the Landscape and Memory of Vietnam.
Andrew Pham was born in Vietnam and returns after nearly all of his life in the U.S. (Jim Sheppard adds: "One of the best Vietnamese authored books I have in my extensive collection. A 'Must Read'").

Doc Melendez

Pham, Quang X. A Sense of Duty: My Father, My American Journey
2005, Ballantine Books, The Random House Publishing Group, New York: ISBN: 0-89141-873-3.
The first book written by a former Vietnamese refugee who became a U.S. Marine. This is the story of the son of a Vietnamese Air Force Officer who saw to it that his wife and children safely fled South Vietnam just days before the North Vietnamese entered Saigon to end the war in 1975. Quang Pham, 11 years old at the time, had to face the transition to an American life without his father...who was captured and spent over 15 years in Communist "re-education" Camps. Read how Quang overcame many obstacles to become a Marine Helicopter Pilot and U.S. citizen who fought for the United States in the first Gulf War. Considering the fact that English is Quang's second language, this book is more well written than most without formal authoring credentials. A great story...worth the read.

Jim Sheppard

Podlaski, John. Cherries: A Vietnam War Novel
2010, CreateSpace, Charleston, SC. ISBN: 978-14528798190 0-89141-873-3.
A great read for Families of Vietnam veterans who want to know what their loved one endured during their tour of duty. John Podlaski has really excelled in researching all the slangs, weapons and fears for the "cherries" (New Soldiers) in the field fighting their daily war in the bush. I give John's book "Cherries" a two bayonet rating.

"Doc" Fitzgerald

Robbins, James S. This Time we Win: Revisiting the Tet offensive.
2010, Encounter Books, New York. ISBN: 978-1-59403-229-5. All the major facets of the resounding tactical victory that was ours during the Tet Offensives in 1968 are re-told... Not much new here, but the final chapter "wrap-up" (Chapter 17: "Tet's Legacy") should be required reading for every High School History teacher, every Congressman and Senator. Just as Bernard Fall's "Street without Joy" should have been read by Johnson and MacNamara... every incoming President of this country should read this book...and re-read Chapter 17.

Jim Sheppard

Ross, Jim Outside the Wire Riding with the "Triple Deuce" in Vietnam, 1970
2013, Stackpole Books, Mechanicsburg, PA: ISBN: 978-0-8117-1222-4.
Fairly good account of life with a Mechanized Infantry Unit of the 25th Infantry Division at a time when the war was being turned over to the South Vietnamese. The 2nd Bn (M), 22nd Infantry saw it's share of action in 1970.

Jim Sheppard

Rowe, James N. Five Years to Freedom: A Young American's own story of defiance, survival and courageous escape from the Viet Cong after more than five years as a prisoner of war.
1971, Little, Brown & Company (Canada) Limited. One of the best books I've read this year (2009)...and I cannot say how I missed this one for so long. Rowe gives us more insight into just how brainwashed the NLF had become to Communist propaganda. A vivid account of life as a prisoner of the Viet Cong in the deep delta regions south of Saigon.

Jim Sheppard

Schwarzkopf ,General H. Norman, with Peter Petrie. It Doesn't Take a Hero.
New York: Bantam, 1992. Several chapters deal with Schwarzkopf's service in Vietnam, as an advisor to the ARVN Airborne Brigade (a very good unit) 1965-66; and then as commander of the 1/6 Battalion, 198th Infantry Brigade, 23d Infantry (Americal) Division, a very bad battalion that Schwarzkopf was able to improve a lot but not make really good, 1969-70, serving near Chu Lai and in the Batangan Peninsula.

Ray

Scruggs, Jan To Heal A Nation: The Vietnam Veterans Memorial
1986, Harper & Row, Publishers, New York: ISBN: 0-06-015404-7. This moving, inspiring, and beautifully illustrated book tells the inside story of the building of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in our nation's capital. It also includes, in an appendix in the back, the names of the 58,000 Americans who lost their lives in Southeast Asia during the war - the names that are inscribed on the memorial's granite walls.

Jim Sheppard

Sheehan, Neil. A Bright Shining Lie.
One of the best (and biggest!) you’ll ever read on Vietnam. Tells the story of John Paul Vann, one of the chief architects of the Vietnam War and of his eventual disillusionment.  Highly recommended.

Doc Melendez, Ray

Smith, Thomas T. Until they are Home: Bringing back the MIAs from Vietnam
2011, Tamu Press, Williams-Ford Texas A & M University military history series: ISBN-10:1603442324, ISBN-13: 978-1603442329. Army Lt. Col. Thomas ("Ty") Smith's year heading the recovery efforts in Vietnam. The Joint Task Force, formed in 1992, searches for the remains of over 2,585 unaccounted for Americans. LTC Smith provides a fantastic description of these efforts as well as a "fresh look" at the Vietnam of 2003, when he pulled his tour. I particularly enjoyed reading his views on the contrasting lifestyles found in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, still referred to as "Saigon" by the proud and stubborn residents who live there. Extremely well written.

Jim Sheppard

Sorley, Lewis. A Better War: The Unexamined Victories and the Final Tragedy of America's Last Years in Vietnam.
New York: Harcourt, Brace, 1999. An outstanding review from command's perspective of the period from when Abrams took over through the middle of 1972 or so. It is well researched and documented and explains in detail the change from a search and destroy war of attrition strategy to a clear and hold pacification strategy that resulted in a drastic improvement in both cost and success. His very persuasive conclusion is the war was essentially won in 1972 as is evidenced by the NVA defeat and the subsequent peace treaty or cease-fire.

James Hansen
SGT, 11F40
G3, 1st Inf Div
69-69

Sorley, Lewis. Westmoreland: The General who lost Vietnam
2011, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company, New York: ISBN 978-0-547-51826-8. Recent years have brought a desire in me to read views considered "unpopular" amongst some of my close compatriots...to possibly glean some better understanding of the "anti" and/or enemy point of view. Having heard less than stellar opinions of Westmoreland from several career officers who I hold in very high esteem...I wanted to read this biography done by an independent source. Sorley does an excellent job of remaining "neutral" as he tells the story of Westmoreland's life. He describes the "Good" as well as the shortcomings without malice. As a result of this volume...I have a much better understanding of where we went wrong in the beginning...and subsequent buildup years in Vietnam. Yes...we won every major battle, but fell short in more decisive areas...which eventually proved  the undoing of any chance at a "Free" Republic of Vietnam. Extremely well written.

Jim Sheppard

Stanton, Shelby L. Anatomy of a Division: The 1st Cav in Vietnam.
Novato, CA: Presidio Press, 1987.

Ray

Stanton, Shelby L. Rangers at War - LRRPs in Vietnam
ISBN 0-8041-0875-7, New York: Ballantine Books, 1992. This publication is described by Colonel David H. Hackworth as "The best book on Ranger history and operations I've read...Beautifully written and exhaustively researched".  Of note are excellent accounts of the 50th Infantry LRP teams that operated with the 9th and 25th Infantry Divisions.  I am submitting a request to Ballantine Books to copy several pages to our website for those Long Range Patrol units...Echo and Foxtrot Companies.

Jim Sheppard

Stanton, Shelby L. Vietnam Order of Battle.
New York: Galahad Books, 1986. This 416 page book covers the organization, structure and operations of U.S. and Allied ground forces in Vietnam frm 1961-1973. It covers every major unit with base locations and dates served, and lots more information including two dozen illustrated maps. While there are some errors and the author rated a mention in Stolen Valor, this is a valuable reference work as a secondary source of information.

Ray

Starry, General Donn AArmored Combat in Vietnam.
Indianapolis: Bobbs-Merrill, 1980.  Starry had commanded the 11th Armored Cavalry in Vietnam 1969-70.  The book attempts to chronicle the history of Armor, Cav and Mech Infantry in Vietnam, but inevitably focuses on General Starry’s own 11th ACR.

Ray

Steinbeck, John Steinbeck in Vietnam: Dispatches From The War. (Edited by Thomas E. Barden)
2012, University Of Virginia Press, ISBN: 978-8139-3257-6. From December of 1966 until May of 1967, John Steinbeck toured Vietnam, Thailand, Laos, and Indonesia sending reports as a war correspondent for publication in "Newsday". The reports were printed as "Letters to Alicia" in reference to Newsday publisher Harry F. Guggenheim's deceased wife. This "Letter Home" format was interesting and made the reader feel almost as though the famous author was addressing the reader directly! Much to the chagrin of the liberal media of the day...Steinbeck was a staunch anti-communist. His writings constantly and clearly show the insanity that was and is Communism. I came away feeling reinforced that our efforts were fruitful in stemming the rapid spread of Communism in Asia, although the Communists eventually gained control in Vietnam...such was not the case in other nearby countries. Steinbeck's last entry in this collection pays a great tribute to all Vietnam Veterans: "I have in a long life known good and brave men but none better, braver nor more committed than our servicemen in the far east. They are our dearest and our best and more than that...they are our hope".

Jim Sheppard

Stewart, Jim The Angel From Vietnam: A memoir of growing up, the Vietnam War, a daughter, and healing...
2007, PublishAmerica, LLLP, Baltimore, MD. ISBN: 978-1-4489-0540-9. Another "self-publish" book with poor editing, but this one read well. Interesting story of an MP who ended up stationed in Saigon, living with a Vietnamese girl, returning after his tour to live as a civilian and attempt to convince his girlfriend to leave Vietnam. They had a daughter and, after she refused to except the danger that was fast approaching as America left the country, she ultimately refused to leave with him for the United States. He leaves and tries to reconnect years later. It's not a happy story. I "related" since I was stationed in Saigon "TDY" for 6 months. You could live like a king there for not too much money...and with his job after the service, he could have remained longer...but did not. Ironically, if the address he used in the story (where he lived with his girlfriend) was correct ...I had an apartment about 6 blocks away! I shared it with 2 other GIs and we lived there when not on duty or required to be on base.

Jim Sheppard

Taylor, J. Max Inside the World of Mirrors: The story of a Shadow Warrior
2013, AuthorHouse, LLLP, Bloomington, IN. ISBN: 978-1-4817-1859-2. Another "self-publish" book with the inherent lack of proper edit, but this one reads very well. Interesting story of a different breed. Operating similarly to LRRP, SOG, And :RP Patrols, but with specific mission, this is a memoir about Special Intelligence Operations, in North Vietnam, Cambodia, and South Vietnam. It expands into some missions after the was. Unbelievable at first, the more I read, the more credible the work sounded.

Jim Sheppard

Terry, Wallace Bloods: An Oral History of the Vietnam War by Black Veterans.
New York: Random House, 1984. Reissued with an epilogue added, 1992.
Toai, Doan Van The Vietnamese Gulag: A Revolution Betrayed
1986, Simon & Schuster, Publishers, New York: ISBN: 0-671-60350-7. First person chronicle of the human cost of "Liberation" in the Socialist Republic of Vietnam. Doan Van Toai was an active supporter of the NFL who was jailed by the Communists in a case of "mistaken identity" and spent nearly 3 years in prison with no formal charges, representation, or hope for release. The book is a "Must Read" for anyone who believes a communist government is a viable option for society. Stripped of all vestiges of freedom, thousands wasted away in Vietnamese "Gulags" after the war ended. North Vietnamese Communists took over and the NLF, who mistakenly thought they would have a say in the new reunited country, found out they had been sadly mistaken. This and "A Vietcong Memoir" (Reviewed below) are two books, written by former NLF supporters that truly defined the Treachery that was the North Vietnamese Communist Party.

Jim Sheppard

Tonsetic, Robert L. Days of Valor: An Inside Account of the bloodiest six months of the Vietnam War.
2007, Casemate Publishers, Drexel Hill, PA: ISBN: 1-932033-52-1. Former Green Beret tells of his experiences commanding an Infantry Company in the 199th Light Infantry Brigade in 1968. Very Well Written.

Jim Sheppard

Tonsetic, Robert L. Forsaken Warriers
2009, Casemate Publishers, Havertown,PA: ISBN: 978-1-935149-03-3. The story of an American Advisor with the South Vietnamese Rangers and Airborne, 1970-71. Insightful and, well written.

Jim Sheppard

Tran, Hoi B. A Vietnamese Fighter Pilot in an American War
2011, Xlibris Corporation. ISBN: 978-1-4568-4724-1. In Hoi Ba Tran's memoir..."A Vietnamese Fighter Pilot in an American War", a fresh look amazingly simplifies how the Communists led a campaign of deceit and cruelty...bordering on genocide in the years following the close of the war in 1975. Tran, a former Major in the Vietnamese Air Force, relates how he was forced to flee several times in his lifetime to avoid the communist threat....ending his journey in California and the West Coast of the United States. This work is one of the better Vietnamese authored attempt at encapsulating the war...from fighting with the French right through to the fall of Saigon in the spring of 1975. When one reads Tran's account... it is hard to believe that so many atrocities were ignored by the free world...which was so eager to chastise the United States in it's efforts to support a free and independent Vietnam. I enjoyed Tran's effort. Recommended Highly by this historian.

Jim Sheppard

Tripp, Nathaniel. Father, Soldier, Son: Memoir of a Platoon Leader in Vietnam.
South Royalton, VT: Steerforth, 1997.  Tripp was with the 1st Infantry Division, 1968-69.
Truong Nhu Tang. A Viet Cong Memoir
1986, Published in the U.S. by Random House, New York: ISBN: 0-394-74309-1. This book by a former high official of the Provisional Revolutionary Government and National Liberation Front is the first I have read by one of our former foes who gave a clear and concise view of the war effort as waged by people of Southern Vietnam. For a change, this work is not a redundant "Communist diatribe", but rather an extremely informative and intelligent look at how successive South Vietnamese Presidents wielded a strong and totalitarian arm against anyone who voiced an opposing political opinion. Author Truong Nhu Tang was from a prominent South Vietnamese family and schooled at the best French-Vietnamese institutions...both in the former republic of South Vietnam and in France. He was one of a large group of influential businessmen in the Saigon region who opposed "strong arm" rule in the early 60's. Truong explains the process by which the NLF and PRG were formed...and eventually lied to by the North Vietnamese...led to believe by a grandfatherly "Uncle" Ho Chi Minh that a victorious combined effort to defeat the South Vietnamese Government would lead to a democratic representation of all political persuasions. In the end, the Communists betrayed all these influential southern leaders and forced an even worse totalitarian regime of Communism, led only by Northern Cadre. This betrayal was something most of them never suspected as they gave everything for what they thought would be a democratic victory. In retrospect, Truong, who eventually fled the country to an exile in France, reveals that the Soviets replaced the Americans as a strong but repressive "colonial" Influence. He adds that Southern commerce was much better when the Americans were there in force! Reading this book made me realize (for the first time) that the United States backed the wrong series of leaders for the south. Things might have ended drastically differently had we given others in the south a voice without fear of imprisonment...or worse. Truong further reveals that the massive successes of the U.S. Military against the indigenous NLF "Viet Cong" opened the door for more and more North Vietnamese communists to infiltrate the southern ranks.

I would rank this book among my top 10 "Must Read" books about the Vietnam war...seriously! For the first time, I finished a book written, essentially, by the enemy that left me feeling sincere sympathy for the author and the original NLF cause.

Jim Sheppard

Walker, Paul D. Jungle Dragoon: The Memoir of an Armored Cav Platoon Leader in Vietnam.
Novato, CA: Presidio, 1999.  Walker commanded a mixed platoon of tanks and ACAVs in the 1/4 Cavalry, 1st Infantry Division, 1966-67.
Warden, Doug. Boy Sergeant: A Young Soldier's Story of Vietnam
2010, Tate Publishing & Enterprises, LLC, Mustang, OK, ISBN: 978-1-61663-968-6 (Paperback). Although I have come to dread reading "self-published" works such as this....for a change this unedited book is very well written...with very few grammatical errors... Doug Warden tells the story of his 2 year service commitment in an excellent descriptive narrative that will definitely hold your attention! His account of his 1st Battalion, 12th Cavalry's participation with our 50th Infantry's "A" Company on December 15th in the Battle of Tam Quan helped me correct a Memorial Page error for our KIA Bernard Meinen. Thanks to Association member Mick Hawkins for recommending this book.

Jim Sheppard
&
Mick Hawkins

 

Warr, Nicholas. Phase Line Green: The Battle for Hue, 1968
1997, Naval Institute Press, Annapolis, MD, ISBN: 978-1-55750-911-6 (Hardcover). Well written story of the First Battalion, Fifth Marine Regiment...specifically "C" Company as it took "Point" during the battle to retake the Citadel in Hue from the North Vietnamese Army during the TET Offensive in February of 1968.

Jim Sheppard

Warriner, Russ. Empty Tubes and Back Seat Memories; A life changing Experience.
2010, Outskirts Press, Inc., Denver, CO, ISBN: 978-1-4327-5325-2 (Hardcover). Good story of Russ Warriner's experiences in Vietnam as a Crew Chief and Door Gunner on an M3 Rocket System Huey in the Army Aerial Rocket Artillery (ARA). These units, created specifically for the Vietnam War, consisted of early Huey model Gunships...which many of the original 50th Infantry members recall from our time attached to the 1st Cavalry Division. Warriner was a member of Charlie Battery, 2nd Battalion, 20th Artillery. An excellent read for those who wondered what the duties/experiences were like for these Door Gunners and Crew Chiefs.

Jim Sheppard

Webb, James. Fields of Fire.
Multi-award winning personal account of one Marine’s war from the Navy Cross decorated man who became Secretary of the Navy.

Ray

Wiest, Andrew VIETNAM'S FORGOTTEN ARMY: Heroism and Betrayal in the ARVN
2007, New York University Press, ISBN: 13: 978-0-8147-9410-4 (Hardcover).  Not Yet Reviewed - Being read by Jim Sheppard

Jim Sheppard

Wiest, Andrew THE BOYS OF '67: Charlie Company's War in Vietnam
2012, Osprey Publishing, Midland House, West Way, Botley, Oxford, OX2 0PH, UK. (Osprey Publishing is supporting the Woodland Trust, the UK's leading woodland conservation charity, by funding the dedication of trees). ISBN: 978-1-78096-202-3 (Hardcover). I was first introduced to this author when Mick Hawkins touted the book to me as a discussion evolved on our website message board...primarily about the made for television movie..."Brothers in War" based on this book...which aired March 26th 2014.

In this extremely well written book, the men of Charlie Company, 4th Battalion, 47th Infantry, 9th Infantry Division (Mobile Riverine Force), are followed from pre-draft/pre-enlistment...through Basic and AIT together at Fort Riley...to their trip to Vietnam on the USS Pope...through their battles in the delta region, losses due to men killed and wounded...a huge loss of cohesiveness caused by the "Infusion" program...to the experiences of returning home, trying to adjust, and finally banding together once again for reunions. Certainly, aside from the terrain and battle logistics, these men experienced the same highs and lows...the same victories and defeats...the same emotions as did our 50th Infantry in the central highlands of Vietnam in 1967/68. The final pages describing the first reunion of these men in Las Vegas could easily have been about one of our own reunions with some simple name changes. I am not ashamed to say that I sat and read the end of this book with tears in these old eyes...as I thought of our very own healing that takes place every two years at Fort Benning.

Jim Sheppard

Wiest, Andrew VIETNAM: A view from the front lines
2012, Osprey Publishing, Midland House, West Way, Botley, Oxford, OX2 0PH, UK. ISBN: 978-1-84908-972-2 (Hardcover).  Not Yet Reviewed - Being read by Jim Sheppard

Jim Sheppard

Wollner, James Parker The Bamboo Shoot: The story of the 2nd Airboat Platoon
2007, Xlibris Corporation, ISBN: 978-1-4134-5339-3 (Hardcover). I was searching for photos of an Air Boat for our SRAP page when I came across mention of this book. Apparently there were two platoons of Air Boat Infantry in "I" CORPS Tactical Zone (The Mekong Delta Region and Saigon Environs). The book is not edited, but a "paid for" publication of Jim Wollner's Memoirs. I found it refreshingly plain and simple...written mostly in short "letters home" format, it covers his experiences with the 2nd Air Boat Platoon, 9th Infantry Division. There's the base for a serious work here if pursued...and I couldn't help thinking this man should start his own web site for the Platoon...but that's all supposition. He sent me a "Gratis" copy of the book, for which I am grateful! Don't read this with high expectation. It is informative on this specialized subject.

Jim Sheppard

Woodruff, Mark W. Unheralded Victory: The defeat of the Viet Cong and North Vietnamese Army 1961-1973
Arlington, VA: Vandamere Press, 1999. ISBN 0-918339-51-0.  THIS IS THE BOOK that has the answers for ANY idiot who thinks the United States lost the war in Vietnam!  If you are like me...it is extremely frustrating to here this new generation talk as though I lost that war!  When the United States was there...every major engagement was won...and we NEVER left a battlefield as "Losers". Here's the book you need to buy and have your children (Or maybe by now it's grandchildren!) take to school for their History teachers to read! This book is a MUST HAVE for your Vietnam library. 

Jim Sheppard

Wright, James E. Those Who Have Borne The Battle: A history of America's wars and those who fought them
New York, NY: Public Affairs Books, 2012. ISBN 978-1-61039-072-9.  This is a tremendous work by a dedicated historian. "Jim" Wright, as he prefers to be called...is actually, Dr. James Wright, President Emeritus of Dartmouth College. This volume gives us a history of how the fighting men of the United States have fought and been perceived and compensated beginning with the American Revolution through the modern day wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. He has managed to clearly describe how we fought in Vietnam, how he felt about the war, and how we were treated when we came home. He enters into an intelligent critique of our war without finger-pointing and politics...and nails it...regardless of the fact that his Marine Corps enlistment did not involve service in Vietnam. He has been praised for his efforts with disabled Veterans and is currently writing a book about the period between May and June of 1969, in which some men from our 50th Infantry may be mentioned. Reading this book and knowing that Jim Wright taught History at Dartmouth College for decades gives us combat veterans hope that "our war" will be rightly portrayed to a generation that knows us as their grandparents. (He still lectures and teaches on a limited basis)

Jim Sheppard

Yarborough, Col. Tom DaNang Diary A Forward Air Controller's Year of Combat over Vietnam.
1990, St. Martin's Press, New York: ISBN: 0-312-05067-4.
A very well written account of a Forward Air Controller (FAC) who often operated over the Ho Chi Minh Trail and ran the gauntlet of enemy anti-aircraft to direct "fast movers" on North Vietnamese Infiltrators. Highly recommended.

Jim Sheppard

Yezzo, Dominick. A G.I.'s Vietnam Diary: 1968-1969.
New York: Franklin Watts, 1974. Yezzo served in G-5 of the 1st Cavalry Division.
Zaffiri, Samuel. Hamburger Hill: May 11-20, 1969.
Novato, CA: Presidio Press, 1988.
Zahn, Randy R. Snake Pilot: Flying the Cobra Attack Helicopter in Vietnam
2009, Brassey's Inc, ISBN: 1-57488-565-0 (Hardcover). Good account of a Cobra Pilot's experiences in the 1st of the 9th in III Corps in the waning stages of American Involvement.

Jim Sheppard

Zumbro, Ralph. Tank Sergeant.
Novato, CA: Presidio, 1986. b New York: Pocket Books, 1988. Zumbro joined the Army in 1957, left it, and re-enlisted to serve in Vietnam, with Company A, 1/69 Armor. At the time he arrived, the 1/69 was part of the 25th Infantry Division, but on loan to the 4th Infantry Division. The battalion served with various units while he was in it, ending June 1968.

Ray



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