#VNM Dak To

[casbooks]

Book 57 of 2024 (★★★★)

Title: In This Valley There Are Tigers Authors: Charles McDonald

ISBN: 9781508819004 Rating: ★★★★

Subject: Books.Military.20th-21st Century.Asia.Vietnam War.ARVN.Airborne Division, Books.Military.20th-21st Century.Asia.Vietnam War.Specops.Green Berets, Books.Military.20th-21st Century.Asia.Vietnam War.Specops.Green Berets.Project Delta, Books.Military.20th-21st Century.Asia.Vietnam War.US Army.Advisor, Books.Military.20th-21st Century.Asia.Vietnam War.US Army.Infantry

Description: In 1964, Charles A. McDonald was at Camp Khe Sanh before the first wholesale introduction of North Vietnamese Army troops onto the battlefield against U.S. forces. For twenty-four years in war and peace, McDonald served his country in its elite units as an Airborne Infantryman and Special Forces soldier. He trained and armed Bru tribesmen, Chinese mercenaries, Vietmamese Airborne and Special Forces troops. Stories as seen through his eyes "In This Valley There Are Tigers", McDonald tells a narrative of the personal violence and desperate suicide attacks in combat with vivid detail as it was from his own perspective during his three year experience in the Second Indochina War. He was there!

My Review: Charles McDonald writes like few others do - and that is both a good and a bad thing!

Let's get the negative out of the way, this book is an absolute SLOG to get through that a good editor should have been able to tighten up and clean up. But at the same time, doing so would have removed one of the things that makes this book so unique! McDonald tells the story of his three tours in Vietnam, starting with his last one as an advisor to the ARVN 7th Airborne battalion, followed up by his first tour with team A-322 in 1964 at Khe Sanh, and finally his middle tour split between Project Delta B-52 and the 1/327th 101st Airborne.

He flows back and forth between his own experiences, the experiences of others, and as a 3rd person historical narrator of events. When he is telling the stories of others, you often get much more detail of who / what / when, whereas when he is telling his own stories, you get stream of consciousness writing explicit with minutiae and details… what things smelled like, what he heard, what he was feeling. You get a lot of stories about bugs and birds and animals, about dew and the weather, you rarely ever hear a name or explanation of who he is serving with, and so many story elements are lost in all of the commentary about the cicadas and the mosquitos and the noises and the smells.

It's a slog to get through but at the same time, it's powerful to to experience these events through his eyes and thoughts in a way few authors bother to do.

Most authors tell you what is going on … we went here, we did this, we ended up there, we then went back to camp and slept. McDonald shows you footfall by football, kneel down by kneel down, almost every breath he took and every though and emotion he experienced. It's an insight into such a wide ranging experience with 4 different units doing 4 very different things, and you are really along for the ride … even when he's telling the history or the stories of others. Definitely not for the timid, but if you can handle it… go for it!

[casbooks]

Books of 2023

Book 74 of 2023

Title: Elite Bastards Authors: Edward L Dvorak ISBN: 9781526789655

Tags: B-52 Stratofortress, FAC, M24 Duster, O-1 Bird Dog, US USA 101st Airborne Division - Screaming Eagles, US USA 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment - Blackhorse, US USA 173rd Airborne Brigade - 4th Bn, US USA 173rd Airborne Brigade - 4th Bn - D Co, US USA 173rd Airborne Brigade - 4th Bn - D Co - 1st Plt, US USA 173rd Airborne Brigade - 4th Bn - D Co - 1st Plt - 1st Sqd, US USA 173rd Airborne Brigade - Sky Soldiers, US USA 17th Cavalry Regiment, US USA 17th Cavalry Regiment - 3/17, US USA 17th Cavalry Regiment - 3/17 - D Troop, US USA 17th Cavalry Regiment - E Troop, US USA 199th Light Infantry Brigade - Redcatchers, US USA 25th ID - Tropic Lightning, US USA 51st Infantry Regiment, US USA 51st Infantry Regiment - F Co (LRP), US USA 51st Infantry Regiment - F Co (LRP) - Team 1/2, US USA 51st Infantry Regiment - F Co (LRP) - Team 1/3, US USA 51st Infantry Regiment - F Co (LRP) - Team 1/5, US USA 51st Infantry Regiment - F Co (LRP) - Team 1/6, US USA 51st Infantry Regiment - F Co (LRP) - Team 1/7, US USA 74th Reconnaissance Airplane Co (RAC), US USA 74th Reconnaissance Airplane Co (RAC) - Aloft, US USA ANG Army National Guard, US USA ANG IN 151st Infantry Regiment, US USA ANG IN 151st Infantry Regiment - D Co (LRP), US USA Combat Trackers - K9, US USA Fort Benning GA, US USA Fort Leonard Wood MO, US USA LRRP Team (Vietnam War), US USA United States Army, US USA USSF 5th SFG, US USA USSF Green Berets, US USA USSF Sgt Maj Mcguire, US USA USSF Special Forces, US USN SEALS, US USN United States Navy, USA AeroScouts, VNM 1968 Tet Offensive (1968) (Vietnam War), VNM Battle of Dak To (1967) (Vietnam War), VNM Bien Hoa, VNM Bien Hoa Air Base (Vietnam War), VNM Bien Hoa Army Base (Vietnam War), VNM Cam Ranh Bay, VNM Camp Lindsey-Lattin (Vietnam War), VNM Central Highlands, VNM Cu Chi, VNM Dak To, VNM Dong Nai River, VNM DRV NVA North Vietnamese Army, VNM DRV VC Viet Cong, VNM Hill 875, VNM II Corps (Vietnam War), VNM III Corps (Vietnam War), VNM Iron Triangle (Vietnam War), VNM LBJ Long Binh Jail - USARVIS US Army Vietnam Installation Stockade (Vietnam War), VNM LBJ Long Binh Jail (Vietnam War), VNM Long Binh Post - Ammunition Depot (Vietnam War), VNM Long Binh Post (Vietnam War), VNM Nha Trang - 5th SFG Recondo School (Vietnam War), VNM Operation Arc Light (1965-1973) (Vietnam War), VNM RVN ARVN Army of the Republic of Vietnam, VNM RVN Chieu Hoi Program/Force 66 - Luc Luong 66 (Vietnam War), VNM Song Be, VNM Tuy Hoa, VNM US MACVSOG (1964-1972) (Vietnam War), VNM US MACVSOG Hatchet Force Teams (Vietnam War), VNM US MACVSOG Road Runner Teams (Vietnam War), VNM US USA 24th Evacuation Hospital - Long Binh (Vietnam War), VNM US USA 6th Convalescent Hospital - Cam Ranh Bay, VNM US USA Cam Ranh Bay - Replacement Depot, VNM US USA II Field Force (1966-1971) (Vietnam War), VNM US USSF 5th SFOB Special Forces Operation Base - Nha Trang, VNM US USSF Mobile Strike Force - MIKE Force (Vietnam War), VNM Vietnam, VNM Vietnam War (1955-1975), VNM Vung Tau, VNM War Zone C (Vietnam War), VNM War Zone D (Vietnam War)

Rating: ★★★ Subject: Books.Military.20th-21st Century.Asia.Vietnam War.Specops.LRRPs

Description: This is the quintessential first-person combat memoir of a special forces soldier at war. Edward Dvorak joined the 173rd Airborne Brigade in Vietnam in the summer of 1967. He then joined Company F, 51st Infantry, Long Range Patrol, Airborne. For Dvorak and his buddies of Company F, LRP, their real training started with the MACV (Military Assistant Command Vietnam) Recondo School at the 5th Special Forces Compound in Nha Trang, South Vietnam. That training culminated with an actual Combat LRP mission. If you lived through the patrol, you graduated. Dvorak would remain with Company F for 19 months going on dozens of combat patrols deep behind enemy lines.

[casbooks]

Books of 2023

Book 30 of 2023

Title: To the Limit: An Air Cav Huey Pilot in Vietnam Authors: Tom A. Johnson ISBN: 9780451222183 Tags: AC-47 Spooky, B-52 Stratofortress, CH-47 Chinook, CH-54 Tarhe, EOD, LAO Laos, LAO Laotian Civil War (1959-1975), LAO Operation Commando Hunt (1968-1972) (Laotian Civil War) (Vietnam War), LAO Operation Shining Brass / Prairie Fire / Phu Dong (1965-1975) (Laotian Civil War) (Vietnam War), O-1 Bird Dog, OH-13 Sioux, OH-23 Raven, OV-1 Mohawk, Pathfinders, UH-1 Huey, US Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara, US USA 11th Aviation Group, US USA 11th Aviation Support Group, US USA 12th Cavalry Regiment, US USA 12th Cavalry Regiment - 2/12, US USA 15th Medical Det. - Mercy, US USA 173rd Airborne Brigade - Sky Soldiers, US USA 1st Cavalry Division, US USA 1st Cavalry Division - 11th Pathfinder Co., US USA 20th Aerial Rocket Artillery Bn, US USA 20th Aerial Rocket Artillery Bn - 2/20 - Blue Max, US USA 227th Assault Helicopter Bn, US USA 227th Assault Helicopter Bn - C/227, US USA 228th Assault Helicopter Bn, US USA 229th Assault Helicopter Bn, US USA 229th Assault Helicopter Bn - A/229 - Bandit, US USA 229th Assault Helicopter Bn - A/229 - Python, US USA 229th Assault Helicopter Bn - B/229 - Preachers, US USA 229th Assault Helicopter Bn - D/229 - Smiling Tiger, US USA 229th Assault Helicopter Bn - D/229 - Tom Cat, US USA 478th Aviation Co, US USA 7th Cavalry Regiment, US USA 7th Cavalry Regiment - 1/7 - C Troop, US USA 7th Cavalry Regiment - 2/7, US USA 8th Cavalry Regiment, US USA 8th Cavalry Regiment - 1/8, US USA 8th Cavalry Regiment - 1/8 - B Troop, US USA 8th Cavalry Regiment - 1/8 - C Troop, US USA 8th Cavalry Regiment - 2/8, US USA 8th Engineer Bn, US USA 9th Cavalry Regiment, US USA 9th Cavalry Regiment - 1/9, US USA 9th Cavalry Regiment - 1/9 - C Troop, US USA Fort Polk LA, US USA Fort Rucker AL, US USA Fort Rucker AL - Hanchey Army Air Field, US USA Fort Wolters TX (1963-1973), US USA General Creighton Abrams, US USA General John "Jack" Norton, US USA General John Tolson, US USA LRRP Team (Vietnam War), US USA United States Army, US USA USSF Green Berets, US USA USSF Special Forces, US USMC 3rd MarDiv, US USMC United States Marine Corps, US USN Construction Battalions (Seabees), US USN SEALS, US USN United States Navy, USA 5th SFG, VNM 1968 Tet Offensive (1968) (Vietnam War), VNM A Louie Airstrip, VNM A Shau Valley, VNM An Khe, VNM An Lao Valley, VNM Ba To Airstrip, VNM Battle of Hue City (1968) (Tet Offensive) (Vietnam War), VNM Battle of Khe Sanh (1968) (Tet Offensive) (Vietnam War), VNM Bong Son, VNM Bong Son Pass, VNM Bong Son River, VNM Camp Evans (Vietnam War), VNM Camp Radcliff (Vietnam War), VNM Cay Giep Mountains, VNM Central Highlands, VNM Command and Control North/FOB-4 (Vietnam War), VNM Da Nang, VNM Dak To, VNM Dam Tra-O Lake, VNM Dia Dong, VNM Dong Ha, VNM DRV NVA 22nd Regiment, VNM DRV NVA 325C Division, VNM DRV NVA 325C Division - 7th Bn, VNM DRV NVA 325C Division - 9th Bn, VNM DRV NVA 3rd Division, VNM DRV NVA North Vietnamese Army, VNM DRV VC Viet Cong, VNM Highway 1, VNM Highway 19, VNM Hill 450, VNM Hill 814 (LZ Peanuts) (Vietnam War), VNM Ho Chi Minh Trail (Vietnam War), VNM Hon Kon (Hong Kong Mountain) / (Signal Mountain), VNM Hue, VNM Hue Phu Bai, VNM I Corps (Vietnam War), VNM II Corps (Vietnam War), VNM LZ Bird (Vietnam War), VNM LZ Dog (Vietnam War), VNM LZ El Paso (Vietnam War), VNM LZ English (Vietnam War), VNM LZ Geronimo (Vietnam War), VNM LZ Laramie (Vietnam War), VNM LZ Pat (Vietnam War), VNM LZ Pepper (Vietnam War), VNM LZ Sally (Vietnam War), VNM LZ Sandra (Vietnam War), VNM LZ Sharon (Vietnam War), VNM LZ Signal Hill (Vietnam War), VNM LZ Stud (Vietnam War), VNM LZ Thor (Vietnam War), VNM LZ Tiger (Vietnam War), VNM LZ Tom (Vietnam War), VNM LZ Two Bits (Vietnam War), VNM LZ Vicki (Vietnam War), VNM Marble Mountain, VNM Nui Mot (The Rockpile), VNM Operation Arc Light (1965-1973) (Vietnam War), VNM Operation Delaware / Lam Son 216 (1968) (Vietnam War), VNM Operation Jeb Stuart (1968) (Vietnam War), VNM Operation Pegasus / Lam Son 207 (1968) (Vietnam War), VNM Operation Pershing (1967-1968) (Vietnam War), VNM Phan Rang Air Base, VNM Phu Cat Mountains, VNM Quang Tri, VNM Quang Tri Province, VNM Qui Nhon, VNM RVN ARVN Army of the Republic of Vietnam, VNM Song Ba, VNM Song Chal Truc, VNM Song Re, VNM Song Re Valley, VNM Tam Quan, VNM US MACV Military Assistance Command Vietnam (Vietnam War), VNM US MACVSOG (1964-1972) (Vietnam War), VNM US UH-1 Huey Firefly Missions (Vietnam War), VNM US USAF Phu Cat Air Base (Vietnam War), VNM US USMC DHCB Dong Ha Combat Base (Vietnam War), VNM US USMC KSCB Khe Sanh Combat Base (Vietnam War), VNM US USMC MMAF Marble Mountain Air Facility, VNM US USMC QTCB Quang Tri Combat Base (Vietnam War), VNM Vietnam, VNM Vietnam War (1955-1975) Rating: ★★★★ (4 Stars) Subject: Books.Military.20th-21st Century.Asia.Vietnam War.Aviation.US Army.Helos.Slicks, Books.Military.20th-21st Century.Asia.Vietnam War.Laotian Civil War.Aviation.Helos

Description: **The riveting memoir of a Vietnam War helicopter pilot. “When you step into a Huey with Tom Johnson, you’re in for the real thing. No one has previously captured the Vietnam helicopter experience with such gripping authority.”—Robert F. Dorr, author of Chopper   **   From June 1967 to June 1968, Tom Johnson accumulated an astonishing 1,600 flying hours piloting the UH-1 “Iroquois”—better known as the “Huey”—as part of the famous First Air Cavalry Division. His battalion was one of the most decorated units of the Vietnam War, and helped redefine modern warfare. Johnson’s riveting memoir takes us into key battles and rescue missions, including those for Hue and Khe Sanh. In harrowing detail, he tells of being shot down in the battle of A Shau Valley, of surviving enemy attacks during the Tet Offensive, and of a death-defying nighttime river rescue, in which only the bare feet of soldiers hanging off the Huey’s skids kept the helicopter from plunging under water. From dangerous missions to narrow escapes, Johnson’s memoir vividly captures the adrenaline rush and the horror of war, and takes you on a ride you’ll never forget.

[casbooks]

Books of 2023

Book 73 of 2023

Title: Only The Light Moves Authors: Francis A Doherty ISBN: 9781399057011 Tags: A-1 Skyraider, AH-1 Cobra, B-24 Liberator, B-52 Stratofortress, Boeing 720B, Boeing Stearman, de Havilland Canada DHC-2 Beaver, F-4 Phantom II, FAC, GER Bavaria, GER Germany, GER Kirch Gons, HKG Hong Kong, HKG Hong Kong - Kai Tak Airport, KHM Cambodia, KHM Cambodian Air Force (Cambodian Civil War), KHM Cambodian Civil War (1967-1975), KHM Norodom Sihanouk (King / Prince / Prime Minister), KHM Operation Daniel Boone / Salem House (1967-1975) (Cambodian Civil War) (Vietnam War), LAO Laos, LAO Pathet Lao, LAO USA MSS Leghorn (Eagle's Nest / Gibralter / Golf-5) (Vietnam War), Lockheed Constellation, McDonnell Douglas MD-88, MMR Burma, MMR Yangon/Rangoon Harbor, Nungs, O-1 Bird Dog, O-2 Skymaster, OH-6 Cayuse/Loach/LOH, T-28 Trojan, THA RTAF Royal Thai Air Force, THA RTAFB Ubon Royal Thai Air Base, THA RTN Royal Thai Navy, THA RTNAF U-Tapao Royal Thai Navy Airfield, THA Thailand, U-1 Otter, U-6A Beaver, US CA California, US CA Los Angeles, US CA Los Angeles - LAX Airport, US CIA Central Intelligence Agency, US NY JFK International Airport, US NY New York, US OH Kent State University, US OH Kent State University Shootings (1970) (Vietnam War), US President Richard M. Nixon, US TWA Transworld Airlines, US USA 185th Reconnaissance Airplane Co (RAC), US USA 185th Reconnaissance Airplane Co (RAC) - Pterodactyls, US USA 18th Aviation Co, US USA 219th Reconnaissance Airplane Co (RAC), US USA 219th Reconnaissance Airplane Co (RAC) - 2nd Plt, US USA 219th Reconnaissance Airplane Co (RAC) - 4th Plt, US USA 219th Reconnaissance Airplane Co (RAC) - Headhunters, US USA 220th Aviation Company (RAC), US USA 220th Aviation Company (RAC) - Catkiller, US USA 223rd Aviation Bn., US USA 3rd Armored Division, US USA 4th ID - Ivy Division, US USA CCC RT California (Vietnam War), US USA CCC RT Pennsylvania (Vietnam War), US USA Fort Knox KY, US USA Fort Knox KY - Armor Officer Basic Course, US USA Fort Lewis WA, US USA Fort Ord CA, US USA Fort Ord CA - USATC US Army Training Center, US USA Fort Rucker AL, US USA Fort Stewart GA, US USA United States Army, US USA USSF 5th SFG, US USA USSF Green Berets, US USA USSF Special Forces, US USAF 20th TASS - Covey FAC,

US USAF 7th ABCCC Airborne Command and Control Sqd - Hillsboro, US USAF MAC Military Airlift Command, US USAF United States Air Force, US USAF Wright-Patterson Air Force Base OH, US WA Spokane, US WA Spokane - Menock Bridge, US WA Washington, VNM 1968 Tet Offensive (1968) (Vietnam War), VNM Ban Me Thout, VNM Batangan Peninsula, VNM Ben Het, VNM Camp Holloway (Vietnam War), VNM Central Highlands, VNM Chu Lai, VNM Command and Control Central/FOB-2 (Vietnam War), VNM Command and Control North/FOB-1 (Vietnam War), VNM Command and Control North/FOB-4 (Vietnam War), VNM Command and Control South/FOB-5 (Vietnam War), VNM Da Nang, VNM Dak Bla River, VNM Dak Seang, VNM Dak To, VNM DMZ Demilitarized Zone - 17th Parallel (Vietnam War), VNM Dong Ha, VNM DRV NVA North Vietnamese Army, VNM DRV VC Viet Cong, VNM Duc Co, VNM Duc Co Special Forces Camp (Vietnam War), VNM Hill 484, VNM Ho Chi Minh Trail (Vietnam War), VNM Hue, VNM Hue - Tay Loc Airfield (Vietnam War), VNM Hue - The Citadel, VNM I Corps (Vietnam War), VNM Ia Drang Valley, VNM II Corps (Vietnam War), VNM III Corps (Vietnam War), VNM Kontum, VNM Kontum - MACV Advisory Compound (Vietnam War), VNM Marble Mountain, VNM Montagnards, VNM Montagnards - Rhade, VNM My Lai, VNM Nha Trang, VNM Operation Arc Light (1965-1973) (Vietnam War), VNM Operation Prarie Fire, VNM Paris Peace Accords (1973) (Vietnam War), VNM Phu Bai, VNM Plei Djereng, VNM Plei Djereng Special Forces Camp (Vietnam War), VNM Plei Trap Valley, VNM Pleiku, VNM Polei Kleng, VNM Polei Kleng Special Forces Camp (Vietnam War), VNM Project Ford Drum (MACVSOG - OPS-32) (Vietnam War), VNM Quang Ngai, VNM Quang Ngai Province, VNM Qui Nhon, VNM RVN ARVN Army of the Republic of Vietnam, VNM RVN ARVN LLDB Luc Luong Dac Biet Special Forces, VNM RVN ARVN Vietnamese Rangers - Biet Dong Quan, VNM RVN SVNAF South Vietnamese Air Force, VNM RVN Vietnamization Policy (Vietnam War), VNM The Bra Area (Vietnam War), VNM US MACV Military Assistance Command Vietnam (Vietnam War), VNM US MACVSOG - OPS-32 Air Operations (Vietnam War), VNM US MACVSOG - OPS-32 SPAF Sneaky Pete Air Force (Vietnam War), VNM US MACVSOG (1964-1972) (Vietnam War), VNM US MACVSOG Hatchet Force Teams (Vietnam War), VNM US MACVSOG Spike/Recon Teams (Vietnam War), VNM US USA Pleiku Air Base (Vietnam War), VNM US USMC DHCB Dong Ha Combat Base (Vietnam War), VNM US USMC MMAF Marble Mountain Air Facility, VNM USAF DASC Direct Air Support Center (Vietnam War), VNM USAF II Corps DASC / 505th TCG - Carbon Outlaw (Vietnam War), VNM VC Valley, VNM Vietnam, VNM Vietnam War (1955-1975), Vultee BT-13, Walter Cronkite, WW2 CBI China Burma India Theater of Operations (1937-1945), WW2 World War 2 (1939-1945)

Rating: ★★★★★ Subject: Books.Military.20th-21st Century.Asia.Vietnam War.Aviation.US Army.FAC, Books.Military.20th-21st Century.Asia.Vietnam War.Specops.MACVSOG

Description: About the Author: Francis Doherty, a former U.S. Army captain, piloted a small, unarmed, airplane over sections of the Ho Chi Minh Trail during the war in Vietnam. Captain Doherty spent ten months flying in support of a covert unit of the Army’s Fifth Special Forces, which waged a clandestine war against the North Vietnamese Army, interdicting their supply line through Laos and Cambodia. Only the Light Moves is his first book. After leaving the military Captain Doherty spent thirty-two years as a commercial airline pilot. His essays have appeared in The Journal of Creative Nonfiction, Afterwords, the Veterans Writing Workshop Journal, 0-Dark-Thirty, the publication of the Veteran’s Writing Project, and several essays for The Bark, a monthly publication by the International Bird Dog Association. Additionally, the essay published in the Journal of Creative Nonfiction has been nominated for the Pushcart prize.

[casbooks]

Books of 2023

Book 46 of 2023

Title: Farewell, Ham Tan Arty: An Artilleryman's Journal During the Vietnam War Drawdown Authors: Gerald Herter ISBN: 9798985051223 Tags: AC-119G Shadow, AUS ADF AA Australian Army, AUS ADF Australian Defence Force, CHN China, CHN Hong Kong, FAC, FRA France, FRA Paris, GBR RN Royal Navy, GBR United Kingdom, GER Bad Kreuznach, GER Frankfurt, GER Germany, GER Oberammergau, GER USA Baumholder Base, GER USAF Rhein-Main Air Base, HKG Hong Kong, HKG Hong Kong - China Fleet Club, HKG Hong Kong - Chinese Theater Restaurant, HKG Hong Kong - Gaddi's Restaurant, HKG Hong Kong - Grand Hotel, HKG Hong Kong - Hilton Hotel, HKG Hong Kong - Jimmy's Kitchen Restaurant, HKG Hong Kong - Juno's Revolving Restaurant, HKG Hong Kong - Kowloon, HKG Hong Kong - Mandarin Hotel, HKG Hong Kong - RN Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club, HKG Hong Kong - Victoria Peak, KHM Cambodia, KHM Cambodian Civil War (1967-1975), KHM Cambodian Incursion (1970) (Vietnam War), KHM General Lon Nol, KHM King & President Norodom Sihanouk, KHM Phnom Penh, LAO Lam Son 719 (1971) (Vietnam War), LAO Laos, LAO Laotian Civil War (1959-1975), M109 Paladin, O-1 Bird Dog, THA Ayutthaya, THA Bangkok, THA Thailand, US Bob Hope (Entertainer), US CIA Central Intelligence Agency, US MOH Medal of Honor, US State Department, US USA 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment - Blackhorse, US USA 12th Artillery Regiment, US USA 12th Artillery Regiment - 2/12, US USA 12th Artillery Regiment - 2/12 - A Batt, US USA 16th Artillery Regiment, US USA 16th Artillery Regiment - 7/16, US USA 1st Cavalry Division, US USA 1st Cavalry Division - 3rd Brigade, US USA 21st Artillery Regiment, US USA 21st Artillery Regiment - 1/21, US USA 23rd Artiller Group, US USA 25th ID, US USA 2nd Artillery Regiment, US USA 2nd Artillery Regiment - 1/2, US USA 35th Artillery Regiment, US USA 35th Artillery Regiment - 2/35, US USA 42nd Artillery Regiment, US USA 42nd Artillery Regiment - 5/42, US USA 42nd Artillery Regiment - 5/42 - A Batt, US USA 42nd Artillery Regiment - 5/42 - B Batt, US USA 42nd Artillery Regiment - 5/42 - C Batt, US USA 83rd Artillery Regiment, US USA 83rd Artillery Regiment - 5/83, US USA 8th ID, US USA 90th Replacement Bn, US USA 92nd Artillery Regiment, US USA 92nd Artillery Regiment - 1/92, US USA 92nd Artillery Regiment - 1/92 - A Batt, US USA ASA Army Security Agency, US USA Fort Benning GA, US USA Fort Riley KS, US USA Fort Sill OK, US USA Fort Sill OK - OBC Officer Basic Course, US USA LNO Army Liason Officer, US USA LRRP Team (Vietnam War), US USA Lt Brian Thacker (MOH), US USA United States Army, US USA USAEUR United States Army Europe, US USA USAEUR V Corps, US USA USSF 1st SFG, US USA USSF Green Berets, US USA USSF Special Forces, US USN United States Navy, US USN USS Lloyd Thomas (DD-764), US USO United Service Organizations, US WI University of Wisconsin, US WI University of Wisconsin - ROTC, US WI Wisconsin, USAID, VNM ADF AA 1st Australian Task Force (1 ATF) (Vietnam War), VNM ARVN TF 302nd Bn, VNM ARVN TF Territorial Forces, VNM Assassination of Ngo Dinh Diem (1963) (Vietnam War), VNM Bao Tan, VNM Bearcat Base / Long Thanh North Airfield (Vietnam War), VNM Bien Hoa, VNM Bien Hoa Air Base (Vietnam War), VNM Binh Thuy, VNM CIA Air America (1950-1976) (Vietnam War), VNM Cu Chi, VNM Dak To, VNM Di An, VNM DRV NVA MR7 HQ, VNM DRV NVA North Vietnamese Army, VNM DRV VC Viet Cong, VNM FSB 6 (Hill 1001) (Vietnam War), VNM FSB Apache (Vietnam War), VNM FSB Blackhorse (Vietnam War), VNM FSB Concord (Vietnam War), VNM FSB Deeble (Vietnam War), VNM FSB Dora (Vietnam War), VNM FSB Flower (Vietnam War), VNM FSB Husky (Vietnam War), VNM FSB Intrepid (Vietnam War), VNM FSB Joni / Flower (Vietnam War), VNM FSB Karen (Vietnam War), VNM FSB Mace (Vietnam War), VNM FSB Michelle (Vietnam War), VNM FSB Nancy (Vietnam War), VNM FSB Oldham (Vietnam War), VNM FSB Riviera (Vietnam War), VNM FSB Simmons (Vietnam War), VNM FSB Sylvia (Vietnam War), VNM Ham Tan, VNM Hiep An, VNM Hill 1001, VNM Ho Chi Minh Trail (Vietnam War), VNM III Corps (Vietnam War), VNM Lagi, VNM Lang Vei, VNM Lang Vei Special Forces Camp (Vietnam War), VNM Long Binh Post - Camp Price, VNM Long Binh Post - Plantation - II Field Force HQ (Vietnam War), VNM Long Binh Post (Vietnam War), VNM Long Hai, VNM Long Hai Mountains, VNM Long Khanh Province, VNM My Lai Massacre (1968) (Vietnam War), VNM Nui Be, VNM Nui Chui Chan, VNM Nui Dat, VNM Nui Nhon, VNM Nui Ong, VNM Nui Ta Kou, VNM Operation Snoopy (People Sniffer) (Vietnam War), VNM Paris Peace Accords (1973) (Vietnam War), VNM Phan Thiet, VNM Phu Loi, VNM Phuoc Tho, VNM Phuoc Tuy Province, VNM RVN ARVN 18th ID, VNM RVN ARVN Army of the Republic of Vietnam, VNM RVN ARVN General Do Cao Tri, VNM RVN ARVN RF/PF 177th RF Co (Vietnam War), VNM RVN ARVN RF/PF Regional Forces/Popular Forces (Vietnam War), VNM RVN ARVN Vietnamese Rangers - Biet Dong Quan, VNM RVN Chieu Hoi Program/Force 66 - Luc Luong 66 (Vietnam War), VNM RVN General Duong Van Minh (Big Minh), VNM RVN Ngo Dinh Diem, VNM RVN Ngo Dinh Nhu, VNM RVN Nguyen Van Thieu, VNM Tam Tam, VNM Tan Linh, VNM Tan Ly, VNM Tan Ly - PF Outpost, VNM Tan Son Nhut Air Base, VNM US MACV Advisory Teams (Vietnam War), VNM US MACV CORDS Civil Operations and Revolutionary Development Support (1967-1975) (Vietnam War), VNM US MACV Military Assistance Command Vietnam (Vietnam War), VNM US MACV TRAC Third Regional Assistance Command (Vietnam War), VNM US USA II Field Force (1966-1971) (Vietnam War), VNM US USA Phu Loi Air Base (Vietnam War), VNM US USMC KSCB Khe Sanh Combat Base (Vietnam War), VNM Vietnam, VNM Vietnam War (1955-1975), VNM Vung Tau, VNM Xuan Loc Rating: ★★★ (3 Stars) Subject: Books.Military.20th-21st Century.Asia.Vietnam War.US Army.Advisor, Books.Military.20th-21st Century.Asia.Vietnam War.US Army.Artillery

Description: Experience firsthand as an artilleryman maneuvers the complexities of the Vietnam war. Today's college senior may face the daunting challenges of mountainous student debt and questionable job prospects, but not the horrific predicament a male student of the 1960's confronted with the military draft and imminent deployment to fight a deadly and thankless war in Vietnam. FAREWELL, HAM TAN ARTY, An Artilleryman's Journal during the Vietnam War Drawdown, follows as a student contemplates the options: flee to Canada, seek special favors to avoid serving, or answer his country's call. Much has been written of battles, heroic actions, and fatal political blunders. But what about the average young person pursuing the daily tasks of life?amidst a campus torn by anti-war protests,?through dehumanizing training in the sweltering heat of a Georgia summer,?playing at war in the former Nazi camps of Germany,?then finally on the ground in Vietnam,hoping to survive while carrying out orders from distant generals, and calming the fears of loved ones back home. An artillery officer's experiences, advancing from fire bases to province headquarters, speak out from a dust-stained journal, next to letters home nuanced to soften depictions of the dangers of the war zone that lay hidden between the lines. Transcend the sensationalism of war to contemplate how relationships were maintained with loved ones so far away, and the importance of those connections for boosting morale and fostering hope for the future. Whether through letters written, "Care" packages received, or a remote MARS radiophone call to a mother on Christmas Eve from deep within the distant combat zone of Vietnam, the feelings expressed melt away the miles, at least for a moment. Join with the soldier as his lifechanging decisions come to life on the pages of his journal.

Review: Meh - It was an ok-ish book but really not worth bothering with. He spends more time talking about care packages and his taxes than anything else.

[casbooks]

Books of 2023

Book 40 of 2023

Title: Special Men Authors: Dennis Foley ISBN: 9780804109154 Tags: Airborne, C-119 Flying Box Car, FAC, FRA ADT Groupement Mobile 100 (French Indochina War), FRA France, GER Bad Tolz, GER Bremerhaven, GER Germany, GER Kaiserslautern, GER Mannheim, GER USA 7th Army NCO Academy - Bad Tolz, IN Indiana, O-1 Bird Dog, SpecOps, THA Lob Buri, THA Thailand, THA USSF Special Forces Thailand (Vietnam War), US Medal Of Honor, US MSTS Military Sea Transportation Service, US MSTS USNS Geiger (T-AP-197), US MSTS USNS General Leroy Eltinge (T-AP-154), US President John F. Kennedy, US President John F. Kennedy Assassination - Dallas TX (1963), US President Lyndon B. Johnson, US USA 101st Airborne Division - 1st Brigade, US USA 101st Airborne Division - Screaming Eagles, US USA 117th Assault Helicopter Company, US USA 11th Air Assault Division, US USA 12th Aviation Group, US USA 173rd Airborne Brigade - Sky Soldiers, US USA 197th Infantry Brigade, US USA 1st Aviation Brigade, US USA 222nd Aviation Bn, US USA 25th ID, US USA 27th Infantry Regiment, US USA 27th Infantry Regiment - Wolfhound Raiders, US USA 29th Infantry Regiment, US USA 29th Infantry Regiment - 1/29, US USA 29th Infantry Regiment - 1/29 - C Co, US USA 2nd Army, US USA 327th Infantry Regiment, US USA 327th Infantry Regiment - 1/327, US USA 327th Infantry Regiment - 1/327 - Tiger Force Recon, US USA 327th Infantry Regiment - 2/327 - Hawk Recon, US USA 334th Armed Helicopter Company, US USA 39th Infantry Regiment, US USA 39th Infantry Regiment - 4/39, US USA 39th Infantry Regiment - 4/39 - D Co, US USA 502nd Infantry Regiment, US USA 502nd Infantry Regiment - 2/502, US USA 502nd Infantry Regiment - 2/502 - Recondos, US USA 51st Infantry Regiment, US USA 51st Infantry Regiment - F Co (LRP), US USA 557th Signal Co, US USA 75th Rangers, US USA 75th Rangers - A Co, US USA 7th Army, US USA 9th ID, US USA ANG Army National Guard, US USA ANG IN 151st Infantry Regiment, US USA ANG IN 151st Infantry Regiment - D Co (LRP), US USA Camp Frank D. Merrill GA - Mountain Phase Ranger School, US USA Col David Hackworth, US USA Col Lamar Welch, US USA Col Roger Donlon (MOH), US USA Fort Benning GA, US USA Fort Benning GA - Airborne School, US USA Fort Benning GA - Eubanks Field, US USA Fort Benning GA - Harmony Church, US USA Fort Benning GA - Higley Hill, US USA Fort Benning GA - IOAC Infantry Officers Advanced Course, US USA Fort Benning GA - Kelly Hill, US USA Fort Benning GA - OCS, US USA Fort Benning GA - Ranger School, US USA Fort Benning GA - Red Diamond Rd, US USA Fort Benning GA - Sand Hill, US USA Fort Dix NJ, US USA Fort Hood TX, US USA Fort Leavenworth KS, US USA Fort Leavenworth KS - Command and General Staff College, US USA Fort Leonard Wood MO, US USA Fort Mitchell AL - Fryar Drop Zone, US USA Fort Monmouth NJ, US USA General Charles Beauchamp, US USA General Samuel Lyman Atwood (SLA) Marshall, US USA General Willard Pearson, US USA General William Westmoreland, US USA LRRP Team (Vietnam War), US USA Lt James A. Gardner (MOH), US USA Rangers, US USA United States Army, US USA USSF 46th Special Forces Co, US USA USSF 5th SFG, US USA USSF Green Berets, US USA USSF Special Forces, US USA Walter Reed Hospital, US USAF Eglin Air Force Base FL, US USN United States Navy, US USN USS Maddox (DD-731), US USN USS Turner Joy (DD-951), US Ward Just (Journalist), USMC Air Naval Gunfire Liaison Company (ANGLICO), VNM 1966 NVA Monsoon Offensive (1966) (Vietnam War), VNM An Khe, VNM Bien Hoa, VNM Bien Hoa Air Base (Vietnam War), VNM Bu Gia Map, VNM Cam Ranh Bay, VNM Camp Lindsey-Lattin (Vietnam War), VNM Can Tho, VNM Central Highlands, VNM Cheo Reo, VNM Cu Chi, VNM Dak To, VNM Dak To Special Forces Camp (Vietnam War), VNM DRV NVA 24th Regiment, VNM DRV NVA 95th Regiment, VNM DRV NVA North Vietnamese Army, VNM DRV VC Viet Cong, VNM French Indochina War (1946-1954), VNM Gulf of Tonkin Incident (1964) (Vietnam War), VNM Highway 19, VNM II Corps (Vietnam War), VNM III Corps (Vietnam War), VNM IV Corps (Vietnam War), VNM Kontum, VNM Lai Khe, VNM Long Binh Post (Vietnam War), VNM Mang Yang Pass, VNM Mekong Delta, VNM Montagnards, VNM My Canh, VNM My Lai Massacre (1968) (Vietnam War), VNM My Phu, VNM Nhon Co, VNM Operation Hawthorne (1966) (Vietnam War), VNM Operation Van Buren (1965) (Vietnam War), VNM Phan Rang, VNM Phan Thiet, VNM Phu Yen Province, VNM Qui Nhon, VNM RVN VNN Republic of Vietnam Navy, VNM RVN VNN River Patrol Force, VNM RVN VNN RPF RAG River Assault Group, VNM Saigon, VNM Saigon - Rex Hotel, VNM South Tuy Beach, VNM Tan Son Nhut Air Base, VNM Tan Son Nhut Air Base - Camp Alpha (Vietnam War), VNM Tonkin Gulf, VNM Tu Mo Rong, VNM Tuy Hoa, VNM US UH-1 Huey Firefly Missions (Vietnam War), VNM US USA 8th Field Hospital - Nha Trang (Vietnam War), VNM US USA II Field Force (1966-1971) (Vietnam War), VNM USA 101st Airborne - SERTS Screaming Eagle Replacement Training School (Vietnam War), VNM USA USARV United States Army Vietnam (Vietnam War), VNM Van Loc, VNM Vietnam, VNM Vietnam War (1955-1975), VNM War Zone D (Vietnam War) Rating: ★★★★★ (5 Stars) Subject: Books.Military.20th-21st Century.Asia.Vietnam War.Specops.LRRPs, Books.Military.20th-21st Century.Asia.Vietnam War.US Army.Infantry

Description: Throughout his several tours of Vietnam, Dennis Foley served with America's finest warriors -- men like David Hackworth, the nation's most decorated living soldier, and Jim Gardner, who was awarded the Medal of Honor for sacrificing his life so that his men might live. Now, in a tough, clear-eyed account, he recaptures the raw courage and sacrifice of American soldiers fighting a savage and desperate battle for survival.

Review: I have always loved Foley's fictional writing, it's really some of the best out there. But it took me this long to read his memoir of his time with Tiger Recon and his long career in the army. Let me just say this, Foley is very good at telling a story, crafting the narrative, and giving all the details to set the scene. He's an excellent writer, and the information he shares really puts you in the scene, each step of the way. Whether it's his time in Germany repairing radios and radars or with Tiger Force, he's not shy about letting the readers know just how far out of his element he was, and how shocked he was to actually succeed. He always feels like everyone else is better, has their shit together, and as he puts it, he's more Jell-O than rock. It's a great insight into training and being a trainer at Ft Benning, various locations in Vietnam, being a LRP, being in Tiger Force, and more. A really great book.