#VNM IV Corps (Vietnam War)

[casbooks]

Book 61 of 2024 (★★★★)

Title: Fading Away: An Aging Vietnam Infantry Veteran's Remembrances Authors: Charles Schwabe

ISBN: 9781495445149 Rating ★★★★ Subject Books.Military.20th-21st Century.Asia.Vietnam War.US Army.Advisor

Description: An aging Vietnam infantry veteran's remembrances of two combat tours to Vietnam, firts to advise South Vietnamese Army units and them to command an American infantry rifle company. The author examines why he went and his emotions in looking back.

My Review: Fading away is an interesting book of two tours in Vietnam, with a good part of it spent in the safety of the rear areas as a staff officer. His first tour as an advisor is the highlight of his writing, as he gives you both a sense of the Vietnamese people he worked with, the ones he befriended, what life was like in the village he was assigned, and the ups and downs of being an advisor to them.

His writing really shines when he tells the story of the old man in the river, and of some of the patrols and incidents that occurred. His ability to paint the scene, tell the story, and impart the emotional aspects of it really do come through the page well. There is one scene about witnessing an incident that hangs heavy over the entire book once you've read it, and I think the author did a good job in sharing that incident from his perspective.

His second tour with the 82nd is almost more about caretaking and the cast of characters he encountered, whether it was his own boss or the ARVN Airborne unit leader he was attached to. It was stories about the theft of a jeep, and little things like that that stood out, with not much else of note in that quiet time.

I really vacillated between giving this book 3 or 4 stars as I tend to think 3 should be for a decent book, 4 for a good book, and 5 is incredible/transformative. This book is a pretty decent read, enjoyable, and well written, but the stories about the FAC, about the old man, and a few others I find are staying with me long after I've finished the book, so I'm elevating it to a 4 with the caveat that it's just bits and pieces that really make it stand out from a normal 3.

[casbooks]

Book 56 of 2024 (★★★★★)

Title: Thunderbird Lounge Authors: Robert J. Brandt

ISBN: 9781412244831 Rating: ★★★★★ Subject: Books.Military.20th-21st Century.Asia.Vietnam War.Aviation.US Army.Helos.Slicks, Books.Military.20th-21st Century.Asia.Vietnam War.US Army.Advisor

Description: This is a story as seen through the eyes of one 1st Lieutenant Army aviator, during the early US military commitment to support the Republic of South Vietnam in its counter-insugency operations against North Vietnam's campaign to reunite Vietnam under communist rule. It depicts the daily life of these soldiers and aviation crew members as they went about proving the importance of the helicopter in modern warfare. Describes in detail how the helicopter was employed, puts you in the pilot's seat, death and humor, frustrations encountered, and a tribute to those soldiers and airmen who paid the ultimate price.

My Review: I absolutely, without question, highly recommend this book to those who want to really feel like they're sitting in the seat of a Shawnee during the early days of the Vietnam War. Gen. Brandt was a fresh Lieutenant in the National Guard who volunteered for active duty and flew CH-21's and was the maintenance officer for the 33rd TC flying CH-21's out of Bien Hoa in support of the ARVN. This book was written with exquisite detail and full of stories of the people in the unit, the history of what was occurring around them, and the challenges faced by the early units. Too many books tell you instead of show you… "We took off and then landed" … while Brandt is a story teller who explains what he was thinking, seeing, and doing in the helicopter. He isn't afraid to also mention his failures and screw ups, while always taking care to name and give credit to those who helped him succeed. The early days of the war aren't written about as much, and you really get a good understanding of how confusing everything was - from the Buddhist protests, to being told you're not in combat while being shot at constantly. From the fact that they're told everything has to be temporary and ready to be torn down at a moments notice while seeing Bien Hoa airbase turned into a first class facility across the road from them. Everything is duplicitous and everything makes so little sense, but they still go out and do their best in the face of danger and conflict. Definitely a good book only marred by a few repetitive statements.

[casbooks]

Books of 2023

Book 36 of 2023

Title: Alone in the Valley: A Soldier's Journey in the Vietnam War Authors: George R. Lanigan ISBN: 9781518825378 Tags: AUS ADF AA Australian Army, AUS ADF AA SAS Special Air Service (ASAS), AUS ADF Australian Defence Force, AUS Australia, B-52 Stratofortress, Bolivia, Buddhism (Religion), C-119 Flying Box Car, C-123 Provider, Catholic, Che Guevara, Cold War (1946-1991), HUN Hungarian Revolution of 1956, HUN Hungary, KHM Cambodia, KHM Cambodian Army (Vietnam War), KHM Cambodian Civil War (1967-1975), KHM Dr Son Ngoc Thanh, KHM FANK Khmer Army / Forces Armees Nationals Khmeres (1970-1975) (Cambodian Civil War), KHM General Lon Nol, KHM Khmer Rouge, KHM Khmer Serei (Cambodia Civil War), KHM Prince Norodom Sihanouk, M-113 APC, Medevac helicopter, Nungs, OV-10 Bronco, PAN Chagres River, PAN Colon, PAN Panama, PAN USA Fort Sherman, PAN USA Fort Sherman - Jungle Operations Training Center, PAN USAF Howard Air Force Base, POW, Rangers, SpecOps, Tamara Bunker Bider (East German Guerilla/KGB), U-10 Helio Courier, US AK Alaska, US AK ALCAN highway, US AK Delta Junction, US AK Gulkana Glacier, US CIA Central Intelligence Agency, US George Peppard (Actor), US Lodge Act, US Martha Raye (Actress), US Medal Of Honor, US OH Kent State University, US OH Kent State University Shootings (1970) (Vietnam War), US OH Ohio, US President Richard M. Nixon, US Raymond Burr (Actor), US Secretary of State Henry Kissinger, US USA 117th Assault Helicopter Company, US USA 117th Assault Helicopter Company - 2 Plt - Pink Panthers, US USA 75th Rangers, US USA 75th Rangers - P Co, US USA 75th Rangers - P Co - RT 1-6, US USA ANG Army National Guard, US USA Camp Mackall NC, US USA Col Lamar Welch, US USA Fort Benning GA, US USA Fort Bragg NC, US USA Fort Bragg NC - JFK Special Warfare Center / School, US USA Fort Bragg NC - Smoke Bomb Hill, US USA Fort Gordon GA, US USA Fort Gordon GA - Camp Crocket, US USA Fort Gordon GA - Range Road, US USA Fort Greely AK, US USA Fort Jackson SC, US USA Fort Lewis WA, US USA Fort Mitchell AL, US USA Fort Mitchell AL - Fryar Drop Zone, US USA Fort Wainwright AK, US USA Francis Marion (Swamp Fox), US USA General John L Throckmorton, US USA Major James N. Rowe, US USA NWTC Northern Warfare Training Center AK, US USA Sgt David Dolby (MOH), US USA SP4 Roy Burke (Ranger), US USA United States Army, US USA USSF 5th SFG, US USA USSF 6th SFG, US USA USSF 6th SFG - A Co, US USA USSF 7th SFG, US USA USSF Green Berets, US USA USSF Special Forces, US USA USSF Team ODA-442, US USA USSF Team ODB-36, US USA USSF Team ODB-43, US USAF Pope Air Force Base - NC, US USAF United States Air Force, US USN ASPB Assault Support Patrol Boat, US USN United States Navy, US USO United Service Organizations, VNM ADF AA 1st Australian Field Hospital - Vung Tau (Vietnam War), VNM ADF AA 1st Australian Task Force (1 ATF) (Vietnam War), VNM ADF AA AATF Australian Army Training Team (Vietnam War), VNM Assassination of Ngo Dinh Diem (1963) (Vietnam War), VNM Ba Ria, VNM Bien Hoa, VNM Buddhist Crisis (1963) (Vietnam War), VNM Cam Ranh Bay, VNM Chi Lang, VNM CIA Air America (1950-1976) (Vietnam War), VNM DRV NVA North Vietnamese Army, VNM DRV VC Viet Cong, VNM Hill 282, VNM Hmong Meo Tribesmen, VNM Ho Chi Minh Trail (Vietnam War), VNM I Corps (Vietnam War), VNM III Corps (Vietnam War), VNM IV Corps (Vietnam War), VNM Long Hai, VNM Long Hai Special Forces Camp (Vietnam War), VNM Minh Dam Secret Zone, VNM My Lai Massacre (1968), VNM Nha Trang Air Base, VNM Nui Dat, VNM Operation Arc Light (1965-1973) (Vietnam War), VNM Operation Ivory Coast - Son Tay Raid (1970) (Vietnam War), VNM Operation Ranch Hand (1962-1971) (Vietnam War), VNM Parrots Beak, VNM Phuoc Hai, VNM Phuoc Tuy Province, VNM Quang Tri Province, VNM RVN ARVN Army of the Republic of Vietnam, VNM RVN ARVN CIDG Civilian Irregular Defense Group, VNM RVN ARVN LLDB Luc Luong Dac Biet Special Forces, VNM RVN ARVN RF/PF Regional Forces/Popular Forces (Vietnam War), VNM RVN ARVN Vietnamese Rangers - Biet Dong Quan, VNM RVN Ngo Dinh Diem, VNM RVN RVNP Can Sat National Police, VNM Tan Son Nhut Air Base, VNM Tay Ninh Province, VNM Tay Ninh West Air Base, VNM UITG Chi Lang Training Center (Vietnam War), VNM UITG Long Hai Training Center (Vietnam War), VNM US Agent Orange (Vietnam War), VNM US MACV Advisory Teams (Vietnam War), VNM US MACV IV Corps Advisory Team (Vietnam War), VNM US MACV Military Assistance Command Vietnam (Vietnam War), VNM US USA USSF 3rd Mobile Strike Force (Vietnam War), VNM US USSF Mobile Strike Force (MIKE) (Vietnam War), VNM USA USARV UITG Individual Training Group (Vietnam War), VNM USA USARV United States Army Vietnam (Vietnam War), VNM USN MRF Mobile Riverine Force (Vietnam War), VNM USN NATSB Ben Keo, VNM USN NATSB Go Dau Hau, VNM USN NATSB Naval Advanced Support Base, VNM USN TF 117 MRF Mobile Riverine Force (Vietnam War), VNM Vam Co Dong River, VNM Vietnam, VNM Vietnam War (1955-1975), VNM Vung Tau, VNM Xuyen Moc Rating: ★★★★ (4 Stars) Subject: Books.Military.20th-21st Century.Asia.Vietnam War.ARVN, Books.Military.20th-21st Century.Asia.Vietnam War.Australia, Books.Military.20th-21st Century.Asia.Vietnam War.Cambodian Civil War, Books.Military.20th-21st Century.Asia.Vietnam War.Specops.Green Berets, Books.Military.20th-21st Century.Asia.Vietnam War.US Army.Advisor

Description: In 1968, George Lanigan leaves the University of Maryland and sets off on the journey of his life. He volunteers to serve his country in the Vietnam War and enlists in the army where he becomes an elite Special Forces advisor in a top-secret program. The United States is clandestinely training the Cambodian Army, Forces Armees Nationales Khmeres, and Lanigan is at the heart of the mission. In this personal memoir, LTC George R. Lanigan, USA (Retired), adapts his forty-year-old letters and correspondence to his parents into an emotionally compelling and suspenseful narrative that relates his daily life of survival and political tension. It's an inside, firsthand look at a rare, and previously classified, Vietnam War experience. But its scope reaches beyond the war itself and illuminates the realities soldiers face returning home, building a life, and even visiting war zones four decades later. Its openness and honesty will resonate with war veterans, their friends and family members, those suffering post-traumatic stress disorder, and people of all ages who are interested in American history. Readers will learn about war life, a volatile political environment, and how personal experiences weave together to create the person one eventually becomes.

[casbooks]

Books of 2023

Book 54 of 2023

Title: 351 Days in Da Nang Authors: Ray Norton ISBN: 9781492396239 Tags: JPN Japan, JPN World Exposition - Osaka (1970), KOR Korea, KOR ROKMC Republic Of Korea Marine Corps, Sports - College Football, US Bob Hope (Entertainer), US CA California, US CA Coronado, US CA SD San Diego, US ID Indiana, US ID ND University of Notre Dame, US Joe Theisman (Football Player), US President Richard M. Nixon, US TX Texas, US TX UT University of Texas, US USCG United States Coast Guard, US USMC MAG-16, US USMC MCB Camp Pendleton, US USMC United States Marine Corps, US USN LCM Landing Craft Mechanized, US USN LCM-8 Mike Boat, US USN Logistics, US USN Naval Base San Diego (32nd St Naval Station), US USN NISO Naval Investigative Service Office, US USN PBR Patrol Boat River, US USN United States Navy, US USN USS Haynsworth (DD-700), US USN YFU Skilaks Class, US USN YFU Yard Freight Utility, US USN YFU80, US USO United Service Organizations, USN LST Landing Ship Tank, USN Naval Amphibious Base Coronado, USN Naval Amphibious Base Coronado - SERE, VNM Da Nang, VNM Da Nang - Bridge Ramp (Vietnam War), VNM Da Nang - Deep Water Pier (Vietnam War), VNM Da Nang - Red Beach Base Area (Vietnam War), VNM Da Nang - SCARF Small Craft Repair Facility (Vietnam War), VNM Da Nang - Tien Sa Ramp (Vietnam War), VNM Dong Tam, VNM Freedom Hill PX, VNM Hill 621 (Son Tra Mountain) (Monkey Mountain), VNM I Corps (Vietnam War), VNM IV Corps (Vietnam War), VNM Mekong River, VNM My Khe Beach (China Beach), VNM Operation Ranch Hand (1962-1971) (Vietnam War), VNM Phouc Tuong (Dogpatch), VNM RVN ARVN Army of the Republic of Vietnam, VNM RVN RVNP Can Sat National Police, VNM RVN VNN Republic of Vietnam Navy, VNM RVN VNN RPF RAG River Assault Group, VNM RVN VNN RPF River Patrol Force, VNM Son Cha, VNM Tien Sa Peninsula, VNM US Agent Orange (Vietnam War), VNM US USN Camp Carter (Vietnam War), VNM US USN Camp Tien Sa (Vietnam War), VNM US USN MRF Mobile Riverine Force (Vietnam War), VNM US USN Naval Advisors (Vietnam War), VNM US USN NISOV Naval Investigative Service Office - Vietnam (Vietnam War), VNM US USN NISRA Da Nang (Vietnam War), VNM US USN NSA Investigative Division (Vietnam War), VNM US USN NSA Naval Support Activity - Da Nang (White Elephant) (Vietnam War), VNM US USN NSF Naval Support Facility - Da Nang (White Elephant) (Vietnam War), VNM US USN TF 117 MRF Mobile Riverine Force (Vietnam War), VNM US USN Tien Sa Peninsula Security Divison (Vietnam War), VNM Vietnam, VNM Vietnam War (1955-1975) Rating: ★★★ Subject: Books.Military.20th-21st Century.Asia.Vietnam War.Naval.Logistics, Books.Military.20th-21st Century.Asia.Vietnam War.Naval.NIS, Books.Military.20th-21st Century.Asia.Vietnam War.Naval.VNN.Advisor

Description: It is the spring of1967 and the war in Viet Nam is spiraling out of control. Ray is on scholastic suspension from the University of Texas in Austin. He has to make a choice, get drafted and end up in Viet Nam or join the Navy Reserve. He joins the Navy Reserve and ends up in Viet Nam anyway. During his 351 days in Da Nang, he is at the Naval Support Activity on the Tien Sha peninsula as a Security guard, on the Monkey Mountain patrol, and as a NSA Investigator. While in Da Nang, he experiences rocket attacks, an ammunition dump explosion, drug deals, police raids, and the birth of his first child, Rebecca. He also makes two life long friends that contribute to this story. Cheryl, his wife of 45 years, has been a tremendous help in editing this story.

Review: Look, I'll be honest... the book was ok'ish... it really barely got 3 stars. It's about a topic so rarely written about that I was really excited to grab this book, except... it just didn't quite hit. I'm glad I trudged through it, but a book about this really should have been better because it's a story that needs to be told.

[casbooks]

Books of 2023

Book 53 of 2023

Title: ANOTHER DAY DOWNRANGE, Two Tours Flying Chinooks in Vietnam Authors: Robert Patterson

Tags: ACH-47 Guns-A-Go-Go Chinook, Actor - John "The Duke" Wayne (Marion Robert Morrison), AH-1 Cobra, AUS ADF AA Australian Army, AUS ADF Australian Defence Force, AUS Australia, B-52 Stratofortress, CH-34 Choctaw, CH-47 Chinook, CH-54 Tarhe, EOD, F-100 Super Sabre, FAC, KHM Cambodia, KOR Korea, LAO Lam Son 719 (1971) (Vietnam War), LAO Laos, M113 APC, Movie - The Green Berets, NZ New Zealand, NZ NZDF NZA New Zealand Army, NZ NZDF Royal New Zealand Defence Force, O-1 Bird Dog, OH-23 Raven, OV-1 Mohawk, Pilatus Porter, US Bob Hope (Entertainer), US CIA Central Intelligence Agency, US MSTS Military Sea Transportation Service, US MSTS USNS Corpus Christi Bay (T-ARVH-1), US President Richard M. Nixon, US USA 147th Assault Support Helicopter Company, US USA 147th Assault Support Helicopter Company - Hillclimbers, US USA 177th Aviation Co, US USA 1st Armored Division, US USA 1st Aviation Brigade, US USA 205th Assault Support Helicopter Company, US USA 205th Assault Support Helicopter Company - Geronimos, US USA 213th Assault Support Helicopter Company, US USA 213th Assault Support Helicopter Company - Blackcats, US USA 271th Assault Support Helicopter Company, US USA 271th Assault Support Helicopter Company - Inkeepers, US USA 4th Infantry Regiment, US USA 4th Infantry Regiment - 2/14, US USA 73rd Surveliance Aircraft Company, US USA 74th Reconnaissance Airplane Co (RAC), US USA 8th Army, US USA 90th Replacement Bn, US USA 9th ID, US USA ACV Air Cushion Vehicles, US USA Fort Benning GA, US USA Fort Benning GA - OCS, US USA Fort Hood TX, US USA Fort Rucker AL, US USA Fort Rucker AL - Hanchey Army Air Field, US USA Fort Stewart GA, US USA Fort Wolters TX (1963-1973), US USA United States Army, US USA USSF Green Berets, US USA USSF Special Forces, US USAF Eglin Air Force Base FL, US USMC 3rd Force Recon Co, US USMC United States Marine Corps, US USMC VMF-124, US USMC VMF-221, US USN HA(L)-3 Seawolves, US USN MSC Military Sealift Command, US USN PACV Patrol Air Cushion Vehicle, US USN United States Navy, US USO United Service Organizations, VNM Can Tho, VNM Cau Mau Peninsula, VNM Chi Lang, VNM CIA Air America (1950-1976) (Vietnam War), VNM Cu Chi, VNM Dong Son, VNM Dong Tam, VNM DRV NVA North Vietnamese Army, VNM DRV VC Viet Cong, VNM FSB Pace (Vietnam War), VNM Highway 22B, VNM Ho Chi Minh Trail (Vietnam War), VNM III Corps (Vietnam War), VNM IV Corps (Vietnam War), VNM Long Binh, VNM Long Binh Post - Plantation - II Field Force HQ (Vietnam War), VNM Long Binh Post (Vietnam War), VNM Mekong Delta, VNM My Phouc Tay Special Forces Camp (Vietnam War), VNM Nui Ba Den (Black Virgin Mountain), VNM Nui Dat, VNM Operation Arc Light (1965-1973) (Vietnam War), VNM Parrots Beak, VNM Phu Loi, VNM Poulo Obi Island, VNM Poulo Obi Island - USN Radar Station (Vietnam War), VNM RVN ARVN Army of the Republic of Vietnam, VNM RVN ARVN RF/PF Regional Forces/Popular Forces (Vietnam War), VNM RVN ARVN Vietnamese Rangers - Biet Dong Quan, VNM RVN General Duong Van Minh (Big Minh), VNM RVN SVNAF South Vietnamese Air Force, VNM Saigon, VNM Saigon - Hotel 3 Helicopter Pad, VNM Saigon - Independence Palace, VNM Tan Binh Forest, VNM Tan Son Nhut Air Base, VNM Tay Ninh, VNM U Minh Forest, VNM US MACV Advisory Teams (Vietnam War), VNM US USA AAE Army Aviation Element (Vietnam War), VNM US USA Phu Loi Air Base (Vietnam War), VNM US USN MRF Mobile Riverine Force (Vietnam War), VNM US USN TF 117 MRF Mobile Riverine Force (Vietnam War), VNM Vietnam, VNM Vietnam War (1955-1975), VNM Vinh Long, VNM Vung Tau, VNM Xuan Loc Rating: ★★★ Subject: Books.Military.20th-21st Century.Asia.Vietnam War.Aviation.US Army.Helos.Cargo

Description: This is not a diary like normal diaries, nor is it a history; it is a personal record of the helicopter war in Vietnam as I knew it, Depending upon the branch of service, type of unit, missions flown, and the area of Vietnam where missions were flown, one could surely find different accounts of what the helicopter war in Vietnam was like. Much of what I have read concerning the helicopter war coming of age in Vietnam says little about contribution of the CH-47 Chinook. Having seen it first hand during the war, I know that this aircraft’s contributions were tremendous. If you doubt it, look at what a workhorse the CH-47 was In Iraq and still is in Afghanistan as I write this. The Army learned that craft in Vietnam. At its peak deployment, there were (22) CH47 units and 750 Chinooks being used in Vietnam, both with the U.S. Army and the South Vietnamese Air Force (VNAF). About 200 aircraft (27%) were lost in combat or due to operational accidents. I had then, and I still have now, the greatest respect for the aircrews, ground crews, and the support personnel who kept the CH-47 units in the fight.

Review: This was an ok book, kind of a slog to read through. I find that months afterwards though, I still think about some of the things I learned in this book, some of the things said, and those tidbits will stay with me for a very long time. For that reason alone, I do recommend checking out Patterson's story flying Chinooks because it's a story that isn't told by many and the info does give you a better nuanced look at what these pilots did vs the gunships, scouts, and slicks.

[casbooks]

Books of 2023

Book 37 of 2023

Title: A Young Man in War: Vietnam Phoenix Advisor and a Survivor's Tale Authors: Paul C. Pritchard ISBN: 9781978398023 Tags: FAC, Interrogator, Military Intelligence, O-1 Bird Dog, TWN Beitou, TWN Taiwan, TWN Taiwan - China Palace Hotel, US CIA Central Intelligence Agency, US State Department, US USA 525th Military Intelligence Group, US USA 9th ID, US USA Fort Holabird MD, US USA Fort Holabird MD - Tactical Intelligence Officers Basic Course, US USA United States Army, US USA USSF 5th SFG, US USA USSF Green Berets, US USA USSF Special Forces, US USN PBR Patrol Boat River, US USN SEALS, US USN United States Navy, US USN USS Benewah (APB-35), US USO United Service Organizations, VNM 1968 Tet Offensive (1968) (Vietnam War), VNM An Giang, VNM Battle of Tan Son Nhut (1968) (Tet Offensive) (Vietnam War), VNM Bien Hoa, VNM Bien Hoa Air Base (Vietnam War), VNM Can Tho, VNM Chau Doc, VNM Chu Ba, VNM CIA Phung Hoang / Phoenix Program (1965-1972) (Vietnam War), VNM Cu Duc Special Forces Camp (Vietnam War), VNM DRV NVA North Vietnamese Army, VNM DRV VC Viet Cong, VNM Go Cong, VNM IV Corps (Vietnam War), VNM Mekong Delta, VNM My Tho, VNM Operation Ranch Hand (1962-1971) (Vietnam War), VNM Rach Gia, VNM Rung Sat Special Zone, VNM RVN ARVN 9th ID, VNM RVN ARVN 9th ID - Recon Co, VNM RVN ARVN Army of the Republic of Vietnam, VNM RVN ARVN RF/PF Regional Forces/Popular Forces (Vietnam War), VNM RVN Nguyen Cao Ky, VNM RVN RVNP Can Sat National Police, VNM RVN RVNP CSDB PRU Provincial Reconnaissance Units (Vietnam War), VNM RVNP CSDB Can Sat Dac Biet Special Branch Police, VNM Sa Dec, VNM Saigon, VNM Saigon - Chinese Embassy, VNM Saigon - Phu Tho Racetrack, VNM Tan Son Nhut Air Base, VNM Tra Vinh, VNM U Dau, VNM US Agent Orange (Vietnam War), VNM US MACV Advisory Team 19 (Vietnam War), VNM US MACV Advisory Teams (Vietnam War), VNM US MACV IV Corps Advisory Team (Vietnam War), VNM US MACV Military Assistance Command Vietnam (Vietnam War), VNM US OSA Office of the Special Assistant to the Ambassador (State Department) (CIA) (Vietnam War), VNM USN MRF Mobile Riverine Force (Vietnam War), VNM USN TF 117 MRF Mobile Riverine Force (Vietnam War), VNM Vinh Binh, VNM Vinh Long Rating: ★★★ (3 Stars) Subject: Books.Military.20th-21st Century.Asia.Vietnam War.ARVN, Books.Military.20th-21st Century.Asia.Vietnam War.ARVN.PRU, Books.Military.20th-21st Century.Asia.Vietnam War.US Army.Advisor

Description: Upon his arrival in Vietnam, Lieutenant Paul Clement Pritchard found himself assigned to the Army of the Republic of Vietnam’s Four Corps as a military Advisor. From Four Corps, he was recruited into the Phoenix Program, which was designed to neutralize, capture, interrogate, and kill influential Viet Cong operatives. Pritchard saw horrors as both a military Advisor and a member of a Phoenix provincial reconnaissance unit. He saw violations of the Geneva Convention on both sides and watched as the military slowly ceded the Phoenix Program to government agencies. Throughout his ordeal, Pritchard wrote letters home—letters that gave no indication he’d held the limp body of a bloody baby in his arms, stepped in to prevent the torture of a young woman by his erstwhile allies, or endured sniper attacks and mortar fire. His letters offer a stark contrast to the reality he lived in—the humid, wet world of the Vietnam jungle, where death was an ever-present danger. A unique, candid, honest look at the Vietnam conflict from the ground level, "A Young Man in War" covers months in Pritchard’s life that are seared into his memory, no matter how much he’d like to forget them. **

[casbooks]

Books of 2023

Book 34 of 2023

Title: Lost in Translation: Vietnam: A Combat Advisor's Story Authors: Martin Dockery ISBN: 9780891418085 Tags: Buddhism (Religion), Catholic, CHE Geneva Conference of 1954 (French Indochina War), CHE Switzerland, CHN China, CHN Hong Kong, CHN MSAR Macao Special Administrative Region, FRA France, GER Germany, GER Germany - Oberammergau, HKG Hong Kong, Interrogator, IRL Ireland, IRL Irish War for Independence (1919-1921), IRL President Eamon de Valera, KHM Angkor Temples, KHM Cambodia, PHL Baguio, PHL Camp John Hay, PHL Hukbalahap, PHL Manila, PHL Philippines, PHL US USAF Clark Air Force Base, US AIR Airlift International Airlines, US President John F. Kennedy, US President John F. Kennedy Assassination - Dallas TX (1963), US Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara, US USA 3rd Infantry Regiment - 1/3, US USA 3rd Infantry Regiment - 1/3 - B Co, US USA 3rd Infantry Regiment - The Old Guard, US USA Camp A P Hill VA, US USA Fort Benning GA, US USA Fort Bragg NC, US USA Fort Knox KY, US USA General Paul D. Harkins, US USA United States Army, US USN LCM-8 Mike Boat, US USN United States Navy, USN USS Iwo Jima (LPH-1), VNM 1968 Tet Offensive (1968) (Vietnam War), VNM AN Nhon Tay, VNM Assassination of Ngo Dinh Diem (1963) (Vietnam War), VNM Ba Chieu, VNM Bac Lieu, VNM Battle of Ap Bac (1963) (Vietnam War), VNM Battle of Dien Bien Phu (1954) (French Indochina War), VNM Ben Hai River, VNM Can Tho, VNM Cao Dai Religion, VNM Chau Doc, VNM Cholon, VNM Cholon - Truc St, VNM DMZ Demilitarized Zone - 17th Parallel (Vietnam War), VNM DRV Ho Chi Minh, VNM DRV NVA North Vietnamese Army, VNM DRV VC Viet Cong, VNM DRV VM Viet Minh, VNM French Indochina War (1946-1954), VNM Go Noi, VNM Ha Tien, VNM Ho Chi Minh Trail (Vietnam War), VNM Hoa Hao Religion, VNM IV Corps (Vietnam War), VNM Kien-Giang Province, VNM Long Xuyen, VNM Mekong Delta, VNM Mekong River, VNM Montagnards, VNM My Tho, VNM Rach Gia, VNM RVN ARVN 21st ID, VNM RVN ARVN 33rd Regiment, VNM RVN ARVN 33rd Regiment - 2/33, VNM RVN ARVN 7th ID, VNM RVN ARVN Army of the Republic of Vietnam, VNM RVN ARVN IV Corps, VNM RVN Chieu Hoi Program/Force 66 - Luc Luong 66 (Vietnam War), VNM RVN Kit Carson Scouts (Vietnam War), VNM RVN Madame Nhu (Tran Le Xuan), VNM RVN Ngo Dinh Diem, VNM RVN Ngo Dinh Nhu, VNM RVN Ngo Dinh Thuc, VNM RVN RVNP Can Sat National Police, VNM RVN VNN Republic of Vietnam Navy, VNM RVN VNN River Patrol Force, VNM RVN VNN RPF RAG River Assault Group, VNM RVNP CSDB Can Sat Dac Biet Special Branch Police, VNM Saigon, VNM Saigon - Caravelle Hotel, VNM Saigon - Cercle Sportif Saigonnais, VNM Saigon - Mai Lan Hotel, VNM Saigon - Rex Hotel, VNM Soc Trang, VNM South Vietnamese Coup (1963) (Vietnam War), VNM Tan Son Nhut Air Base, VNM US Advisory Group (Vietnam War), VNM US MACV Advisory Teams (Vietnam War), VNM US MACV IV Corps Advisory Team (Vietnam War), VNM US MACV Military Assistance Command Vietnam (Vietnam War), VNM Vietnam, VNM Vietnam War (1955-1975) Rating: ★★★ (3 Stars) Subject: Books.Military.20th-21st Century.Asia.Vietnam War.ARVN, Books.Military.20th-21st Century.Asia.Vietnam War.US Army.Advisor

Description: In September 1962, when Martin Dockery landed in Saigon, he was a young, determined, idealistic U.S. Army first lieutenant convinced of America’s imminent victory in Vietnam. While most of the twelve thousand U.S. military advisors in-country at the time filled support positions in Saigon and other major cities, Dockery was one of a handful of advisors assigned to Army of the Republic of Vietnam (ARVN) combat units. For eight months Dockery lived and fought in the heart of the Mekong Delta with an ARVN infantry battalion on missions and operations that often lasted several days. And for most of that time, whether tramping through the steaming, leech-infested jungle, hiking across canals, or engaging in sudden firefights, Dockery was the only American soldier with the unit. Dockery’s solitary assignment with ARVN during the infancy of U.S. involvement in Southeast Asia afforded him an understanding of Vietnam far more profound than most other Americans. Lost in Translation is his riveting account of the largely overlooked role of American combat advisors in the war. As he vividly evokes the sounds, smells, and vistas of the country and its people, Dockery depicts an army poorly trained, incompetent, and unwilling to fight for a government every bit as corrupt as that of the French colonial empire it replaced. Yet even worse than his daily fare of isolation, frustration, and danger was Dockery’s growing conviction that the advisory program was doomed. Though these dedicated, highly motivated advisors would do their best and persevere under the most trying circumstances, they would not succeed. The author’s eyewitness testimony provides inescapable evidence that as early as 1962 the writing was already on the wall concerning the outcome of the Vietnam War. Although it would take U.S. leaders more than a decade to divine what the young officer learned in a single year, Dockery’s personal and penetrating analysis of the war—which he presented in a lecture at a Special Forces facility in Germany one week after his tour in Vietnam ended—proved chillingly accurate. Those who send soldiers to war should consider the realities and truths within these pages.

[casbooks]

Books of 2023

Book 3 of 2023:

Title: Jack of All Trades Authors: Ronald L. Beckett ISBN: 9780811764933 Tags: KHM Cambodia, Nungs, US CIA Central Intelligence Agency, US State Department, US USA 120th Aviation Company (Airmobile Light), US USA 12th Infantry Regiment, US USA 12th Infantry Regiment - 4/12 - Warriors, US USA 169th Engineer Bn, US USA 169th Engineer Bn - D Co, US USA 18th Engineer Brigade, US USA 18th Infantry Regiment, US USA 18th Infantry Regiment - 2/18, US USA 199th Light Infantry Brigade (Redcatchers), US USA 1st Cavalry Division, US USA 1st ID, US USA 20th Infantry Regiment, US USA 20th Infantry Regiment - 1/20, US USA 20th Infantry Regiment - 1/20 - C Co, US USA 23rd ID - Americal, US USA Fort Bragg NC, US USA Fort Bragg NC - JFK Special Warfare Center / School, US USA Fort Bragg NC - MATA Military Assistance Training Advisor Course, US USA United States Army, US USIS United States Information Service, USAID, USAID John Paul Vann, VNM Bien Hoa, VNM Cao Nguyen Plateau, VNM Chau Doc, VNM CIA Air America (1950-1976) (Vietnam War), VNM CIA Phung Hoang / Phoenix Program (1965-1972) (Vietnam War), VNM Da Lat, VNM Dinh Quan, VNM Dinh Quan District, VNM Doan Ket, VNM DRV NVA 9th Division, VNM DRV NVA North Vietnamese Army, VNM DRV VC Viet Cong, VNM FSB Nancy (Vietnam War), VNM Highway 20, VNM Hoa Thuan, VNM III Corps (Vietnam War), VNM IV Corps (Vietnam War), VNM Khmer Krom, VNM Kiem Tam District, VNM La Nga, VNM La Nga River, VNM Loi Tan, VNM Long Binh Post - Plantation - II Field Force HQ (Vietnam War), VNM Long Binh Post (Vietnam War), VNM Long Khanh Province, VNM Montagnards, VNM My Lai, VNM My Lai Massacre (1968) (Vietnam War), VNM Nui Dang Cai - Artillery Hill, VNM Quang Ngai Province, VNM Rung Sat Special Zone, VNM RVN ARVN 18th ID, VNM RVN ARVN 43rd Regiment, VNM RVN ARVN Army of the Republic of Vietnam, VNM RVN ARVN CIDG Civilian Irregular Defense Group, VNM RVN ARVN RF/PF 177th RF Co (Vietnam War), VNM RVN ARVN RF/PF 312th RF Co (Vietnam War), VNM RVN ARVN RF/PF 60th RF Inner-Group (Vietnam War), VNM RVN ARVN RF/PF 621 RF Co (Vietnam War), VNM RVN ARVN RF/PF 621st RF Co (Vietnam War), VNM RVN ARVN RF/PF Regional Forces/Popular Forces (Vietnam War), VNM RVN DIOCC - District Intelligence Operations Coordination Center (Vietnam War), VNM RVN RVNP Can Sat National Police, VNM RVN RVNP CSDB Can Sat Dac Biet Special Branch Police, VNM RVN RVNP CSDB PRU Provincial Reconnaissance Units (Vietnam War), VNM RVN RVNP NPFF National Police Field Force, VNM The Iron Triangle (Vietnam War), VNM Tin Nghia, VNM Trung Hieu, VNM Truong van Phuc, VNM US MACV Advisory Team 49 (Vietnam War), VNM US MACV Advisory Teams (Vietnam War), VNM US MACV CORDS Civil Operations and Revolutionary Development Support (1967-1975) (Vietnam War), VNM US MACV District Advisory Team - Dinh Quan (Vietnam War), VNM US MACV District Advisory Team - Kiem Tam (Vietnam War), VNM US MACV District Advisory Teams (Vietnam War), VNM US MACV Military Assistance Command Vietnam (Vietnam War), VNM US USA II Field Force (1966-1971) (Vietnam War), VNM USA USARV United States Army Vietnam (Vietnam War), VNM Vietnam, VNM Vietnam War (1955-1975), VNM War Zone C (Vietnam War), VNM War Zone D (Vietnam War), VNM Xuan Loc Rating: 5 stars Subject: Books.Military.20th-21st Century.Asia.Vietnam War.ARVN, Books.Military.20th-21st Century.Asia.Vietnam War.US Army.Advisor, Books.Military.20th-21st Century.Asia.Vietnam War.US Army.Infantry Description: Maj. Ron Beckett had already served two tours in Vietnam when he received orders to return in April 1969. As the district senior advisor in the remote, rural Dinh Quan District of Long Khanh Province, he would face a demanding and dangerous assignment on the front lines of pacification. Review: This is a book that is very different from others, as his role as a DSA was more about pacification and rural development. You have stories about introduction of new strains of rice, chickens and hogs into the district. You have stories about interfacing with the Vietnamese people, government, and military. You learn about different programs from USAID and others functioning under CORDs to achieve a multitude of goals. - And ultimately, the author does a great job detailing these stories. 

But most of all, he details what an absolute failure the whole fucking thing was and why. 

This will hit close to home for anyone who served in Afghanistan because the same problems existed, the same solutions were tried, and it was the same failure at the end!

He goes into detail about poor training for being an advisor, cultural differences, language issues, commitments and breaking them, and most importantly, how military actions affect the populace, especially one that didn’t give a fuck about the government to begin with. He also talks about how when you have a corrupt government and military, one that is based on class warfare and nepotism, you are fighting an almost impossible battle. 

It was a bit of a slog to get through, but it was still very well written, very well detailed, and there are a lot of good lessons to take from it, especially when paired with Bernard Fall’s work.