By Philip Keith
This was an incredible, well told story of bravery and courage in this "anonymous battle," which involved an experimental joint infantry and calvary unit. Keith writes exceptionally well about complicated engagements, making them and the men fighting come alive. I particularly loved his unique way he described military maneuvers and events through metaphors with nature. For example, "All Smolich knew for sure was that he was staring at a mortar tube splayed open like a perverse metal flower." (Pg. 93) These metaphors really made the action tangible. He also did a superb job of depicting the different ranks and levels of experience (two different things). For example, bringing into the picture how green troops (new to the jungle) needed different guidance in their first engagement.
I appreciated at the end how he followed everyone he had written about and if it was available provided an update on what they did with their lives. It was a fascinating reminder of how war brings together such diverse groups of people and bonds them with shared experience.
I never want to forget some of the individual acts of bravery from Brigadier General George Casey Sr., Sergeant First Class Robert Foreman, Captain Ray Armer.
From what I could gather from the book itself and from amazon.com this is Keith's first book. He is a gifted writer and I hope to read more books from him in the future.
"Infantry in Vietnam was all about stealth: ranging the countryside to uncover NVA assets, rooting them out, and hopefully neutralizing them, mano a mano. The armor branch was all about noise: clanking tracks, diesel exhaust, and blasting away at anything and anyone foolish enough to cross paths with roving cannons and high caliber machine guns. The two types were not completely incompatible but the combination of two company-sized units like Company A and Alpha Troop was, to sy the least, unconventional." Pg. 27
"Hobson knew he had to get a perimeter established, and pronto. Seasoned troops with fire discipline would fan out and form a circle. Getting green troops to do so in the face of countless muzzle flashes was an exercise in leadership. Men like S. Sgt. Preston Dawson knew what to do.
Dawson, due to a lack of officers, was leader of Lonely Platoon. He was new to Charlie, but not to combat. He began grabbing men and shoving them into position. Some of his troopers had never been in a firefight, ad they were frozen in place. Dawson began whacking men on their helmets and backs or kicking their asses, literally, to start returning fire. They began to settle down and respond." Pg 81-82
"In addition to the thick grasses, choking vines, and nearly solid thickets of brush, there were groves of native hardwood trees, especially giant acacias. Most of the trees were far too large for the Sheridans to topple, so they snaked around them. From the air it looked like the giant E was constantly wiggling, changing shape and undulating like a nest of metallic snakes slithering over the forest floor." Pg. 116
"Then literally, out of the blue, came a radio call. Conrad could scarcely believe what he heard in his headset. General Casey himself, the assistant division commander, was inbound, piloting a Huey, loaded to the gills with machine-gun bullets, rifle ammo, and water. Casey would no longer ask his pilots to do what he wouldn't be willing to do himself." Pg. 125
"As the earsplitting roar commenced, all he could recall was the piece of advice he had gotten when he had first arrived in Vietnam the previous July: 'If anyone orders you to start shooting, don't stop - ever - until they tell you to. You'll live a lot longer that way.'" Pg. 148
Book 25
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