Latest Books

I just finished this book,  We Were Soldiers Once...And Young

by Col. Hal Moore.

 

 Hollyweird made it into a movie a few years ago.  Mel Gibson was the star.  It was a pretty decent movie.  I saw it again this year and bought the book, well the digital version anyway.  It takes place in the early stages of our involvement in Vietnam, 1965 to be exact.  It was actually the first really significant battle our troops engaged in with the NVA.  It was also one of the first if not the first assault by Air Mobile forces, the legendary 7th Cav.  Same as Col. G.A. Custer. 

 

It happened in a place called the Ia Drang Valley.  It's been called the Battle of Pleiku (sp?)  The movie was pretty intense.  The book was much more so.  There is so much confusion with the various companies and platoons of our troops, it gave a certain feel of desperation while reading it.  The movie ends after just a couple days fighting.  But in reading the book we find out there was so much more, even more desperate and bloody that the movie never got to.  I assume they had to limit what they could do in the movie, but I almost feel like they did a disservice to those that were involved in that remaining struggle.  It was no less intense and desperate, it seemed it was more so.  There were certainly more casualties.  It's a pretty good read.  You get the words from quite a few of the soldiers that were involved and also from the opposing NVA commanding officer.  If you like this sort of history, I would recommend it to you.

I read quite a bit about military history, usually try to get it down to the small unit and in the words of those that were there on the ground.  Generally I read WWII, or the War of Northern Aggression, and quite a bit about Special Ops.  This was my first venture into Vietnam, a place where I could have easily ended up.  My Dad talked me out of the Marine Corp, he didn't want me to go there.  I was 18 and just out of high school and had no real direction,  so I was headed into the Marines with a friend I had been running around with.  Anyway, I digress.

I have just started a book, Fix Bayonets, from the Great War (WWI).   

Haven't ever read much about this war.  Don't know a lot about it, so am looking forward to what I can learn about this period in our history.  I'll let you know what I think.  I also read a sample about Eddie Rickenbacker.  That's probably next after this one.

Happy Trails.