Valor in Vietnam

by Clark, Allen B.; Palmer, Dave R.

• ISBN13: 9781612000954
• ISBN10: 1612000959
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2012-07-19
• Publisher: Casemate Pub & Book Dist Llc

Summary

Every war continues to dwell in the lives it touched, in the lives of those living through that time, and in those absorbed by its historical significance. The Vietnam War lives on famously and infamously dependent on political points of view, but those who have "been there, done that" have a highly personalized window on their time of that history. Valor in Vietnam focuses on nineteen stories of Vietnam, stories of celebrated characters in the veteran community, compelling war narratives, vignettes of battles, and the emotional impact on the combatants. It is replete with leadership lessons as well as valuable insights that are just as applicable today as they were forty years ago.This is an anecdotal history of America's war in Vietnam composed of firsthand narratives by Vietnam War veterans presented in chronological order. They are intense, emotional, and highly personal stories. Connecting each of them is a brief historical commentary of that period of the war, the geography of the story, and the contemporary strategy written by Dr. Lewis "Bob" Sorley, West Point class of 1956, and author of A Better War.Valor in Vietnam presents a historical overview of the war through the eyes of participants in each branch of service and throughout the entire course of the war. Simply put, their stories serve to reflect the commitment, honor, and dedication with which America's veterans performed their service.Allen B. Clark graduated from the United States Military Academy at West Point in 1963. Two years later, in 1965, he volunteered for service in Vietnam and was assigned to the Fifth Special Forces Group. He was wounded in an early-morning mortar attack on the Dak To Special Forces camp on June 17, 1967, that necessitated the amputation of both legs below his knees. He lives outside Dallas in Plano, Texas, and is the author of Wounded Soldier, Healing Warrior.

Table of Contents

Foreword	p. 7
Introduction	p. 9
Historical Overview: The War in Brief	p. 13
Early Special Forces "A" Teams in South Vietnam	p. 17
"How's it Feel to be the Man that Started World War III?"	p. 33
Vietnamization to Americanization	p. 50
Garry Owen (LZs X-Ray and Albany)	p. 65
The Unlonesome End Story	p. 90
Take the High Risk, High Reward Route	p. 102
The Air War and Incredible Rescues	p. 112
Surrounded on Three Sides!	p. 124
"Mom, I'm Joining the Marines Again"	p. 138
A Ranger's Ranger	p. 148
The Real Horrors of War	p. 165
Mission of Mercy at Son Tay	p. 177
Winning Hearts and Minds	p. 188
The Reluctant Warrior	p. 202
Coming Home	p. 217
Ghosts in the A Shau Valley	p. 225
A Will to Survive	p. 237
Evacuation of Saigon, 1975	p. 249
Left Behind	p. 266
Reflections	p. 272
Author's Afterword	p. 274
Acknowledgments	p. 275
Glossary	p. 276
Bibliography	p. 279
Index	p. 282
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