Vietnam

Jul 28 2011

Noble Warrior: The Life and Times of Maj. Gen. James E. Livingston

I have recently read two books on the Vietnam War. The first of these, Noble Warrior: The Life and Times of Maj. Gen. James E. Livingston, USMC (Ret.), Medal of Honor by James E. Livingston, Colin D. Heaton, and Anne-Marie Lewis, is a biography of Major General James E. Livingston – a Marine who was awarded the Medal of Honor in the Vietnam War. The book is a quick read at 272 pages. It includes 23 b/w photographs and seven maps (which are very helpful in following the action in the book).

A majority of the book is spent on Livingston’s time in Vietnam, specifically the battle for which he was awarded the Medal of Honor – the Battle of Dai Do in 1968. The main battle pitted a reinforced Marine battalion (2nd Battalion/4th Marine Regiment) against a significant portion of a North Vietnamese Army division. In the battle, Livingston commanded a company.

I won’t go into the details of the battle, but the phrase “uncommon valor was a common virtue” was prevalent on the battlefield. Livingston’s leadership appears to have made a difference in saving not only many of the lives in his company, but also in his battalion. The book is a good narrative of what occurred during the battle from the American perspective.

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By Jeff Grim • Reviews • 1 • Tags: , , , ,

Jul 17 2009

North Vietnamese Army Soldier 1958-75 by Gordon L Rottman

North Vietnamese Army Soldier by Gordon L Rottman is part of Osprey’s “Warrior” series, which seeks to provide insights into the daily lives of history’s fighting men and women, detailing their motivation, training, tactics, and experiences.  For most Americans, there is a lot of mystery that surrounds our old adversaries in the Vietnam War.  Rottman attempts to shed light on this mystery.

The booklet (63 pages) is divided into several sections (mini-chapters if you will) that describe various aspects of the North Vietnamese Army (NVA), such as organization, recruitment, and weapons and equipment.  Rottman provides a balanced analysis of the NVA.  The average NVA soldier was very similar to the average American soldier.   Contrary to what many Americans believed, the NVA soldier was just as likely as an American soldier to be intimidated by the jungle.  The NVA soldiers were from cities and farms, thus they did not have any innate skills to deal with the snakes, insects, and other hazards of the jungle.

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By Kevin Holtsberry • Reviews • 0 • Tags: , ,