Customer Reviews

An Accidental Soldier: Memoirs of a Mestizo in Vietnam

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In April of 1967 Ray Wunder, Harry Irwin, Richard "POP" Gerhard and I arrived at the 101st ABN 1st BDE at the same time. Richard Gerhard and I were assigned to the 1st 327th B Company 3rd Platoon, and Ray and Harry were assigned to the 2/502nd B Company 3rd platoon. I find it interesting in Mr. Garcia's book that he arrived in the 101st ABN shortly before his 19th birthday which would have been late October or early November 1966 and Ray and Harry were already there, yet they didn't arrive until April of 1967.

I found the book to be filled with fabrications and mistruths. These fabrications range from killing elephants to hanging Chinese officers. It is in my opinion that the author Manny Garcia should be brought up on charges by the Army for falsifying records and orders. He should have to personally apologize to all of the men of the 2/502nd and especially to all of the survivors and families of the deceased B Company 3rd Platoon for misrepresenting himself and the degrading of all of the brave soldiers that actually were in the field. After reading this book I have concluded that there are only two things that Mr. "Rambo" Garcia has not done in his life: having integrity, and being honest. If he really was in the field, he would have learned these two things first from real soldiers like Ray, Harry, "Pop" and the countless others of 101st Airborne 1st Brigade.

I feel that the Vietnam veterans have been degraded enough, and we certainly don't need anymore from a person, that I am almost certain did not serve a day in the field.

Sincerely
Robert "ED" Edson
1st 327th B Company 3rd Platoon

I would like to start by saying that I was in the 101st airborne unit and assigned to the 2/502 strike force in Vietnam during the time which Manny Garcia is talking about in his so called book, I have talked with a lot of men that served with s during that time in the 3rd plt, and none of can recall a Manny Garcia. I can say that I am happy to say that he didn't include me in his book but he talked about an ambush where Boaz was killed and how he was sith him and how he watched his body being airlifted out on a chopper in a body bad and I can tell you from first hand that is no even close to the truth, I was a machine gunner during that time and Boaz was my A-gunner and a RPG rocket came in and got Boaz, my ammo bearer and myself and Boaz did not die in the field he hung on for three days and died on a hosiptal ship, and I was with him when we were air lifted out of the field, Garcia discraced a lot of good men that were my friends and I would like to have the chance to meet him and have im provide to me the proof he has for the book. I'm sure that won't happen but I can prove what I have said and would be more then happy to do so. What Garcia failed to talk about were the men that recieved the C M H and the one POW that we had. He talked about a parachute jump he made and he he did he did it alone because we did not make any combat jumps while I was there in 67-68. I hope the readers of this book would do the same to the book as he claims to have done with his metals and dumps themn in his yard. This ends my opinion of this book. Strike force all the way.

I WOULD LIKE TO START BY SAYING THAT I WAS IN THE. 101st. AIRBORNE DIV. COMPANY B 3rd.PLATOON 2/502 4/1/67 - 4/1/68 THE SAME TIME THAT MANNY GARCIA SAYS HE WAS. IN GARCIA SO CALLED BOOK. I AM KNOWING AS JAY WUNDER TRY RAY WUNDER BRIGHT AS A 25 WATT LIGHT BULB AS WELL AS MY FRIEND HARRY IRWIN. MR. GARCIA MUST HAVE THOUGH TO DUMMYS FROM NEW YORK. THAT WERE UNABLE TO READ HIS ( RAMBO ) BOOK. I HAD SPENT ALL MY TIME IN THE BUSH AND SEEM MY SHARE OF AMBUSH'S AND FIRE FIGHTS IN THAT TIME FRAME AS HE TELLS IN THAT SO CALLED BOOK. I FOR ONE HAD NEVER SEEN OR HEARD ANY OF ARE MEN I KNEW THEN OR NOW. THE MEN I TALK TO HAVE NEVER KNOWING OF MANNY GARCIA TELLING OR LEADING ANY OF TO HIS GREAT VICTORIES AS A AIRBORNE RANGER, MR.GARCIA SHOULD COME FORTH AND TELL THE REAL TRUTH AS A REAL STRIKE FORCE SOLRIER IF YOU WERE ONE. HE SAID HE IS A LAWYER. WELL LAWYERS DO TELL THE TRUTH RIGHT. TIME FOR MANNY TO DO THE SAME FOR ONCE.THEN TAKE THAT WALK TO THE WALL AND SAY YOU ARE A SHAME FOR WHAT HE SAYS ABOUT REAL SOLDIERS. NOW I HAVE HAD MY SAY.

After reading Manny Garcia's Book, I find it riddled with false information and the degrading of many fine and valorous soldiers that served in B Company 2/502nd Infantry 101st Airborne Division. I was a Platoon Leader in the 3rd Platoon and I have been in contact with many members who were there at the same time as his time period. So far not one member remembers him or his supposed exploits. There never was a combat jump on a NVA Hospital, pure fiction, He was not a graduate of the Ranger School (Can be verified thru the Freedom of Information Act), the list can go on and on. It is a shame that the University of New Mexico Press would print a book without checking it's authenticity. I'm sure many others members of this unit will also write reviews.

I was a member of the 1st Brigade, 2/502 Infantry, 101st Abn Division. From January thru December 1967. I was assigned to B Company, 3rd platoon, the same platoon that manny garcia affirms to have been a part of during this time frame. It is my opinion that manny garcia's book is full of deception and half truths. Statements about our operations and jargon used in his book were positively NOT a part of our operations during 1967. There are key events that occurred during 1967 that were not included in manny garcia's blurb. This opinion is shared by myself and others who were actually in the platoon during this time frame. To say that manny garcia's opus is nonfiction is an insult to the men of our platoon and to the University of New Mexico. UNM editors are responsible for and in part share this fictionalized misstatement of a book.

manny garcia's supposedly non-fiction account of his Vietnam experience with the 3rd platoon of B/2/502 is a slap at the honor and sacrifices the real men of that platoon. From his lying about being a Ranger, the timeframe he said he was in Vietnam, his lack of knowledge of how the real unit operated-mottos-call signs-operational setup in the field, his ridiculous claims of a combat jump, one man recons, his squad reconning for days at a time away from the platoon, the amount of ammo he supposedly carried, the names of men who were wounded or killed are made up, basically everything he wrote was slanted that he was the very best and everyone else was stupid or useless. His calling AF pilots and Chopper pilots dumb and scared is utterly stupid(garcia, they were the best in the eyes of a grunt). I was in that platoon in 1966 and 67 and never knew a manny garcia, hell everyone would've known such a one man Army. I will try to prove this man as a fraud and as a wannabe as to not let a liar defame the name of those real men of the 3rd platoon of B Co., 2nd 502nd Abn.. I challenge this so-called hero to come forth and prove his deeds and his involvement in actions of that platoon. He will forever hide behind that facade of "lost paper work" and the blundering military machine. His own words were that the very worst type of soldier was one who lied, boasted, or made false claims. He should've looked in a mirror before saying such things. I, along with the men of the platoon will never honor any statement made by this man until he tells the truth. He was a REMF in our book. Before I can 'review' this book I AM REQUIRED to give it at least one star rating by Amazon, in my mind it does not deserve even that lowest rating. His name doen't deserve to be capitalized even, I think he whould change it to manny gump as he did it all, by himself too.

I first became aware of manny Garcia's book due to having served with the proud and noble 2/502 Strike Force Battalion. A number of men whom I had trained with back in the States were assigned to Bravo Company as I and others were assigned to Alpha and other company's within the battalion during part of the time frame Manny Garcia claimed to have committed all of his one man army exploits. Many of us who were fortunate enough to have survived our horrible year of duty while proudly serving in the 101st Airborne Division and our Country have managed to find each other and keep in touch thanks to the internet.
As you have become well aware of in recent months, this is the first time any of us, especially the great Bravo Company men have ever heard of this poor excuse for a soldier and wannabe. How can the University of New Mexico support and stand behind this poor excuse for a human being and claimed former soldier when it is rather apparent his book is obviously based upon lies, insults, fabrication and total fantasy. [...]
The paper is only worth cleaning one's bottom for he does nothing but insult everything we men who served in the 2/502 hold sacred, and that is loyalty to one's fellow brothers and comrades. Honor, loyalty, duty and trust were and are paramount to each and every one of us who fought and served beside one another. We still live by those rules to honor those who paid the ultimate sacrifice. This Garcia gump wannabe honors no one including our Country.
I read his book as we 2/502 brothers are passing it around to one another so as not to put any more money into your worthless pockets. I had to put it down a number of times out of total disgust for his writing style and continuous disrespect he expressed for his fellow Americans be they soldiers, pilots or parents of dead soldiers.
We did not kill elephants, nor did we fire up all of our ammo before each re-supply as he stated. You have already heard from some of my other comrades who Garcia insulted and attempted to degrade that no one went on one man recon missions and no part of the 2/502 made a parachute jump into an NVA hospital. The list goes on and on. The man is a complete liar and the Rangers will back that fact as well as the National Archives in Silver Springs, Maryland which will show through records of no heroic exploits by this wannabe.
Come out, come out from your hiding place Manny Garcia and quite hiding behind your shameless excuse the military messed up your records. You are an embarrassment to the Mormon Church and to your people. Meet the news media and face their questions like a man since you were not one in Vietnam. You cannot continue to dishonor the 2/502 Battalion or the 101st because you are beneath contempt. You were not a man then, nor are you a man now.
Charles R. Gant DMOR
Governor 502nd Regiment 101st Airborne
Liaison Alpha Company 2/502 Strike Force Widow Makers

I can honestly say that I rarely read any books. Being made aware of it through my 2nd Platoon Buddies from "B" Co. 2/502 Inf, 101st ABN. Div., it immediately got my undivided attention , because it was listed as "non-fiction". -- THAT WAS LIE #1. This book is just packed with 1/2 truths, innuendos, lies, & egotistical exaggerations, that IT COULD ONLY HAVE BEEN WRITTEN BY A person we would always refer to as a "R.E.M.F."
These characters usually secured a job in the rear area, listening to(& collecting) stories from THE REAL GRUNTS IN THE BOONIES, inserting themselves into stories years later, as if no one would ever be living to notice the LIES.
Well, mr."Rambo wanabe" manny garcia, MANY OF US ARE STILL ALIVE & here to tell those who read your phony stories, in a book they THOUGHT was "NON-FICTION" , "THEY WERE DUPED" !
One TRUTH , in your book, however, did point out that MANY , MANY, times we were far from up to full manpower strength. We DID HAVE TO combine platoons to get (close to) full manpower. In fact, on one occassion, one trooper you refer to as "Jay" Wunder( real name, Ray Wunder),from the 3rd Plt. was with our 2nd Platoon, when "The gooks in the wells" incident occured & Jimmy D. Hale (2nd Plt.) & 3rd Plt. Ray Wunder's name & the story was documented in our own "Screaming Eagle" Magazine. Many of us have this copy, & believe it or not mr. garcia, I have almost every ORIGINAL copy of every (S.E. Mag.)issue for the entire time The 101st ABN.Div. was in V.N.--- Thanks to a considerate, "REAL" 101st WW II HERO , Fred Patheiger, (now dec'd.). Well, isn't it amazing, with all of your "single-handed" attacks & heroic actions, -- I couldn't find your name written about -- EVEN ONCE!!
I only wish there were some legal action we ( REAL "B" Co. 2/502 V.N.Vets from 67'-68') could take against you calling this book "non-fiction",but you, "stating that" you are a lawyer, I'm sure you've done some of your "SLEAZY LAWYER CHECKING"& have that "covered".
We, from the 2nd Platoon, will be passing your book of trash, to each other, so don't expect very much $$$ from us !
Hoping to meet you someday, mr. garcia,
( ALONG WITH THOSE REAL HROES FROM "YOUR" 3rd Plt.)

Paul "JOE" Penkala
[...]

I was in 3rd Plt 2/502 101st Abn from Nov. 1967 until April 1968 and was wounded along with Danial Boaz, Mike Hibner and others at Bastogne as stated in this book. The details however are not accurate. Boaz did not leave in a body bag, he was medivaced to a hospital ship and died a few days later. I did have a sucking chest wound but I never even knew it until I was in the APC and the wounded medic told me, I never knew manny garcia and he never bandaged my wound. I did know, and proudly served with others mentioned in this book. Guys like Boaz, Wunder, Irwin, Moody, Hall, Davis, Sgt Barnhill, and SFC Wilson he called him williams. He left out others like Hibner, Jackson, Davis, Hall, Sealey and MILTON LEE our Medal of Honor awardee. How could Milton Lee not be in any book about our Company or Platoon? He was killed in Ashaw valley in May of 68 singlehandedly taking out several machinegun nest saving what was left of our pinned down company. Surprised manny garcia didn't take credit for that too. There were many others I proudly seved with whose names escape me but manny garcia was NOT one of them. My guess is this guy was a REMP in our unit because he knew enough partial details to be getting info from someone who was actually there or he read some fairly detailed reports. The book is basically total crap and absolutly fiction. His book insults the men and memories of all who served. SHAME on you garcia and shame on the publisher who printed this FICTION!!

As the 1st Lieutenant who led Mr. Garcia's supposed platoon, 1967-68, I would like to point out that none of the incidents he describes, coincide with the experience of any other members of the platoon, or after-action reports of operations. In fact, no one, including myself, can remember having served on the line with him, and we were a close-knit group. It is a work of fiction, not the facts, and should be seen as such. For those unsung heroes of the 3rd platoon of B company, who really did bear the burden of some of the bloodiest battles of that war, it is shameful that this man is attempting to profit from his fictitous heroism. As has been documented in Stolen Valor, all men who served, wished to be seen as heroic and brave, and many who were not, later, falsely claimed to have to have been Audie Murphy. I think this phoney hero owes the "real" members of the 3rd platoon, an apology and should pull his book from the shelves. Hopefully Amazon will do it for him for perpetuating his false "non-fiction" DAVID BELDING, CAPTAIN,US ARMY RETIRED