Customer Reviews

Assault on Dak Pek: A Special Forces A-Team in Combat, 1970

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(1)
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This is the last book in SFC Leigh Wade's series on his experiences during the Vietnam war. I think this final book is the best of the three. Wade tells his story with his usual wry sense of humor, and even the bloody, gory details of the combat action he describes contain many parts that made me laugh. And it rekindled a few memories long forgotten. The book covers the action in three major battles and numerous small engagements, and Wade tells it like it really was. Readers who need more action than there is in this book should probably be reading action-adventure fantasy such as the Mack Bolan series. The final short section of the book tells how life was in the United States for many returning Vietnam veterans and offers some encouragement and advice to other veterans who might be having adjustment problems. I highly recommend this book to veterans and non veterans alike. And hopefully, Wade will find a few more subjects to write about, as his style is honest and refreshing to read. -- Ron L. Helton

Talk about a surprise. This book was nothing like what I expected and yet FOR SOME REASON i liked it. I was assuming this would be a book written about a single action, graphic in its detail, and filled with warfare throughout...but that is not the case. The summary tells of a bloody bunker to bunker clean up and weeks of heroic action filled fighting but that is not what i found. Yes the book has this but it fills a much smaller portion of the book than I thought it would. Most of the book is filled with the ordinary, day to day life of a special forces soldier and yet, maybe, this is the reason that I liked it. I for one like a book to be action packed but there was just something about wade and his experience, even his visits to town or his quiet patrols, that was extremely interesting. For the first time I got a look at life for a viet vet outside the normal experience. Wade spent time in Thailand, especially Bangkok, and his experiences there are far from ordinary and far from boring. And even when, in 1970, Wade was back 'in country' he retells all of his experience, terrifying or monotonous, in an extremely interesting fashion. And to put the icing on the cake Wade gives a postwar history of himself and gives us a first hand account of the battle against normalcy in America when he returned that in some ways was tougher than his battle in Vietnam. His rejection by so many he had fought for effected him for decades and this narration is extremely useful to both the Vet and non-Vet. He concludes by giving his advice on how to return from war without bringing the war with you...great stuff.
So in summary, even though it was not as action packed as I had envisioned, for some reason I thoroughly enjoyed this book and I have no doubt you will too!!!! Pick this cheap book up cuz it is a winner.

Leigh Wade, a young half-assed, arrogant kid tells us of his journey from being a swaggering know-it-all ("Tan Phu," volume 1 of this trilogy) to becoming a terrified -- and, incidentally, brave, U.S. Special Forces soldier fighting a war no one wanted. In the second volume, "The Protected Will Never Know," Wade's voice had matured, but there was still a scared kid beneath the more assured outer man. The descriptions of "insertions" behind enemy lines, while a nearly everyday occurrence to these young men, are chilling. And now comes "Assault on Dak Pek," and its descriptions of horrific battles and the understated heroism of these Special Forces. The voice has matured and the weariness and futility of the war no one could win comes through. This trilogy gives the reader a rare opportunity to experience Wade's coming of age and to feel how the overweening demands of war nearly destroyed him. We live with him through the frustrations of his return to an unwelcoming homeland. By pure chance, I was in Washington, D.C. the weekend of the dedication of the Viet Nam Ware Memorial. From the back steps of the Museum of American History, I stood watching the smartly uniformed troops marching in strict cadence. The street was lined with ramrod straight service men and women saluting as each unit passed. But I still get goosebumps when I remember how the small straggling group of View Nam veterans, most dressed in jeans, some with long hair, some in wheelchairs pushed by comrades, passed. A drumroll of heartfelt applause thundered up the avenue as they came. The onlookers in the bleachers stood up and cheered. Leigh Wade should have been in that group of survivors. I highly recommend this book to both adults and teenagers considering the military as a career.

Once again Leih Wade has written an exciting true account of his final tour with Special Forces in Vietnam. Ive owened this book for at least 7 yeras and in that time have read it a minimal of 10 times! Mr. Wade writes beautifuly, he makes you feel your right their looking over his shoulder during the intense comat seen during the battle. this is one of those books you go to and just enjoy reading over and over again! This book will make you laugh and cry and yell out loud, probably one of my favorite books dealing with Special Forces in Vietnam. a must read for anyone going into the US Army today, this book should be used as a text book in our institutes of higher learning!! Yes its that good!!
I recommend all three of his works, including his 1st Tan Phu and his 2nd The Protected will never know, all three are OUTSTANDING literary works!!

Leigh Wade's third book on his experiences in Vietnam is a "must" for all serious historians and readers of the Vietnam War. His trilogy, beginning with "Tan Phu" and "The Protected Will Never Know", is brought to a conclusion in "Assault on Dak Pek". From 1963 to 1971, the author shares with his readers his experiences of being a member of the United States Army Special Forces A-Team. We, as Americans, should always be proud of the courage and bravery that these men displayed in the face of death. After reading all three books, I have much respect for the men who so bravely serve our country.

Leigh Wade does a good job giving readers the dirty and gritty reality from the Vietnam Vets perspective. Once again he gives us an insider's perspective on the war and what it did to the human beings involved. Anyone who studies the psychology of war and what war does do those involved will find this a valuable and honest perspective.

For the general readership this book is generally slower than his The Protected Will Never Know. Much more of this book is spent on the down side of the conflict. Instead of high drama of battles or patrols this book deals much more with the much more common side of war which is waiting. Those long periods of coming down from the high stress of battle, waiting for battle or the wait for the battle that never comes is at the forefront of this work. I for one am glad for it. Of course the problem is for the general audience this isn't the side of war that reads well, but for those who are interested in the realities of war this book is better than some of his other works.

I especially enjoyed the chapters discussing his return home, while my joy was tempered with empathy. The struggles of coming back home to a country that now seems more foreign than the country on the other side of the world is a very important story, and one that is unique to Vietnam. Being able to watch as this vet attempts to reorient himself to a new environment that basically wants to either demonize him or ignore him is a powerful thing.

I think this book and other first hand accounts of Vietnam and other wars that are done like this one with an unabashed honesty is very important for the students of conflict. I think it is equally important for anyone thinking of joining the military. This book and his others detail the realities of what conflict is really like.

Leigh Wade's third book, "Assault on Dak Pek" is one that should be read by everyone, in fact, his other two books, "Tan Phu" and "The Protected Will Never Know" is a must for serious readers and historians of the Vietnam War. Wade's trilogy of his Vietnam experiences from 1963 to 1971 helped me to understand the United States role and involvement in Vietnam and the bravery and courage that our men had throughout this experience.

Let us always bow our heads in silence and honor the men who so bravely serve our Country.

This is by far the finest book of its genre I have ever read, and I recommend it to anyone interested in the history of the period. The combat scenes are thrilling, and the characters are well drawn and believable.

This book is a very good book with lots of action.there is at least 300 deaths and 20 battles.this has got to be one of the best books I have ever read.Leigh Wade has two other books out(Than Phu,and the Protected Will Never Know) whitch where just as good.

Leigh Wade describes his final years in Vietnam. Nothing really interesting happens at all. Leigh just stumbles from bars to battlefields complaining all the time. Strangely enough, the most interesting part of the book is when Leigh comes back to the U.S. as an unemployed alcoholic with no one to turn to.