Blackjack-34 [Mass Market Paperback]

James C. Donahue (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 4, 2000

"Here we go, I said to myself as my system electrified with the familiar rush of adrenaline."

An elite unit armed to the teeth, the Mobile Guerrilla Force was America's only real guerrilla force in Vietnam. These men operated for weeks at a time--springing ambushes, destroying base camps, and gathering vital intelligence--in steamy, triple-canopied jungles ruled by the VC and NVA.

On July 18, 1967, Special Forces medic James Donahue and his platoon were on a mission, code-named Blackjack-34, to locate enemy units for the 1st Infantry to destroy. But instead a crack enemy battalion found them.

Now Donahue bears witness to the bloody events of that day and the exceptional grit and determination of his teammates. BLACKJACK-34 is a magnificent tribute to the warriors of Mobile Guerrilla Force--their courage, heroism, and willingness to make the ultimate sacrifice.

Editorial Reviews

From the Inside Flap

"Here we go, I said to myself as my system electrified with the familiar rush of adrenaline."

An elite unit armed to the teeth, the Mobile Guerrilla Force was America's only real guerrilla force in Vietnam. These men operated for weeks at a time--springing ambushes, destroying base camps, and gathering vital intelligence--in steamy, triple-canopied jungles ruled by the VC and NVA.

On July 18, 1967, Special Forces medic James Donahue and his platoon were on a mission, code-named Blackjack-34, to locate enemy units for the 1st Infantry to destroy. But instead a crack enemy battalion found them.

Now Donahue bears witness to the bloody events of that day and the exceptional grit and determination of his teammates. BLACKJACK-34 is a magnificent tribute to the warriors of Mobile Guerrilla Force--their courage, heroism, and willingness to make the ultimate sacrifice.

About the Author

James C. Donahue joined the Marine Corps when he was seventeen years old and served with the Corps through the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis. After being discharged, he enlisted in the army and volunteered for Special Forces. As a Green Beret, he served with the 6th and 7th Special Forces Groups (Airborne) in Fort Bragg, NC, and with the 5th Special Forces Group (Airborne) in Vietnam. His many military awards and decorations include the Silver Star, three Bronze Stars, the Purple Heart, two Air Medals, the Combat Medical Badge, and the Vietnamese Cross of Gallantry.

After earning a bachelor's degree in anthropology and a master's in social sciences Donahue went to work for the U.S. Department of Labor's Veterans Employment and Training Service. He has written two previous books; Mobile Guerrilla Force and Blackjack-33. He and his wife live in Glenwood, NY, and have two grown children.

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 288 pages
• Publisher: Ballantine Books; 1st Ballantine ed edition (April 4, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0804117659
• ISBN-13: 978-0804117654
• Product Dimensions: 4.2 x 0.8 x 6.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 0.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (26 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #33,771 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #2 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > History > World > 20th Century
  • #2 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > History > Americas > United States > 20th Century
  • #3 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > History > Military > Vietnam War

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

24 of 24 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars War as only the very few knew it., September 25, 2006

By 

S. M Darragh "lirelou" (Seoul, Korea) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Blackjack-34 (Mass Market Paperback)

U.S. special forces experience varied widely in Vietnam. The A Teams, the Greek letter projects, the MIKE Forces, and MAC-V-SOG all fought different fights of a large and very complex war. Within those units, none was more unique than Donohue's, which morphed from an A Team on a mobile guerrilla mission, into the B-36 Special Task Force, much later into the B-36 MIKE Force. Donohue describes the early days, when the window of opportunity for mobile guerrilla operations against the NVA and VC Main Force regiments was wide open. If you want to know what it was like to be with a small band of American special forces (and one Australian), leading companies of Cambodian nationalist rebels from the Khmer Serai against one half of their ancient enemy, then this is one of two books you must read. This is a war of companies against battalions, out well beyond the range of artillery where American forces were not allowed to go, where junior sergeants functioned as platoon leaders during the heavy fighting, and then quickly morphed into medics and radio operators. Read this, and Donohue's Blackjack-33, and you'll have enjoyed some of the finest combat writing to come out of the 5th Special Forces Group.

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An outstanding first-person account of small-unit warfare, April 10, 2006

By 

Warren Willis Jr. "silverstatespecialties" (Las Vegas, NV USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Blackjack-34 (Mass Market Paperback)

A fabulous book for anyone looking for firsthand accounts of the great work our fighting men & women did in Vietnam, and an excellent antidote for the overplayed drivel Hollywood & the "mainstream" media try to spoon-feed us.

The author provides a minimal amount of background info on himself and the Mobile Guerilla Force, and then jumps right into the action. He gets your heart pumping and your senses instantly alerted through first-person writing, and once you start this book it is very difficult to put down. Mr Donahue does not hold back anything from the reader either; he skillfully relates the sights, sounds, smells, and even tastes of combat in Vietnam.

If you are looking for a well-written first-hand account about the experiences of combat in Vietnam, then I highly recommend this book. If you are a little squeamish, or prefer to research the unit histories and command structures of combat units in Vietnam, well, I STILL recommend this book (and all of Mr Donahue's books).

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Blackjack-34, February 27, 2004

By 

David L. Garrison "dgarrison1" (San Francisco, CA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: No Greater Love: A Day with the Mobile Guerrilla Force in Vietnam (Paperback)

No Greater Love is a great book, but shows out of print. It's been re-titled to Blackjack-34 which is in print.