Customer Reviews

Blood Trails: The Combat Diary of a Foot Soldier in Vietnam

5 star:		(21)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

I'm a 3-tour Vietnam vet. Salvage diver with the 20th. Engineers out of Long Binh. 69-71. I've read a multitude of books about the Vietnam War & am so very glad I volunteered as a Diver instead of a paratrooper that I came within an eyelash of doing. You line doggies out there have ALL of my considerable respect!

Blood Trails is without a doubt THE best book I've yet to read on the war. The guy tells it like it was (for the infantry people) but includes a lot of sarcastic & self-deprecating humor that makes the book a joy to read. His vivid descriptions of real life combat puts you in the driver's seat & makes this reader realize how lucky he was NOT to have been a paratrooper! Great job!

There have been countless memoirs by Vietnam combat vets over the last years. I rate Christopher Ronnau's as one of the better efforts.

Ronnau was in combat from January to April 1967 with the Big Red 1, his tour shortened by a serious wound to the face received in an ambush. BLOOD TRAILS is his account of those months in combat.

I enjoyed Ronnau's book for several reasons. First of all, it seems a realistic account of an infantryman's lot in Vietnam circa 1967 - lots of endless patrolling, an occasional encounter with Victor Charlie often with uncertain results, night ambushes that come to naught, and a few terrifying firefights. Second, his narrative includes "daily routine" snippets like cooking C-rats with gobs of plastic explosive that give a sense of immediacy. Third, he doesn't include "remembered conversations" in his book. I have a big problem with any autobiographical work that includes reconstructed conversations from 30, 40 years ago. Hell, I can't remember what I said to my wife last week let alone 20 years ago. Ronnau kept a diary which increases my comfort level as to whether or not he's telling the truth or embellishing.

Anyone interested in learning of the life of a combat infantryman should pick up this book. It provides an unvarnished portrait of life in the Nam.

This is a ground level view of the role of the American Army in Vietnam. The story is based on the contempoarary diary of a man who decided to enlist, and requested infantry duty in Vietnam, during the height of the war in the late 1960s. The author is clear that in writing the book, he relied on his diary, and tried to convey the genuine emotions of his younger self, but he also writes with the perspective of thirty years reflection on his own experience. The book clearly reflects genuine experience, and is grippingly readable. While the author does not set out with any political agenda, it does offer a first hand account that clearly illustrates the tactical insanity of the war from an infantry man's perspective. The author and his brothers in arms rarely understand the larger purpose of their day to day activities, but are clearly aware that their actions do not add up to winning the hearts and minds of the Vietnamese people. For those of us who were not there, this book offers a window on one of the most important events of twentieth century history. We all can be glad that Chris Ronnau lived to tell us his story, and had the presence of mind to record these events when they took place.

"Blood Trails", written by Long Beach, California native Chris Ronnau, tells of his experiences as a foot soldier in Vietnam. His unit, the Big Red One, was involved in many important infantry operations in the III Corps area of South Vietnam, north and west of Saigon along the Cambodian border. In this book, he conveys the day to day emotions of a youthful soldier called off to duty in a foreign land where he ended up becoming a hero during a fierce firefight in April 1967, during which he sustained mass trauma to his face. This is his story of personal courage, along with a moving account of the battlefield comraderie among 19 year old soldiers who depended only on each other for survival in America's longest, most frustrating war.

A brillant and riveting account that offers a unique insight to life in the jungle of a combat infantryman. It's all true, I know because I was in Charlie company "Black Lions" from January 1967 to April 1967 when Chris was shot.

It was my platoon, 3rd platoon, that was hit that day. The first two men were hit by pellets from a large Chinese mine that exploded before them. The screams still remain fresh in my mind. The concussion from the explosion was so great that it knocked the 3rd man in the formation, Battles, off his feet and he rolled into me. Then all hell broke loose and the fire fight went on for what seemed like minutes, but was actually over two hours. Chris's 1st platoon came to our rescue. Sometime during the end of the fighting, I was out in an open field and saw this soldier coming towards me in huge distress. He couldn't talk, a bullet had shattered his jaw, and he keeped running his hand around his head. It was Chris and I was able to help him. Didn't see him again till 1994.

Fred Kirkpatrick

webmaster, [...]

I was in Nam from '69 thru '70 and in the same unit so this book really brought back a bunch of memories that I thought I had long ago forgotten.

Not an easy book to put down...give yourself a bit of time to read and digest Mr. Ronnau's story.

I have read many books based on the Vietnam War and I have found this book (Blood Trails) one of, if not the most, interesting reading of that conflict. I found the book comprehensive enough to be very interesting and yet brief enough in scope not to be boring. To Mr. Ronnau, I say a big congratulations on a book well written.

I ended up purchasing a copy of Blood Trails from Amazon.UK because I wanted to establish an account on that side of the world. But I couldn't wait for it to arrive, so I purchased a Kindle e-book version too and began reading it immediately. Like Chris, I also kept a diary when in Vietnam and referred to it when writing my own novel.

I truly loved Blood Trails and could relate to many of the anecdotes within the story. My outfit, the 25th Division, also patrolled around Tay Ninh and Cambodia and I can recall many of those things described in the book. Some reviewers have posted that Blood Trails was just another grunt story. It is, but there are also 3.5 million Vietnam war stories out there - some of us have chosen to write about them. Although many of the books are the same in the sense of writing about the suffering of patrolling and sleeping in the bug infested jungles, every one of them is unique and personal. I have read many Vietnam novels as well, but I always find them educational and I learn from them. I think it is important for readers who may have known teenagers that went to war in Vietnam, to read books like Blood Trails to better understand why these warriors were so different upon their return. War is hell and they lived there.

Of the 3.5 million troops that eventually served in Vietnam, only 10% of them were assigned to the Infantry. These were the ground pounders that actually humped through the jungles, avoided booby traps, stumbled into fortified enemy positions, and actually did the face to face fighting. This is not meant to belittle the other 90%, because without their support, the infantry soldiers would not have survived. It should also be noted that the firebases and base camps were sometimes more dangerous than in the jungle, especially when they were mortared, rocketed and assaulted by the enemy. So each story is unique and written from a different perspective.

When reading these different stories, I find myself drawn into it as if I am right there with them in the story. I can feel their fear, anticipation, awe, suspense and find myself relieved when the patrol finally returns to safety.

Blood Trails deserves five stars and will be placed in the top twenty of my all-time best books about the war. It is highly recommended and should be read by those interested in joining the service or wanting to know what life in the jungle was really like.

Great job Chris! Welcome Home Brother!

John Podlaski, author

Cherries - A Vietnam War Novel

I had just waded through "Charlie Company" a book also written about the same company (and apparent overlapping time period) Ronnau writes about. The difference being "Charlie Company" was written by two Newsweek journalists who were not there. Their version is full of drugs, racial unrest, near mutany, peace symbols and a bunch of drunk rowdy undisciplined GIs, that made no sense to me. Their version of events and the people was dishonest to say the least. Ronnaus book tells it how it really was. Few drugs, no peace symbols, undisciplined soldiers, or other trash. I enjoyed Ronnaus telling of his time there, as well as his sense of humor. Excellant book.

I served from mid Feb/67 until mid Feb/68..in The Nam with the Quarter Horse Cavalry the writer mentions several times for my entire tour. I was in Bravo Troop as a M-60 gunner on a Armored Personnel Carrier.

We worked with his Unit and the 11th Cav and many other Infantry units in the bush.

I held a Infantry MOS of 11C (which was another MOS that qualifies a soldier for the Combat Infantry Badge) but was lucky enough to go from 81 MM mortars to 4 deuce mortars which were used on the first APC's I served on in early 67.

The mortars were pulled out right after I joined the Cav ( they were a useless weapon) and we became mechanized Calvary and always traveled with 3 M-48 tanks not M-60's as mentioned by the writer and 7 APC's.

M-60's were to big to fit on most of the roads in III Corps and to heavy for busting jungle in search and destroy missions, they sunk like ships in mud puddle.

There was Never a river in Lai Khe. It was miles and miles away. A fact missed for the readers...

The First Infantry Division did not move it's headquarters to Lai Khe from Dian until well after the Tet Offensive in early Feb of 1968. It was still in Dian when I left in Feb of 68 myself after the first Tet..

I know it was several months after I left before the entire Division moved north to use Lai Khe as a base camp. Lai Khe sat on the edge of the Michelin rubber plantation and at one time housed the French in some gorgeous homes. Some even had swimming pools of course not used during our time there.

We also had many abandoned railroad lines that ran in many directions some all of the way to Cambodia these railroads had the berms left after they were destroyed by the French and Japanese when they occupied Nam.

The VC used them often for ambushes, Thus came the use of Agent Orange Dioxins to remove the foliage.

I served in the first Tet and was in the battle with the Quarter Cav outside of Phu Loi our base camp which was north of Dian at that time that raged for almost 2 full days.

I am disappointed that the author did not do more intensive research before he released this book. He missed much information for the Non Veteran that needs to be told.

I know he experienced many horrible & interesting things that most readers would find interesting that he skipped. Being a grunt in Nam was never a cake walk.

The facts about how we lived, fought and died, even if they are minor issues I feel they should be correct when told, this book lacks these facts and foot notes...unfortunately.....

I love history but if you can't get it right, Take a pass is my feeling. I didn't get my money's worth with this book, nor can I figure out how it got a 5 star reveiw

In my year there the only showers we got were from a 5 gallon lister ( canvas) bag we filled with water and hung it off of our 50 Caliber machine gun on our APC's and we stood under it as water was poured in it by our buddies in the field.

We sometimes got lucky for a few days a month to go into base camp and pull maintenance on our tracks and then sneak away to visit the bar girls in Phu Loi who came out just for the day from Saigon ( 12 to 5) to satisfy young crazy kids hoping to make it home as Soldiers. I was 40 before I found out most Vietnamese women were not named Kim.

We cooked all of our C Rations, coffee whatever we needed to heat and water to wash in for my entire tour with C-4.

I feel bad about the money we cost the Government for the added cost of the C-4 we used for these Vital tasks but "War is Hell" as we used to say.

A fact that is very important to the Non Veterans reading this is the true fact that C-4 plastic explosives will never explode as explained by him.

You can take C-4 plastic explosives, hit it with a hammer, light it on fire, run over it with a tank, it does not matter what you do with it but it will never explode until you add the final straw, the blasting cap.

Without the blasting cap the C-4 is just like a hand full of clay and no more dangerous. With a blasting cap the destruction caused by it in a Claymore mine or in just pieces stuck to any object or a stick of it is unbelievable.

I was also a demolition man for the Cav and used C-4 to clear out VC base camps, land mines, tunnels and enemy bunkers etc for my entire years tour.

So sorry but it's small things like this that make this book incomplete.

I of course Welcome Christopher Home and there is no doubt he is a solid Combat Veteran and only rightly so because of his service needs to be Honored by everyone.

I am sad he was wounded so badly. He is indeed a Hero who served when he could have easily avoided this war. I was one of only two men in my unit who came home thankfully without a Purple Heart. I have no idea why I was so lucky.

I am Thankful he survived, We lost so many Brothers in the Cav and Infantry.

I salute him as a Brother in Arms but sadly his note taking lacks the details that I expect out of a book written about such a important part of America's past.

I found the book boring with many slow portions that turned to rambling .... .

A new book just released called "One Hell of a Ride" by Colonel (Ret.) William C. Haponski is without a doubt one of the best researched and written books I have read in the almost 40 years since I have served.

It is about the Big Red One and every unit mentioned in this book. Try it You will love it...

This book will be a Classic mark my words which is one of the few Vietnam books written about Nam and also observations written by our enemy commanders in the same book that tells how each Commander on both sides prepared for and carried out battles. This is a book that is found few and far between.

I must add I have read more books on Nam and the enemy we faced there than I can count. Blood Trails failed!!!!!

Good try but No Cigar!!!!!!! Keep 5 Brothers.