Customer Reviews

Charlie Company: What Vietnam Did to Us (A Newsweek book)

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

This is Vietnam as I remember it while serving as one of the "grunts" on the ground during 1969-1970. Each soidier tells his story as only he can about his experiences. You will understand the complexities of combat as told by each soldier and how each similar situation was handled,not only at the time of the contact, but many years later "back in the world". How have we survived the combat? Many have and many have not. A must read for combat veterans as well as those living with one.

This is by no means an action book like some of the reviewers expected. This book is true to the title "What Vietnam did to us". Your reading about the true thoughts, feelings, and reflections of Vietnam Vets 12 years after the war is over. I found it very powerful, and I'm glad my father recomended it to me.

I had such high hopes for this book. The concept was a fine one: Follow the exploits of the members of a single company that served in the Vietnam war. Apparently, this project was initiated by the Newsweek magazine and the result of that first effort was a series of awards for excellent reportage. The authors attempted to expand the project for publication in book form. Unfortunately, the scope of the project is so large and unwieldly that the result is a major disappointment. The reason for this is that so many different people were required to compile the information of such a large number of people that the text has the feel of a third hand account written from a translation. In other words, it reads like a committee report. Thus, it is difficult to form any strong opinions or acheive insight because there is no internal logic which governs the book. Plus, many of the soldiers' stories seem to have been concoctions of incidents taken from a dozen different events. Much of the personal information about the soldiers seems, well, impersonal. If you would like to experience a successful execution of the concept, read the book 'Survivors' by Zalin Grant. In it he covers the POW lives of a dozen U.S. prisoners and he does it brilliantly. You will put that book down feeling that you have read something very original and very meaningful.

As the war in Iraq continues, parallels to the Vietnam

War, both real and imagined, are generating more interest

in Vietnam-era books. And while part of my life is chronicled

in Goldman's book, I agree with past readers that it could

have been much better...but it was Goldman's book, not mine.

Unfortunately, Charlie company enhances the stereotype of

the damaged veteran. While more than 2 million soldiers

served in Vietnam, the majority returned and reintegrated

into American life. And while those who suffered PTSS and

other ills did and still need help, they were not representative

of the returning veteran.

That said, I'd like to mention some books that I've read

since my return and that I highly recommend for important

historical context. The first one I read shortly after

returning was Bernard Fall's Hell in a very Small Place.

Later, I read Fitzgerald's Fire in the Lake, Halberstam's

The Best and the Brightest, McNamara's In Retrospect, and

one I most highly recommend, Lowry's And Brave Men Too.

You can look these up on Amazon and form your own opinion.

I have learned much over the years about the US involvment

in Vietnam, and do see many troubling similarities to today's

conflict. But you decide.

Harry J Foxwell, PhD

Charlie Company, 1968-1969

I was in Charlie Company 2nd/28th from March 1968 to March 1969. The writers started interviewing GI's who were in country from April 1969 on. I've had the book since shortly after it was published but had never read it. I'm not into reading so I ordered the tapes to listen to on a recent cross country flight. I felt that after 42 years it was time to read the book. It brought back memories and flash backs as well. I even remember guys like Harris, Selig, Skeels, Capt. Rogers, Abbott, Goings and Bowers. For someone who is not into reading these are the perfect solution. Also for anyone who wants a fairly accurate description of how it was for us Grunts in Nam buy this book.

When I first started working with Vietnam veterans some 28 years ago, it was this book that began my journey into the world of the absurdity that was the Vietnam War. It's not only informative, but very, VERY readable by any civilian who "wants to know." Without reservation, I still recommend "Charlie Company" and Mark Baker's "NAM" as the only two books that nonveterans of ANY education level need to read.

Best book I know of telling about the combat soldier there in Vietnam. Interestingly, I am one of those combat soldiers. It really helped me to get a handle on what happen there. Only problem it caused me to want to got back and go I have, seven times now. Probably go again soon. Curtis Gilliland,Jr. C 2/28 1st Infantry 68-69

This is the story of several men who served with Charlie Company. Each man tells about his tour and each man tells about what happened after he arrived home. This book is a great read and a real eye-opener.

Unfortunately, with time memories get blurred and facts are disputed by many, much like three people seeing a car wreck. A policeman will tell you that it's very difficult sometimes to separate facts from the actual act. Thus Vietnam. Many Vietnam vets have different stories of what actually happen at a particular time and in all cases it's been more than 35 years since that soldier was in the jungles. Charlie Company is an account of memories of a bunch of good young men, that were transcribed by several people, then retyped by several others. Is it a all factual book? No, but it is the best I've read so far and I can attest that the guys who were inviewed were all good guys who described what they remembered.

As, far as the writtings of Bissert. He has a right to express an opinion, just like anyone else and his memories are like many of us fading. Are they correct? Not entirely, when it comes to the Christmas Eve ambush. A young man like myself, who was from California and I were sent out on OP with a PRC -25 and hid down inside a B-52 bomb crater and told to report back any movement of the enemy. We hadn't been out very long when several communist soldiers came walking down the trail in front of us, and fortunately did not see us since we were down in the crater. We let them walk by, knowing that if we opened up with our rifles we would be between our forces and the enemy and if just one grenade landed in the crater, we would be killed. So, we let them pass and then got on the radio and reported what had happened. The officer in the rear disputed our call and shortly came forward to grill us but in the process called in a chopper which arrived a few minutes later and and who also reported seeing several enemy soldiers in boat on the river below us. Our reasoning was accepted.

Later that night, right at midnight a firefight developed, after some of the enemy walked into our ambush. During the fight one of the guys beside me was shot in the foot which was located beside my head and I received a slight wound in the hand. He was medovaced out and I stayed in the field. I later received a Purple Heart. I understand he was sent home due to his wound. I actually carried the metal inside my skin for several years, until one day it worked itself out.

I would like to add Mr. Bissert was not and I repeat was not out there on OP, outpost, evening with the two of us. I'm at a loss at how he would even know anything about that afternoon on that trail and how he could have witnessed who came down that trail, unless of course he had a drome flying high above, which if was, was zooming down on the wrong location!!!!!!! We were down inside a B-52 bomb crater, in high elephant grass at least 100 feet from Mr. Bissert. I've discussed this incident with several of the guys at their homes and at mine over the years. and some of the guys went to their graves very remorseful at being part of a firefight where quite possibily young kids were killed by our forces. I can't say for a fact their ages, but I would not dispute it. I do remember their personal pictures in their billfolds. Whether that's fabricated memory or real, I live with constantly.

Mr. Bissert is free to express his memories to anyone, just as anyone else is free to do so. I will add to the facts that after revisiting the area (Vietnam) many times on foot, bicylce and car over the past 17 years, I think I have a pretty good grasp of the facts of what the terrain was and, as well is now. Unless someone went out there and dug another hole, the hole (crater) is still there, as are thousands of others scattered all over Vietnam. One will if one cares to investigate find there are homes located there, as there was most probably 39 years ago unbeknownist to us, that Christmas Eve. The real possibility that some of our bullets or fire might have hit an innocent victim has haunted others as myself over the years. Whether that's a real possibility or not will never be answered.

An added note which doesn't pertain directly to this discussion is many good men, women and children of the other side died in a war which should never have been fought and could never have been won, because the ideals of that part of the world are much different than the ideals and dreams of America, EXCEPT those parents loved their children just as much as mom and pop back here in the United States. After the loss of over 4,000,000 Indochinese, 58,000 American lives and over 300,000 American wounded and still today many still suffering, we seem to have forgotten what is important. Whenever we as a nation or nations finally can agree that we're all children of God, then true freedom will reign. It will happen because we've failed for thousands of years and we have no other choice and unfortunately I don't see a good future. It's not when the other fella (nation) finally accepts our ideals, it's when we the people of this earth finally accept the fact war and killing is not the answer to eternal freedom or peace. A baby cries a mom and dad rush to it's side, whether they are Americans, Vietnamese, Iranian, democrat or republican, to hug. A man kills the child and it's doesn't matter all mankind cries. There is peace but it's not at the end of a gun........................

An excellent book that tells what happened to ordinary young men. It isn't cure all for war and it's not entirely factual, but it gives everyone a glimpse of just happens after a war to those good young men. The writers did a much better job at it that anyone I know. You think not, then write your own book and we'll be there to critize.

As a member of Charlie Company I truly regret that this book was published. There was so much more to be said but the authors were so solely intent on finding controversy and horror that they overlooked the truth and exaggerated the fantasies of certain individuals. You'll note that with every "imagined" scenario the authors add a disclaimer of blurred memory or some such. It's sad they couldn't just stick to the facts and offer some honest journalism.

The book is full of errors most of which were offered by a select few of those interviewed. As an example the accounts of the Christmas Eve ambush are distorted and imagined. There were no B-52 craters in the area as it was too close to our current AO so no strikes had been made. The trail ambushed was the one that led to the site of NDP Cantigny only about a click (1000 meters) to our north that night. NDP Junction City was less that 2 clicks to our rear and we were constantly patrolling that immediate area from November '68 to January '69. Too, there were only 5 NVA in the first group we brought down and we were later probed just after midnight resulting in 2 more NVA bringing the total to 7. There was a younger NVA at the rear of the first group but was most likely a teenager and not a "child" as alluded to. All of the initial 5 were taken out by claymores at the very onset and, so, no one shot that young man. The "moaning" incident came about after the probe and may have been one the two that resulted from that "pop" but it also might have been a 3rd individual as he was also shining a flashlight in the air as a signal yet no flashlight was recovered the following morning.

The errors listed above are just an example of many that reside in the book and it would be a much better read without the accounts of Somers, Gilliland, Fetterholf and Spain. With their false recollections it reads more like fiction than anything else.

The book is a good read IF you know what to filter out and overlook but the ordinary reader wouldn't have that insight and would therefore accept it all as truth. I have a blog going with an errata file which lists corrections and additional information. It's located at:

[...]

And so I give it 2 stars. It should be read but it should also be accompanied with research and not taken verbatim.

12/16/2009

Now that Mr. Gilliland has flaunted his complete disregard for truth it seems necessary to set the record straight in hopes it just might provide him with proper perspective and recollection.

I have been researching Charlie Company long before Newsweek even though of writing the article which led to the book and my resources consisted of my letters home, notes taken during phone conversations with other C company members, notes taken during personal chats with C company members (face to face), USPS letters from C company members, emails from C company members, 1st Infantry Division ORLL's (Operation Reports Lessons Learned), 28th Infantry Battalion Daily Staff Journals and much, much web surfing to verify the information gleaned. I've also confirmed many things during visits to the research library located at the 1st Division Museum at Cantigny Park in Winfield, Illinois. I've also collected a complete set of U.S. military operational maps of (then) South Vietnam plus have captured present day satellite images of the areas where our company operated back in 1968 and 1969. Some of my notes were taken from emails from Curtis himself (remember those, Mr. Gilliland?).

On my blog there is a map scan showing the Christmas Eve ambush position including the full account of the action that night. The area in question was NOT covered in "elephant grass" nor were there any B-52 craters. Curtis claims he was 100 feet from where I was located and I totally agree with that estimate. However, that would put that OP position over 100 meters from where the trail the NVA were moving along since we had to move about 200 meters to establish the new ambush position. Too, he was sent out on OP with Keith Payne from Louisianna and NOT Rodney Sgambellone from California. Rodney was in the second squad (same squad as me) and was on an OP in the opposite direction. Mr. Gilliland was a member of 3rd squad; not 2nd squad. Elephant grass is quite tall and even if one was standing up they wouldn't be able to see more than a few yards through it IF it were short enough. The area was actually scrub growth on the jungle edge sandwiched between LTL 14 and an ox cart trail.

As for Mr. Gillilands wound...our medic at the time, Neil Cunningham, does not recall any such wound or even giving anyone a bandaid during or after that ambush. It's also puzzling how Mr. Gillilands head would be located near David Bean's foot or, for that matter, how Mr. Gilliland (in 3rd squad) would be located next to David (in 1st squad). The requirements for receiving a purple heart is that the wounded individual must be treated by a medical officer at an aid station and not merely handed a bandaid by a medic.

Oh yes....and the present day satellite images do not show any B-52 craters in the area; the same as it was back in 1968.