Combat Chaplain: A Thirty-Year Vietnam Battle [Hardcover]

James D. Johnson (Author)

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

Johnson's gritty memoir chronicles the eight and a half months he spent in the Mekong Delta serving 350 men of the 9th Infantry Division during the war's heaviest fighting. Chaplain Johnson's personal odyssey begins with his ministering in the field and ends with a return to Vietnam almost 30 years later. As in Tobias Wolff's In Pharaoh's Army (LJ 10/15/94), the enemy is not only the elusive Vietcong but also the awful snake-and-mosquito-ridden estuaries of the Mekong Delta. Johnson, who even performed a few baptisms in the Mekong, praises those 19-year-old heroes he knew, whose lives were so quickly lost in a conflict that consequently everybody wished to forget. His own courage in ministering under deplorable conditions and heavy fire where a dry bed, hot food, no snipers, and no incoming were a blessing was recognized with several Bronze Stars for valor, among other awards. Johnson's unusual memoir is essential reading for scholars who study the conflict and for the men and women who have suffered because of it. Recommended for academic and public libraries. Gerald R. Costa, Brooklyn P.L.
Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 384 pages
• Publisher: University of North Texas Press (March 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1574411330
• ISBN-13: 978-1574411331
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.1 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,862,432 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Honest, candid, informative account, June 8, 2001

By 

Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Combat Chaplain: A Thirty-Year Vietnam Battle (Hardcover)

Combat Chaplain: A Thirty-Year Vietnam Battle is the gripping story of Chaplain James D. Johnson. This military chaplain accompanied his men on their daily combat operations -- often against the orders of his superiors. Here is the story of a battlefield ministry complete with hot landing zones, rice paddies, knee-deep in mud, on and off ships. From baptisms in the muddy Mekong River to beside comforting of frightened, wounded, dying boys, Combat Chaplain is the story of eight and a half months of front line service administering to the spiritual needs of an active combat unit during a time when ninety-six of them would be killed and hundreds more would be wounded. This honest, candid, informative account is enthusiastically recommended to military buffs and students of the American involvement in the Vietnam War.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The essence of the human dynamic in war, August 26, 2006

By 

Bradley Sharp "Buck" (Californis USA) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Combat Chaplain: A Thirty-Year Vietnam Battle (Hardcover)

Superbly captures the personalities and events in the lives of the young men who went to Vietnam in the 1960's. Real people such as Hardluck Tony and others come to life in a heartwarming way as they push on day to day in an environment that was unquestioned at the time, and unsullied by the broader political issues that would follow their sacrifice. Very eloquent in style and content and well worth the time to read if one is seeking to understand the personal dynamics of this war.

5.0 out of 5 stars Should be a 'must read for all ages....., September 10, 2010

By 

Ron Miriello (SANFORD, NC, US) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Combat Chaplain: A Thirty-Year Vietnam Battle (Hardcover)

I read this book almost 10 years ago and just re-read it. Here are my comments in 2001 and they all hold just as true today.

I served in the MRF as a 50 Cal. machine gunner in 1968-1969, First on ATC-91-13 and later I manned a twin 50 Cal. on ASPB-92-4. I can easily recall many moments of fear, terror, anger, etc. When I ordered my copy of "COMBAT CHAPLAIN; A 30 Year Vietnam Battle", Jim was kind enough to sign my book and I cherish his kind words.

I just want to offer the following comments on this book and author: Dr. Jim Johnson served right alongside his troops and experienced all the hardship and pain of combat in the harsh and unforgiving jungles of Vietnam.
He loved his soldiers. He laughed with them, cried with them, and often held their
hand as they drew their last breath some 12,000 miles from home. Thirty years later, with much work and compiling of notes, he has been able to put into words what very few people can.

This Author's descriptive abilities, compassion for others, and love for his soldiers is unmatched. Dr. Jim Johnson's words bring out all the emotions one can possibly experience in reading a book. This book "COMBAT CHAPLAIN: A thirty year Vietnam Battle" should be classified as a 'must read' for - teens and adults, civilians and military, and for all combat veterans. Take it from an ole "River Rat" ('68-'69), this book is ACCURATE, it TRUE, and it's as REAL as it gets.

I enjoyed Jim's book so much, that I purchased over 20 copies, mostly as gifts to special loved ones (family and friends) who mean a great deal to me and who did those special things, while I served in Vietnam. I feel as each of them read this book, they will come closer to experiencing Vietnam than through any previous TV program, movie, or written word.

Ron Miriello,
Sanford, NC