Customer Reviews

The Easter Offensive: The Last American Advisors, Vietnam, 1972 (Blue Jacket Books)

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THE EASTER OFFENSIVE is another chapter of the Vietnam War unknown to the average Americans. It is an invaluable collection to the military buffs as well as those with a passing interest in the war. The focus of the book is on the crack South Vietnamese outfit, the Marine Division, and its American advisers bearing the brunt of resistance against the largest North Vietnamese offensive mounted in the history of the war. A preface by a highly-decorated Marine hero-turned novelist, James Webb, sets the frame for this unforgettable tale of gallantry and sacrifrice.</br>

A group of gung-ho US Marine advisers are trapped in the North Vietnamese Division in stopping the onslaught of the heavily armed North Vietnamese mechanized columns in Quang Nam Province. The South Vietnamese Marines are to defend the province at all costs. The incompetent South Vietnamese corps commander in charge of the area has cracked under pressure. Their brethren division in defense of the province is routed with one of its regiments surrendering to the enemy. The Marine numbers are fast dwindling, and it is up to the South Vietnamese Marine commanders and their advisers to whip their bruised outfit to a fighting shape.</br>

The South Vietnamese Marines take heavy casualties in the initial phase of the enemy offensive. The Marines try to take out the Communist tanks with 72mm anti-tank rockets, but to no avail. The Marine battalions fall back from their position, with some of its men stranded. The Marine morale is beginning to crack. However, the US Marine advisers and their South Vietnamese counterparts would slowly gain momentum through sheer courage and gung-ho initiative. No Marine battalions surrender to the enemy, despite the cowardice exhibited by its brethren division.</br>

The book flows smoothly in a gripping narrative. While the book focuses on a South Vietnamese fighting unit, the author, then Deputy Senior Marine adiviser to the South Vietnamese Marine Corps, also tries to give a macro view of the war by describing the background to offensive, and the fighting capability of the South Vietnamese generals.</br>

Also worth noting are the heroic exploits of the two American Marine captains, Ripley and Smith, who brought their South Vietnamese Marines to the safety while exposing themselves repeatedly to the enemy fire in rallying the Marine defense. Their tales of courage, the paragon of what an inspirational military leadership ought to be, are not easily forgotten and inspire the best of the fighting men.</br>

The book, while filled with military lessons to be learned and fascinating exploits, does more than what is asked of it through its gripping narratives. It paints the acts of courage by America's often misunderstood ally, the South Vietnamese, with noble dignity. Through the gallant acts of its elite Marines, the book shows that they were willing to fight provided they had the spirit and proper leadership. The American Marine advisers and their own gung-ho Marine commanders provided them both during the Offensive. In the final outcome, they ran short of both in a wrong war whose cause they could neither articulate nor justify. But military men merely fight to live another day in a war started by their own politicians. This book gives the South Vietnamese Marines that very credit they deserve for doing their best despite the insurmountable odds.</br>

On April 1, 1972 the North Vietnamese Army crosses the DMZ. It crashes into the worst soldiers in the South Vietnamese Army with total surprise. Running for their lives or surrendering in place, the South's soldiers leave the highway south wide open for the North's rapidly advancing armor. The target of the surprise blitzkrieg is the provincial capital of Quang Tri City. Both the US and South Vietnamese commands have no idea how close they are to loosing the northern most province of South Vietnam. The South's unit's and their American advisors are running out of time and for their lives. Panic and chaos rule. But some men stand and fight----Marines. This is where Colonel Turley's history begins and he's got one heck of a story to tell. Courage, sacrifice, and duty just as he saw it. It's history you won't see on the History Channel. Straight out of a time in the Vietnam war, that is still so embarrassing for the US, the courageous achievements of the South Vietnamese Marines and US Marine advisors in this story have been virtually forgotten. Don't settle for reductive, self-serving, second hand histories about the Vietnam War. Turn off your TV and read this book.

I ALWAYS WONDERED WHAT HAPPENED TO THE BASES IN NORTHERN I CORPS. AS A MARINE TANK COMMANDER, I HAD THE OPPERTUNITY TO BE AT MOST OF THE BASES MENTIONED IN THE BOOK, CON-THIEN, CHARLIE-2, CAM LO,THE ROCK PILE,MAI LOC,AND ALL THE AREAS IN AND AROUND LEATHERNECK SQUARE. ONCE I STARTED READING THE BOOK, I COULD'NT PUT IT DOWN. IT BROUGHT BACK A LOT OF MEMORIES, AND MADE ME WONDER WHAT HAPPENED TO THE VILLAGERS IN MAI LOC THAT I KNEW PERSONALLY. THIS BOOK IS DEFINATELY ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS I'VE READ ON THE VIETNAM WAR,AND I'VE READ ABOUT EVERY ONE I COULD FIND. AGAIN, "GREAT JOB"

JAN ("TURTLE") WENDLING "A"CO.3RD TANK BN.3RD MARINE DIV.1ST PLATOON

We can let circumstances rule us or we can take charge and rule our lives from within. - Earl Nightingale

In the book, Colonel Turley gives an excellent report on the first 4½ weeks of the Easter Offensive in the spring of 1972 in Quang Tri Province, South Vietnam. His observations on the quality of leadership, and actions of the military during this time, Vietnamese and American, have been substantiated by a number of other authors. Additionally, Colonel Turley's personal conduct exemplifies the character and valor that is expected of all American soldiers, airmen, marines, and sailors. In the absence of orders, to start with almost nothing and do almost anything, almost every time is the major difference between the American military and all others who are left wanting.

I highly recommend this book to anyone who is interested in the history of the Vietnam war.

Thomas E. Murphy
Master Sergeant, USA, Retired
ARVN 5th Infantry Division, DCAT 70, 6 May 1971 - 6 April 1972

So informative and descriptive. Since I was there but much earlier, it brought back memories. The author proudly represented the Marine courage in Viet Nam. "Chesty" would have been proud. I recommend this book for anyone who served in Nam or is a history buff or a pacifist to learn what we had to go through. I have not by any stretch of the imagination read a lot of books on the war but this one is a must.