The 9th Engineer Battalion, First Marine Division, in Vietnam: 35 Personal Accounts [Hardcover]

Jean Shellenbarger (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 23, 2000 | ISBN-10: 0786406550 | ISBN-13: 978-0786406555

The combat engineers of the First Marine Division, 9th Engineer Battalion, risked their lives daily in Vietnam as they cleared the roads of mines, repaired and paved the famous "Highway 1," disarmed booby traps, built bridges and culverts, and destroyed enemy bunkers and tunnels. Despite their sacrifices and pain, the combat engineers in Vietnam have heretofore largely been ignored. This is the first oral (or other) history of the 9th Engineers, the only Marine battalion formed specifically to go to Vietnam. More than 35 men of the 9th talk about why they joined the Marines and their experiences in basic training. They speak candidly and compellingly about their five years (1966 to 1970) in country. The soldiers also discuss what it was like to come home and get on with their lives.

Editorial Reviews

Review

Easy to read --Military

Provides a poignant, intimate perspective into the experiences and feelings of the men who made up the battalion...a tremendous job...excerpts of interviews, letters to home, and diary entries are assembled into chapters that cover every phase of the battalion's life, including formation of the battalion, basic training of the unit, embarkation and movement to Vietnam, and several-month blocks of time between 1966 and 1970 --Marine Corps Gazette --This text refers to the Paperback edition.

About the Author

Ms. Jean Shellenbarger, an accountant, lives in Elida, Ohio.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 231 pages
• Publisher: McFarland & Company (January 23, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0786406550
• ISBN-13: 978-0786406555
• Product Dimensions: 9.9 x 7.2 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #549,084 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars The way things really were..., August 18, 2001

By 

John Lindsay "jgl61554" (Leesburg, Va USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The 9th Engineer Battalion, First Marine Division, in Vietnam: 35 Personal Accounts (Hardcover)

A neighbor of mine, Jim O'Kelly, contributed to this book. So I ordered it to get to know what he had been through and to relate a little better to his experiences. I was too young for Vietnam, but have always had an interest in the war. I found the book very informative and interesting. Very true to the way life really was for the engineers and others who served over there. The interviews gave me an insight to the feelings the men all felt deep inside about the experience. And the everyday routine of getting the job done, and just trying to survive the enemy and health problems associated with the living conditions. I enjoyed the book a great deal, and it really made me appreciate the small things we all take for granted every day. Thanks to all the men and women that served over there. They deserve to be recognized and admired for their efforts and endurance. It's strange though. Many folks back then did not give the honor the Vietnam vets deserved when they returned home. Knowing what I do about Vietnam and how horrible a war it was to acually be invloved in. I've always thought of the Vietnam vet as one of the most couragous vets. Not taking anything away from other vets. But it was such a different type of war in many ways.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Excellent example for this genre, March 28, 2000

By 

JoAnn Witt (San Jose, California) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The 9th Engineer Battalion, First Marine Division, in Vietnam: 35 Personal Accounts (Hardcover)

Ms Shellenbarger has done a great job of organizing a lot of information into a book which is easy to read and communicates the experience of having been a soldier in Viet Nam. It covers the initial entry of both the battalion and its members into the war, their experiences while there and upon returning home, and their view of the war from the present. VERY revealing! There is no editorializing or conclusion-drawing by Ms Shellenbarger, which is just fine. The men's words stand alone. An admirable job with difficult subject matter!