Expendable Elite: One Soldier's Journey into Covert Warfare [Hardcover]

Daniel Marvin (Author), Martha Raye (Foreword)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 1, 2005

This true story of a special forces officer in Vietnam in the mid-1960s exposes the unique nature of the elite fighting force and how covert operations are developed and often masked to permit—and even sponsor—assassination, outright purposeful killing of innocents, illegal use of force, and bizarre methods in combat operations. Expendable Elite reveals the fear that these warriors share with no other military person: not fear of the enemy they have been trained to fight in battle, but fear of the wrath of the U.S. government should they find themselves classified as “expendable.” This book centers on the CIA mission to assassinate Cambodian Crown Prince Nordum Sihanouk, the author’s unilateral aborting of the mission, the CIA's dispatch of an ARVN regiment to attack and destroy the camp and kill every person in it as retribution for defying the agency, and the dramatic rescue of eight American Green Berets and hundreds of South Vietnamese.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Daniel Marvin is a retired lieutenant colonel in the U.S. Army Special Forces and former Green Beret who served in the Korean and Vietnam wars. He lives in Cazenovia, New York.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 404 pages
• Publisher: Trine Day (October 1, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0972020713
• ISBN-13: 978-0972020718
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6.6 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.5 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (17 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,587,585 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

41 of 42 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Court-Approved, by a South Carolina jury, February 6, 2006

By 

Robert Millegan "Publisher" (Walterville, OR) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Expendable Elite: One Soldier's Journey into Covert Warfare (Hardcover)

Howdy,

I am Kris Millegan and representing the publisher TrineDay, am here to tell you that the book Expendable Elite was the focus of Libel trial in Federal District Court in Charleston South Carolina. The Special Forces Association financed the action and supplied the attorneys. There was a five day trial in-front of eight jurors. Lt.Col. Marvin and TrineDay's defense was the book was true and that we had not defamed anyone.

We were defendants compelled to appear and stand-up for our good names and reputations. The plaintiffs testified that their was no action, that their camp was a "resort." That the "book was 100% lies." That is all that they brought forth in testimony, excepting three retired soldiers; a former top JAG, retired Major General, who testified that the men broke a General Order (which not he or anybody can produce), and two soldiers (one a Medal of Honor winner) that weren't there.

We brought pictures, newspaper articles, letters and audio-tapes made by the plaintiffs themselves (which substantiated every major point of the story), and a deposition of a twenty-year veteran of the San Diego police department, a gentleman who was a Vietnamese translator who also verified personally aspects of Lt. Col. Marvin's story.

Lt.Col. Marvin and TrineDay were found unanimously NOT GUILTY in a little over two hours.

You see folks, most of the negative reviews generated here have come about because of a campaign by the Special Forces Association. In intelligence parlance it is called a steamroller operation. The SFA has drove the steamroller before. Covering up our history. Not hiding it from our enemies but from us, citizens. Denying us a true account or our history ... so they may continue their ungodly wars.

I also find interesting that Amazon runs interference also by continuing to try a sell the paperback, when they know it has never been printed. They keep taking orders and messing with folks. They don't do it with other books of mine that didn't make it all the way to market. Interesting.

Right now there are just a few hundred books left. Hopefully, TrineDay will recover from the staggering cost of defending ourselves and we will finally issue the paperback (with updates) in the fall of 2006.

Peace,

Kris Millegan

25 of 25 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Critics improve sales..., March 13, 2005

By 

Clement Finn - See all my reviews

This review is from: Expendable Elite: One Soldier's Journey into Covert Warfare (Hardcover)

The negative reviews of this book made me decide to purchase it. Why? Because the attacks on the book were not substantive, the critics only said it "isn't true". They provided no evidence to make me think this book is fiction. It's hard to see how he has profited financially from the book, it seems the opposite is the case. I can't say it is "true" either, but the critics provide no basis to make me believe them.
(Since this review was written I have found further information that may be of help to readers. Click on the comment for more detail)

24 of 26 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Truth by all Means!!!!!, February 29, 2004

By 

Nam Phuong Nguyen (Los Angeles) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Expendable Elite: One Soldier's Journey into Covert Warfare (Hardcover)

This review is in response the people who think they know better without having any true knowledge at all. This book is, without even the littlest of doubt, truthful to the core. I personally know Major Phoi, the Vietnamese SF officer and a very competent and religious man, who is included in the book and by no means do I discredit what LTC Marvin has written about this topic. Instead of what some other people might say, this is a wonderful book, not only outlining the realities of our government but also gives proper homage to the South Vietnamese soldiers who fought for right and freedom.

Thank you for reading and God Bless,
Cdt Nguyen
USC ROTC