Customer Reviews

Fire in the Streets

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I was one of those corporals that Eric Hammel mentions on page 303 who served as a platoon commander of Bravo 1/5. Mr. Hammel has meticulously constructed a book that is an enjoyable read and an important one for everyone who wants to understand what it was like to participate at the front line. It is, I believe, an important body of information in the history of the war in Viet Nam.

Hue was a unique battle in Viet Nam and "Fire in the Streets" is the best, most informative, most complete, and, from what I know, the most accurate description of the events before, during and after the event. I say this from the perspective of someone who not only lived the battle but has read every book on the subject that I can find. I think any student of this war can better understand the grunt's perspective of Hue and Viet Nam after reading this book.

I need to point out, however, that Lance Corporal Paul Cheatwood (page 286) was a mortarman with Bravo Company, not Charlie. I was his squad leader at the time of the ambush described. I had passed through the ambush when the machine gun opened up and I was forced to take cover between a dead pig and a concrete wall about 24 inches high. Everytime I moved I could hear bullets thudding into the pig and bouncing off the concrete. I had taken bullet fragments in my hand and one of my associates, for reasons that escape me, popped a CS (tear gas) canister upwind. I was considerably distressed by my situation and not coming up with a plan when I heard Cheatwood yell, "I see them!" He stood up firing his M-16. When it ran out of ammo he picked up another M-16 and walked deliberatly toward the ambush firing into the soldiers there. When the second M-16 ran out of ammo he pulled two grenades off his vest and threw them into the building. When they exploded he leaned in with a .45 and made certain that they had gone on to their reward.

Further, and more incredibly, Cheatwood didn't lead a patrol, as outlined on page 289. As the rest of us dragged the wounded to safety he gathered up all of the hand grenades he could carry and went BY HIMSELF, on his own initiative, behind enemy lines and personally inflicted some serious damage on the NVA. His courageous actions and self-sacrifice bought us enough time to get our act together.

The ambush put us in a very precarious position and, had the enemy counterattacked, we would easily have been overrun. I believe they didn't because of Cheatwood's one-man assault. Several of us put Cheatwood in for a Congressional Medal of Honor and I am, to this day, chagrined that he did not get it. Paul Cheatwood suffered permanent, grievous disabilities from the injuries that he suffered that day. I personally believe that he was denied the Medal of Honor because he was an enlisted man recommended by enlisted men. He deserves everything the Medal of Honor represents and it is a great shame that he did not get it.

One way or the other, the men of Bravo 1/5 owe Cheatwood a great deal.

However, this is about "Fire in the Streets." I am personally grateful to Eric Hammel for his book. It provides a level of recognition and dignity to those of us who fought in Hue and I urge anyone who is reading this to read the book. It's complete, its well done, and its important.

Mark Mead (former sergeant, USMC Bravo 1/5) soltura@hotmail.com

Like a Time Machine, Fire in the Streets catapulted me 31 years back into the battle for Hue City. Eric Hammel's account is a historical, vividly accurate account of what every Marine would surely describe as their time in hell. It certainly was mine. Mr. Hammel's research enabled me to know the why's and the where's of my unit's activities, and gave me a much broader understanding of what the grunt Marine accomplished in the month long house to house fight. This is an excellent book!

Dennis Freed, Lima 3/5 WIA 2/24/68 - Hue City

I was temporarily assigned to the Fifth Marine Regiment Combat Control Center from my parent unit - the 7th Comm Battalion. I was not supposed to be involved in the kind of infantry fighting that took place there. My job was to work at the Regimental level in combat net communications but the intensity of the battle in Hue City changed all of that. I went in with Hotel Company on the first of February and came out with what was left of it on the 25th. My regret to this day is that I was not a permanent member of Hotel company, just temporarily assigned. Shortly after the battle, I was moved on by 7th Comm to another assignment. This book is absolutely accurate in its record of the fighting in Hue. It is incredible that Hammel could achieve the detail he did. Anyone wanting an explicit description of the fiercest battle and longest battle of the Vietnam War should read this book. Anyone studying the Vietnam War or The General Uprising should read this book. Absolutely the best.

A part that seems to be left our was the Members of House 8.
This was a group of Army, Air Force., Marines that worked at the Tay Loc Airfield and lived in House 8 away from the MACV compound.This was a small group of approximately 16 men that lived in this house near the CORDS compound and the hospital. Being the senior NCO of the group and having had prior artillery and probably the only good map of the city I was able to contact the MACV compound by radio. The MACV compound gave me the frequency to an Artillery battery. The Artillery group turned me over to a Artillery ship off the coast of Phu Bai.
For the 10 days we were ther I was able to direct Artillery on the Hospital and surrounding buildings. I directed artillery within 150 meters of our own position.
Letters written on our behalf after the TET offensive gave us credit for 17 KIA, 100-150 NVA KIA by artillery and the capture of 7 NVA.
Inteligence reports afterwords stated that due to the precise artillery fire on the NVA positions around us prevented the NVA from attacking the MACV compound from the South.
CPT Mike Downs was in charge of the group of marines that reached our location, and allowed us to return to the MACV compound.
Just a follow up to give a small amoutn to the men of House 8, that stood tall throug an almost unbearable situation.
All of this is verifyable by letters written by Officers afterwards.

Jerry Morrison
U.S. Army (RET)

I'm proud to be able to say that I my unit supported the 1st and 5th Marines in this historic battle.

The battle would make a great movie. I would love to see Stephen Speilberg tell this story on film.

The book was outstanding, I loved it

Great account of the retaking of Hue City during and after Tet 68
I would recommend this to any war buff.