First to Fight [Illustrated] [Hardcover]

Bob Breen (Author)

Product Details

• Hardcover: 316 pages
• Publisher: Allen & Unwin; illustrated edition edition (November 1, 1988)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0043202187
• ISBN-13: 978-0043202180
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #6,679,241 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

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Aussies serving with US 173D Airborne, June 8, 2004

By 

"colinrayfield" (Australia) - See all my reviews

This review is from: First to Fight (Hardcover)

"FIRST TO FIGHT
- Australian Diggers, New Zealand Kiwis and US Paratroopers in Vietnam, 1965 - 1966"
(Bob Breen)

ISBN 0 04 320218 7 (hard cover)
ISBN 0 04 649045 0 (leatherbound edn)

Allen & Unwin Australia Pty Ltd (1988)

© [e-mail]

This is the unique history of two American battalions joining forces with an Australian battalion, to make up the 173D Airborne Brigade (Separate), at Bien Hoa, Vietnam in 1965 - 1966.

The Australian unit - the First Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment (1 RAR) - joined forces with the 173D (consisting also of 1st and 2nd 503rd battalions), to provide defense of the airbase at Bien Hoa, and to take the fight right into the Viet Cong territories, with patrols through 7 provinces.

They also worked with the 'Kiwis' - the New Zealand 161 Field Battery (Royal New Zealand Artillery) - to form an ANZUS combat force.

The 173D and 1 RAR was the first into War Zone D, the first to face the North Vietnamese in the Central Highlands, the first into the Iron Triangle, and the Ho Bo Woods (and the Cu Chi tunnels).

The tactics employed by the Australian infantry caused some controversy, compared to the US methods of patrolling, fighting, and ambushing techniques - but in the end proved to be successful, and led to others adopting their techniques. Even the Viet Cong saw merit in the tactics, and tried to modify their own behaviour to counter the surprise intrusions into their strongholds.

With a lot of humour, and battle diagrams, along with numerous personal anecdotes, this is no 'dry' military history, and Bob Breen is to be applauded for his ability to convert what appears to be very complex tactics, and battle descriptions (complete with diagrams), into easily followed stories of casual heroism, mixed with moments of both sheer terror and humour.

All the stories that make up life in a combat zone are there - the 'stuff-ups', miraculous escapes, 'friendly fire', split-second decisions changing the course of a battle, the 'sixth sense' that guided units out of danger, the ignoring of inane orders, the 'training' of fresh young officers, the unlikely heroes - and the traumatic moments when loading friends, in a body bag, onto the "Dust Off' chopper.

For those connected with the 173D Airborne, this should be essential reading- and for US Forces in general, who have worked alongside Australian servicemen in various theatres of war, there should be many memorable moments.