Customer Reviews

Hill 488

5 star:		(20)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This is one of the best books on the Vietnam war to come out in awhile. I'm still filled with awe after reading this masterpiece of a book. It is a memoir from a veteran recon Marine about a hellish battle on Hill 488 in Vietnam. First we learn about Ray Hildreth and get to know him pretty well as he joins the Marines in 1965 and eventually becomes a sniper in a Recon Marine platoon. In 1966 he ships out to Vietnam and an expanding war. Ray is assigned to 1st Platoon, Charlie Company, 1st Recon Battalion. You can feel his fear as he goes on his first patrols with the mostly green platoon. Luckily Sergeant Jimmie E Howard runs the platoon and guides the young Marines in this tense war zone. Sgt. Howard is a veteran of the Korean war, where he won a Silver Star for helping defend a hill named Bunker Hill from a massed Chinese/N. Korean attack. Howard held 30 yds of the perimeter by himself, an amazing feat in itself.
The Recon platoon gets orders to go deep into enemy territory in the dreaded Hiep Duc Valley. (bitterly contested throughout the entire war. See Keith William Nolan's wonderful Death Valley for more.) You can feel the tension build through the story with his wonderful prose. (Charles Sasser helped write the book and has written many fine books about American fighting men) 1st Platoon successfully inserts onto Hill 488 where they call in airstrikes & artillery on NVA & VC troop concentrations. On June 15, 1966 the enemy got smart and attacked Hill 488 hoping to wipe out the small American platoon. Only 18 Americans held the hill, 16 Marines & 2 Navy Corpsmen. A full battalion of enemy troops (400-500 men) attacked. By all rights the Marines should have been overwhelmed by this massive force. (artillery was ineffective because the VC were to close & air support took 2 hours to arrive) You will not be able to put down the book as Ray Hildreth captures the fury, danger, & action of that night. Sgt. Howard is the glue for this platoon and earns the nations highest award for bravery the Congressional Medal of Honor. In fact this platoon becomes the highest decorated small unit in the entire history of the US military for their defense of Hill 488. They earn a congressional Medal of Honor, 4 Navy Crosses! (the nations 2nd highest award.) 13 Silver Stars (nations 3rd highest award.) & 18 Purple Hearts. 6 of these men made the ultimate sacrifice that night. (4 more Marines died trying to rescue this platoon the next day, as did a helicopter pilot.)
Somehow this little group of Marines holds out against overwhelming odds. This book captures the amazing fighting spirit of the US Marines, gives some nice history about the war itself & brings to light one of the most remarkable battles in American history. I can't say enough how grateful I am to Ray Hildreth for sharing this story & to his Marine brothers that fought & died with him. Get this book and you will not be disappointed. This is a must have book for any veteran, historian, or anyone wanting to learn what it was like in Vietnam.

I have read quite a few military and Vietnam related non-fiction titles. Hill 488 stands as the best book I have ever read. I can not understand how anyone could rate it lower then 5 stars. The first half of the book may start out slow, but the second half makes up for it in so many way. No other book I have read captures the emotion and intensity of a battle the way Hill 488 does. Hill 488 draws the reader in and doesnt let go until the very end. Dont pass up on this extraordinary true account. This book is by far the best Vietnam book I have read.

As a Marine I spent two tours in the Nam. My first trip over was in 1966 and my first assignment was Chu Lai. I was there when this took place. The author has done a fantastic job of researching the background and recreating the events of what took place. This story takes you there and places you in the middle of the action. It is a must read for any Veteren or anyone else who just want's to know what it was like to be in the Nam'

I don't write many reviews, but this book deserves one.

I won't go into all the details about why this is a great book to read, other than to say, it was well done/written. I couldn't put it down. A real page burner! You actually relive their night of horror on Hill 488. It was like being there!

After reading the book, I loaned it to my 73 year old mother-in-law, who has little interest in "a war story". When I told her it was based upon fact, she borrowed it. Later she said, she couldn't put the book down until she finished it, then she wanted to know if she could loaned it to her friend from church. (Because she thought the book was so good)

All my mother-in-law would say "is those poor, poor boys! What they live through. I had no idea about the fighting in Vietnam."

Please don't miss this this really great book! You'll be glad you got to share in their fear, survival, bravery, and heroism!

To All Veterans,
Thank You.

I was back "in country" while reading this fine work.

Captain Joe De Guise USMC retired
2/3/3 1966-1967

Of all the books on Vietnam, this rates at the top of the list. However, and this is no reflection on the book, why is the famous picture of Khe Sahn on the cover. This is Robert Ellison picture of the main ammunition dump blowing after being taking a direct hit by mortors. Robert Ellison lost his life at Khe Sahn returning to the base while it was under siege with a plane load of Marines in a plane crash.

Janet Phillips

I wish every American would read this book. I wish an honorable person in Hollywood like Mel Gibosn would make a movie of it since he kept "We Were Soldiers" true to the real events. This is an awsome book and tells the honor and courage many Viet Nam vets had that the media and particularly Hollywood never wanted to tell about, insteat churning our negatives and lies. I am not a hero but did serve in VN in same area but with US Army Ammo Supply.

A great read on many levels. Whatever your feelings about the war in Vietnam, this is a truly worthwhile read! The author finds himself in the Marine Corps after a run in with the law. By the end of the book the reader is swept up in this young man's right of passage under the most trying of circumstances. Along the way you get a clear understanding of what it takes to be a Marine.
The narrative surrounding the battle on Hill 488 is absolutely riveting, and the author's inclusion of the medal citations at the end of the book is a sober reminder of the costs of war and the sacrifices soldiers are willing to make.

Hill 488 recounts one of the most remarkable & historic events in American military history & the annals of the U. S. Marine Corps. Authors Ray Hildreth--who was there--& Charles Sasser, have written a gut-wrenching minute-by-minute recounting of the overnight battle June 15 - 16, 1966, on Niu Vu Hill (Hill 488) in the Hiep Duc Valley, the highlands between Chu Lai & Ban Me Thout. There, 16 Marines & 2 Navy Hospital Corpsmen (combat medics) overcame 25 to 1 odds to survive one of the most infamous battles of the War in Vietnam. All 18 were gravely wounded & awarded the Purple Heart medal. All 18 were awarded the nation's three highest medals for valor (to six posthumously), 1 Medal of Honor, 4 Navy Crosses, & 13 Silver Stars.

The heroes of this tract fought for 10 ½ hours, often hand-to-hand, for survival against nearly overwhelming 25 to 1 odds opposed to a battalion of hardened North Vietnamese regulars.

As the authors note, "the Vietnam war touched an entire generation in one way or another" (page 332). For anyone interested in military history, this is an outstanding first-person account of a chilling episode in America's effort to thwart communism in the 1960s. For those who opposed the War in Viet Nam, Hill 488 is also highly recommended. It is not suggested to bolster a particular political perspective, left or right. Rather to glimpse the ethos of the U. S. Marine Corps & the point-of-view of a small group of mostly teenage volunteers who chose to serve their country rather than those who found ways to evade military service. It is always easier to let someone else meet his or her obligation. The members of the 1st Platoon, Charlie Company, 1st Reconnaissance Battalion, 1st Marine Division walked the walk.

William L. Tafoya *
New Haven, CT

* Professor Tafoya served in combat in 1966 in Vietnam with Bravo Co, 3rd Recon BN, 3rd MAR DIV.

This is first rate Vietnam. It is the story of a Marine recon platoon-16 grunts and 2 medics-on Hill 488 in the Hiep Duc Valley in northern South Vietnam. It's not clear if this is another name for the dreaded A Shau Valley. The authors build the story carefully with excellent background and mid-60s "in country" context. The main focus is one hellish night (15-16 June '66) during which the platoon defends the hill during a furious Viet Cong attack. The action never seems drawn out; it is just fascinating as the reader waits with a "now what?" baited breath. All 18 men receive the Purple Heart with a list of other major decorations too long to mention here. 6 Marines die. Incredibly, daybreak brings no relief. A rescue platoon is inserted and 5 of that unit are killed! This reviewer has stopped using the term "top Vietnam book" because there is too much competition for that title. Let's just state that "Hill 488" ranks with the very best. The 8 printings give silent testimony to quality. It is usually tacky to recommend another piece of writing in a review but here the subject matter is similar. Amazoners might consider another Marine Recon tale, "The Eye of the Tiger" by John Edward Delezen. These will be as fine a pair of RVN sagas as one will find-no rankings offered.