About this item
Highlights
- From 1945 to 1973, more than 100,000 members of the U.S. military were advisors in Vietnam.
- About the Author: The late Bob Worthington was a retired Army officer with 15 years in the infantry and special operations and 10 years as a clinical psychologist.
- 240 Pages
- History, Military
Description
About the Book
"Bob Worthington's first tour in Vietnam (1966-1967) began with training at the Army Special Warfare School in unconventional warfare, Vietnamese culture and customs, advisor responsibilities and Vietnamese language. Worthington worked alongside ARVN forces, staging operations against Vietcong and North Vietnamese Army units and coordinated actions with the U.S. Marines"--Book Synopsis
From 1945 to 1973, more than 100,000 members of the U.S. military were advisors in Vietnam. Of these, 66,399 were combat advisors. Eleven were awarded the Medal of Honor, 378 were killed and 1393 were wounded. Combat advisors lived and fought with South Vietnamese combat units, advising on tactics and weapons and liaising with local U.S. military support.
Bob Worthington's first tour (1966-1967) began with training at the Army Special Warfare School in unconventional warfare, Vietnamese culture and customs, advisor responsibilities and Vietnamese language. Once in-country, he acted as senior advisor to infantry defense forces and then an infantry mobile rapid reaction force. Worthington worked alongside ARVN forces, staging operations against Vietcong and North Vietnamese Army units, and coordinated actions with the U.S. Marines. He describes a night helicopter assault by a 320-man ARVN battalion against a 1,200-man NVA regiment. On another night, the Vietcong ceased fire while Worthington arranged a Marine helicopter to medevac a wounded baby.
Review Quotes
"a must-read...written with humility, honesty, and keen self-reflection...readers will find an honest assessment of American and South Vietnamese soldiers as Worthington saw them"-Military Writers Society of America
"A good story by a good man...and a good soldier"-The VVA Veteran
"Worthington has written a terrific account of his experiences as an advisor to ARVN commands. ... This book is a terrific account of one man's advisory duty-from disappointment and 'boring' inactivity to the ultimate deadly pace of heavy combat."-Counterparts
About the Author
The late Bob Worthington was a retired Army officer with 15 years in the infantry and special operations and 10 years as a clinical psychologist. He was also a retired university professor, having taught psychology, business and journalism, and an award-winning writer of 2600+ publications. He lived in Las Cruces, New Mexico.