Crucible Vietnam: Memoir of an Infantry Lieutenant

by A.T. Lawrence

Overview

This is the personal account of an army infantry platoon leader and commanding officer in the central highlands of Vietnam during 1967 and 1968 when he was 21 years old. These were the two bloodiest years of the war, a time when the U.S. army employed search and destroy missions with high casualty rates. The author provides a historical overview and casualty report of the Vietnam War, 15 information about his military and officer training, and his return to civilian life after Vietnam.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780786454709
Publisher:	McFarland & Company, Incorporated Publishers
Publication date:	12/04/2013
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	255
File size:	2 MB

About the Author

A.T. Lawrence is a graduate of the University of California at Berkeley and the Naval War College. He has also served with the Department of Defense in noncombatant evacuation operations during two international conflicts.

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments vi
Preface 1

PART I: 1965–1967
1. Welcome to the Army! 5
2. A Brief History of Vietnam 15
3. Advanced Infantry Training and Officer Candidate School 30

PART II: 1967–1968
4. Situation (September 1967) 41
5. The School Solution 64
6. Ambushed in a Rice Paddy 87
7. The Battle of Dak To (October–November 1967) 95
8. From the Perspective of Our Under-Strength Platoons 105
9. The Montagnards 116
10. Tet and the Turn of the Tide 123
11. Back to the Boonies (May–July 1968) 140
12. Last Six Weeks (August–September 1968) 162

PART III: 1968–1970
13. Homecoming (September 1968) 171
14. Stateside Army 178
15. Return to Civilian Life 199

PART IV: 1970–Present
16. The Journey (1970–Present) 209

Appendix A: Comparison of Vietnam War Casualties to Other American Wars 217
Appendix B: Army Medals 220
Appendix C: Hostile (Combat) and Non-Hostile Deaths in Vietnam 223
Chapter Notes 225
Bibliography 233
Index 239