Days of Valor: An Inside Account of the Bloodiest Six Months of the Vietnam War

by Robert L. Tonsetic

Overview

A Vietnam War battalion commander with the 199th LIB recounts the intense combat he saw during the Tet Offensive and NVA attacks in this candid memoir.
 
This visceral combat memoir chronicles the height of the Vietnam War from the nervous period just before the Tet Offensive through the defeat of that campaign and into the lesser-known yet equally bloody NVA offensive of May 1968. On January 30, 1968, Saigon and nearly every provincial capital in South Vietnam came under assault by the Viet Cong. Author Robert L. Tonsetic writes not only from his personal experience as a company commander, but also from extensive research, including countless interviews with other soldiers of the 199th Light Infantry Brigade.
 
The book ends with a brief note about the 199th LIB being deactivated in Spring 1970, furling its colors after suffering 753 dead and some 5,000 wounded. This fascinating book will help to remind us of the sacrifices made by all Vietnam veterans.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781612000343
Publisher:	Casemate Publishers
Publication date:	01/10/2020
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	320
File size:	4 MB

About the Author

Robert Tonsetic was born and raised in Pittsburgh, PA. He graduated from the University of Pittsburgh with a BA in English Literature in 1964. Upon graduation, he entered the US Army as an infantry second lieutenant. After completing Special Forces training in 1966, he served a tour in Thailand with the 46th Special Forces Company. He was subsequently assigned to the 199th Light Infantry Brigade in Vietnam, serving as a rifle company commander during the Tet and May Offensives of 1968. In 1970, he returned to Vietnam as a senior advisor to South Vietnamese Ranger and Airborne battalions. His decorations for his wartime service include the Distinguished Service Cross, the Silver Star, and the Bronze Star for Valor. He retired from the Army at the rank of Colonel in 1991, after completing a three year assignment as a faculty member at the NATO Defense College in Rome, Italy. Upon his return to the US, Robert earned a Doctorate in Education, and was employed at the University of Central Florida as a staff member and adjunct professor. He currently lives with his wife, Polly, on Maryland's eastern shore.

Table of Contents

Preface
Glossary

Prologue
Chapter 1 What Came Before
Chapter 2 Across the Song Dong Nai
Chapter 3 The Bloodiest Day
Chapter 4 Victory at Night
Chapter 5 The Enemy Lies Low
Chapter 6 The Gathering Storm
Chapter 7 A Battle Joined
Chapter 8 Fighting on All Sides
Chapter 9 Assault on Saigon
Chapter 10 A Day at the Races
Chapter 11 Night of Fire
Chapter 12 Cottonbaler Hot LZ
Chapter 13 To Snare a General
Chapter 14 April 1968—A Cruel Month
Chapter 15 The May Offensive
Chapter 16 The Old Guard Holds On
Epilogue

Notes
Sources

Editorial Reviews

"Tonsetic, who commanded an infantry company, relies heavily first person infantrymen to paint a picture of almost non-stop combat action…"

The VVA Veteran

"…will resonate with veterans, especially grunts who served anywhere in Vietnam….offers historical insights for today…a worthy memorial."

Vietnam Magazine

... this book has no other purpose other than to disclose the valor and sacrifice of those who fought during this period. … This book took me by surprise. I had begun the task to review a log of war, to gain new admiration of valor and courage. In the end, not only had I gained a renewed appreciation of courage and valor, but more importantly I had to come face to face with the enormity of loss and grief that is forever imposed on our soldiers. This book is a path to share that cost. “

E Fennel

"… a spell binding account of the 199th Light Infantry Brigade's actions surrounding the Tet Offensive… an excellent memorial to the exploits of this fighting unit."

Collected Miscellany

Tonsetic, who commanded an infantry company, relies heavily first person infantrymen to paint a picture of almost non-stop combat action…

VVA

"…will resonate with veterans, especially grunts who served anywhere in Vietnam….offers historical insights for today…a worthy memorial."

VIETNAM MAGAZINE