Publishers Weekly
01/09/2023
Vietnam veteran Bartlett debuts with a cathartic account of his 1968 tour of duty. Only 22 years old when he was promoted to platoon leader in the 1st Air Cavalry Division, Bartlett was careful not to get too close to his men, most of whom were younger: “I always had to recognize that I might be giving an order to one of my men... that would end up getting the soldier wounded or killed.” Interspersed in the narrative are letters Bartlett wrote to his friends and family in the U.S., in which he matter-of-factly recounts combat missions and more mundane aspects of warfare. In the narrative itself, Bartlett’s prose is more vivid, especially when he describes using his combat knife to kill a teenage Vietnamese soldier during an ambush. When his seven months as an officer in the field were over, Bartlett was transferred to division headquarters and a job compiling after-action reports. After the war, he found work as a textbook salesman and tried to push his memories of stabbing the soldier and other “horrific experiences” to the back of his mind; they eventually resurfaced, and he learned with the help of a psychiatrist how to “deal with the unwelcome thoughts.” Poignant and personal, this is an intimate account of one man’s war. (Mar.)
Skip Vaughn
Robin Bartlett has a gift of writing. Not everyone has it. This book graphically describes his experience as an American soldier on the battlefields of Vietnam. We should all read his story. We should all heed his words and learn and share his lessons. We should never forget. We owe this to our Vietnam veterans. We should always tell them, 'Welcome home, brother.' We owe them that much and more.
Lt Col David Siry
Robin Bartlett’s narrative immerses you into the action and you can feel the sweat dripping down your neck, smell the stench of dirty, unwashed uniforms, and hear the crack of rifles and the staccato pop of the M-60 machine guns. His chapters are well-organized and begin with an evocative excerpt that draws you into the story. He includes excerpts from letters home and to his friends from that period that contextualize the combat stories he shares. His experiences from over fifty years ago in Vietnam are as fresh and as pertinent as if they were combat stories from today. I strongly recommend Bartlett’s book as it provides a compelling snapshot into a Platoon Leader’s experience in the 1st Cavalry Division in Vietnam during the critical period from 1968 to 1969.
H. R. McMaster
Robin Bartlett’s superb memoir gives readers an understanding of the human dimension of the Vietnam War and the profound and sometimes searing experiences of the American soldiers who fought it. Veterans, like Robin, who did their duty deserve our deepest respect and gratitude. Younger generations should read this book to gain an appreciation for the sacrifices they made and the service they rendered to our nation and one another.
Jan Craig Scruggs
This is an incredible book. Objective and hard hitting. Robin was in the thick of it—fighting in Vietnam as an Infantry combatant. The author put young Americans in body bags and carried them through the jungle. We were soldiers once. What were we fighting for again? We needed a book like this to help us make sense of a determined enemy in a surreal, mysterious place called Vietnam.
Dan “Doc” Cleary
Robin Bartlett’s book brought to life Vietnam events in vivid detail that I had forgotten. I found it hard to put down and finished reading it in two days.
The VVA Veteran
"Robin Bartlett exhibited courage, performed his jobs well, cared for those who served under him, and developed leadership and organizational skills."
Military Writers Society of America
"Bartlett doesn’t pull any punches. He gives the good, the bad, and the ugly—often in the same chapter. He is honest about his mistakes, and speaks with candor about the situations and actions of Army leadership that he encounters."
Gen Barry McCaffrey USA (Ret)
Robin Bartlett has written one of the most honest and searing personal memoirs of the Vietnam War yet published. He served with distinction as a 22-year-old infantry platoon leader during the brutal combat of 1968. Twice wounded and decorated for valor, he returned like many veterans feeling betrayed by US political and senior military leadership. Although dogged by PTSD, he created a successful life. ‘Welcome Home’ brave soldier."
"...an absolutely incredible memoir that gives readers an in-depth and pressing glimpse into the world of soldiers in Vietnam."Views
Capt. Dale A. Dye USMC (Ret)
Many times, during my own Vietnam combat experiences I found myself looking up longingly at U.S. Army helicopters that seemed to blacken the sky. As a footsore Marine, I often wondered who those guys were and how they survived so many of the combat air assaults we heard about. The answers are all in Robin Bartlett’s masterful recounting of his time as a platoon leader with the vaunted 1st Air Cav during the most rugged years of the war. In his factual recounting Bartlett tells it all as he saw it from a grunt leader’s perspective. Strong stuff and full of detail and emotional insights.
Col. Dennis Sarmiento
"As the character of war changes from conflict to conflict, the nature of combat - the management of necessary violence and its persistent consequences - changes little from generation to generation. Mr. Bartlett's first-hand, boots-in-the-mud account is a rare and sobering look at both the character and nature of combat. To wit, violence inflicts many scars - many not visible - and many do not heal with the tincture of time alone. With prior service as a 'Dog-faced Soldier' and past duty as the 1st Cavalry Division Psychiatrist serving in combat, I would submit that authentic connection makes the difference in taking care of Soldiers in the field and in the clinical setting. From "mad minutes" to Monarch butterflies, the manner in which Mr. Bartlett shares his memories can help to connect and heal".
On Point: The Journal of Army History
"Readers who want to learn what it was like for a twenty-two-year-old lieutenant to lead even younger Americans in combat, in miserable conditions, in a war no one understood, and where no one wanted to be the last man to die, there is no better place to begin than Vietnam Combat."
Kelly E. Crager
Robin Bartlett’s poignant memoir is more than a personal journey through his Vietnam experiences. It is an informative, emotional, and visceral examination of day-to-day life for a young platoon leader in grueling circumstances.
Dr. Erik B. Villard
The author, a former platoon leader in the 1st Cavalry Division from 1968-69, has written a first-rate memoir about preparing for and then surviving a tour of combat. Highly recommended for educators and students wanting to learn about the world of an airmobile infantryman during the height of the Vietnam War.
Arthur Kuhner
“Vietnam Combat gives an excellent description of the areas where we patrolled, our living conditions and combat episodes. I felt like he was telling my story! If one wishes to understand the unvarnished experiences of a combat soldier in 1968, this book is a must-read!"
