Writing the War: My Ten Months in the Jungles, Streets and Paddies of South Vietnam, 1968

by Stephen E. Atkins

Overview

The author of this Vietnam War memoir was drafted in November 1966 just before completion of his Ph.D. work in French history and entered the army, age 26, in February 1967. He arrived in Vietnam in April 1968.

Serving as both pointman and sniper, he experienced six weeks of frontline duty, averaging a firefight each week with heavy casualties. With his advanced degree and a $2.50 case of beer for a bribe, he then transferred to the 19th Military History Detachment and spent the remainder of his tour of duty traveling the Mekong Delta, Plain of Reeds, and areas near Saigon. His memoir is the result of a tour of intense fighting, careful documentation, and an illicit diary.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780786457441
Publisher:	McFarland & Company, Incorporated Publishers
Publication date:	03/08/2010
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	223
File size:	10 MB
Age Range:	18 Years

About the Author

Stephen E. Atkins is a librarian and historian curator for French Collections in Cushing Library at Texas A&M University Libraries.
Stephen E. Atkins is a librarian and historian curator for French Collections in Cushing Library at Texas A&M University Libraries.

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

Introduction     

1. Background and Training for the Vietnam War     
2. First Weeks in South Vietnam     
3. First Blooding     
4. Operations in the First Weeks of May     
5. Battle of the Cholon Y Bridge     
6. Combat in the Mekong Delta     
7. Adapting to the Rear-Echelon and the Battle of the Plain of Reeds Report     
8. Back at Bearcat and the Thai Presidential Award     
9. Events at Dong Tam and Special Assignment     
10. Back at Dong Tam     
11. Last Months in South Vietnam     

Conclusion     
Appendices
A. Captured Viet Cong Attack Plan     
B. Battle of Saigon, May 1968     
C. After Action Report, Battle of the Plain of Reeds     
D. Evaluation of Intimate Psychological Warfare     
E. Recondo Checkerboard Concept     
F. Psychological Warfare Ground Action, 11 November 1966     
G. Psyop Estimate of INPSYWAR     
H. Air Cushion Vehicle Report     
I. Viet Cong Strength and Combat Effectiveness, 1 August 1968     
J. Viet Cong Order of Battle (9th Infantry Division’s Area), September 1968     
K. “Form Letter” from the 9th Infantry Division     

Index     

Editorial Reviews

this memoir is the result of intense fighting, careful documentation, and an illicit dairy”—Military Bookshelf.

From the Publisher