J LAN

Lost me early in the story.....

Revisado: 05-24-21

I served in Vietnam as a US Army officer. There was a lot of necessary killing in war. As I started to listen to this book, the story was ruined for me when they used a helicopter to kill a wild tiger.....a useless killing in a time of too much necessary killing. I lost all respect for the author and those he was with at that incident. I cannot imagine turning a helicopter around to go back and run down a creature as magnificent as a tiger caught in the open and then killing it with full auto weapons. Really? That’s what you did in time of war? Hadn’t the author seen enough death?

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With great respect....

Revisado: 05-03-20

It is worth every minute of your time to hear this story. I have often thought there should be a memorial to the unknown Medal of Honor winner. To receive a Medal of Honor their needed to be witnesses. The acts of valor recounted in this book give witness to some but not to all. SOG was potentially the finest group of great American soldiers ever assembled. I was assigned to the Black Panther Infantry Division of the Royal Thai Army as a liaison officer at Bearcat. Bearcat was adjacent to Long Tanh Airfield as is mentioned in this book. It was my blessing to meet SOG operators as Long Tanh was often their training base. My sincere respect for the men who did the hard work at SOG. Major John Plaster has done a great service by writing this book. Sincere compliments and appreciation. Respectfully, 1LT JLP, US Army, Vietnam 1968-69.

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I did not realize it was fiction.....

Revisado: 09-26-19

Well written but fiction about the war is a complete waste of time. I see no point in creating a fictional super hero. What needs to be told is the true story of sacrifice. And don’t criticize me for this review. I was there so F off if you don’t like it.

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Wish I could like this more.....

Revisado: 04-30-18

I found it to be s self-agrandizing recollection. The authors disdain for anyone who was not doing what he did is annoying. I really lost it when he was leaving the field and was asked by his men what to do if the new company commander was not as good as him. The author told them to kill him. Kill the new company commander? Really? When a black soldier refused to return to the field and was courtmartialed with only three months detention, the author lamented that he should certainly have been shot at dawn.
At one point he relishes how great his accomplishments were and what great pride he has in what he has done and that the Vietnam war had been a great point in his life.........that is all good. But he forgets one thing. The war was not that great for many. He does remember those who died but only in passing. It is as if the fact he had been to the war and survived was made the greater accomplishment because so many others had not made it.
To me, the whole damn war was a disgrace and a mistake. The American soldier, the young American soldier, fought and died for patriotism, Mom and apple pie and was one of the finest soldiers every to go afield. The problem is that this war was a tragic misuse of these fine young men. Politicians sent us to war and then interfered with the process. 58,256 died for what? No one seems to really know. What purpose did it serve? Everyone of us who went should quietly and humbly honor our service but openly and loudly demand that no American soldier ever be sent to a useless war again. Next time, send the politicians first. The true heroes of Vietnsm have come home and recognizing the tragedy, have quietly remembered but never bragged. The memory of those dead should quiet any thought of believing that war a great experience. It wasn’t.

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esto le resultó útil a 1 persona

So this is Japanese culture....

Revisado: 12-21-17

I had always thought the barbaric treatment of allied prisoners in 2nd World War was an anomaly. Apparently not. It seems barbaric customs extend deep into Samurai culture. Read Chapter 4 where they thoroughly rejoice, in fact the Daimyo has an orgasm, as they listen to the screams of a Portuguese sailor being boiled alive. They kept the fire low enough so he would take hours to die and would scream mercilessly. This tells me that this sick demonic culture goes back generations. I am sure many US Soldiers rejoiced when the bombs struck Nagasaki and Hiroshima and probably prayed there would be 100 more.
Japan may be a more civilized place today but I fear that it is only because they were defeated in WW2. If they had won, I suspect others would be boiled alive to this day.
You have to understand that I had had great respect for Samurai culture but this book opened a new door, a new insight into a culture I had thought good. This may be a classic book, but I go now to return it, it makes me sick to read it.

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Well told story of a fighter pilots life..........

Revisado: 10-11-17

As an Army officer and being stationed in the delta area SW of Saigon, I have tried to find books that tell the story of the war other men fought, Depending on where you were assigned, your war might have been very different from what another experienced in Vietnam. This is an excellent recounting of a Phantom pilots life during that difficult time.
The narration in this book is what I look for in these Audible books......it feels like the narrator is the author himself sitting there telling you his own story. Well done. Excellent!

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Hell of book telling a story that needs to be told

Revisado: 07-31-17

If you could sum up Baptism in three words, what would they be?

What Vietnam was really like...... ( I know, that's five words )

What did you like best about this story?

A vivid, well told personal account.

What about Todd McLaren’s performance did you like?

Outstanding....though he mispronounced a view words.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?

While they partied at UC Boulder, good men died.........

Any additional comments?

Larry Gwin has memorialized those who fought and often died for their brothers. Fine young Americans in the spirit of what made America great gave their best for a country and its politicians who betrayed them. An American tragedy. 1LT JL Pitts, US Army, Royal Thai Army, Black Panther Infantry Division (liaison), Vietnam 1968-69.

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esto le resultó útil a 8 personas

I question some of the book....l

Revisado: 07-11-17

Highly trained SEALs yet leave one of their own behind on the first op in the book? Highly trained yet don't understand hand signals. Calls his rifle a gun? Steps in five pundit traps up to his groin in one night without getting stuck. Finds 12 trip wire booby traps in one night and his "highly trained" buddy comes along behind picking them up and trips three of them and all three were duds.........etc etc. I can't quite equate this story with what I knew and did in Vietnam. Sorry. I would say more but......

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esto le resultó útil a 7 personas

A very fine story of why Americans are great....

Revisado: 05-25-17

Not the politicians, mind you, but average Americans. Young guys out of ordinary American who rise to become true warriors and heroes. I don't know where the ability to achieve such things comes from but maybe it is the passed down heritage of our Founding Fathers.....God and my country, apple pie and mom.
This book put tears in my eyes. I remember.
JL Pitts, Former 1LT, US Army, Vietnam 1968-69

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Worst book I ever bought.....

Revisado: 05-09-17

Written by someone whose elevator doesn't quite go all the way to the top.........not a story at all but aimless meandering philosophical trash.
I want my $10 back.

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