Then came the solid, belting jackhammer soundof the weapon firing and the thick incendiary slugs, big as cigars,burned out over the paddies. CPT Aaron M. Farley, U.S. Army, is a battalion S2 officer stationed at Ft. Knox. Not only defeating the aims of the VC, but also winning the hearts, respect and admiration of the vill. The Popular Forces militia and the Vietnamese police who fight alongside them were a more mixed bag. Such a good job and that was before West is sent there. Must redeem within 90 days. NOT Your Run of the Mill Book About the Vietnam War, Reviewed in the United States on March 15, 2015. There is nothing like reading a history or biography book and being so completely transported to another time and place that you find... To see what your friends thought of this book. The author delivered on content, structure and prose excellently. Unfortunately, not very long after the Marines’ arrival, Lam was assassinated by Viet Cong operatives[xi]. Neither the guerillas nor the militiamen were willing to employ extreme violence against anyone who was not a direct combatant, for fear of arousing retaliation against their own family members[v]. Keith William Nolan Author of The Battle for Saigon and A Hundred Miles of Bad Road One of the small handful of truly great books to come out of the Vietnam war. Along the way, a student of the Vietnam War will find countless demonstrations of raw courage and heroism: servicemen of all of our Armed Forces, giving of themselves for a greater purpose. Over time, they came to think of Binh Nghia as their village. His writing made me see (or not see) what the soldiers saw, hear what they heard, smell the food cooking in the village, and feel mosquito-bitten legs “slurping” through mud as if they were my own. In the Vietnam War, he fought in major operations and conducted over a hundred combat patrols in 1966–1968. Of course, nearly sixty thousand of our young men gave the ultimate sacrifice. This is the story of fifteen resolute young Americans matched against two hundred Viet Cong; how a CAP lived, fought and died. But it was the “how” of the author’s telling that brings out my fifth star. Instead, there are a series of endless small-unit skirmishes, blending and bleeding into each other like the notes of a song. West asserts that the intended Viet Cong message never reached the Marines: "The Viet Cong had a problem....The villagers and the PFs who knew the history of Binh Nghia could clearly see the power of the Viet Cong manifested in the deaths of Khoi, Page, and Lam. West's book comes close to being a classic of the Vietnam War, but even his experiences kept him somewhat removed from the action o the Marines guarding the village. The remaining Popular Forces were left to stand and fight on their own. Quite interesting. Through every setback, the CAP held their ground. They had the discipline and the maturity to operate with minimal oversight from higher headquarters for long periods of time. Welcome back. "Bing" West Jr. Books by Francis J. After several tactical successes and a period of reduced enemy activity, they allow themselves to grow complacent. The success the CAP enjoyed was product of the commitment of its soldiers. I’m a newbie to war details, so I had to learn some terminology (e.g. The Village by Bing West. Bring your club to Amazon Book Clubs, start a new book club and invite your friends to join, or find a club that’s right for you for free. Because of this flow, the author showed me how and why a series of events led to culminations and reprisals. Along the way, a student of the Vietnam War will find countless demonstrations of raw courage and heroism: servicemen of all of our Armed Forces, giving of themselves for a greater purpose. Really good. First published in 1972, The Village is a vivid and unbiased portrait of one Vietnamese hamlet in the grip of war -- and the daily lives, battles, and frustrations of its inhabitants, PF's and Marines. A well-told little-known story about the Vietnam War that people should know. Great story, very enjoyable. On several occasions, Marines lacking the right qualifications were sent home. It is an non-fiction account of the experiences of one squad of Marines working in the "win their hearts and minds" program. More than that though, they had interpersonal skills which enabled them to pass on their proficiency to their Vietnamese counterparts – a much rarer quality[xii]. A powerful tribute to a concept of counterinsurgency proven in combat. A well-told little-known story about the Vietnam War that people should know. It is certain that most of the officers and NCOs leading the troops in combat have done so. Yes, in my humble estimation, West seems most adept (and masterful, really) at rendering his highly authentic portraits of American and Vietnamese soldiers and civilians. One of the few climactic moments in The Village occurs just as the Combined Action Platoon has begun to shift the tide of the struggle in their favor. See full terms and conditions and this month's choices. They spent almost two years in the village of Binh Nghia. The success the CAP enjoyed was product of the commitment of its soldiers. I’m a newbie to war details, so I had to learn some terminology (e.g. Probably not. No technology or modern defensive tactics were used and the village could have been fortified the same way a century earlier. How to peel back the strands of barbed wire silently, rather than cutting noisily through it. Just a moment while we sign you in to your Goodreads account. While the accounts of the day-to-day actions of the squad members is appropriately the focus of the book, I felt the overall achievements of this single squad’s within the context of the larger Combined Action Program and overall counterinsurgency fight in Vietnam was lacking depth. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of, Published In reading this book one has to wonder how Vietnam might have turned out had this approach -- and the similar tactics of the Army Special Forces -- been given more support. Will Commanders Trust Their New AI Weapons and Tools? But it would be more challenging than ever. Why or why not? Over their first hundred days in the village, they conducted roughly four hundred patrols and engaged the enemy in approximately two hundred separate skirmishes, The majority of the text is an endless parade of small incidents, minor in and of themselves, that gain significance by accretion. Underpaid, From the beginning, the CAP stuck to a relentlessly aggressive patrol schedule, and took contact frequently. At the opposite pole, a few died-hard government militiamen occupied a fortified hilltop just outside the village[iv]. The Washington Post A minor classic about war. Over time, they established relationships with individual villagers, and were occasionally invited into their homes. If the reader is looking for comprehensive history of the Combined Action Program in Vietnam, this is not the book. Prior to the arrival of the Marines in 1966, the Viet Cong owned Binh Nghia-controlling five of the village's seven hamlets. Very unusual Vietnam war story, having read many books about this conflict I have never before encountered a situation like this where a small squad of marines lived amongst villagers and fought alongside the indigenous fighters. This book should be required reading for anyone who is interested in the topic of insurgency and counter-insurgency. An historical account of the defense of a Vietnamese village. As I write this review, there is a banner at of the Small Wars Journal quoting LTG. Underpaid[xvi] and poorly disciplined, they couldn’t always be relied upon to show up for work, let alone to perform in combat. There is no praise offered up to the men who fought in the war and no honoring of their acts and valor. This brings us back to the questions asked at the beginning of this review. Of that original band, 7 are killed in the first half ofthe book, most of them in a single firefight when their "fort" isover-run. ( Log Out /  To get the free app, enter your mobile phone number. So many books written on the War have tainted baggage, either pro- or con- on the War, but West has put together an amazing account of what transipred, and leaves the reader to draw his/her own conclusions. Goodreads helps you keep track of books you want to read.

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