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50 Years Ago: Easter Offensive, South Vietnam 1972 — Recollections of the Role of USS Davidson (DE-1045)

By F.H. McCullough, III INTRODUCTION Fifty-years ago, in the Gulf of Tonkin, during the evening of May 8, 1972, offshore North Vietnam, a U.S. Navy SH-3 Sea King helicopter was making its approach to the U.S. Navy’s guided missile light cruiser USS Providence (CLG 6), flagship of Rear Adm. Rembrandt C. Robinson, USN, the Commander

Eyes of the Fleet over Vietnam: RF-8 Crusader Combat Photo Reconnaissance Missions

Reviewed by ISCM (AW) David Mattingly, USN Ret.  A mix of airframes; fighters, light attack planes, and helicopters all made up the carrier air wings on Yankee Station during the Vietnam War. Most notably, the RF-8 Crusader piloted by Navy and Marine Corps aviators flew over enemy territory as the “eyes of the fleet.” Kenneth

The Boys Next Door: A Marine Returns to Vietnam

Reviewed by Diana L. Ahmad In 1968-1969, R. L. Tecklenburg, the author, served as a U.S. Marine in a Combined Action Team (CAP) unit in the rural Phu Loc District.  Tecklenburg provided a brief autobiographical look at his year in Vietnam.  Since leaving Vietnam, the author searched for meaning in his experiences during the conflict. 

Combat at Close Quarters: An Illustrated History of the U.S. Navy in the Vietnam War

This well-written and superbly illustrated collection of four essays provides an easy to read and understand explanation of the U.S. Navy’s role in the Vietnam War. Four chapters focusing on the Rolling Thunder campaign, warfare on the rivers and canals, naval power in Southeast Asia, and naval intelligence in Southeast Asia provide readers with an

The Greene Papers

In his influential 1997 book Dereliction of Duty, H.R. McMaster described the Joint Chiefs of Staff as “Five Silent Men” who acquiesced to a gradual escalation of the conflict in Vietnam without a clear vision of how military action would secure American policy aims. The Greene Papers, Nicholas Schlosser’s carefully curated selection of General Wallace

Triumphant Warrior

Peter D. Shay’s outstanding freshman effort is both a personal and institutional history of a small tactical Navy helicopter unit in Vietnam, HA(L)-3 “Seawolves,” that reads fast and furious, but not without a penchant for details. The story is an exciting for read for any aviation enthusiast or military historian. The Navy’s only “brown water”

Combat at Close Quarters: Warfare on the Rivers and Canals of Vietnam

This brief volume about the role of the United States Navy on the rivers and canals of Vietnam is a wonderful addition to the historiography about the war in Southeast Asia. Filled with photographs and original works of art by Navy personnel, the faces of the war are presented in a way that makes the

Viet Nam Vignettes: Tales of the Magnificent Bastards

Viet Nam Vignettes is a memoir that outlines the experience of Gerald Gems from the time when he volunteered to enlist in Chicago (1966), to Marine Corps Boot Camp in San Diego, to his first assignment in Hawaii, to a combat tour in Viet Nam, and finally to his discharge and return to civilian life.

Top Gun: An American Story

This is a powerful insider’s account of an important and uniquely American institution, Top Gun, the U.S. Navy Fighter Weapons School. The author, Captain Dan Pedersen (USN) was the first officer in charge of Top Gun, establishing it with his hand selected eight naval aviators and naval flight officers—the “Bros.” What makes this an American

White Water, Red Hot Lead

White Water Red Hot Lead: On Board U.S. Navy Swift Boats in Vietnam By Dan Daly, Casemate Publishers, Philadelphia, (2017) Reviewed by Diana L. Ahmad, Ph.D., Missouri University of Science and Technology   Approximately 3,500 men served in the Swift Boat units during the Vietnam War over a period of six years. Dan Daly’s excellent

BOOK REVIEW – The First Fight: U.S. Marines in Operation Starlite, August 1965

By Rod Andrew Jr., Marine Corps University, History Division, Quantico, VA (2015) Reviewed by Timothy Heck Colonel Rod Andrew’s The First Fight is part of a larger official commemorative effort dedicated to the Marine Corps’ involvement in Southeast Asia from the early 1960s until 1975.  This pamphlet history by Marine Corps University is a concise

A Pilgrimage to Honor and Remember My POW Husband

In 2016, the Naval Historical Foundation is celebrating its 90th year as a non-profit institution. We are highlighting stories that honor our commitment to preserve, educate, and commemorate naval history. Retired Navy Captain and former Vietnam POW Ken L. Coskey remains a central figure in the storied history of this Foundation. This  onth marks the

An American Inferno over Vietnam: Violent Skies Symposium Recap

“To the fair world: and heedless of repose We climb’d, he first, I following his steps, Till on our view the beautiful lights of Heaven Dawn’d through a circular opening in the cave: Thence issuing we again beheld the stars.” – Inferno, Canto XXXIV (Dante Alighieri) They were your friends and neighbors in your hometown.

BOOK REVIEW – Surprised at Being Alive: An Accidental Helicopter Pilot in Vietnam and Beyond

By Robert E. Curtis, Casemate Publishers, (2014) Reviewed by Thomas Ostrom In his 24 years in the service, Major Robert F. Curtis flew helicopters for the U.S. Army, Marine Corps, and Kentucky National Guard. Curtis flew in the United States, Britain (with the Royal Navy), Norway, and Vietnam from shore bases and the rolling decks

BOOK REVIEW – A Common Virtue: A Novel

By James A. Hawkins, Naval Institute Press, Annapolis, MD (2014) Reviewed by Colonel Curt Marsh, U.S. Marine Corps Reserve (Retired) A Common Virtue is the first novel by author James Hawkins, a former Marine who served during the Vietnam War. The story is about a Marine officer and a young enlisted Marine who lead in