Last Stand at Khe Sanh: The U.S. Marines' Finest Hour in Vietnam

I approached this book with some degree of doubt because the Author wasn't even there so I wondered how accurate the book could be. That said as I started reading the book I found it to be expertly written and very factual and it covered everything that happened in great detail. It detailed all of the battles with names, places, and the actual events and it did that in great detail. I was a Combat Soldier in the Army so I wasn’t there either but over the years I have made friends in the VFW and two of them were there. They were both in the 1/9 Marines and the things they told me were the same as described in the book in great detail. I was very surprised as one of my friends served under a Captain Radcliff who was mentioned several times in this book. The book is an excellent read about the battle at Khe Sanh that lasted 77 day and cost an enormous amount of lives and wounded by the US marines who fought valiantly to save the base from being overrun. This was the most protracted and long battle that happened in the Vietnam War and was a test of wills both on the Part of the US marines and the NVA. Our use of Air Power including B-52’s did a major role in saving the base and breaking the back of the NVA as they killed thousands of NVA soldiers. This was counter acted by the NVA in their relentless pounding of the base with Artillery, Rockets and Mortar’s to the point where it nearly caused the USA to be unable to resupply the base. This relentless pounding of Khe Sanh was something soldiers were unaccustomed to in Vietnam. The use of this much artillery, rockets, and Mortar’s brought a new lever of terror to the soldiers fighting there as their lives was soon driven underground in deeper and deeper holes to try to save themselves. I highly recommend this book as an excellent read about the biggest battle to take place during the Vietnam War.

Catching up on holiday reading, and wow, just finished Last Stand at Khe Sanh. Gregg Jones does a fabulous job recounting this epic 77-day siege in what can be rightly called the US Marine’s finest hour in Vietnam. The staccato, riveting account puts the reader right in the grim action with the heroic American defenders of anonymous bits of bloody real estate named Hill 861, Hill 881 South, Hill 881 North, Hill 64, among others, and in the face of a enemy tank attack at Lang Vei -- all as part of a desperate attempt to ensure Khe Sanh Combat Base was not overrun at this crucial juncture of the war. I was staggered to learn the US leadership and military brass in Washington considered the introduction of tactical nuclear weapons at this stage of the war in the Spring of 1968, when the sheer number of swelling NVA forces threatened to overwhelm. Also amazed to read about the then-high tech electronic hardware used to track enemy movements and pinpoint coordinates for effective US artillery fire. Highly recommended – read this is you want a deeper understanding of the bloody battles that defined the Vietnam War, and a greater appreciation for the sacrifice made by those hunkered down in muddy trenches against an unceasing barrage of NVA artillery, sniper fire, and waves of attackers who cut through perimeter defenses in the dead of night and attacked in near-suicidal frenzy. This powerful imagery won’t be leaving my mind for quite some time. Detailed and thoroughly researched, Gregg Jones’ heartbreaking account of forgotten courage honors those who served at Khe Sanh, and brings a powerful story home so they will not be forgotten. Well done in every way!

The Last Stand at Khe Sanh was an intriguing read that documented the 77 day siege of the Marine basecamp. It seems like the author took the after action reports about the events and then humanized the report and breaking it down to squad level action to make it more readable. I especially like how he listed names of personnel and followed them through the battle where they either portrayed valor or shows how they died. My close friend, Doc Cecala was wounded during an ambush while on a patrol with B 1/26; most of his platoon was killed and at least half of the second which came to reinforce them. Shot in the shoulder and legs, he managed to crawl back to the gates of the firebase and be rescued. The book also does justice to the hill fights surrounding the base, showing how they worked through their difficulties: ground attacks, incoming, lack of water, food and ammunition. Once finished, the reader is able to review the action taken by the American leadership and gage whether or not they did the right thing. Mr. Jones also documents the action within the white house and discussions between President Johnson, McNamara and Westmorland and how politics entered into their decisions. Highly recommended for those wanting to learn more about one of the monumental battles of the Vietnam War. Great job Gregg Jones for putting it all together for us. John Podlaski, author "Cherries - A Vietnam War Novel" and "When Can I Stop Running?"

Over the years I’ve read many articles and accounts of the Khe Sanh battles. This is the most comprehensive accounting I have seen. This telling is painstakingly detailed and brutally personal. It honors those who bled, fought and died in those red clay trenches. This is a must read.

A tribute to true American Patriots. This book really reflects or fighting men and women’s spirits in another war fought by our country.

This book is a necessary read for those who remember the Vietnam War. The commitment, bravery, and commaraderie of the Marines who served and died there is epic. This book describes in all its brutal detail how the men struggled to survive and carry out their mission.

Seinem Anspruch, einen kleinen, wenn auch bedeutenden Abschnitt, des Vietnamkrieges darzustellen, wird das Werk alles in allem gerecht. Positiv ist, dass der Krieg ein Gesicht erhält. Soldaten werden namentlich genannt, und der Leser weiß, dass dort Menschen gekämpft und gestorben sind, anstatt, wie bei herkömmlichen Geschichtsbüchern nur mit den Zahlen von Gefallenen, Verwundeten und Vermissten konfrontiert zu werden. Dadurch verliert der Krieg seinen allzu oft in Büchern dargestellten abstrakten Charakter. In einem anderen Buch, ich weiß leider nicht mehr welches, habe ich gelesen: "Geschichte ist nicht in Marmor gehauen. Geschichte liebt, lacht, kotzt und verreckt". So sollten Bücher Geschichte darstellen. Namen und Orte, Persönlichkeit anstatt Abstraktheit aus distanzierter Sicht. Wir kennen in der Geschichte die sogenannten "großen Namen" wie Alexander der Große, Julius Cäsar oder Napoleon, doch die Namen all jener, die für ihre Ziele in Kriege zogen und starben, sind vergessen. Dem wirkt ein Buch wie dieses entgegen. Negativ ist, dass das Buch letztlich ein reines, undifferenziertes Loblied auf das US Marine Corps ist. Die Weigerung, zivilen Flüchtlingen die Evakuierung zu ermöglichen, wird nur nebenbei erwähnt. Die Kriegsverbrechen beider Seiten bleiben unerwähnt und vermitteln den falschen Eindruck, dass insbesondere die US-Soldaten moralisch einwandfrei handelnde Personen gewesen seien. Auch wenn, gemessen an allen in Vietnam kämpfenden Soldaten nur ein kleiner Teil an Grausamkeiten und Verbrechen beteiligt war, starben doch Tausende durch Mord, Vergewaltigung und Folterung - begangen sowohl von Nordvietnamesen und Vietcong als auch von US-Soldaten und südvietnamesischen Einheiten. Ein detaillierterer Blick auf diese Aspekte, die sich auch in den Monaten des Kampfes um die Khe Sanh Combat Base abgespielt haben, wäre ein Buch gewesen, das fünf Sterne verdient hätte. Da sich das Buch aber zum Einen nur auf die amerikanische Seite und zum Anderen nur auf die "heldenhaft kämpfenden, untadeligen" Soldaten des USMC beschränkt, kann ich nur drei Sterne vergeben. Fazit: Wer ein Buch lesen möchte, das voll von Kampfhandlungen ist und sich detailliert mit diesen und den (amerikanischen) Soldaten während dieser beschäftigt, tut hier einen guten Griff. Wer aber ein Buch über eine differenzierte Darstellung sucht, kann ich dieses Buch nicht empfehlen. Als Einstieg in die Thematik des Vietnamkrieges ist das Buch ungeeignet, man sollte schon ausgiebiges Vorwissen mitbringen.

A detailed and engrossing account of the siege and its aftermath. The author provides the political and historical context of the battle but this is very much a marine's eye view. The author interviewed scores of veterans and has written a harrowing and powerful tale from the height of America's involvement in the Vietnam war. Highly recommended.

Well written, vivid descriptions of the various battles, the political tomfoolery. Outstanding writing, a must read for anyone who wants to know more about the battle.

A compelling account of the battle for Khe Shan, uniquely grounded on the experiences of individual combatants, but keeping a tenacious grip on the historical and political context. The comparisons with Dien Bien Phu are inevitable and it charts the cataclysmic defeat for the NVA which saved the cities of the South.

The actions related by the actual veterans was monumental. I felt I was living the action. I visited the "Vietnam Memorial" in DC and being near it raised the hair on the back of my neck. Those brave souls....may they all "Rest In Peace" This book brought this feeling back to me.