Description
Book Synopsis On his second tour in Vietnam, U.S. Army Captain John Haseman served 18 months as a combat advisor in the Mekong Delta''s Kien Hoa Province. His detailed memoir gives one of the few accounts of a district-level advisor''s experiences at the point of the spear. Often the only American going into combat with his South Vietnamese counterparts, Haseman highlights the importance of trust and confidence between advisors and their units and the courage of the men he fought with during the 1972 North Vietnamese summer offensive. Among the last advisors to leave the field, Haseman describes the challenges of supporting his counterparts with fewer and fewer resources, and the emotional conclusion of an advisory mission near the end of the Vietnam War.
Table of ContentsAcknowledgments
Preface
Introduction
Prologue
1. So, You Want to Be a District Advisor?
2. Settling In, Hàm Long District
3. Into the Field
4. New Geography, New Terrain, New Soldiers
5. Villages, Hamlets, Outposts, and the HES Report
6. First Contact
7. Dry Season Operations in Hàm Long District
A Pause: From Night to Day
8. The Big Celebrations—And One Small One
9. Little Things That Meant a Lot
10. Beyond Hàm Long
11. Moving to Mỏ Cày District
12. A New Environment in Mỏ Cày
13. Mỏ Cày's Higher Operations Tempo
14. Tragedy and Courage in Thành Thới
15. North Vietnamese Army Invades Hàm Long District
16. District Senior Advisor, Hàm Long District
17. Hàm Long Soldiers Gain the Upper Hand
18. A Brave Vietnamese Lieutenant
19. Final Return to Mỏ Cày District
A Pause: The Importance of Trust
20. When a Cease-Fire Is Not a Cease-Fire
21. Sergeant First Class Hồ Văn Bé: Loyal, Reliable, Unforgettable
22. A Good Advisor but Not a Hero
23. The Aftermath
Appendix I: Citation for Award of the Silver Star
Appendix II: Performance Evaluation Reports
Appendix III: Post–Vietnam Career Assignments and Awards
Appendix IV: Military Terminology
Chapter Notes
Index
