Brown Water Black Berets

Author : Thomas J Cutler
Publisher : Naval Institute Press
Page : 563 pages
File Size : 42,5 Mb
Release : 2012-04-15
Category : History
ISBN : 9781612511849

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Brown Water, Black Berets by Thomas J Cutler Pdf

The men of the U.S. Navy's brown-water force played a vital but often overlooked role in the Vietnam War. Known for their black berets and limitless courage, they maneuvered their aging, makeshift craft along shallow coastal waters and twisting inland waterways to search out the enemy. In this moving tribute to their contributions and sacrifices, Tom Cutler records their dramatic story as only a participant could. His own Vietnam experience enables him to add a striking human dimension to the account. The terror of firefights along the jungle-lined rivers, the rigors of camp life, and the sudden perils of guerrilla warfare are conveyed with authenticity. At the same time, the author's training as a historian allows him to objectively describe the scope of the navy's operations and evaluate their effectiveness. Winner of the Navy League's Alfred Thayer Mahan Award for Literary Achievement in 1988 when the book was first published, Cutler is credited with having written the definitive history of the brown-water sailors, an effort that has helped readers better understand the nature of U.S. involvement in the war.

Author : Thomas J Cutler,Edward J. Marolda
Publisher : Naval Institute Press
Page : 272 pages
File Size : 43,7 Mb
Release : 2023-10-15
Category : History
ISBN : 9781557508010

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The Brown Water War at 50 by Thomas J Cutler,Edward J. Marolda Pdf

The Brown Water War at 50 presents the work of renowned historians and Vietnam War veterans who describe and interpret the U.S. Navy’s major combat operations in South Vietnam and on its coast. The scope of the book includes the river war in South Vietnam’s Mekong Delta, the coastal patrol, and the intelligence campaign. To complement text, the authors have added images and maps from the U.S. Navy archives, U.S. Naval Institute collection and from private collections. They also provide a s list of the most authoritative works on the subject. In this retrospective, Cutler and Marolda describe not only the actions of the warships, aircraft, and river vessels involved in one of America’s longest wars but also the professional skill, dedication, and courage of the Navy men and women who went in “harm’s way” in Vietnam. The authors detail the development and combat experience of the Navy’s River Patrol Force and the Army-Navy Mobile Riverine Force as they fought the Viet Cong. They relate in full the heroism of Medal of Honor recipients Boatswain’s Mate 1st Class James E. Williams and Lieutenant Thomas G. Kelley, and the leadership of Vice Admiral Elmo R. Zumwalt Jr. Intelligence which, until recently, was classified tells the story of the Navy’s intelligence effort in South Vietnam, and describes the operations of SEAL and Naval Intelligence Officers at the tactical level. In short, this book takes an in depth look at the Navy’s major and essential role in a conflict that marked a milestone in modern American history.

Author : Andrew Wiest
Publisher : Bloomsbury Publishing
Page : 308 pages
File Size : 47,9 Mb
Release : 2013-05-20
Category : History
ISBN : 9781782003250

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Rolling Thunder in a Gentle Land by Andrew Wiest Pdf

Fifteen renowned authors from widely varied backgrounds examine the Vietnam War, providing a fresh insight into this controversial conflict, even for those who have 'read it all before'. First-hand accounts, maps and contemporary photographs, analysis from the soldiers involved and new perspectives from combatants on both sides provide an incisive investigation into a fascinating and terrible war.“This is a superb and compelling reexamination of the major historical, political, and ethical issues that continue to smoulder many decades after the conclusion of the Vietnam War, I highly recommend Rolling Thunder in a Gentle Land. It is among the best books of its kind that I've encountered over the last dozen years.” Tom O'Brien, author of The Things They Carried

Author : John Darrell Sherwood
Publisher : Unknown
Page : 452 pages
File Size : 43,6 Mb
Release : 2015
Category : Vietnam War, 1961-1975
ISBN : RUTGERS:39030041594021

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War in the Shallows by John Darrell Sherwood Pdf

War in the Shallows, published in 2015 by the Naval History and Heritage Command, is the authoritative account of the U.S. Navy's hard-fought battle along Vietnam's rivers and coastline from 1965-1968. At the height of the U.S. Navy's involvement in the Vietnam War, the Navy's coastal and riverine forces included more than 30,000 Sailors and over 350 patrol vessels ranging in size from riverboats to destroyers. These forces developed the most extensive maritime blockade in modern naval history and fought pitched battles against Viet Cong units in the Mekong Delta and elsewhere. War in the Shallows explores the operations of the Navy's three inshore task forces from 1965 to 1968. It also delves into other themes such as basing, technology, tactics, and command and control. Finally, using oral history interviews, it reconstructs deckplate life in South Vietnam, focusing in particular on combat waged by ordinary Sailors. Vietnam was the bloodiest war in recent naval history and War in the Shallows strives above all else to provide insight into the men who fought it and honor their service and sacrifice. Illustrated throughout with photographs and maps. Author John Darrell Sherwood has served as a historian with the Naval History and Heritage Command (NHHC) since 1997. -- Provided by publisher.

Author : Rolland E. Kidder
Publisher : iUniverse
Page : 291 pages
File Size : 49,9 Mb
Release : 2014
Category : History
ISBN : 9781491720707

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Backtracking in Brown Water by Rolland E. Kidder Pdf

"Damn you Rolly, you succeeded in taking me back to Vinh Long and Advisory Team 68, after a more than 40 year absence. I thank you for honoring all who served, but especially patriots like Bob Olson and Walt Gutowski, Army guys... that I knew well. They were great men whose spirit and professionalism you captured well. I highly recommend the book..." Mike Paluda, Michigan COLONEL, USA, RET. "Rolly Kidder has delivered a brilliant chronicle of the Vietnam conflict with which many may not be familiar. Forty years later, he revisits Vietnam and tracks down the families of three men who had been killed... Kidder's recounting of his visits with the families of the three servicemen is a poignant reminder of the continuing grief and pride extant amongst many and is a fitting memorial to the Army and Riverine heroes and an honor to those who mourn them." Captain, M.B. Connolly, USN (retired) COMMANDER, RIVER ASSAULT DIVISION 132 RIVER ASSAULT SQUADRON 13, 1969-70

Author : Lieutenant Commander Richard Sessoms
Publisher : Pickle Partners Publishing
Page : 49 pages
File Size : 44,9 Mb
Release : 2014-08-15
Category : History
ISBN : 9781782897828

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The Brown Water Navy In The Mekong Delta: COIN In The Littorals And Inland Waters by Lieutenant Commander Richard Sessoms Pdf

In 1964 the Viet Cong was firmly entrenched in the Mekong Delta region. Using fear and terror tactics, the insurgency gained control of the population creating a safe haven for the movement to thrive and expand. The United States and the Government of South Vietnam recognized the infiltration problem in the Mekong Delta but their military organizations were either unable or incapable to deal with the problem. The geography of the region made it impossible for a U.S. Army or Marine Corps division to operate effectively and the South Vietnamese Army and Navy lacked the training and equipment to operate successfully. In response to these obstacles, Secretary of Defense, Robert McNamara, commissioned the U.S. Navy to develop a fighting force capable of operating in the delta and ridding the region of the Viet Cong influence. The Navy used for main Operations: MARKET TIME, GAME WARDEN,-The Mobile Riverine Force, and SEALORDS to achieve these goals. In four short years the Brown Water Sailors experienced marked success with Viet Cong influence minimized and resupply efforts rerouted to the tortuous Ho Chi Minh Trail. However, by the end of 1968 American resolve to fight a war in South Vietnam had deteriorated and the Government needed a way out. President Nixon’s Vietnamization program provided the exit for American forces and in turn mitigated the Brown Water Navy’s successes of the previous four years. The Brown Water Navy overcame tremendous obstacles in less than one year to create and deploy a formidable fighting force to the Mekong Delta. In four years aggressive strides against the Viet Cong insurgency were achieved only to be mitigated by the effects of Vietnamization.

Author : Edward J. Marolda,R. Blake Dunnavent,Naval History & Heritage Command (U S ),Navy Dept (U S )
Publisher : Government Printing Office
Page : 86 pages
File Size : 49,8 Mb
Release : 2015
Category : History
ISBN : 0945274734

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Combat at Close Quarters by Edward J. Marolda,R. Blake Dunnavent,Naval History & Heritage Command (U S ),Navy Dept (U S ) Pdf

This work describes riverine combat during the Vietnam War, emphasizing the operations of the U.S. Navy’s River Patrol Force, which conducted Operation Game Warden; the U.S. Army-Navy Mobile Riverine Force, the formation that General William Westmoreland said “saved the Mekong Delta” during the Tet Offensive of 1968; and the Vietnam Navy. An important section details the SEALORDS combined campaign, a determined effort by U.S. Navy, South Vietnamese Navy, and allied ground forces to cut enemy supply lines from Cambodia and disrupt operations at base areas deep in the delta. The author also covers details on the combat vessels, helicopters, weapons, and equipment employed in the Mekong Delta as well as the Vietnamese combatants (on both sides) and American troops who fought to secure Vietnam’s waterways. Special features focus on the ubiquitous river patrol boats (PBRs) and the Swift boats (PCFs), river warfare training, Vice Admiral Elmo R. Zumwalt Jr., the Black Ponies aircraft squadron, and Navy SEALs. This publication may be of interest to history scholars, veterans, students in advanced placement history classes, and military enthusiasts given the continuing impact of riverine warfare on U.S. naval and military operations in the 21st century. Special Publicity Tie-In: Commemoration of the 50th anniversary of the Vietnam War (Commemoration dates: 28 May 2012 - 11 November 2025). This is the fifth book in the series, "The U.S. Navy and the Vietnam War." TABLE OF CONTENTS Introduction The First Indochina War The Vietnam Navy River Force and American Advisors The U.S. Navy and the Rivers of Vietnam SEALORDS The End of the Line for U.S. and Vietnamese River Forces Sidebars: The PBR Riverine Warfare Training Battle Fleet of the Mekong Delta High Drama in the Delta Vice Admiral Elmo R. Zumwalt Jr. Black Ponies The Swift Boat Warriors with Green Faces Suggested Reading

Author : LCDR Eugene F. Paluso USN
Publisher : Pickle Partners Publishing
Page : 40 pages
File Size : 44,6 Mb
Release : 2015-11-06
Category : History
ISBN : 9781786250179

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Operation SEALORDS: A Study In The Effectiveness Of The Allied Naval Campaign Of Interdiction by LCDR Eugene F. Paluso USN Pdf

The United States Navy involvement in the Vietnam War prior to 1964 was primarily blue water operations. In 1964, the Vietnam Delta Infiltration Study Group was tasked to conduct a comprehensive study of the problem of enemy infiltration of men and supplies into South Vietnam Mekong Delta region across the Cambodia and Laos borders. The findings of the group were published in the Bucklew Report and concluded that the border infiltration problem was significant and needed to be stopped in order to ensure victory in the Vietnam War. The recommendations were for the U.S. to develop an extensive riverine operations capability to assist the South Vietnamese military in conducting counter-insurgency operations to stop the infiltration problem. The U.S. Navy moved from deep blue water operations to near shore blue water operations with the Operation MARKET TIME patrols, which encompassed larger seagoing craft patrolling the coast to forty miles out to sea. These operations led to the first brown water operations during Operation GAME WARDEN which patrolled the major river systems in the Mekong Delta region in order to interdict enemy movements along the rivers. Soon these patrols revealed the need to ground troops to control the riverbanks in order for the patrols to be effective. The Tet offensive of 1968 revealed that the MARKET TIME and GAME WARDEN patrols were not totally containing the infiltration problem. Operation SEALORDS established patrol barriers that were designed specifically to stop the influx of men and supplies crossing the Cambodian border and sustaining enemy forces operating in the Mekong Delta and Saigon areas. SEALORDS barriers were systematically set up to take control of the Mekong Delta region and deny the enemy the freedom of movement enjoyed for years prior.

Author : V H Krulak
Publisher : Naval Institute Press
Page : 247 pages
File Size : 45,6 Mb
Release : 1999-02-22
Category : History
ISBN : 9781612511610

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First to Fight by V H Krulak Pdf

In this riveting insider's chronicle, legendary Marine General "Brute" Krulak submits an unprecedented examination of U.S. Marines—their fights on the battlefield and off, their extraordinary esprit de corps. Deftly blending history with autobiography, action with analysis, and separating fact from fable, General Krulak touches the very essence of the Corps: what it means to be a Marine and the reason behind its consistently outstanding performance and reputation. Krulak also addresses the most basic but challenging question of all about the Corps: how does it manage to survive—even to flourish—despite overwhelming political odds and, as the general writes, ""an extraordinary propensity for shooting itself in the foot?"" To answer this question Krulak examines the foundation on which the Corps is built, a system of intense loyalty to God, to country, and to other Marines. He also takes a close look at Marines in war, offering challenging accounts of their experiences in World War II, Korea, and Vietnam. In addition, he describes the Corps's relationship to other services, especially during the unification battles following World War II, and offers new insights into the decision-making process in times of crisis. First published in hardcover in 1984, this book has remained popular ever since with Marines of every rank.

Author : Don Sheppard
Publisher : Unknown
Page : 388 pages
File Size : 51,5 Mb
Release : 1994
Category : Biography & Autobiography
ISBN : 0671796917

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Riverine by Don Sheppard Pdf

Patrolling the Mekong Delta's Bassac River in heavily armed fiberglass boats, the U.S. Navy's brown-water sailors took the war to the enemy in some of the most extraordinary operations of the Vietnam War. Here is the first important memoir to come out of the brown-water navy, by a former Lieutenant Commander.

Author : Anonim
Publisher : Unknown
Page : 472 pages
File Size : 40,8 Mb
Release : 1988
Category : United States
ISBN : STANFORD:36105112080721

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Contributions to Naval History by Anonim Pdf

Author : Tamara Moser Melia
Publisher : Unknown
Page : 236 pages
File Size : 52,8 Mb
Release : 1991
Category : History
ISBN : UIUC:30112104099277

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Damn the Torpedoes by Tamara Moser Melia Pdf

Author : Anonim
Publisher : Turner Publishing Company
Page : 617 pages
File Size : 43,8 Mb
Release : 2000-11-10
Category : History
ISBN : 9781681621630

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Gamewardens of Vietnam (2nd Edition) by Anonim Pdf

Personal stories and biographies of Game Wardens in Vietnam.

Author : Homer H Hickam
Publisher : Naval Institute Press
Page : 369 pages
File Size : 41,6 Mb
Release : 1996-05-03
Category : History
ISBN : 9781612515786

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Torpedo Junction by Homer H Hickam Pdf

In 1942 German U-boats turned the shipping lanes off Cape Hatteras into a sea of death. Cruising up and down the U.S. eastern seaboard, they sank 259 ships, littering the waters with cargo and bodies. As astonished civilians witnessed explosions from American beaches, fighting men dubbed the area "Torpedo Junction." And while the U.S. Navy failed to react, a handful of Coast Guard sailors scrambled to the front lines. Outgunned and out-maneuvered, they heroically battled the deadliest fleet of submarines ever launched. Never was Germany closer to winning the war. In a moving ship-by-ship account of terror and rescue at sea, Homer Hickam chronicles a little-known saga of courage, ingenuity, and triumph in the early years of World War II. From nerve-racking sea duels to the dramatic ordeals of sailors and victims on both sides of the battle, Hickam dramatically captures a war we had to win--because this one hit terrifyingly close to home.

Author : James Webb
Publisher : Canelo
Page : 400 pages
File Size : 55,9 Mb
Release : 2019-04-29
Category : Fiction
ISBN : 9781788635196

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Fields of Fire by James Webb Pdf

James Webb’s classic, scorching novel of the Vietnam War. They each had their reasons for becoming a Marine. They each had their illusions. Goodrich came fresh from Harvard. Snake got the tattoo before he even got the uniform. Hodges was haunted by the spirits of family heroes. Three young men, from vastly different worlds, were plunged into a white-hot, murderous melting pot of jungle warfare in the An Hoa Basin, Vietnam, 1969. They had no way of knowing what awaited them. For nothing could have prepared them for the madness of what they found. And in the heat and horror of battle they took on new identities, took on each other, and were reborn in fields of fire... Fields of Fire is a searing story of poetic power, razor-sharp observation, and non-stop combat, perfect for fans of Tim O’Brien, Karl Marlantes and Apocalypse Now. Praise for Fields of Fire ‘Few writers since Stephen Crane have portrayed men at war with such a ring of steely truth’ The Houston Post ‘A novel of such fullness and impact, one is tempted to compare it to Norman Mailer’s The Naked and the Dead’The Oregonian ‘Webb gives us an extraordinary range of acutely observed people, not one a stereotype ... Fields of Fire is a stunner’ Newsweek ‘Webb pulls off the scabs and looks directly, unflinchingly on the open wounds of the Sixties’ Philadelphia Inquirer ‘The unmistakable sound of truth’ Time