The Men of Alpha Company details the service, sacrifices and heroism of the paratroopers of the celebrated 173rd Airborne Brigade during a year of combat in South Vietnam, as seen by a man who led them as a rifle platoon leader and company executive officer.

In 1967, the North Vietnamese launched a series of offensives in the Central Highlands along the border with South Vietnam--a strategic move intended to draw U.S. and South Vietnamese forces away from major cities before the Tet Offensive. A series of bloody engagements known as "the border battles" followed, with the principle action taking place at Dak To. Drawing on the writings of key figures, veterans' memoirs and the author's records from two tours in Vietnam, this book merges official history with the recollections of those who were there, revealing previously unpublished details of these decisive battles.

Introduction: a generation goes to war -- Memorial days -- Dong Ap Bia: becoming Hamburger Hill -- Passing the torch to a new generation -- Receiving the torch -- Not their father's way of war -- The American war in Vietnam -- Getting out of this place -- Duck and cover -- Enduring Vietnam: a story that has no end

US Army Paratroopers from the elite 173rd Airborne Brigade (SEPERATE) were the first US Army Combat Soldiers to enter South Vietnam in May 1965. Surviving in the jungles of The Central Highlands of II Corps not only involved enemy contact with the North Vietnamese and Viet Cong soldiers. Learning survival skills in the jungle environment was taxing both physically, and mentally, for one of the US Army's most highly decorated units, with more Medal of Honor recipients than any combat unit of similar size during The Vietnam War. "Contact Charlie" Company of the 173rd Airborne Brigade's 1st Battalion 503rd Airborne Infantry lived in the jungles of The Central Highlands for extended periods of time, surviving off Long Range Recon Patrol (LRRP) dehydrated meals, and C-rations. They depended on the Central Highlands triple canopy jungle streams for their water supply. The paratrooper's home was a foxhole and his supplies were carried on his back in a "rucksack". The paratroopers would stay in the Central Highlands mountainous jungles for several weeks before returning to the rear base camps for stand down and re-supplying for the next mission. The only way out of the jungle, and the paratrooper's assigned one-year tour of duty, were to be either killed-in-action, wounded-in-action, or to endure the mission as designated by the US Army Chain Of Command.Operations by paratroopers of "The Herd" are contained within this book and YouTube video links to Combat Operations in South Vietnam by The "Sky Soldiers" of The 173rd Airborne Brigade (SEPARATE), a stand alone and independent brigade of US Army paratroopers.The "Herd" paratrooper's were continuously "saddling-up" and were enemy team and "hawk" hunters on Search and Destroy missions in the largest two provinces, Kontum and Binh Dinh, of South Vietnam during 1965 to 1971.The paratroopers of The 173rd Airborne Brigade were considered to be US Army Commanding General William C. Westmoreland's "fire brigade". The "Sky Soldiers" were a quick reactionary force and operated on Search and Destroy missions in War Zone D, Dak To, and The Central Highlands, a strategic high ground that had to be held by American forces during The Vietnam War to prevent the domino effect and fall of South Vietnam to communist North Vietnam and Ho Chi Minh.The "Sky Soldier's" brotherhood and "esprit decor" continues today through various 173rd Airborne Brigade Associational chapters in the United States, Australia, and Italy. The younger "Sky Soldiers" of today have continued to prove themselves in recent combat operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. The common spirit existing in the members of "The Herd" prevails through inspiring enthusiasm, devotion, and strong regard for the honor of the airborne groups and this reflects greatly on missions of freedom for their fellow Sky Soldiers, patriotism, and The United States of America and for all freedom loving Americans, and their allies."Airborne, All The Way".

Eyes Behind the Lines: US Army Long-Range Reconnaissance and Surveillance Units is the 10th study in the Combat Studies Institute (CSI) Global War on Terrorism (GWOT) Occasional Paper series. This work is an outgrowth of concerns identified by the authors of On Point: The United States Army in Operation IRAQI FREEDOM. Specifically, these authors called into question the use of long-range surveillance (LRS) assets by commanders during that campaign and suggested an assessment ought to be made about their continuing utility and means of employment. This revision contains some important additional information the author received after this book was originally published Major (Retired) James Gebhardt, of CSI, researched and wrote this Occasional Paper with that end in view. In this study, Gebhardt surveys the US Army s historical experience with LRRP and LRS units from the 1960s Cold War and Vietnam War, through their resurgence in the 1980s and use in Operations JUST CAUSE and DESERT STORM, to the advent of the GWOT. The paper's analytical framework examines each era of LRS units in terms of doctrine, organization, training, materiel, leadership, and personnel. In doing so, the author makes a strong case for continuing the LRS capability in the Army s force structure. The variety of environments and enemies likely to be faced by the military in the GWOT continues to demand the unique human intelligence abilities of trained and organized LRS units. As the Army leads the Armed Forces of the United States in combating terrorists where they live, the lessons found in this survey remain timely and relevant.

An authentic account of combat with an airborne company in the waterlogged rice paddies and demanding jungles of South Vietnam. Share the experiences of fighting men under punishing conditions, extreme temperatures, and intense monsoon rains as they search for the enemy in the rugged mountains and teeming lowlands. Relive all the terror, humor, and sadness of one mans tour of duty with real-life action in spectacular stunning detail.

This work provides an organizational history of the maneuver brigade and case studies of its employment throughout the various wars. Apart from the text, the appendices at the end of the work provide a ready reference to all brigade organizations used in the Army since 1917 and the history of the brigade colors.

This publication is the eighth in the series The U.S. Navy and the Vietnam War. The publication focuses on the sealift and logistic operations during the war and includes a number of photographs as well as sidebars detailing specific people and ships involved in the logistic operations. This historical pictorial reference would be of interest to students, historians, members of the military, specifically the Navy, and military leaders, veterans, Vietnam War veterans, and the U.S. merchant marines.

Imagine struggling through a childhood dominated by an intimidating father. Imagine stepping into an elite airborne division that trains you to be a killer in Vietnam. Try to imagine stumbling back into society after that...minus an arm. All of a sudden, your body isn't whole, and your country turns its face as you approach. This is the story of John Steer, a heavily decorated soldier from Vietnam, a wandering warrior returning from southeast Asia, from a troubled past, and full of hate for himself and everyone else. In need of a lifeline, this brawling ex-soldier finally finds a commander worth his respect: John Steer meets Jesus Christ, and the healing begins... Wounded Soldier is the powerful story of a man in search for himself. Read and believe.