He writes, "The M-60 opened up again. Carter steeped through the rubble, found his 3.5, and started putting out rounds" (51). There is no doubt these men were brave in battle and took the brunt of what the war had to offer, but the author often seems to place them on a pedestal or look up to them so much that he is clearly biased toward their actions and thoughts. He notes he was conservative at the time, and has become more cynical about the war and how it was conducted. Perhaps a little more of that cynicism could have made this book less biased and more irrefutable.
The author uses both primary and secondary sources, and many first-person accounts from soldiers who actually fought in Hue to make sure his book covers all aspects of the attacks. However, there is one aspect that is missing in this book, and that is the lack of information and interviews from the other side. There are no Vietnamese or Vietcong references or interviews to balance the book. A look into at least some of the opposition and their reactions to the battles in Hue would have made this a more balanced account, and would have added richness and texture to the book, as well.
While the author attempts to portray most of the Marines as extremely upright and moral, he does show that war can affect a man's heart and soul. After viewing some dead Vietnamese, one solider wonders if they were civilians or Vietcong infiltrators. The author notes, "Few of the grunts could have cared less either way" (67). He explains that thought process as a reaction to the Vietcong killing their buddies, but still, their lack of remorse humanizes and dehumanizes them at the same time. This could be one of the weak points of the book, but instead, it...
Battle Analysis of the Battle of Hue City The battle for Hue city took place over twenty-six days as part of the larger Tet Offensive, and examining this battle in particular will demonstrate some of the nine principles of war in great detail. In particular, by examining some of the problems presented to Marines in the Battle for Hue city and the ways in which they ultimately dealt with those problems
(MACV Dir 381-41) This document is one of the first confidential memorandums associated with the Phoenix Program, which details in 1967 the mostly U.S. involvement in counterinsurgency intelligence and activities and discusses the future training and development of South Vietnam forces to serve the same function, that had been supported by the U.S. In civilian (mostly CIA) and military roles. The document stresses that the U.S. role is to
Sun Tzu and Military Classics Sun Tzu believed in freedom of action, mobility, surprise, deception and indirect attacks rather than frontal assaults. His method was always to "entice the enemy, to unbalance him, and to create a situation favorable for a decisive counter-stroke," while avoiding sieges and prolonged wars of attrition (Harvey, 2008, p. xlii). This was the opposite type of strategy from the commanders of the First World War or
Full Metal Jacket is a 1987 Academy Award nominated film made by Stanley Kubrick about the Vietnam War. It is based on the novel Short-Timers, by Gustav Hasford and it follows a group of recruits through their basic training and eventual deployment to Vietnam. (Hasford) The movie is divided into two parts: basic training and Vietnam. While this movie is not accurately depicting any one particular person's experiences, it does
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