A detailed account of how the average US Marine was trained, fought and what everday life was like during the Vietnam conflict. In particular, it focuses on the 1st Company, 1st Battalion, 9th Regiment of Marines during an operation in the western highlands of Vietnam in early 1969.
This volume provides an in-depth look at the experience of the ordinary US marine 'grunt' in Vietnam. Organisation of the corps, weaponry, equipment, uniforms, training and medical arrangements are all discussed. However, where this book differs from other similar works is not only in the detail that it goes into but also in the unifying theme of examining all these differing aspects of marine life from the point of view of a soldier serving in the conflict. The author, Charles Melson, actually served in Vietnam, and it is this personal experience that allows him to provide such a unique angle on the subject.