Thread: What book are you reading right now?

Originally Posted by Kurgen

Struggling to finish Filth still.

I've just downloaded Catcher In The Rye, anyone read it?

It's one of my favorites, but only because I spent three years locked down in a New England prep school just outside of Boston. The worst three years of my life - I hated every second of it - so the book hit some buttons. Not for everyone.

^ I was going to ask your opinion.
Did you ever serve with Draftee units, I would imaging the experience would be far different than serving in an elite unit?
It's a fairly cynical take that was popularly received, but at a time when that sort of view would be appreciated by the college set.
I think it' a well written story, but you and others would be better placed to judge it veracity.

Originally Posted by Necron99

^ I was going to ask your opinion.
Did you ever serve with Draftee units, I would imaging the experience would be far different than serving in an elite unit?
It's a fairly cynical take that was popularly received, but at a time when that sort of view would be appreciated by the college set.
I think it' a well written story, but you and others would be better placed to judge it veracity.

When I served with the 101st (April 68 - April 69) it was still an all Airborne unit. But, that only meant that all were Airborne volunteers, not that all were Regular Army. There were quite a number of draftees in the 101st - most of them excellent troopers. Draftees were generally older and more educated. But the fact that they were Airborne volunteers in fact also made them Vietnam volunteers, as that's where all the Airborne outfits were at the time.

You learn from your unit. You arrive alone, and join a unit which already has a personality. If it's a sloppy, poorly disciplined and run unit, like the 4th Division or the Americal at that time, you pick up bad habits quickly. Many of the draftees I knew in the 101st said that once they knew they were slotted for the Infantry, they volunteered for Airborne just to avoid getting stuck in some shitty outfit.

When I was a Drill Sergeant in Basic (May 69 - Sept 70) the draftees were often the best trainees. They could be a pain in the ass, but at least there was some spark of brainpower there, as opposed to a lot of the enlistees who had enlisted for all of the wrong reasons. P.S. I added a few books to my post above.

Originally Posted by Davis Knowlton

Originally Posted by Necron99

^ I was going to ask your opinion.
Did you ever serve with Draftee units, I would imaging the experience would be far different than serving in an elite unit?
It's a fairly cynical take that was popularly received, but at a time when that sort of view would be appreciated by the college set.
I think it' a well written story, but you and others would be better placed to judge it veracity.

When I served with the 101st (April 68 - April 69) it was still an all Airborne unit. But, that only meant that all were Airborne volunteers, not that all were Regular Army. There were quite a number of draftees in the 101st - most of them excellent troopers. Draftees were generally older and more educated. But the fact that they were Airborne volunteers in fact also made them Vietnam volunteers, as that's where all the Airborne outfits were at the time.

You learn from your unit. You arrive alone, and join a unit which already has a personality. If it's a sloppy, poorly disciplined and run unit, like the 4th Division or the Americal at that time, you pick up bad habits quickly. Many of the draftees I knew in the 101st said that once they knew they were slotted for the Infantry, they volunteered for Airborne just to avoid getting stuck in some shitty outfit.

When I was a Drill Sergeant in Basic (May 69 - Sept 70) the draftees were often the best trainees. They could be a pain in the ass, but at least there was some spark of brainpower there, as opposed to a lot of the enlistees who had enlisted for all of the wrong reasons. P.S. I added a few books to my post above.

My only experience with Americans in Vietnam is books and Hollywood.
I've read Bright Shining Lie, We Were Soldiers Once, Hackworths' books and a bunch of others. It seems as you say, from the variety of descriptions who you served with dictated your experience.

Had some Uncles one drafted, the other enlisted to look after the first.Their stories are nothing like the US experience.

Try "The Odd Angry Shot" by William Nagle (3rd SAS)
The Battle of Long Tan by Bob Grandin

^I'll take a look at them. Shortly after I arrived, we had two Aussie SAS chaps show up to fine-tune our field craft, which was critical to the survival of LRRP teams. Both were little fellas - looked like they had been carved out of teak. The best guys in the bush I have ever met - fantastic soldiers. I honestly think some of what I learned from them is part of the reason I made it.

Try "The Boys of 67". It's fairly new and I thought it so good that I sent a copy to my older brother (11th Armored Cavalry officer 70-71 - wounded badly twice, so only did about six months); he also thought it unusually good. It follows a group of draftees in the 9th Infantry Division through their training and tour of duty. My Dad was in the 9th (67-68) and they occupied some of the most unpleasant turf/bog/mud/swamp in the country.

Originally Posted by Davis Knowlton

I spent three years locked down in a New England prep school just outside of Boston. The worst three years of my life

Jayzus it must have been bad considering you were in Vietnam . . .

Originally Posted by Davis Knowlton

I was both a grunt in Vietnam (101st Airborne Division - Long Range Recon Patrols) and a Basic Training Drill Sergeant for 16 months after Vietnam. In the exact time frame he claims to have been in the Army, although I went in about 8 months before him.

I was lucky never to have been in a theatre of combat - having a cushy Brussels-NATO job after basic training and a few sub trips as comms officer.

When I read your account and compare it to someone like Rick Thai's I do wonder if there are parallel universes.

(Now that I know you were a drill sergeant I even more profusely apologise for trying to make you be friends with socal)

Originally Posted by Davis Knowlton

^I'll take a look at them. Shortly after I arrived, we had two Aussie SAS chaps show up to fine-tune our field craft, which was critical to the survival of LRRP teams. Both were little fellas - looked like they had been carved out of teak. The best guys in the bush I have ever met - fantastic soldiers. I honestly think some of what I learned from them is part of the reason I made it.

We Ozzies like to think our SAS are right up there. There is a quiet policy of sending SAS to pretty much any conflict going on, officially or not.
I think one of the differences in Nam was that our troops had been training for jungle warfare since WW2 and in 65 had gotten good experience in both jungle and counterinsurgency in the Malaya conflict.

^These two chaps had both been in Malaya. Double-hard plus - but quiet and very professional. Fun guys with a few drinks in 'em - although as the night wore on, they became harder for us to understand. Fortunately, much military training requires little talking - I constantly had two of my team, both from the deep south, going "Hey Sarge, what did he say?"

Originally Posted by Kurgen

Struggling to finish Filth still.

I've just downloaded Catcher In The Rye, anyone read it?

About a month ago, interesting book. I posted on this thread. I thought the finish was a little anti climatic.

Originally Posted by Davis Knowlton

^These two chaps had both been in Malaya. Double-hard plus - but quiet and very professional. Fun guys with a few drinks in 'em - although as the night wore on, they became harder for us to understand. Fortunately, much military training requires little talking - I constantly had two of my team, both from the deep south, going "Hey Sarge, what did he say?"

Yep, blokes like that dont need to boast or yell loudly. Actions not words.

Since I paid for it, I went ahead and finished it. Sadly, it just got worse. Blacks fragging white NCO's, racial conflict, officers and men alike disobeying direct orders, soldiers using villagers as human shields, assaulting villagers, etc, etc. This is also the same Division responsible for the My Lai murders a year earlier.

Nothing like the war I fought.

Originally Posted by Davis Knowlton

Since I paid for it, I went ahead and finished it. Sadly, it just got worse. Blacks fragging white NCO's, racial conflict, officers and men alike disobeying direct orders, soldiers using villagers as human shields, assaulting villagers, etc, etc. This is also the same Division responsible for the My Lai murders a year earlier.

Nothing like the war I fought.

You paid??
Sorry, if I post something I'm more than happy to email it.

Given "This is also the same Division responsible for the My Lai murders a year earlier."
While it wasn't your war it might have been someones, even if perhaps only the worst of it by design. It was pretty clear from the outset that he was anti- that war and unlikely to spread many feel good stories.

Re the ear thing, yes disgusting but similar things came from Iraq and Afghanistan?
Little things like that often go on to become gross distortions like necklaces of ears in FMJ, Apocalypse Now etc, but usually there is a kernel of truth.
Some nasty shit went on in Band of Brothers too.
And in Sledgehammers' book he recounts someone souveniring a severed Jap hand.....



Anyway, reading;

Rifles; Six Years With Wellingtons Legendary Sharpshooters.

Drawn from company records, letters and journals an account of the 95th Rifles as they fight the French and revolutionize the Napoleonic era soldier.
Nice to read a factual account to compare to the Sharpe Rifles books.

I'll take a gander at the Wellington book. Sounds interesting.

I liked the Sharpe series.

Re atrocities, I'm sure they happened. But, they then became legend, repeated over and over in tripe like this, a variety of movies, and "memoirs". I was very surprised that the 'throwing prisoners out of choppers' story wasn't included in this book.

I'd have PTSD too if I'd ever served in a lash-up like that unit.

PM you email and what you read on and I will send it to you.

^How's that work. I don't read off of a computer screen. I only use Kindle or paper. As of a year or two ago, about 98% Kindle. Reading off the computer screen bugs my eyes.

Originally Posted by Davis Knowlton

^How's that work. I don't read off of a computer screen. I only use Kindle or paper. As of a year or two ago, about 98% Kindle. Reading off the computer screen bugs my eyes.

I use Ipad, but I can convert the file to a mobi format, email it and you use your pc to upload it to you kindle innit?

^Thanks for the offer, but I am staggeringly ignorant about the magical creatures which live in my computer. I wouldn't have a clue how to get it from my e-mail to my Kindle. Let me PM you in the morning and, if you have a moment, maybe you can try walking me through it. Cheers.

^ Pukapunal? Infantry combat training base

Duntroon is officer school.

^I think I read that same book, but also can't recall the name. Our LRRP teams routinely passed by American units in our wanderings - both at day and night. Not one ever had an inkling we were anywhere in the area, much less within 100 meters of them. We could hear them coming a long, long time before we saw them - blaring radios, loud talk, clanging gear, curses as people fell......as we ate Viet rations, and didn't bathe, shave or smoke, we could also smell them when they got close - especially cigarette smoke, which just hangs in damp air.

Originally Posted by Davis Knowlton

^Thanks for the offer, but I am staggeringly ignorant about the magical creatures which live in my computer. I wouldn't have a clue how to get it from my e-mail to my Kindle. Let me PM you in the morning and, if you have a moment, maybe you can try walking me through it. Cheers.

Failing that I'll do a picture tutorial on monday.

just connect with cord, drag and drop book (.mobi format) into documents folder

Necron99: Try "Chickenhawk", by Robert Mason. The finest helicopter pilot book to come out of the war. Skip the sequel.

Yup Chickenhawk is a great book.. keeping it steady in a hot LZ with only plexi glass between him and the enemy bullets, now that's stressful.

Downloaded. On my list.

My High School best friend and I 'buddy-enlisted' for Warrant Officer Flight. I flunked the flight physical with a rear equilibrium problem, probably the result of a childhood badly fractured skull. So, I went off to the Paras, and he carried on. He did two tours - the first flying slicks, and the second guns. Shot down 13 times - never seriously wounded. He thought Chickenhawk was the best helicopter book ever.