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Rodgers' memoir covers his tour as an infantry sergeant in Vietnam. His tour started with a couple of visits to the beach, but soon turned into a desperate battle for his life and the lives of his fellow soldiers. Rodgers spent most of his tour with Chuck, a fellow soldier he met in boot camp. They were able to convince a superior to let them go to the field together. Rodgers learned quickly and earned the respect of the men both who served under him and those who outranked him. He became known as an excellent map reader and was deadly accurate in calling in artillery. He and his squad grew very close and earned a reputation as one of the deadliest in Vietnam. Besides enemy combatants, they faced extreme weather, supply shortages, internal strife, and environmental hazards. The survival rate of the men was very low, and Rodgers credits his faith and the prayers of his family for his survival.
Rodgers' book reads like an action novel, and there are times it is easy to forget it isn't fiction. Although the book is relatively lengthy, it reads quickly as the sentences are direct, and the insights into the experience of Vietnam are fascinating. Rodgers' memoir feels grounded and honest in detailing the daily experiences of a soldier. He isn't too introspective but lays out the honor and the horror of troops regardless of nationality. This isn't a tale of a group of soldiers who get lost in the chaos and become drug-addicted. Rather, it describes a group of infantry committed to doing the job at all costs: kill the enemy and protect your men from threats, even if the threat occasionally comes from your own side. This book is a must for anyone interested in Vietnam or the life of a soldier in wartime.
RECOMMENDED by the US Review