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Zusatztext “A fine book by a really good author.” –Leatherneck magazine “[A] splendid! personal tribute to an elite fighting force." –Kirkus Reviews “[An] upbeat memoir . . . a modest! well-written account of the author’s coming-to-manhood during the earlier phase of the Vietnam era.” –Publishers Weekly Informationen zum Autor WILLIAM VAN ZANTEN served in Vietnam with the 3rd Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment, and with the 2nd Battalion, 4th Marine Regiment, in 1965—66. He was awarded the Bronze Star, the Navy Commendation Medal, and a Vietnamese Cross of Gallantry. Now a partner in the executive search firm Quantico, Consulting, Van Zanten lives with his wife, Myrna, in Payson, Arizona. This is his first book. Klappentext Captain William Van Zanten was one of the "Magnificent Bastards” of the 2nd Battalion, 4th Marines, in 1966-a year when any day could bring death or dismemberment from a Bouncing Betty or a punji stake, a firefight or a sniper bullet. He and his men faced B-52-sized mosquitoes, rain, heat, disease, and a determined and elusive enemy who kept the Marines off-balance, edgy, and sleepless. Yet Van Zanten persevered with a soldierly professionalism built on rigorous training. Dedication and boot camp forged the volunteer Marines of the early war years, so when the stakes went through the roof in Vietnam, commitment of man to man and man to unit was total. They supported each other with a soldier's intimacy and endured with a soldier's humor-and together that meant survival. Leseprobe First to Fight The hangar deck of the USS Iwo Jima was a jumble of humanity. One thousand marines, all dressed up for combat. Packs were packed, helmets pulled on tight and cartridge belts filled with a large assortment of rifle magazines, hand grenades, flares, mortar shells and machine-gun bandoliers. Everything in its place, neatly stored for easy use. We looked sharp. This wasn't a parade and no well-defined lines existed, but we knew exactly what we were doing and where we were going. Random, yet well-defined motion in all directions. It may have looked like mass hysteria to an outsider. Nothing could have been further from the truth. This movement was part of the overall plan, a very precise drill. Each movement had a purpose. A deadly purpose. We had practiced this exercise hundreds of times, but could all that practice prepare us for the real thing? This time our M-14 rifles were loaded with live ammo. This would be the first shooting war with this new-model rifle and its 20-round, bottom-loaded magazine. It was very accurate at 500 yards and more but this wasn't target practice. This time somebody might be shooting back. This time people were probably going to get hurt. It was June 5, 1965, and we were about to introduce South Vietnam to the 3rd Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment. OPERATION STARLITE was officially under way. We would participate in the first large military operation of the war. Other American troops were on Vietnamese soil and had been for a couple of months, but up until now military activity had been confined to a rather large-scale show of force. Forces from the Pacific had been deployed throughout the area for just exactly this contingency. We were the first forces sent from the mainland U.S.A. We weren't here to show force. We were here to do force, in a big way. We all wanted to perform well. We all wanted to stay alive. Maybe we'd get this over and be home in a couple of months. Maybe the bad guys would turn and run for cover. The Marines had arrived. Wouldn't LBJ be pleased if we got this over in a hurry? Wouldn't we all. After a hurried departure from Camp Pendleton, California, and 17 days at sea, we stood approximately three miles off the coast of what would turn out to be a hard-to-forget, easy-to-hate part of the world. We were tired of being honored guests of the U.S. Navy, even thou...
