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Book Review by Lt Col. Kenneth W Pipes, USMC (Ret) |
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With this sterling book, Captain Coan, Marine Tanker, wounded Vietnam Veteran and combat leader of many battles fought against the experienced and professional North Vietnamese Army in and around "The Hill of Angels," has arrived as a riveting and knowledgeable Marine Corps historian! In my opinion, with the publication of this detailed and well researched work, he joins a small, elite band of Marine authors, who expand the grasp and under-standing of a confusing period of the Marine Corps heroic battles in the far northern provinces of South Vietnam! |
Con
Thien: The Hill of Angels by: Captain James Coan |
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Unlike most authors, Captain Coan made a bold and commendable decision early in his organization-al research period. He would focus his research on the continuing Battles of Con Thien within a four-grid-square area and include all units, operations and major combat actions. Thus, everything that occurred in this arbitrary zone from 1967 until 1969 when the area became the responsibility of the South Vietnamese is included. Major operations in this time period in and around Con Thien will be more than familiar to those that fought and survived these fierce battles: Prairie III, Prairie IV, Hickory, Cimarron, Buffalo, Kingfisher and Kentucky to mention just a few of the major actions! Marine casualty totals, when viewed in this correct manner are staggering: over 1400 Killed In Action and 9,200 wounded in action. Impressively, the author's decision moved his writings from personal recollections, which is the format of many books written about Vietnam, to an all encompassing and well documented historical overview of major events surrounding the titanic struggles between our Marines and the NVA for control of this key piece of terrain. Consciously and commendably this approach highlights the individual courageous actions of Marines — from PFC to company grade officers. You will recognize the names of and remember many of these stalwart Marine warriors. I sure did! Details that you may not have known become rhyme and reason for the saga of Marine courage and tenacity — in any clime and place! Rightfully so, few senior Marine Field Grade or General Officers are mentioned. The war in Northern I Corps and their civilian counterparts neither tactically nor strategically was something many of them could nor should be proud of! Documented here and in the recently published book, "Khe Sanh, The First Battle of the Hills," are the terrible screw-ups regarding the M-16. Though they were wrong, very senior Marines in Vietnam and Headquarters Marine Corps blamed the Marine Infantrymen for not cleaning their weapons properly and their combat leaders for not correctly supervising this necessary combat evolution. They were terribly and tragically wrong in their assessments and testimony before Congress! It was they who were negligent for not giving their last full measure of devotion in defense of their Marines against these dastardly and cowardly accusations! Marines were fighting and dying as they repeatedly and successfully executed Regimental and Division orders — orders that precluded our attack into NVA artillery, staging and marshalling areas just to the north of the Ben Hai River. Few senior civilian or military leaders were as willing to go into the breach for their Marines or Soldiers. As Captain Coan documents, the Marines on the sacred ground in and around Con Thien did not have this luxury! Like their French Foreign Legion predecessors, they marched and died, while their senior civilian and military leaders were generally not willing to place their careers in jeopardy by fighting for necessary life saving changes to the convoluted rules of engagement and failed strategy! Captain Coan's research moved the stories of the murder of Marine prisoners of war by the NVA from the realm of rumor to fact. The skinning and nailing of bodies to trees, desecration of our dead and wounded by unspeakable mutilation have all been moved from the shadows into the harsh light of day! Was it better that this information was kept (to the extent possible) out of hands of the Marines on the ground? You who were there have your own opinions! Personally, speaking as a rifle company commander at Khe Sanh during the Siege, we and our Marines had a need to know this information! This outstanding historical writing builds upon the groundwork laid by the Reverend Ray Stubbe and others who have written similar works about the many battles in and around Khe Sanh. The operational battles of Con Thien and Khe Sanh frequently changed names. The reality is that only the name of the operation changed. The committed forces on either side remained much the same, as they were tunneled into and out of these meat grinders. Captain Coan's commendable research approach documents the terrible cost in Marines and Soldiers killed, maimed and wounded. Remember: 1419+ killed and 9265 wounded in a two-year period with-in four grid squares of the "Hill of Angels." It should come as no surprise to those who buy this book that some of the units that fought at Con Thien were then sent to Khe Sanh for the "Battle for the Hills" and "The Siege," before returning to the never ending struggle for control of Con Thien. As we used to say with great justification, "one good deal after the other!" For the serious historian and Vietnam Marine and Army Veterans who survived the carnage in Northern I Corps, this outstanding book is an absolute must buy! When the reader adds Captain Coan's superb book to "Khe Sanh, The First Battle of the Hills," they will have a nearly compete picture of this trying and demanding time in our Marine Corps history. For our professional cadre of NCOs and officers, the long running fiasco of our experience in that time and place became a template for how not to fight a war. These Marines, who were later to occupy senior positions in our Corps, changed the way we would conduct our future war fighting! Out of the dismal failure of members of the "Greatest Generation" in Vietnam arose the success of Desert Storm and the initial success of the second war with Iraq! With its publication, Captain Jim P. Coan deserves only the highest praise for his book and has earned the support of our loyal Corps of readers! Well done, sir and congratulations! Captain Coan is an
active member of the Khe Sanh Veterans.
Lt.Col. Kenneth W. Pipes |
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