Matthew Brennan (1)

"Flashing Saber: Three Years in Vietnam" tells the story of a young man who quits college and joins the Army in 1965. He volunteers for Vietnam and is assigned to the 1st Cavalry Div - 9th Infantry. Initially, he is assigned to an artillery unit as a Forward Observer in Division HQ - a relatively safe position, but volunteers for the infantry units that patrol through the jungles looking for the enemy. At first, he is awed by his surroundings, naive in the ways of war and soon has his first firefight with the enemy. Wondering if he had made the wrong decision, he decides to give it his best and learn all he can to stay alive.

Sgt. Brennan later joined the famed "B-Troop Blues" unit which go looking for trouble and do so daily. Intelligence receives information and the small platoons are sent to engage the enemy. Most firefights are hit and run from the enemy, but when it's over, trophies and souvenirs are plentiful. These units are extremely skilled and battle hardened, soon developing a warrior reputation among other fighting units in country. The author's accounts are brought to life in such detail that readers may have to periodically take a break to ensure they are not in the war fighting alongside him.

The author returns home after his first extended tour and discovers that his fiance hadn't been true to him in his absence. He leaves town and heads out on his own to find himself. Life is difficult. There is no excitement, camaraderie, and getting a job is almost impossible because of his war veteran status and he soon misses those friends he'd left behind. Sgt. Brennan reenlists specifically to rejoin the Blues, feeling re energized and content after the first mission.

With this tome covering such an extended period of time, the author shows readers how tactics, leadership, discipline and racism evolve during these years - especially during his final tour in 1969. Mr. Brennan does not sugarcoat anything and tells it like it was - leaving little to the imagination. During this final tour, Sgt. Brennan receives a field commission to lieutenant and is assigned to one of the Cav. platoons. His first patrol in the bush scares him silly - no noise discipline, continuous complaints, refusal to follow directions, etc., clearly demonstrating that this new generation of soldiers must be schooled in the ways of war. So begins jungle training from scratch. The new lieutenant soon gets a reputation as a great leader within the battalion and other soldiers are begging to join his platoon. However, a change in leadership within the company and battalion leadership makes it difficult for Brennan to keep his men safe and out of harms way. Dissension grows as his men begin to die unnecessarily!

As a Vietnam vet myself, I could relate to much of what the author wrote. I was, however, fascinated by the Blues missions and learned much about this elite group of soldiers. I do have one concern that kept me from awarding 5 stars in my review...typos and misused words, especially in the last quarter of the book - almost like somebody else wrote that portion. I also apologize for being the only reviewer to bring this to your attention. Please take the time to make the corrections - readers will then find it less distracting.

I want to commend the author for his work - I know how much time and devotion is necessary to create a story about his war experiences and awareness of what the war was really like in Vietnam. Great job Mr. Brennan! Thank you for your service and Welcome Home Brother (sir)!

John Podlaski, author
Cherries - A Vietnam War Novel… (lisätietoja)

This excellent book follows up on Brennan's earlier memoir, "Brennan's War". "Headhunters" takes several survivors (28) of the 9th Cav. and lets them focus a few pages on what they remember most from their Vietnam tour(s). Brennan was an infantryman and provides one chapter, but other chapters relate accounts from Jeep scouts, a helicopter scout pilot, a helicopter scout gunner and few other harder to find perspectives. The writing is always sparse in description but accurate enough to convey a wide range of feelings or the accumulated meaning of events years afterwards. Several chapters speak about the soldiers' presence at the dedication of the Memorial Wall. Introduction, Appendix and 2 pages of b/w photos on the inside and back covers.… (lisätietoja)