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George W. Smith (2) (1940–)

Teoksen Carlson's Raid tekijä

Katso täsmennyssivulta muut tekijät, joiden nimi on George W. Smith.

4 teosta 122 jäsentä 2 arvostelua

Tietoja tekijästä

George W. Smith is a journalist with the Hartford Courant. This Vietnam veteran's first book is "The Siege at Hue". He lives in West Hartford, Connecticut. (Bowker Author Biography)

Tekijän teokset

Merkitty avainsanalla

Yleistieto

Syntymäaika
1940
Sukupuoli
male

Jäseniä

Kirja-arvosteluja

Smith was a reservist who opted to remain in the army for an additional tour of duty in 1967. He thought not going to Vietnam would be like going to college without getting a degree. After arriving in Vietnam, following an intense training program in Panama, he was assigned to be information officer. This meant he was able to travel all around the country and sit in on the briefings, all with only a small degree of personal risk. So he thought. In 1968, he was posted to Hue to help reduce the reports of corruption and malfeasance in the ARVN 1st Airborne Division. As it happened, he arrived just prior to the Tet offensive. Hue held a special place in the hearts of both North and South Vietnamese. Recognizing this importance, in 1966 General Westmoreland had told President Johnson that if he were in charge of the North Vietnamese forces he would attack Hue because of this symbolic importance. Unfortunately, by 1968, he had forgotten that recommendation. Fortunately for the United States, the ARVN unit stationed at Hue was commanded by one of the few soldiers who had reached command by dint of skill rather than bribery and nepotism. His unit was considered one of the best, and the North Vietnamese were unable to benefit from the usual number of defections following an attack. General Truong, the ARVN commander, also had a very close working relationship with the U.S. Marines who were available, but in limited numbers. It was difficult for command headquarters 100 km south of Hue to understand the difficulties the Marines were in. Their orders showed a complete lack of intelligence with regard to the number of NVA troops and how well they had infiltrated the city. Aside from the Citadel, the NVA had virtual control of the city, and because TET was a general offensive, US resources were limited. Their normal tactic of surrounding the enemy and then smothering them with artillery until everything had been smashed would not work at Hue. The most interesting chapter reveals the role of the U.S. media. Almost immediately following the beginning of the offensive, the networks and newspapers flooded the area with reporters. Smith was astonished not only by their bravery – most of them – but by their skill in getting tapes and stories out to the world at a time when the Marines were having difficulty getting supplies. Their presence made it difficult for the military to put a positive spin on events that were obviously not going well.… (lisätietoja)
 
Merkitty asiattomaksi
ecw0647 | Sep 30, 2013 |
This history actually covers the initial formation of the 1st, it's training and initial deployments as well as it's final assignment to Bloody Ridge south of Henderson Field on Guadalcanal. The author fleshed out the book by adding in quite a lot of detail about the Guadalcanal campaign outside of the 1st Raider's scope of operations, so any readers familiar with the campaign will find a lot of redundant material. Only recommended for those with a real interest in learning more specifically about the battalion and don't mind the unrelated material.… (lisätietoja)
 
Merkitty asiattomaksi
jztemple | May 13, 2010 |

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Tilastot

Teokset
4
Jäseniä
122
Arvio (tähdet)
½ 3.5
Kirja-arvosteluja
2
ISBN:t
22

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