Airborne: A Combat History of American Airborne Forces by LTG (Retired) E. M. Flanagan Jr.

Airborne

Airborne: A Combat History of American Airborne Forces by LTG (Retired) E. M. Flanagan Jr. Allow me to state my prejudices upfront. I am a former United States Army officer commissioned through the reserve officer training program (ROTC). I have my jump wings. For those who attended jump school at Fort Benning. I was A36 in class 37 - 76. I proudly wore my jump wings.

West Point Graduates Who Provided Airborne Leadership

Airborne: A Combat History of American Airborne Forces by LTG Flanagan reminds me in some ways of a military after-action report. It mentions people, equipment, backgrounds, TO & E and the never-ending officer name, his West Point class year, his class standing if high or low, and if he currently had and in the future will have a historically significant assignment. Rarely is an ROTC and never a battlefield or OCS commissioned officer mentioned.

Great Use of Medal of Honor Citations

The use of Medal of Honor citations throughout the book is good, though it significantly declined after the chapter on the Korean War. The book covers the period of pre World War Two to the end of World War Two in painful detail. At some points, the level of detail bogs down and even gets as boring as reading a TO & E.

Operation Just Cause in Panama

The best-written part of the book was the coverage of Operation Just Cause in Panama. It reads almost like a newspaper account of the operation. Unfortunately, the coverage given to this operation was not duplicated in other post World War Two events. The brevity of coverage from the period 1946 to the end of the 1990s is shocking.

Role of Women and Minorities

I would be interested in knowing when the airborne troops were integrated. Who was the first African American to get his jump wings? Who was the first African American to make a combat jump? While LTG Flanagan did mention the XVIII Airborne Corps does have a limited number of women in it in non-combatant positions, I would like to know when women first earned their jump wings and who was first. I know I had three females in my class at airborne school. Only token coverage was given to other branches of the service and Airborne qualified trooper.

This 2003 published book needs updating to include the current Afghanistan and Iraq war. All in all, the book is a must-read for those interested in US military history. 

Steel My Soldiers' Hearts: The Hopeless to Hardcore Transformation of the U.S. Army, 4th Battalion, 39th Infantry, Vietnam by David Hackworth

Vietnam in the spring of 1969

Steel My Soldiers' Hearts: The Hopeless to Hardcore Transformation of the U.S. Army, 4th Battalion, 39th Infantry, Vietnam by Col. (Retired) David H. Hackworth and his wife Eilhys England. The book is about David Hackworth. It is a memoir about his time in Vietnam in the spring of 1969.

He embodies both the best and the worst of US Army officers. He is a hard-charging, mission-oriented, and motivated officer. He demands excellence from the men under his command. He suffers the hardships they do. He is also quite egotistical and hubris can describe his self-confidence that borders on an attitude of self-love.

9th Division, 4th Battalion, 39th Infantry

The book is about the U.S. Army’s 9th Division, 4th Battalion, 39th Infantry, Vietnam. This book is about Hackworth's transformation of what he viewed as a combat-ineffective battalion of draftees that he leads into a solid American fighting unit.

The story is a good case study of leadership. The descriptions of combat operations contained in the book are some of the best I have read and comparable with those in “We Were Soldiers Once … and Young”.

I highly recommend the book to those interested in military history or Vietnam War history. David Hackworth relates a narrative about himself.

It is a good story of the men in the 4th Battalion, 39th Infantry that deserves to be read.

Uncertain Seasons by Elizabeth Shelfer Morgan

Unedited Letters 

Uncertain Seasons contains the unedited letters from her uncle, 1LT Howard Shelfer, who was with the 9th Infantry Division, 60th Infantry, B Company in North Africa, Sicily, England (as S4) and France.

1LT Howard Shelfer was killed on Aug. 11, 1944, during the counterattack near Mortain.

9th Infantry Division in North Africa, Sicily, England & France

Uncertain Seasons will be of interest to 9th Infantry Division veterans of World War II and the children.

 This book has been awarded the Best Book for Young Readers by the Florida Historical Society (1995).

Example of Using Letters as Premise for a Book

It is an excellent example of using letters as the premise for a book. Elizabeth Shelfer Morgan wrote Uncertain Seasons in 1994.

It was published by the University of Alabama Press. This book has been awarded the Best Book for Young Readers by the Florida Historical Society (1995).

A Soldier's Story by General of the Army Omar Bradley

World War II as Experienced by General Omar Bradley

A Soldier's Story by General of the Army Omar Bradley is the story of World War II as General Omar Bradley saw it. It is also the primary sourcebook for the movie Patton. Bradley's unassuming and straightforward style underscores how he is portrayed by contemporary accounts. 

G.I. General

General Bradley was known as the "G.I. General". In the book, he comes across as an island of equanimity in a sea of incredible egos like Patton, Montgomery et. al.

Book Has an Aura of Authenticity

Remember, this book is Bradley's take on events. I am sure that some involved in controversies he covered would defend their actions or inactions. Yet this account has an aura of authenticity due to the author's lack of need to tout his own accomplishments. This inner peacefulness, along with command ability, probably explains Bradley's rise to the level of senior American ground commander in Europe. He even comments about working calculus problems for relaxation!

Written in 1951

Written in 1951, this book is superb. It gives insider's account of the American effort and strategic management in the European Theater of Operations. It is well written, clear and largely devoid of the bombast that can weigh down some combat and command accounts. Although a big book, it reads quickly.

The book was later used as a primary sourcebook for the movie Patton along with Patton: Ordeal and Triumph by Ladislas Farago.

A Personal Note

One of the highlights of my life was getting to interview Omar Bradley for a boy scout merit badge I was working on in 1964. He was living in a house on the William Beaumont Hospital grounds at Fort Bliss, Texas. My dad was stationed in El Paso at the time. The general was very kind to a kid interviewing him. I remember my dad getting exasperated when I told him I need a ride to do an interview for my God and Country merit badge. I told him I had called and set up an appointment with an old retired soldier though the boy scout council HQ. When he asked who and I said Omar Bradley my dad about passed out. He had served under Bradley in World War II. I remember his kindness and patience.

The Battle of An Loc by James Wilbanks

Major Battle of the Vietnam War

ere is a review I wrote for the book "The Battle of An Loc" by James Wilbanks for the Military History Book Club. A must have book for anyone with an interest in Viet-Nam. This is a very good read. The Battle of An Loc was a major battle of the Vietnam War that lasted from April 13 to July 20, 1972. It culminated in a decisive victory for South Vietnam’s Army of the Republic of Vietnam (ARVN). The struggle for An Loc was one of the most important battles of the war. It saw the introduction of conventional warfare and tanks by the North Vietnamese Army (NVA). The ARVN forces halted the NVA advance towards Saigon. It delayed the war's end by three years.

First-Hand Account

The author, James Wilbanks, was present and wounded at An Loc. This is not only his account, but gives insights from the North Vietnamese and US advisor's after action reports plus other communist documents. The role of the unending US air support, the bravery of the US aircrews, and the orchestration by the Forward Air Controllers to the battle’s victory for the ARVN and US advisors are covered in warranted great detail.

The inability of the NVA to have armor and infantry work together in more conventional warfare is clearly brought to light and documented. Wilbanks gives insights into Richard Nixon’s Vietnamization’s perceived success by the politicians and its ultimate failures. This is a must have read and must have addition to the library for anyone with interest in the war in Viet-Nam.

How the North Won: A Military History of the Civil War by Herman Hattaway and Archer Jones

A Scholarly Look at the US Civil War

How the North Won: A Military History of the Civil War by Herman Hattaway and Archer Jones is a scholarly look at the Civil War. Hattaway and Jones have produced a great book on Civil War logistics, planning, and administration.

Logistics and Strategy

The authors seem to focus more on the logistics and strategy side over the tactical side. The book was very good, but at times, it was a dry recitation of chronology, dull facts, and statistics.

I had to force my way to complete the book, and it took two attempts to finish the book. Most copies of the book will collect dust on some university library bookshelf. It is too deep and too dry for most readers. Better to borrow this book from your library than spend your money purchasing the book.

Citizen Soldiers by Stephen E. Ambrose

How Citizens Become a Soldier

The book describes how these "citizen soldiers" came to be soldiers, and what they did once they were. There is some overlap with his other titles about World War II. The book follows the battles right after the allies left the beaches of Normandy, all the way through France into German territory.

Details World War Two in Europe

This lengthy volume details the war in Europe. It tells how Americans were critical to that victory. It gives the story through the eyes of those who participated in the various units. I enjoy this title and the stories the former GI's share.

“Citizen Soldiers“ is the name for the draftees, national guard, and army reserve soldiers, the non-regular army soldiers, which were so necessary to field an army of the size that was needed in World War II. Ambrose clearly shows that both the regular army and the citizen-soldiers were required for victory.