HONOR and COURAGE
READING LIST
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  Books and Other Publications of Interest
to Jumping Mustangs1. "Year of the Horse, Vietnam", by Colonel Kenneth D. Mertel, Airborne Infantry, Schiffer Publishing Company, 1996, 4th printing, hardback, photos and maps. Covers 1965-1966 and the 1st of the 8th Cav, Airborne, Air Assault, Airmobile. Also an appendix on the 1st Air Cav into Cambodia in 1970. 2. "Incursion", by J. D. Coleman, 1991, St Martin's Press. The 1st Air Cav's Air Assault into Cambodia in 1970. 3. "Pleiku", The Dawn of Helicopter Warfare in Vietnam, by J. D. Coleman, St Martin's Press. Action of 1st Air Cav in Pleiku in 1965. 4. "The Ghosts of the Highlands", 1st Cavalry Division, Airmobile, LRRP'S in 1965-1967, by Kregg P. J. Jorgerson. 5. "Anatomy of a Division", 1st Air Cav in Vietnam, Presidio Press 1987, By Shelby I. Stanton. 6. "Band of Brothers", E Co, 506 Abn Bn, 101 st Abn Div, by Stephen E. Ambrose, Simon & Schuster, 1993. The story of an Airborne Rifle Company, training in WW II, Normandy to the Eagles Nest in Germany. Great similarities in training and combat in a different war as our own great Jumping Mustang Airborne Battalion. 7. "RIDE AT A GALLOP", 228th Helicopter Battalion, 1 Air Cav Div, Col Benjamin S. Silver, (USA Ret), story of that great chinook (CH-47) Battalion, by its first Commander, in both the 11th Air Assault Div days and with the 1st Air Cav Div in Vietnam, 1965-66. Dalton Brothers Publishing Company, Waco, TX. 8. "ONCE AN EAGLE", Infantry Combat at Rifle Company and Battalion level, World War I, II and Vietnam Wars. Outstanding, down at GRUNT level. By Anton Myrer, 1968, Army War College Foundation Press, Carlisle, PA. Available on Amazon and Barnes Noble web sites. 9. "BAPTISM", Infantry Combat in the Ia Drang Campaign 1965 1st Air Cav Div, by Lt Larry Gwin, Executive Officer, 2/7th Cav. Oustanding story and the details of what happened to his Battalion. Ivy Book, paperback. 10. "HOME IN ONE PIECE", by John Thompson, Son of Larry and Karen Thompson, B Co 66-67. The story of courage, tenancity and the will to live, when a young 18 year old in 1992, alone on a farm in Montana, in sub zero weather, losses both arms in farm machine. How he survived, thanks to his dog Tuffy and his own ingenuity. Must reading especially for teenagers and anyone who knew John. He sings the National Anthem at our Reunions. See "johnsbook.net" on the Internet to order. Published 2001. 11. HONOR AND COURAGE, BY Nelson De Mille,
a Jumping Mustang, C 67. UP COUNTRY, BY Nelson De Mille NIGHT
FALL, By Nelson De Mille, 2004. Dear Nelson: 4 March 2002, Just finished your latest great book, "Up Country". Truly outstanding, riveting
and grabbing to the end. I am using your audio cassette version, the unabridged form, all 20 cassettes.
Was so sorry to see it end. I am pleased it shall be another movie, even greater than the "President's
Daughter" It is remarkable how you wove your combat experience with 1/8 Cav
as flash backs with the present day Vietnam. I could live almost every moment. All places most familiar to me, except North
Vietnam, since I was there for three tours, 62-63 as CO 145th Combat Aviation Battalion, 65-66 as Co 1/8 Cav,
Abn, and as DCO of the 1st Abn Bde, and then again in 1970 as CO 11th Cbt Avn
Grp of 1st Air Cav and then the 3rd Inf
Bde. I could relate to all of it, the Rex Hotel Sunday dinner occasionally, Nah Trang (only on first tour) and further North in Bong
Song area. The changing weather, leeches, stinging ants, snakes, mosquitoes and other
flying things all to prevalent. Your combat actions most realistic, because you lived most of them.
Your characters most believable. I was hoping VP Blake would shoot himself, but you left us wondering,
which makes it a good story. Again, well done, a marvelous weaving of fact
and fiction. I look forward to the next book and soon I hope. I hope you might find time to come to
our Jumping Mustang Reunion in Gulf Port, Mississippi 12-16 June, this year. We should have a great turn out. Many of your fellow warriors probably there. I would be delighted to hear from you. If
you have anything you would like me to put on your Company Page, about your experiences, it would be
most welcome. You were privileged to command Co D, 67-68. I am sorry I have not had the opportunity to meet you. Maybe we
shall someday. I recorded the
combat actions of the 1/8 Cav and Abn Bde,
1965-1966,in a hard back, "Year of the Horse, Vietnam{, 4th printing, by Schiffer Publishing Company, in 1997. It was first published in 1968.
Lots of air mobility and combat actions of our heroic Jumping Mustangs. I was hoping Hollywood
might look favorable on a movie, but not so thus far. I would be delighted to hear from you.
Jumping Mustang 6 HONOR AND COURAGE, DRIVE ON ALL THE WAY, Ken Mertel. 12. WAR HEROES IN VIETNAM: Heroes of the Vietnam Generation By James Webb top of page |
