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MWSA Review
Hill 119: Defending a Reconnaissance Marines’ OP, Vietnam, 1969–70 is an extremely detailed account of the Marines and Corpsmen of Delta Company, 1st Reconnaissance Battalion, as they manned an observation post near Danang during the Vietnam War. Like a James Michener novel, the account starts with a description of the surrounding infrastructure constructed during the French colonial period: roads, railroad tracks, dams, and canals. All of these features would play a part in the daily operations of the Hill. With two higher hills in close proximity, it was only through aggressive patrolling and regular night ambushes that the men of Hill 119 were able to maintain their presence and enable another group of Marines to conduct vital day-and-night surveillance over a valley that was an NVA infiltration “highway.”
The author, who spent considerable time as the commander on the hill, spares no one by offering an honest appraisal of both the valor and shortcomings of the people who manned the Hill and the supporting 1st Reconnaissance Battalion. Most chapters start with a short paragraph on what was happening in the U.S. at that time and in the conduct of the war, to provide necessary context. Even though Hill 119 was an isolated and occasionally beleaguered outpost, events on the Hill would eventually be felt not only in the larger theater of the Vietnam War but also in the United States.
The author uses an extensive collection of maps and diagrams, many of which he and others used during the war. An extensive glossary is provided, ensuring readers at any level of interest in military history do not get lost in the blizzard of jargon and acronyms from a conflict that happened over 55 years ago. This book will be of interest to military history enthusiasts, Vietnam veterans, or anyone seeking a deeper understanding of the U.S. military's final days in the Vietnam War.
Review by Terry Lloyd
Author's Synopsis
A narrative account of Reconnaissance Marines in Vietnam. Small Teams launching daring deep Stingray patrols in the bush. On the Observation Post, Hill 119 defending for 600 relentless days and nights. Surrounded by the NVA with the constant challenge of determining friendly Vietnamese civilians from hard corps Viet Cong and North Vietnamese regulars. Their lifeline were the Marine helicopters that flew out bringing water, ammo, food, and their replacement platoon. In 1969 and 1970, Delta Company, 1st Reconnaissance Battalion, 1st Marine Division manned the OP and ran patrols in Phu Loc Valley and Go Noi Island. This firsthand account of the Marines and Corpsmen who patrolled deep and occupied the OP describes their struggle to survive. Based on participant interviews and the detailed declassified debriefing reports compiled after each patrol returned to their rear base, at Camp Reasoner, Da Nang in the Republic of South Vietnam. This is their history!
Format(s) for review: Paper or Kindle
Review genre: Nonfiction—History
Pages/Word count: 449 / 261,656