Content With My Wages: A Sergeant's Story: Book I-Vietnam (Volume 1)

MWSA Review

A Vietnam soldier’s story circa 1966-1967! Centered on the falsification of after-action reports. The book is focused upon counterinsurgency warfare and battles lost on August 25th, 1966, at Bong Trang; and won in April 1967, at Ap Gu. Focused on the author’s own life but also contains analysis and opinion with reflections on his own life.

The author draws parallels between counterinsurgency warfare and police work. He demonstrates that in Vietnam, most combat was initiated by the enemy and his unit succeeded more once they shifted to fighting on the defensive.

This reviewer benefited from the juxtaposition of the disaster at Bong Trang and success at Ap Gu - one of the most lopsided victories of the war. Told from the perspective of a grunt who later tries to reconcile Army doctrine and TTP about how wars should be fought and about leadership with what he experienced or learned about from others. The lack of accurate assessments and feedback by leaders doomed the lessons learned system and did not help the soldier in the field.

Mixed in with personal observations are in-depth results of post-war research where the author sets into context what was happening to his unit and to himself. Centered on elements of the 1^st Infantry Division, the author accurately describes the world view of the foot soldier and from that perspective, what should be the role of the commanders in the chain of command above him. He explains efforts to re-write the events of battle for a variety of understandable reasons, subsequent revisions admitted but not widely known, and the eventual conclusion that the Army learned nothing of value in Vietnam.

Reviewed by: Jim Tritten (2015)

Author's Summary

This is both a history, a memoir, and a critique of certain combat actions of the 1st Infantry Division during the years 1966 and 1967 in Vietnam. Growing up in California with an intense interest in military history and surfing, the author joined the National Guard in 1963. In 1965 he joined the regular army and was assigned to the 4th Armored Division in West Germany.

In 1966 he requested a transfer from the 2nd Battalion, 54th Infantry to the 1st Battalion, 16th Infantry, 1st Infantry Division in Vietnam. Arriving shortly after the disastrous battle of August 25th, 1966, at Bong Trang, he joined a rifle company that was being rebuilt by a Special Forces captain who had replaced the former company commander, KIA in that battle. He describes the battle in detail by blending an official history with the recollections of two of his comrades, who were there, and then returns to the battle and dissects it using personal accounts and official interviews of many of the participants to include MG William DePuy. Assigned as a machine gunner, the author began to learn the ways of a combat infantryman in a jungle war.

Three months later he was given more responsibilities and began serving in leadership positions as an acting sergeant until he was promoted to sergeant. He recounts a number of road clearing operations, ambush patrols and search and destroy missions, which took place shortly before his battalion’s participation in the largest operations of the Vietnam War: Operations Attleboro, Cedar Falls, and Junction City. During Junction City, he participated in the battles of Prek Klok I and Ap Gu, one of the most lopsided victories of the war. Between operations are descriptions of medical evacuation, hospitals, base camp amusements, rest and recuperation (R+R), and more. In June of 1967, the 1st Battalion, 16th Infantry and the 2d Battalion, 28th Infantry fought the 271st VC Regiment in the battles of Xom Bo I-II during Operation Billings. During Xom Bo II, on June 17th, the author’s platoon was at the center of the main enemy assault. Out of forty-three men, he was one of eight who walked away.

Once again, blending his own narrative with those of his company commander, an RTO, and one of his machine gunners, he presents a grim picture of close quarters infantry combat against a determined enemy. He describes the battle of Onh Thanh in October, 1967, which took place shortly after he left. There, the 2nd Battalion, 28th Infantry was almost completely destroyed by the 271st. Using published accounts, documentaries, and official histories, he shows how soldiers react to leadership that attempts to paint a rosy picture of a disaster. Returning to the chaos of American society in 1968 where he was assigned for a short time to the 1st Battalion, 3d Infantry (The Old Guard) in Washington, D.C., he finished his enlistment at in California at Fort MacArthur, near Los Angeles.

Finally he relates his own struggles with the memories of the war after he returned home and how he found peace. A professional soldier, the author used official after action reports, histories, studies, and recently released information to paint a more accurate picture of the successes and failures of the leadership, tactics, techniques, and procedures of the U.S. Army and Generals William Westmoreland, William DePuy, and John Hay. He also describes the lessons learned at the squad, platoon, and company level. These are timeless and should be of great interest to anyone considering serving or serving in the armed forces. At the same time he warns us of the pitfalls that will be encountered when studying military history.