Father, Soldier, Son : Memoir of a Platoon Leader in Vietnam

Rating:
Summary: A great, artistic read
Review: I can't make any claims to the validity or non-validity of the book's subject matter, but I found the whole book engrossing from beginning to end. The man's private motivations and trials may not belong to everyone, but I think they are deep and true enough so that anyone can understand them. They are mixed in with commentary about the war from the author's viewpoint then as a young man and at the time of writing, and is also filled with the nerve wracking, often spooky action of that period in that place, which creates its own atmosphere along the lines of Dispatches by Herr. This book is not to be missed.

Rating:
Summary: A great, artistic read
Review: I can't make any claims to the validity or non-validity of the book's subject matter, but I found the whole book engrossing from beginning to end. The man's private motivations and trials may not belong to everyone, but I think they are deep and true enough so that anyone can understand them. They are mixed in with commentary about the war from the author's viewpoint then as a young man and at the time of writing, and is also filled with the nerve wracking, often spooky action of that period in that place, which creates its own atmosphere along the lines of Dispatches by Herr. This book is not to be missed.

Rating:
Summary: Good Read, But Be Aware.....
Review: Like most historical events and first person accounts of that history, there is more than one perspective that must be considered. Mr. Tripp's book although excellent and compelling, gives the reader 'his' experience. Sometimes this effort comes at the expense of objectivity. So, in reading this book be aware of other realities that share his Vietnam world.

I was with the 9th Infantry Division approximately the same time. In fact, I know many of the same places Mr. Tripp refers to in his book. Who knows, maybe he and I shared C-rations at some point. I also know that Mr. Tripp's description of the 9th Division and the Division Snipers in particular, although written from his perspective and with literary license, and meant to be compelling, is also unfair and plays into the hands of those who called us 'baby killers' and 'killing machines'.

We were young men, 18 years old and in combat for the first time. For most of us, it was not about proving one's self, or fighting the internal war with families and other bagage. It was about getting through the day without getting killed. Mr. Tripp has provided us with some gutsy descriptions of that emotion, I only wish it was not at the expense of other GI's who shared the same battleground, we were not all automatons nor were we without our own feelings of guilt, regardless of origin.

Rating:
Summary: Good Read, But Be Aware.....
Review: Like most historical events and first person accounts of that history, there is more than one perspective that must be considered. Mr. Tripp's book although excellent and compelling, gives the reader 'his' experience. Sometimes this effort comes at the expense of objectivity. So, in reading this book be aware of other realities that share his Vietnam world.

I was with the 9th Infantry Division approximately the same time. In fact, I know many of the same places Mr. Tripp refers to in his book. Who knows, maybe he and I shared C-rations at some point. I also know that Mr. Tripp's description of the 9th Division and the Division Snipers in particular, although written from his perspective and with literary license, and meant to be compelling, is also unfair and plays into the hands of those who called us 'baby killers' and 'killing machines'.

We were young men, 18 years old and in combat for the first time. For most of us, it was not about proving one's self, or fighting the internal war with families and other bagage. It was about getting through the day without getting killed. Mr. Tripp has provided us with some gutsy descriptions of that emotion, I only wish it was not at the expense of other GI's who shared the same battleground, we were not all automatons nor were we without our own feelings of guilt, regardless of origin.

Rating:
Summary: A Refreshingly Honest Memoir
Review: Nathaniel Tripp does an excellent job in describing his raw feelings with a style of writing that tends to captivate and draw you in to the story on both an emotional and intellectual level. He is refreshingly candid in sharing his fears, apprehensions, loneliness and insecurities; feelings which most of us experience from time to time or at least can relate to. At first he doesn't want to get close to his platoon but he's gradually seduced into a family like bond - Father, Soldier, Son. Although he was with his platoon for only six or so months, the emotional ties that developed formed such a strong, lasting and profound bond. We saw many times in later years that his platoon became an emotional retreat where he yearned for the comfort and closeness he remembered to help him cope with life's "bumps in the road".

Tripp's book brought back many memories for me; both good and bad. Like Tripp, I was with the First Infantry Division around the very same time-frame (I was with Alpha Co., 2nd Bn., 16th Inf.) Our platoon (Mike) operated in some of the same locations as Tripp's. Some of the experiences he talked about are experiences I could relate to and the names of the villages, rubber plantations etc. are all familiar to me. All this and Tripp's superb writing style made his book particuilarly special for me.

I was surprised to see a soldier on the cover (paperback edition) wearing a First Cavalry Division patch - I would have liked to have seen a soldier wearing a "Big Red One" patch.

Rating:
Summary: Very well writen
Review: Tripp's work belongs among the 'classic' memoirs of Americans serving in combat. Without bloodthirsty bravado or bitter resentment, Tripp provides us with another in a short list of honest, reflective, applicable reflections on being a field officer under fire generally, and in Vietnam specifically. The power of the work is not based solely on Tripp's unique ability to share with us much of what he saw, smelled, felt, feared, shared, gained and lost. Rather, it is the openness with which he frames his perspective and outlines his evolutions as a man, a leader, a parent, a son. The child who learns the meaning of the word 'sunset' by hearing the word and then seeing its definition presented in open air at twilight learns the meaning of the word differently compared to the child who has both the term and its definition spoken. That first child learns in a richer, more personal, more powerful way. Tripp provides us with the richer lesson by taking us very close to that westward view, providing us with the basic language, and enabling us to describe our own sunsets. This is an important book for those of us with similar experiences overseas and at home.

Rating:
Summary: Reporting facts
Review: Trivial bone-picking: the author states the commanding general of the 1st Infantry Division was the only general officer killed in the Viet Nam war. However I recall the great sense of loss everyone in the Cav felt when General Casey, CG, 1st Cavalry Division(AM), was killed when his UH-1 went down. But on the whole the book rings true.

Rating:
Summary: Reporting facts
Review: Trivial bone-picking: the author states the commanding general of the 1st Infantry Division was the only general officer killed in the Viet Nam war. However I recall the great sense of loss everyone in the Cav felt when General Casey, CG, 1st Cavalry Division(AM), was killed when his UH-1 went down. But on the whole the book rings true.