Voices of Courage by Ronald J. Drez
(out of 5 stars)
Drez and Brinkley have written an amazing history of the battle for Khe Sanh in Voices of Courage. This relatively short book is peppered with contextual photos and first-hand experiences of a battle that should have been a decisive victory in the Vietnam War. The stories are raw, often emotional, and I could not put this book down. Excellent descriptions of strategy, tactics, and maneuvers lend to the history of these brave Marines and their fierce NVA enemy.
The authors argue that press coverage of the seige, which saw overwhelming NVA forces surround and attempt to capture the Khe Sanh base and its outpost hills, turned this significant and successful American defensive battle into a quagmire of stalemate, leading to a disengagement politically from follow-up military attacks. President Johnson lost hope, and in turn caused the military to lose initiative in the war after such a decisive battle. 6,000 US Marines and a handful of Army and ARVN troops defended the base for 77 days with tremendous help from air and artillery bombing, along with ferocious trench grenade and firefighting, and finally forced the NVA regiments to retreat out of the area.
A stellar account of this pivotal battle, and well worth a read for any warfare history reader. The photos are priceless and numerous, and make this short work a very detailed one. Four and one-half stars.
