Tiger Bravo's War: An Epic Year with an Elite Airborne Rifle Company in the 101st Airborne Division's Wandering Warriors, at the Height of the Vietnam War.

A war that defined a generation. A band of paratroopers that defied the odds. A bond that couldn't be broken. In the bloodiest year (1968) of a decade long war, a company called "Tiger Bravo" fought across the battlefields of Vietnam, as part of an elite Strike Force nicknamed the "Wandering Warriors." By the time the last chopper departed, Tiger Bravo had amassed a staggering 150 Purple Hearts and mourned the loss of 30 brothers in arms. In Tiger Bravo's War, you'll discover the trials and tribulations of life in the combat zone from soldiers' letters and the personal stories of survivors. You'll learn what it was like to trudge through the dark heart of the jungle, take to the streets in the Tet Offensive, launch a daring rescue mission, and dodge booby-traps deep within enemy territory. Through unbearable hardships, gut wrenching losses and rare moments of joy and laughter, you'll watch as a company of America's youth transforms itself from a collection of total strangers in civilian life to an elite unit of highly trained paratroopers and, as their Vietnam odyssey unfolds, to battle-hardened, war-weary veterans willing to make the ultimate sacrifice for their brothers. In St John's compelling memoir, you'll discover: - An episodic narrative taking the reader on a journey with Tiger Bravo, from stateside training through its first year of combat. - Light-hearted antics between missions, featuring rock n' roll in the mess hall and drunken hijinks. - Personal stories from surviving veterans, including a west Texas oilfields high school dropout, a medic abandoned by his mother, and the son of a World War II Japanese fighter pilot turned Silver Star recipient. - A glimpse of the lasting impact of the war, including failed marriages, alcoholism, and PTSD. - In-depth research, including interviews from more than 20 veterans, battlefield journals and letters, seven hundred plus primary source footnotes and much, much more!

Publisher: Currahee Press LLC

Published: United States, 1 August 2017

Format: Hardcover, 358 pages

Dimensions: 22.9 x 15.2 x 2.1 centimeters (0.69 kg)

Writer: Rick St John

ReviewsHaving taught university literature and composition for over forty years, I value clarity, precision, and logical organization over eloquence of style, imaginative metaphor, and literary allusion. Rick St. John in Tiger Bravo's War, his fine book about the Vietnam War, excels at the former but does not fail at the latter. As importantly, even though it is history, this book responds to E. M. Forster's famous answer to the question of what a novel does: "Yes--oh dear yes--it tells a story." St. John relates "the exploits of the men of B Company, 2nd Battalion (Airborne) 506th Infantry Regiment--an airborne rifle company in the 3rd Brigade, 101st Airborne Division, during one year of combat operations in the Vietnam War." It's a story you should read.From a youthful prank ('borrowing' a banner featuring a tiger that identified their unit) through stateside preparations and in-country orientation, to jungle, lowland, and mountain operations, with changes in leadership, strategy, and goals, the victories and the losses of these men are starkly presented. The strength of the enemy is acknowledged, and the year's toll on a band of young, patriotic soldiers is relentlessly tabulated, not just in injuries and deaths, but also in values and beliefs. St. John also shows how conscious these men were of disheartening events and evolving attitudes back home. The full measure of that dynamic is not clear until we reach a moving section on the after effects of war; that alone is worth reading to begin to understand the cost to those who survived. And, of course, Rick St. John acknowledges and honors the fallen.The author meticulously documents his narrative (there are over 750 footnotes) through newspaper and periodical articles; battlefield journals, reports and studies; emails, letters, interviews, and personal correspondence. Tiger Bravo's War is a thoroughly researched book that will be valued by historians, lay readers hoping to learn more about a war central to American history, and those who served and their families.It tells a story--oh dear yes!Michael Lund, Professor Emeritus of English, Longwood UniversityDirector: Home and Abroad (a writing program for military, veterans, and family)