Tiger Force: A True Story of Men and War

Undoubtedly one of the most powerful books I have ever read about the Vietnam War -- not from a political or historical perspective, but a truly human one. This is not going to be a popular book among right-wing military types, and I can already see that in some of the reactions. Unfortunately, the book has served as a forum for those who support what our nation did in Vietnam -- and those who opposed it. The authors describe the once celebrated platoon, Tiger Force, part of the 101st Airborne, and its descent into madness in 1967 in the upper areas of South Vietnam. The soldiers, in their frustration, began torturing and killing civilians. It didn't stop with one event. It went on for months and months, until the men began cutting off the ears of the dead and weaving them into necklaces. Interestingly, the authors write with great care about the soldiers -- never condemning them, but trying to show why the soldiers lost control. This book should serve as a lesson for all the reasons why we should think twice about going into wars and who -- in the end, really suffers. The Tiger Force platoon was eventually investigated for four years by the Army, but the findings were covered up by the top leaders in Washington -- until these authors broke the case wide open. The authors even reaced the original investigators. This book is a tribute to journalism -- and the authors should be commended for their efforts.

Without a doubt, one of the best books ever written about the Vietnam War. A masterful narrative of sweep and scope - a cautionary tale of what happens to fighting units without strong leadership. Step by step we watch the spritual and emotional breakdown of young men, and the coverup by the U.S. government - a coverup that reached the White House. First, let me preface this by saying: I am a Vietnam vet. I served with the 1/327th in 1967-68. What I saw, I will never forget. In fact, I knew several Tigers. I remember some of their stories - but didn't believe them at the time. How could they be true? When the newspaper series was published, a part of me doubted the findings. How could these atrocities go on for so long without someone finding out? So I called a few Tigers and read documents from the Army investigation. My conclusion: it's true. Believe it. Anyone who says otherwise - like one of the earlier reviewers - is just fooling themselves. The book is conclusive. Anyone who says otherwise just can't face the truth. And we can't forget what happened. Not now. It's too important. Remember, the Army spent an unprecedented 4 1/2 years investigating this unit. They used 100 agents. They substantiated 20 war crimes involving multiple victims. The case was buried because Donald Rumsfeld, who was secretary of defense in 1975, didn't want the information getting out. Just remember: It was Col. Henry Tufts - the founding father of CID -who gave the newspaper the documents. There was a reason for it: The case always bothered him. The book builds on the series. Through the soldiers's eyes, we watch the slow descent into hell. As a Vietnam vet, every word rang true. The book was incredibly rich in detail - and context. At times, I felt like I was back in Vietnam - the authors put me in the field with the soldiers and in the CID office with the investigators. In the end, this was a book for a wider audience - an audience that knows very little about Vietnam - why we got involved in the first place and what our government is capable of doing. This was not a book just for the "boonie rats." And it's so important now with the allegations of U.S. troops killing civilians in Iraq. The authors did their due diligence. This is by far one of the best sourced books I have ever read - all you have to do is go to the bibliography. (I read some of the documents cited in the back). It's apparent that an earlier reviewer had an ax to grind. To him, the Tigers were herioic and the authors were villians for exposing the truth. He doesn't believe the lead investigator had trouble tracking down the Tigers. (The reviewer forgets that in 1971, there was no Internet, CNN, fax machines, ect) Maybe - just maybe - the book hit too close to home. Maybe, just maybe, that reviewer - and others - did not read the book with an open mind. They came in with an ax to grind. They were looking to discredit the story. To me, that's not a reviewer - that's someone who wan