Trigger Men

War Stories of the Green Berets is a compendium of war stories-- some hilarious, some heroic, and others sad, as told to Halberstadt by 26 men who served in Vietnam with US Army Special Forces. Hans Halberstadt served in Vietnam as a doorgunner and got to know some of the men in this book during their post-war service in the 12th Special Forces Group (Reserve). The men doing the storytelling in this book are the real thing and represent the whole range of the Special Forces experience in Vietnam. It's all here-- from the A-camps, to the Mike Forces, to MACV-SOG and the Phoenix Program. Some of the names on the contributor's list sound like a who's who of Special Forces including Jon Caviani, Clyde Sincere, "Ben" Baker, Jim Morris, Walt Schumate, and Clayton Scott. There are three POWs, one Medal of Honor recipient, enlisted men, officers, and even a civilian "adopted" by Special Forces. My good friend Jim Morris, the author of War Story, The Devil's Secret Name, and Fighting Men, War Story: The Classic True Story of the First Generation of Green Berets has probably used up all his own war stories, but he contributes an anonymous story, "Hood, Riding, Red, Little," which will elicit several giggles from any veteran familiar with the peculiarities of military nomenclature. "Ben" Baker recounts some requests for supplies that were intended to be funny and still are over twenty years later. Many of the enlisted men in this book retired as field grade officers and hearing some of their true reasons for attending OCS are interesting. The pervasive humor in this book makes it an entertaining as well as informative read. The light-hearted storytelling of these "Green Beret" veterans will produce an occasional chuckle and most times a real belly laugh. But it wasn't all fun and games; there are several stories full of pathos, heroic acts, and sometimes, personal sacrifices to be found in War Stories of the Green Berets. Clyde Sincere tells some great war stories including "Oops, Wrong Uniform!" in which he jumps out onto an LZ full of NVA and is so badly wounded that they strip him of his boots and uniform and leave him for dead. Dan Pitzer recalls an almost religiously redeeming story as a POW as does both Stephen Leopold ("Life in the Hanoi Hilton") and Jon Caviani (who recounts the action which earned him the Medal of Honor and led to his capture in "Medal of Honor at Hickory"). I know John Padgett and spent time on a medical mission in Cambodia with him, but he never told me, "My Wife, the Assistant Machine Gunner." There's a lot of history here. Different voices tell stories of the Phoenix Program, the Mike Forces, CORDS, and the Montagnards. This book leaves the reader with a good appreciation for the undying love and deep admiration that Special Forces soldiers felt for the Montagnards. The SF veterans in Halberstadt's book discuss operations, programs, and weapons with an insight gained only through hard earned experience. Halberstadt's con

Have you ever listened to any war stories from a family member, or friend? I have, and I have a few of my own. This book is a collect of war stories from the various members of the Green Berets, in their own words. All of the stories were from the Vietnam war during the 60s and early 70s. Some of these stories were very sad, but at the same time, very heroic. A lot of the stores were scary, especially during some of the patrols these guys had to do. There's also a quite a few funny stories that will make you smile, especially if you were in the service. I really liked the stories that were kind of spooky, there was one story that involved a SF patrol that bed down for the night. During the night, it was so dark an enemy patrol had mistaken the SF patrol for one of their own, and decided to bed down in the same area as the SF patrol! Crazy stuff! This is a book dedicated to the men of the Green Berets.

I served with the 5th Special Forces Group (Airborne) from December 1969 through January 1971. I was fortunate enough to have served with the finest, bravest, and most professional soldiers God ever put into combat boots. Mr. Halberstadt's book brought back many memories of those times. I especially enjoyed reading about the various soldiers' memories of LTC Maggie. She was one of a kind. I was fortunate enough to spend many hours with her in Beverly Hills in her Team Room. She had photos of herself with every president from Roosevelt to Nixon. She had all types of military awards and photos adorning her walls. I can only imagine what adorns the wall of Hanoi Jane Fonda. Probably photos of Che Guevera, Stalin, Uncle Ho, and Alger Hiss are hung on her walls. The book, for me, was pure enjoyment. Most war stories books dwell on the horrors of war. This book is the exception. Although there is a modicum of horror in this book, it is replete with many numerous anecdotes.

Military historian/author Hans Halberstadt's "The American Civil War: The Soldier's Story" is much more than just another book about America's bloodiest and most tragic war. He has written an indispensable primer for helping all generations of lay readers explore and appreciate the life of the common soldier in both battle and camp. Whereas most nonfiction Civil War tomes focus on grand strategy, battle analysis, or celebrated leaders, Mr. Halberstadt takes us right down to the fighting man's level for vivid, and sometimes gut-wrenching, insights into the day-to-day lives of "Johnny Reb" and "Billy Yank." As his thesis, Halberstadt contends that "The common soldier...outnumbered the famous senior commanders about a hundred thousand to one, yet we don't hear as much as we might about their military skills, their fieldcraft, and their lives in and out of battle." The author sets out to cure that oversight by educating us with a wealth of fascinating information about the common soldier's training, weapons, uniform, food, camp life, and battle tactics. To keep the subject manageable, he further divides the book into separate sections dealing with the foot soldiers, cavalry troops, and artillerymen.Although a few Civil War purists may take umbrage with the technique, Mr. Halberstadt successfully blends period photographs with dozens of stunning reenactment photos, all expertly crafted and woven into a lively text attempting to answer the following question: What was it really like to be a soldier in the Civil War? For my money, Halberstadt is the first author since Civil War veteran Sam Watkins wrote "Co. Aythc" to capture the essence of the wartime experience for the rank-and-file soldier."The American Civil War" is a fantastic reading experience. Rich in detail, eloquently written, and beautifully illustrated, it gives readers a "you are there" perspective on Army life, North and South, in America's bloodiest conflict. For anyone who wants to understand the Civil War, Mr. Halberstadt's book is required reading. It is a central work in my Civil War library.

As a fellow Green Beret, I found Hans Halbertstadt's book very refreshing. It is free of the bravado and hype found in most books regarding Special Forces. What it shows is the real face of war a told by the unique and courageous men who fought it. You'll laugh out loud after reading one page and cry after reading the next. I highly recommend it!