Utter's Battalion: 2/7 Marines in Vietnam, 1965-66

Lt Col Lee, a captain at the time, describes in detail the problems of being one of the first units in combat in Vietnam. he critizes the unnamed superiors for many of the problems involved in his units actions. First, was the inexcusable requirement to unload the ships they were on carrying them from the U.S. at Okinawa, and to reload on other ships to go to Vietnam. With all their combat equipment, this took many days of backbreaking work. Once in Vietnam, they had to contend with unifroms that disintegrated in the climate, radios, vehicles that did not work, and an enemy that no one had trained them to fight.His is a story of very brave men under fire, dying, getting wounded, as well as rear area officers giving them fits with stupid orders. I recommend this to anyone who wants a feel of how it was to experience a monsoon season. he describes this in great detail, bringing back some memories of my own.His commanding officer, Col Utter was a very brave officer, and excellent commander of men. Then Cpt Lee, was a person that also fitted this description.

Col.Alex Lee nailed it. Thats the way is was. Thats the way we were and thats how we all felt about Leon Utter. I spent most of my time as the radio half of a two man FO team for 81 motors. Worked with Capt Lee many times. E company and later F company riflemen and I all thought just a highly of Alex Lee as we did Col Utter. With few exeptions all the officers of 2/7 were just superlative. I made every operation covered in the book and to borrow a quote, I was no hero but I sure served in a battalion of heros.Super job getting our story out.Thanks Alex ! Dan Anderson. 2/7 H & S Co. comm plt. 64-66

Another outstanding book about the Marines in Nam. Ltc.Utter is the type of man that an individual would follow into hell if ask to do so. The Army had very few of these type commanders at Battalion level. We had some very outstanding officers at platoon , and company level though.Roadrunner 6 Out

This, to me and to any number of Marines who served in 2/7 is family history. Were we to gather around a dinner table and reminisce, these are the memories we would pass down. LtCol Lee has captured the very essence of a Marine infantry battalion - young men succeding in the worst of circumstances because of the love and respect they found for each other as Marines. As a young Marine I served with 2/7 from January 1967 to April 1968, a time just following the period covered by this book. We heard about LtCol Utter and the "gas incident" and couldn't understand the consternation of those without first-hand rifle company-level experience in Vietnam. We found a reel to reel tape whereon some earlier 2/7 Marines sang (to the tune of Ray Charles' "I'm Busted") "I write to my mom all about Vietnam, 'cause back in the states there is cause for alarm, old Colonel Utter has used the gas bomb, He'll get busted." This book is a well-written, very readable contemporary history covering the earliest days of USMC service in Vietnam. Well worth anyone's time to read; for contemporary Marines - a MUST read. Semper Fi,JJ Short Sergeant, USMC (1966-1973)

This work is classic A.Lee. A human drama of the life of a Marine Battalion in training and in combat. This is required reading for any Marine officer in a line Battalion to understand what is expected and the difficulties of functioning in the fog of war. More importantly is the description of how professional Marines continue to function and to fight under deplorable conditions even when the senior leadership and the political leaders have not a clue of the real expense in terms of body bags being sent home. One has the feel of the fear, the closeness of the Marines and the and the futility of fighting with your hands tied. These young Marines went to war under the orders of our goverment and Lee caputures the heart and soul of how a Batalion is the home of the spirit of the Marine Corps. Survial and duty based on the Marine you work with and not the politicians far away. A.Lee later became CO 3/1 1st Mar Div where I served under him as a 1st LT. I can say that the reverence that A. Lee felt to Lt. Col. Utter was the same reverence felt by all the Marines in 3/1 to A.Lee. He demomstrated the highest integrety, fairness,and was always looking out for the individual Marine who, in the end, does the dying for this country. Utter would be proud of Lee's Battalion