Welcome to Vietnam, Macho Man

I have always felt that this is "The" Vietnam book. The author delivers the horror of combat into the lap of the reader...he holds no punches, his prose is said to be profane, yet I do not construe it as such....it is merely reality. The use of vivid descriptiveness is abundant yet not overdone. The responsibility of commanding a rifle company of Marines on a lonely hill outpost in the very worst venue of the war is brought to light and presented in a brilliant fashion in metaphor form..."his hill" is in actuality a mistress that he garnishes and bejewels with barbed wire and anti personel mines... I could go on and on but won't, realizing my redundantcy, I will just say that this is perhaps the best of all books to emerge from the conflict. author of ...Eye of the Tiger

Ernie Spencer is undoubtedly a Marine's Marine. Semper Fi...do or die...a lean, mean, green killing machine. On that note, "Welcome to Vietnam, Macho Man: Reflections of a Khe Sanh Vet," is an extremely painful confessional of a Marine grunt lost in the darkness of death. As much as Spencer boasts of his "Macho," makeup...one thing is perfectly clear in the last 95 pages of this sleek compact book...Marines were totally trapped in Khe Sahn for 77-days with terrifying emotional consequences. "Skipper," as his enlisted Marines call him writes an unsanitized account of his 1967-68 tour of duty in Vietnam as Commanding Officer of Delta Company, 1st Battalion, 26th Marine Regiment. His language is no-nonsense Marine Corps vernacular. Some of you will certainly consider it obscene...but do not let it scare you off...this book is filled with powerful descriptions of violence and pain...and in time...you will be numb to the profanity. Essentially, this book is about a stoic, brave, irreverent, combat Marine who is the supreme "Macho." Ultimately however, the reader will discover that being "Macho," is also about being afraid and testing the limits of raw human suffering. Overall this book is essential reading for all interested in understanding the Marine warrior mentality during a dark period of the Vietnam War. Additionally, it is a comprehensive accounting of the day-to-day combat experience of the Marine Corps infantry grunt. On the downside, this book could use a good map to aid in understanding important events in the narrative. Highly recommended. Bert Ruiz

My husband is a combat veteran who served as a sergeant in the Marine Corps during the 77-Day Siege of the Khe Sanh Combat Base in Vietnam. Ernest Spencer's book gave me the opportunity to learn more about what my husband experienced during that terrible siege.Welcome to Vietnam, Macho Man put me right there at the Khe Sanh Combat Base. I was on patrol, in the bunkers, and suffering the losses. The language is a bit rough but the message is pure. Ernest Spencer chronicles his experiences as a Marine Corps captain living and dying with our husbands, brothers and sons.If you ever wondered what life was really like and I mean truthfully, Spencer's book gives an account of daily life in the business of war--sometimes funny, sometimes frustrating, and many times heart breaking. Spencer tells us what they saw, how they felt and how they managed a reality that was so totally different from their expectationsCertainly, Welcome to Vietnam, Macho Man--Reflections of a Vietnam Vet is the author's personal catharsis erupting from the stupidity and senseless loss of so many young Marines. As I read the book, I knew it was the real deal. No exaggerated heroics or glamorized fiction fabricated to enhance the author's persona.I highly recommend this book to any family member of a combat vet seeking the truth about the war in Vietnam or the siege of the Khe Sanh Combat Base.

For every individual boomer who always wondered what it would have been like over there, read this book. It will take you step by step as if you, yourself were there. It is fascinating and well written. In fact, I don't believe I've read books in fractions that cover every facet of what happened to the 26th Marines MEU. What their thoughts were, how they felt, and how isolated we really were.

I found this book at a Community Flea Market whilst on holiday christmas 98. As an Australian Vietnam Veteran (1966/67)and a Retired Army Warrant Officer I usually do not read "gungo ho" war books.On reading the back cover of the book and discovering that this was a true story about this young platoon commander at the siege of "Khe Sahn" I could not put this book down, it is a must read for every platoon commander or officer cadet.I was glad that I did not serve at Khe Sanh, it makes my one year tour look like a picnic.