Zero Dark Thirty

"Zero Dark Thirty" is yet another, maverick look at the Indochina war. The hot button behind ZDT was that policy of the Marines in Vietnam requiring fighter pilots to serve time on the ground as grunts. That is precisely what happened to author Brantley. His life was thereby changed forever. The tales of combat in ZDT are as graphic and grim as any this reviewer has read. Much of the chilling action takes place at night, when the VC always had the perpetual advantage. This reviewer was pained by the NG Marine looey blown away by a booby trap on his first patrol. ZDT is challenging reading; it is written almost Marine to Marine. The style is highly colloquial. It took this reviewer most of the text to adapt to the style. Too much space is devoted to Brantley's stateside training, but no one can state he went to RVN unprepared. The glossary virtually defies description; it raises as many questions as it answers. This reader still does not know what "tally" means. The end result is an extremely challenging read. ZDT may only be fully appreciated by former Marines who can decipher the jargon. This is in contrast to "Rumor of War" by Phillip Caputo or Eddie Delezen's "Eye of the Tiger" which put the reader right there on the ground with the Corps, but in plain English. The author does indeed return to the World but not wrapped too tightly. His experience back here can only be described as sad, best not dwelled on. On a positive note, ZDT is very professionally printed, bound and typeset. It is presented with polish and very easy to read. (These small details should not go unnoticed). The best advice from this reviewer is to give ZDT a 3 day pass and try it. It is guaranteed to give yet another observation post to that strange war that affected so many of us. Once again; those of us who came back to the World sound in mind and body should count our blessings daily. ZDT will echo that mantra anew.

This is a book by a Marine aviator and captain who was assigned as a forward air controller with the Marine infantry (grunts) in the jungles of Vietnam. It depicts honestly and graphically what he experienced during his 7 months as a FAC. It gives rare insight into Marine aviation and the shameful way our combat hero veterans were/are treated when they returned to the US. Semper Fi!

Zero Dark Thirty is a military memoir of the Vietnam War, by Samuel Brantley, who was a United States Marine Corps combat aviator. The Marines required their combat aviators in Vietnam to spend time doing forward air control duty on the ground, with and along side the field troops in the front line danger zone. As a result, Brantley received a shocking awakening to the true horrors of war, and his seven months on the ground would significantly impact upon the rest of his life. Zero Dark Thirty is highly recommended for being a powerfully written, vividly presented, and candidly honest exposition into the lethal and bloody hell that was the Vietnam War.