Rangers At War Combat Recon in Vietnam

Stanton ( Green Berets at War ) makes a significant contribution to the operational history of the Vietnam War with this volume on long-range reconnaissance and patrol units. Depending on helicopters for insertion and extraction, usually employed in teams only a half-dozen strong, the Vietnam-era rangers specialized in intelligence collecting and small-scale raids. Their improvised role was the product of a war without stable fronts and terrain that defied conventional means of information gathering. Stanton describes the rangers’ history company by company and discusses their use and misuse by generals often as bewildered by the war as were the men they led. The book is particularly useful as a background for the large number of memoirs by veterans of long-range reconnaissance units. Not every fire fight was a victory, not every ranger a hero, but in Stanton the men in black berets have a worthy chronicler.
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc.

User Ratings and Reviews

4 Stars Highland Rangers
Company K team 3-C I was there and in the same Company K. Sgt. Kenneth Hess was a good friend of mine, as well as the other team mates. The Montagnard(Ju Hmok)that was killed by friendly fire was right. Pfc. Nathaniel Irving was killed in a way that only a NVA would kill like a(Butcher) yes he was butchered.The reason we didn’t get any radio contact,was because a gernade had landed between Sgt. Hess’s neck and the radio. Thats why we had lost radio contact. If you knew the NVA and thier ways. You would know that they never put anyone in a grave. The part about Pfc. Don A.MacPhail was right. He was a POW and then returned in 1973. The Montagnard (Ju Hmok) was also my scout.I had let him stay behind because he had just gotten married. but they needed a scout so they took Ju Hmok. Sgt. Hess only had two weeks too go before he was too go home. Of all the things that happened over there, that I won’t forget and also what had happened too team 3-C. Submitted by Sgt. John Serrano

5 Stars Well worth the price!
The previous reviewer who believes that this book was written by “some college professor” displays his own ignorance. The author, Shelby L. Stanton, was a decorated Special Forces officer who served in Vietnam. Trust me, the author knows what he’s talking about, and though this may not be an exciting book, it is worth the price.

1 Star BORING
Don’t waste your money! This book is nothing but a college professer’s bravado about how he has researched ‘all the fact’s’. While I do not doubt the fact as recorded, I found this book extremely tiedious and boring with regards to “x company x battailion, x platoon…” I much prefer the story of someone who was actually there. If you are looking for exact dates and technical details then this book is for you. If…you want to see what life was really like as a LRRP then I recommend a book such as “Charlie Rangers”.

5 Stars Excellent overview of LRRP/Ranger actions and unit histories
Stanton’s book is the first one that I have seen that covers all of the LRRP/Ranger units, gives some insights into their respective AOs and tactics, and describes some of the missions conducted by each. Makes me proud to have served in the “Wildcat Rangers”, Co.F/52nd Inf(LRP), and to be in one of the actions described in the book. A good complimentary work to such fine narratives as “Eyes Behind the Line”.

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