Force Recon Diary, 1970

Rating:
Summary: Right story, wrong period of time.
Review: As a Special Forces cadre,I observed the Marine Recon teams working the Laotian border around our base at Lang Vei. Their 4 man teams provided much needed information for everyone. We knew of massive enemy build ups in the area prior to Tet, thanks to these brave men. There is no mention of those days in any of these books. Sadly, the story of Marine Recon's greatest feats will probably never be told.

Rating:
Summary: Sequel to Force Recon Diary, 1969, Another Great Book!
Review: Force Recon Diary, 1970, picks up where FRD, '69 left off, with "Doc" Norton returning to Vietnam and his second tour with 1st Force. The detail of his work is exceptional, and brings the reader right into the "harbor site" with the team. Major Norton has the ability and talent to capture the moment and spares no expense in "telling it like it was." For anyone interested in the tough business of Marine Reconnaissance during the Vietnam War, the Force Recon Diaries, written by Doc, are as good as it gets. Get this book, sit down with a stiff drink, and read what it was like to be a member of a Marine Force Recon Team in combat. Trully, a great source of information. I give it 5 Stars!

Rating:
Summary: Col. Norton nailed it.
Review: Force Recon Diary, 1970, picks up where FRD, '69 left off, with "Doc" Norton returning to Vietnam and his second tour with 1st Force. The detail of his work is exceptional, and brings the reader right into the "harbor site" with the team. Major Norton has the ability and talent to capture the moment and spares no expense in "telling it like it was." For anyone interested in the tough business of Marine Reconnaissance during the Vietnam War, the Force Recon Diaries, written by Doc, are as good as it gets. Get this book, sit down with a stiff drink, and read what it was like to be a member of a Marine Force Recon Team in combat. Trully, a great source of information. I give it 5 Stars!

Rating:
Summary: first book better
Review: Force Recon, 1970 Bruce Norton

This is the 2nd book by Bruce Norton on his tour of Vietnam in 1969-1970.
His first book takes us from his childhood, to joining the Navy and becoming a Corpsman, to being attached the Marine 3rd Force Company, Recon. Alex Lee, a Major at the time wrote his own book, Force Recon.

Norton's first book stops after 22 patrols, and he is sent to the Philippines for Scuba training.
This is where the second book picks up in his tour of duty. He devotes a chapter to the details of Scuba school, and going on liberty in the nearby town, a dangerous business. Another chapter is devoted to his getting his jump wings in the Philippines, and some time spent jumping in Okinawa, while on the way back to Vietnam.
When he got back, Maj Lee was gone, as were most of the officers and men. Only a platoon of men were left.
They became a cadre to train ROK Marines in recon work.
Norton relates the story of having to go out, establish an outpost, and guard it. They find out that the outpost is only being set up so that a General can come out and inspect it. The Marines have old, worn out uniforms. Before the general's visit, choppers are sent out with new uniforms and boots for the men.
After the inspection, which took the general 10 minutes, the new uniforms and boots are taken back, and the Marines are back in their old uniforms. Days of work spent building an outpost for this! Then it is abandoned.
Norton got assigned to the 1st force recon company. He found out quickly that 3rd Company ran a lot more patrols than 1st recon company. Most of the members who had extensive patrolling experience were men transferred from 3rd company.
A chapter is devoted to jumping from the OV10 Bronco. A chapter is devoted to unusual events at EM clubs, such as the accidental shooting of an American female singer.
He goes back into patrolling, and discusses again in detail all the training and cross training involved.
A chapter is devoted to a mission of mistakes, where an idiot Lt named Blotz nearly gets everyone killed.
Blotz tries to get Norton court martialed, but when details of what happened on the patrol are found out, it is Blotz who is in trouble. Later in the book, Lt Blotz gets tossed out of a moving truck by infuriated enlisted men, but no one saw anything.
A chapter is devoted to 1st Sgt Maurice Jacques, and his exploits, mostly before Norton knew him. Missions with Special Forces in 1965 are discussed in detail.
Another chapter is devoted to Norton's visit to the Naval Support Activity hospital ship. Good food, air conditioning, clean clothes, etc.
Then next chapter involves patrolling the Thuong Duc Valley area, West of Da Nang. There was an SF camp in the Thuong Duc Valley and the North Vietnamese were rocketing it. The Marines set up an outpost and began patrolling trying to find the site where the rockets were being launched and knock it out.
Another chapter is spent on the death of a Marine by being eaten by a tiger.
A Lt Corbett took over the platoon, and a chapter is devoted to him, as he had a lot of experience, and was an excellent officer. Patrolling details are related.
The final chapter relates to Norton getting wounded while on patrol and medevaced. He describes what his unit did while he was in the hospital. 2 Australian Ranges were being trained and loudly wanted the Marines to do patrolling the Australian way. They were choppered out as they were loud and dangerous.
Norton was assigned duty at the Naval Hospital in Boston after he recovered from his injuries.

He was amazed to see Naval Officers spending their lunch time in uniform demonstrating against the war.

Norton met a Marine officer who also had jump wings, who got him in touch with Maj Lee, who was stationed in the Pentagon. Lee suggested that Norton finish college and join the Marines to become and officer, which he did.



Rating:
Summary: Col. Norton nailed it.
Review: I believe Col. Norton pretty well encapsulated the climate over there...I wasn't in Recon, but he did a great job of explaining how counter-recon tactics of the NVA evolved, beginning in Force Recon Diary 1969 and on through Force Recon Diary 1970. Both books were great...real keepers.