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Summary: Your own personal piece of the National Archives.
Review: As an Army veteran who served three tours in Vietnam and Cambodia, is a student of Southeast Asian history and one who has well over 200 non-fiction books related to Vietnam in his library, I believe that "Where We Were" is surely one of the best reference resources that I own. For those who served in Vietnam or those with a interest in the history of the U.S. involvement there, "Where We Were" is an indispensable piece for your library. This book is a monumental compilation of firebases, landing zones, airfields and navel vessels with over 10,000 entries. Not only do most of these entries have grid coordinates but the author has taken the effort to triangulate many of their locations with other know sites such as towns, firebases, airfields, etc. This makes looking up specific sites on a map a very simple matter. No other book I own goes to this detail to make it so useful. This book is nothing short of outstanding. Its like having a piece of the National Archives right on your bookshelf. And if that wasn't enough, there is a fairly comprehensive Internet guide and as well as a recommended reading list. These are real bonuses for those intent on doing further research. The writing of this book was, in this reader's opinion, a true labor of love. It is a must for those who were there and for the serious researcher. My hat goes off to Mr. Kelly for this painstaking piece of history.
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Summary: The Best Vietnam Veteran's In-Country Name/Place Guide
Review: As one of the webmasters of the Vietnam Veteran's Home Page... I get a lot of questions about names of places, place locations and relationships, map coordinates and other details that a researcher needs or a memory has forgotten. Mike Kelley's book is a godsend for finding and verifying most all of those details. It will undoubtedly take its place in history as the definitive guide to where US and allied troops really were and when they were there. Bonus features like the extensive glossary, maps, name lists, and copious references make this book indispensable.
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Summary: A Miracle is born!
Review: For starters I am the webmaster of 25th Aviation Battalion. I am the keeper of the records for our unit and its associated history. In the 25th Infantry Division they moved Fire support Bases almost weekly so what was Buell I over there is now Buell III over here. Trying to keep track of on any date what was where was almost impossible. I have the fire support base maps, but that was on a given day during a five year period. Michael has simplified this job a good bit. Since I had the XY coordinates of all the bases from after action reports it was relatively easy to fnd them on michaels system. To write the proper review of this book would take a book to do it, so Michael keep up the fire this one here is a winner and a must for serious researchers. I to know the Labor of love.
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Summary: Informative but inaccurate
Review: I have found that Mr. Kelley indeed did put alot of work into this book but was a bit displeased when searching for some of my old firebases that there were inaccuracies in locations and also in the units that occupied those firebases. I realize that Mr. Kelley can not have access to every piece of information but the area I was in was one of the most known of the war. Also I found that the maps were really lacking. They were ... copies that were blurry and lacking detail. Personally I did not find it totally worth the expense....
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Summary: Need Maps?
Review: I was a Forward Air Controller in Vietnam. When I was transferred to Thailand I was advised to destroy my maps for secutity reasons. I did and also destroyed my mission cards which coverd each air strike I controlled. After all I had my diary. Now over thirty years later as I try to write my diary in a useable form I find the notes I wrote inadequate. My memory of events doesn't match that of some of my friends. I have a large scale map but it doesn't have the firebases plotted and doesn't show the terrain as I remember it. I needed the 1:50,000 scale we used to support the ground troops. I have been looking for a set for several years but it seems all my friends destroyed theirs too. I was trying to find out how to order a set or even if they were available and had no luck until Michael Kelley's book came out. If you need a map of Vietnam for whatever reason this is the one where you can find it! Thank you M60 for your massive work. Everybody who wants to know about the Vietnam War needs this book and the maps that can be ordered from it with the coordinates to make Vietnam look like it did during the war from whatever perspective you saw it.
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Summary: Where Was I in Vietnam? You will find out in this book!
Review: I would like to call your attention to this new book that has recently been distributed. The author Michael Kelley is a good friend and over the years we have assisted each other in the Vietnam historical arena. I recommend this book highly not because I am a contributor but it is a mammoth compilation of information/grid cords on named locations, LZ's, and Firebases. It essentially is an encyclopedia on our war. The book is approx 850 pages. I can assure you it represents the most complete research project possible. This book belongs in every library/archive/ researchers & Vietnam Veterans home collections. George G. Neville, Jr. Marine Recon Vet - Vietnam
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Summary: Get this while it is still in print
Review: In addition to tons of raw data, there are suggestions for further research, unit web sites, a glossary, as well as information on acquiring maps and (if you're flush with cash) some unit rosters and unit reports).Like any reference work, no reader will need most of it, but the parts that matter to you or me are worth the price (we still like dictionaries and phonebooks, ignoring most of the entries). As Michael Kelley himself writes, readers will surely find many errors and omissions; veterans checking out their own unit and AO can help make the next edition even more useful. The book is rich with unexpectedly interesting material.
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Summary: It Was Only 30 Years Ago!
Review: It was only 30 years ago, but my memories are beginning to fade. My wife gave me Michael Kelley's book for Christmas and I found answers to a dozen questions from my Vietnam tour in the first 10 minutes of flipping through the pages. The list of place names and people is exhaustive. Each place name includes a time line, cross references, alternate spellings, and topographic map coordinates. An example of the level of detail is the listing for the late comedienne Martha Raye, whom I saw at the 1971 Bob Hope Christmas Show, Long Binh, RVN. I found out from the book that she was awarded the rank of honorary lieutenant colonel and is buried in the cemetery at Ft. Bragg, North Carolina.
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Summary: It Was Only 30 Years Ago!
Review: It was only 30 years ago, but my memories are beginning to fade. My wife gave me Michael Kelley's book for Christmas and I found answers to a dozen questions from my Vietnam tour in the first 10 minutes of flipping through the pages. The list of place names and people is exhaustive. Each place name includes a time line, cross references, alternate spellings, and topographic map coordinates. An example of the level of detail is the listing for the late comedienne Martha Raye, whom I saw at the 1971 Bob Hope Christmas Show, Long Binh, RVN. I found out from the book that she was awarded the rank of honorary lieutenant colonel and is buried in the cemetery at Ft. Bragg, North Carolina.
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Summary: Simply Outstanding! Resonates with living history!
Review: Michael P. Kelley has exceeded all expectations with this volume. He has put his heart and soul into this resource, one that resonates with the living history of a long series of wars in 20th Century Vietnam. A primary resource for all interested in the conflict in Vietnam. A First Rate effort! Reread all those Vietnam-era works and see if those firebase names jive up to the action described. Is it fact, or else some sorry assed tale passed on down? Now we know. This is a must for any and all public libraries. We simply must have this work in the public record. HATS OFF, Mister Kelley!
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