Warriors of the Sea

Book excerpt: The Vietnamese Marines were a proud and well disciplined combat force, generally committed on short notice for independent or joint ground operations. They were the fire brigade of the Armed Forces of South Vietnam. Little has been known or written about one of the most elite combat units of the Vietnam War -- the Vietnamese Marines -- until now. This is their story and that of their American Advisors (CO VANs) who served with them; it is a book of lasting value with personal stories and photographs from the Marines who were there. While others abandoned and retreated, the Vietnamese Marines fought and died with their U.S. Marine Advisors by their sides -- not one major Vietnamese Marine Corps unit surrendered! This is not only the story of the Advisors and the U.S. Advisory unit but also, the history of the Vietnamese Marine Corps that evolved in 1954, from a few naval commando and French riverine force units, through nineteen years of never-ending combat into a highly elite military organization; a unit fiercely proud of its accomplishments and fighting ability, a unit that symbolized the title Marines. Warriors of the Sea is the book that finally tells the true story of the Vietnamese Marines and provides an insight into the courage, leadership, dedication and tenacity of another skilled group of Marines -- the US Marine Advisors -- who lived with, advised and trained their Vietnamese counterparts. It is through them that you are shown at close quarters the action, heartbreak and humor, violence and terror of combat alone. The heat, monsoon rains, smells and sounds with the strangeness of the Orient comes alive on each page. For Marines of all eras, it is a must for your library; for the historian, hobbyist, and the military enthusiast it is a collectors item. There are rare photographs, like the French Marine Advisors; original color plates of the Marine medals, patches, flags and uniforms. Anyone interested in Vietnam and the elite forces who fought there will relish the viewing and reading about the honorable heroics of the Sea Tigers and their American Advisors."