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A Sniper in the Arizona: 2nd Battalion, 5th Marines in the Arizona Territory, 1967
"Morning was always a welcome sight to us. It meant two things. The first was that we were still alive. . . ."
In 1967, death was the constant companion of the Marines of Hotel Company, 2/5, as they patrolled the paddy dikes, mud, and mountains of the Arizona Territory southwest of Da Nang. But John Culbertson and most of the rest of Hotel Company were the same lean, fighting Marines who had survived the carnage of Operation Tuscaloosa. Hotel's grunts walked over the enemy, not around him.
In graphic terms, John Culbertson describes the daily, dangerous life of a soldier fighting in a country where the enemy was frequently indistinguishable from the allies, fought tenaciously, and thought nothing of using civilians as a shield. Though he was one of the top marksmen in 1st Marine Division Sniper School in Da Nang in March 1967--a class of just eighteen, chosen from the division's twenty thousand Marines--Culbertson knew that against the VC and the NVA, good training and experience could carry you just so far. But his company's mission was to find and engage the enemy, whatever the price. This riveting, bloody first-person account offers a stark testimony to the stuff U.S. Marines are made of.
In 1967, death was the constant companion of the Marines of Hotel Company, 2/5, as they patrolled the paddy dikes, mud, and mountains of the Arizona Territory southwest of Da Nang. But John Culbertson and most of the rest of Hotel Company were the same lean, fighting Marines who had survived the carnage of Operation Tuscaloosa. Hotel's grunts walked over the enemy, not around him.
In graphic terms, John Culbertson describes the daily, dangerous life of a soldier fighting in a country where the enemy was frequently indistinguishable from the allies, fought tenaciously, and thought nothing of using civilians as a shield. Though he was one of the top marksmen in 1st Marine Division Sniper School in Da Nang in March 1967--a class of just eighteen, chosen from the division's twenty thousand Marines--Culbertson knew that against the VC and the NVA, good training and experience could carry you just so far. But his company's mission was to find and engage the enemy, whatever the price. This riveting, bloody first-person account offers a stark testimony to the stuff U.S. Marines are made of.
288 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published March 1, 1999
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
April 10, 2017
This is an interesting account and a book that has, no doubt, historical value as a first-hand account of the Vietnam War. I have some personal interest, since I served with the U.S. Army in Vietnam during the same time that the events described in the book occurred. Though I must quickly admit that the closest I got to the area described was when our troop ship briefly docked in Da Nang to offload some Marine units arriving in-country.
This book is something like a novel, in that conversations are given in quotes as though they are a word-for-word record of what was spoken. Yet, that can’t have been the case. It is also something like a historical work in that actual events are described in a historical context. I don’t know the name for this kind of writing—but probably a name does exist.
Things I liked: The writing style is informal and the events described are exciting. It fills the niche of an Action-Adventure novel in that respect. It is a fast read and gives real insight into the mind of a warrior who was engaged in a life-and-death struggle against a wily and determined foe. The editing is good and the pictures add a depth of detail often missing in works of this sort. I liked the inclusion of a Medal of Honor citation at the last.
Things I did not like so much: Maps. There is one small-scale map that is hard to read. There is no reason that some large-scale maps of specific operations could not have been included. Note: Readers of this kind of literature like maps. Title: This is billed as the story of a sniper. This is not wrong. Culbertson was trained as a sniper and his training is described in great detail. I liked this. But he did very little actual sniping. His Remington bolt action was apparently taken away and he was given an M-16. Whatever can be said about an M-16, and its early reputation was deplorable, it is not a true sniper weapon. This is not to disparage the author in any way, but the title is misleading. Inconsistencies: There are a couple of puzzling inconsistencies. In one incident, he and his friends were given a free meal because they did not carry money, not even MPC (Military Payment Certificates). But a short time later they are taken to a red-light district, where they must have suddenly found enough money to pay for services rendered. Where did the money come from?
Overall Impression: The vignettes were well done, showing the brutality and harsh conditions that Culbertson and his fellow soldiers faced in combat. But the story simply trailed off at the last. It was like a stirring bit of military band music that suddenly stopped half-way through. What happened in the area of operations? What was accomplished? What did Culbertson learn? We never find out.
Civilians might be a bit shocked by Culbertson’s gung-ho attitude. He certainly can be described as a warrior whose job was to defeat the enemy, which usually meant killing him. He shows no shame or embarrassment about that. I had no problem with this, but if the reader expects to find moral qualms about the taking of human life, he won’t find it here.
So, this is a good read and anyone interested in first-hand accounts of the war should read this book. But one should do so with the understanding that it is a tale without a real beginning and without a real conclusion.
This book is something like a novel, in that conversations are given in quotes as though they are a word-for-word record of what was spoken. Yet, that can’t have been the case. It is also something like a historical work in that actual events are described in a historical context. I don’t know the name for this kind of writing—but probably a name does exist.
Things I liked: The writing style is informal and the events described are exciting. It fills the niche of an Action-Adventure novel in that respect. It is a fast read and gives real insight into the mind of a warrior who was engaged in a life-and-death struggle against a wily and determined foe. The editing is good and the pictures add a depth of detail often missing in works of this sort. I liked the inclusion of a Medal of Honor citation at the last.
Things I did not like so much: Maps. There is one small-scale map that is hard to read. There is no reason that some large-scale maps of specific operations could not have been included. Note: Readers of this kind of literature like maps. Title: This is billed as the story of a sniper. This is not wrong. Culbertson was trained as a sniper and his training is described in great detail. I liked this. But he did very little actual sniping. His Remington bolt action was apparently taken away and he was given an M-16. Whatever can be said about an M-16, and its early reputation was deplorable, it is not a true sniper weapon. This is not to disparage the author in any way, but the title is misleading. Inconsistencies: There are a couple of puzzling inconsistencies. In one incident, he and his friends were given a free meal because they did not carry money, not even MPC (Military Payment Certificates). But a short time later they are taken to a red-light district, where they must have suddenly found enough money to pay for services rendered. Where did the money come from?
Overall Impression: The vignettes were well done, showing the brutality and harsh conditions that Culbertson and his fellow soldiers faced in combat. But the story simply trailed off at the last. It was like a stirring bit of military band music that suddenly stopped half-way through. What happened in the area of operations? What was accomplished? What did Culbertson learn? We never find out.
Civilians might be a bit shocked by Culbertson’s gung-ho attitude. He certainly can be described as a warrior whose job was to defeat the enemy, which usually meant killing him. He shows no shame or embarrassment about that. I had no problem with this, but if the reader expects to find moral qualms about the taking of human life, he won’t find it here.
So, this is a good read and anyone interested in first-hand accounts of the war should read this book. But one should do so with the understanding that it is a tale without a real beginning and without a real conclusion.
March 6, 2020
I do not doubt that John Culbertson served well in Vietnam, as a Marine Rifleman, and then as a Sniper/Scout. I do not doubt that he experienced a lot of action. I certainly do not doubt that he attended and did well at, the Sniper/Scout school held by the Marine Corps in Vietnam. I have no doubt that Marine Culbertson experienced himself the initial failures of the M-16- and had a love for the M-14 he went to Vietnam with first. I just doubt that all this happened in the short period of time described in this book- and in the way he seems to remember it, 30+ years later, when this book was published in 1999. The author has chosen to remember it in the first person, and the result is a jumbled mess- with unclear timelines and really weak writing - featuring constant macho or angry political asides- that just make this appear a silly "boys own"War adventure- and not the serious business it probably was.
Based in An Hoa, the narrative follows our hardy heroes of "Hotel Company', 2/5 Marines as they patrol - and then defend a couple of firebases. The VC are always trying to spread their communist filth- and the Hotel Boys share witty banter as they move through the Boonies, happily blowing up every bunker and "Hooch", and killing with seemingly unbridled joy. NOWHERE in this book is ANY indication of a man in his 50s/60s looking back on his actions with any sort of depth. The voice remains puerile and 18 years old throughout, in a really disappointing way to a reader familiar with a lot of memoirs. It's just OK.
Plenty of adult themes discussed in a childish way, and lots of gory injury descriptions, so this is best read by a reader over about 13 years. For the Gamer/Modeller/Military Enthusiast, a mixed bag. The narrator is not really very credible, but there are lots of Scenario and Diorama ideas . Matching this narrative up to the actual history may be hard, as I think Culbertson was going for entertainment value and not for accuracy. This is a fun read- but don't take it as a historical document of great value.
Based in An Hoa, the narrative follows our hardy heroes of "Hotel Company', 2/5 Marines as they patrol - and then defend a couple of firebases. The VC are always trying to spread their communist filth- and the Hotel Boys share witty banter as they move through the Boonies, happily blowing up every bunker and "Hooch", and killing with seemingly unbridled joy. NOWHERE in this book is ANY indication of a man in his 50s/60s looking back on his actions with any sort of depth. The voice remains puerile and 18 years old throughout, in a really disappointing way to a reader familiar with a lot of memoirs. It's just OK.
Plenty of adult themes discussed in a childish way, and lots of gory injury descriptions, so this is best read by a reader over about 13 years. For the Gamer/Modeller/Military Enthusiast, a mixed bag. The narrator is not really very credible, but there are lots of Scenario and Diorama ideas . Matching this narrative up to the actual history may be hard, as I think Culbertson was going for entertainment value and not for accuracy. This is a fun read- but don't take it as a historical document of great value.
March 20, 2018
He snipes maybe 3 times in the entire book. The rest is about patrols in the area and his 'rah Marines are the best. Very misleading title, book doesn't end before the end of his tour. Just not that great of a book.
October 21, 2020
If you've ever wondered some of the ways combat PTSD occurs, this is enlightening.
June 2, 2016
I was torn about this book. I thought it was a well written account of a portion of Culbertson's experience in Vietnam. However, the title is misleading. I went into this book expecting it to be about his sniping missions, but the majority of the book is about the day to day patrols done in Arizona territory. In fact, the only time he actually talks about his experience in sniping is a small portion in the book, where he attends sniper school. Overall I enjoyed to book, but was disappointed with the lack of sniper missions given the name of the book.
June 9, 2014
This book is a well-written account of a short period of Culbertson's deployment in Vietnam. I liked it, but the title is a bit misleading. He is an accomplished sniper, but there are few stories besides going to sniper school in country that relate to the practice. Mostly it's the day-to-day of patrols carrying his M-14 or M-16. Still, it's a great read and enlightening as to a Marine's view of being in Vietnam.
May 25, 2012
This was a good Vietnam War book about a Marine who becomes a sniper in the area surrounding Da Nang in 1967. It offers excellent insight into the search and destroy style warfare that dominated the war at this point and also gives a unique first-person experience of the introduction of the M16 service rifle into combat ... with its many faults. Overall great book!
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September 16, 2011One word AMAZING
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews