The Village

by Bing West

In Black Hawk Down, the fight went on for a day. In We Were Soldiers Once & Young, the fighting lasted three days. In The Village, one Marine squad fought for 495 days-half of them died.

Few American battles have been so extended, savage and personal. A handful of Americans volunteered to live among six thousand Vietnamese, training farmers to defend their village. Such "Combined Action Platoons" (CAPs) are now a lost footnote about how the war could have been fought; only the villagers remain to bear witness. This is the story of fifteen resolute young Americans matched against two hundred Viet Cong; how a CAP lived, fought and died. And why the villagers remember them to this day.

Genres: History, Military Fiction, Nonfiction, War, Military History, Asia, American History

400 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published January 1, 1972

About the author

Francis J. "Bing" West Jr. (born May 2, 1940) is an American author, Marine combat veteran and former Assistant Secretary of Defense for International Security Affairs during the Reagan Administration.

West writes about the military, warfighting, and counterinsurgency. In the Vietnam War, he fought in major operations and conducted over a hundred combat patrols in 1966–1968.

(wikipedia)

Reviews

[Mike (the Paladin) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Let me recommend you read this. It will be an eyeopener for many people who think they have a "good handle" on the Vietnam war.

Yes there were tragedies, there were even atrocities (on both sides but it's not PC to point that out). But those were not the majority of American Troops.

Again, recommended.

[Michael Burnam-Fink · Rating 5 out of 5]

The conventional wisdom among historians is that America lost the Vietnam War in the villages and hamlets. Large American units didn't understand the locals, used air power and artillery as a blunt instrument, and drove the villagers into the hands of the Viet Cong. The Village presents an alternative to that narrative, about an operation where a Marine rifle squad lived and worked alongside the government's Popular Forces, and over the course of a two years, managed to regain control of the village of Binh Nghia.

The book presents a vivid and unvarnished account of the paradoxes and contradictions of counter-insurgency warfare. The Marines had to learn the rhythms of the village, the odd quiet on a night patrol that hinted at VC infiltrators. Psychology and presence were worth more than firepower, and both sides were hostages in the great game. The VC could kill police and soldiers, but families were off limits because their own families lived in the same village. The Marines could use fire support, but only at the price of walking past the burnt ruins every day for the rest of their tour. And so the war went on in skirmish and night ambush, making the villagers erect defenses and tear them down, and head games against the other sides leaders. And in the course of their time there, the Marines came to love and respect the village, and the village came to respect and love them. In many ways, the men of the CAP were exceptional, and its unclear if a thousand more like them could have been found, but they managed to save the village without destroying it. By the time they left, the VC in Binh Nghia were crippled, unable to tax, recruit, or move supplies along the river.

The Marines of The Village paid a heavy toll for their victory, but unlike so many other Americans in Vietnam, they knew what they were fighting and dying for. The lesson is the COIN cannot be successful without endurance, and that you cannot endure without loving. From the short-timer looking to survive his last patrol, to Presidents looking for 'peace with honor', almost every person involved in the War appeared to hate Vietnam. Perhaps that was why we lost.

[Ron Wroblewski · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a squad of Marines can do against numerous VC/NVA as they help guard several villages in South Vietnam for over 2 years. 9 of those Marines died during that time. How the villagers came to care and respect the Marines as they patrolled the villages every night.

[Mustang USMC · Rating 5 out of 5]

To some, the Vietnam War was a chance for medals, promotions, and one day a star on their shoulder. To most, serving in Vietnam was their duty—a patriotic chore to serve their country. Along the way, a student of the Vietnam War will find countless demonstrations of raw courage and heroism: servicemen of all of our Armed Forces, giving of themselves for a greater purpose. Of course, nearly sixty thousand of our young men gave the ultimate sacrifice. Many more gave up their limbs, or suffered debilitating wounds —and from a psychological perspective, everyone left a part of themselves in Vietnam. However, few gave more than a squad of Marines assigned to protect the Vietnamese people living in a small coastal village, then named Binh Nghia.

This is a remarkable story told to us by former Marine Captain Francis J. “Bing” West, who later served as an assistant to the Secretary of Defense, and in the Reagan Administration as an Under-secretary of Defense. When Bing West returned to Binh Nghia 37 years later, he found an extraordinary thing: many of the villagers from 1966-1967 had died —particularly those who served alongside the Marines; some married and moved away from the village —and yet in spite of this, everyone living in the village in 2003 could recount the story about “their Marines.”

You see, the villagers passed down the stories of what happened in Binh Nghia to their children, then they told the stories to their children. Everyone knew what happened, and as Mr. West walked through the village in 2003, one old farmer came to him and asked, “Tell me Dai U’y where is Sergeant Mac? Do you know Bill ... Marines number one, what happened to Monty? What happened to Frill (Phil)?” Not far away Mr. Bing found a marker resting between two palm trees, and on it a small inscription to the Marines who had built their well and shrine in 1967.

Herein lies the true pain of the Vietnam War. Young Americans went to Vietnam to fight a vicious and resourceful enemy. A few of these people ended up protecting a few thousand residents of a small village along the coast in Quang Ngai province. Most of the Marines cherished these simple people so much that they ended up dying for them. In return, the villagers ended up adopting these Marines; they remember their sacrifices even today. If only the American people had loved these Marines as much.

The Village is a worthwhile book, on many different levels.

[Sherri Holliday-Sklar · Rating 5 out of 5]

I ead this book while working with the USMC in Helmand Province, Afghanistan. It gave me a good perspective on counter-insurgency tactics.

[Martin Koenigsberg · Rating 4 out of 5]

In Bing West's The Village, the noted military history author and veteran takes us into the struggle for one Village in Vietnam, Binh Nghia central Village to a clump of "hamlets' in Quang Ngai province- up on the coast of the South China Sea, just south of Chu Lai. Here, as the US Marines tried to "stabilize " the area around their large Chu Lai Base/Airbase, they intended to practice their "counterinsurgency" and "Pacification" doctrines- somewhat different from Army Practices when face with the same thorny issues. The Marines, with experience gained in Latin America and Asia between the war and immediately after WWII- believed in engaging fully with the local allies. in practice, this would lead to the idea of a mixed Marine/Militia (PFs or "Popular Forces"- Armed local night patrols in each village) forces- that would live in the local Police Station/ Village Citadel together. We follow the progress of the project from 1966 to 1970, up and down and a lot of death- both local and Marines- but even more of Viet Cong. This particular experiment as relatively successful- as the combined force was able to embed themselves into the life of the Village- and force the local Viet Cong to expose themselves in ways that lost the strategic and political advantage- in this little region. Along the way we see in the greater forces swirling around the Village- how the Vietnam war was lost. Our guys can cooperate to bring peace to their little patch- but we see that they have trouble relying on the other "Allies" around them- be they oblivious or obtuse Americans, rapacious RVN (Republic of Vietnam) officials in the Provincial Government, local and visiting merchants, or the ambivalent local population- 6,000 Vietnamese, most of whom just want to farm.

The Central Character is Suong, the Local Constable, a former Viet Minh who has been fighting for his life and the life of his village for five years already. The Marines start by thinking of themselves as superior, but language learning, amazing Vietnamese cuisine and combat necessity soon break down barriers to form a pretty cohesive unit. We see as they start with Marine ideas and then gradually learn how to blend in Suong's techniques for an even more effective hegemony over their turf. There is attrition, both basic rotational/disciplinary and existential, and a lot of patrolling and contact. When the VC begins to realize the team is not going away- even when it takes casualties -they increase the pressure- with explosive results. There may be times it reads more like a Village Soap Opera or a lesson in Farming techniques, but the book never gets boring. I really felt like I was getting insight into how effective Counterinsurgency and Pacification- especially as it echoed ideas from Orde Wingate and Sir Robert Thompson, British COIN experts. The importance of controlling the Night in your areas and being fully embedded with the locals to get the best information formed the basis for this success. West show us how much real WORK it is to do things properly and really form a connection to the people being protected.

There are a lot of Adult themes- this is a very real Village- and the firefight/contact description can be vivid, so this is a book best read by a Junior reader over 13/14 with an interest in the Vietnam war. For the Gamer/Modeler/Military Enthusiast, this is really gold. This would make a GREAT RPG/Skirmish campaign- with its limited area and varied terrain (riverine, sand dunes, Jungle, rice paddies, hamlets, and marshes) and small numbers on both sides(except those pesky Battalion/company level attacks). There are Local VC, VC support, Regional Forces VC, Koreans ARVNs, Popular forces, and Marines- so lots of possible groups to play/paint. For the modeler- there are many Diorama ideas all over the book, both combat and off hours repose. But it is the Military History buff who really gets the best out of this work - keen insight into what works and what does not in the battle for "hearts and minds" in an insurgent war. The Village and the Villagers are the prize- and West shows that to you and helps you understand how this battle was won in a war that was lost. A strong rec for those with a Marine/Counterinsurgency/Small Action/Bing West shelf in their Vietnam War library.

[Aaron · Rating 5 out of 5]

As always, I love a good book about war. This book recounts the actions of a Combined Action Platoon (CAPs) assigned to a village in Vietnam. The CAPs were small groups of Marines and Vietnamese militiamen assigned with patrolling and securing their designated village using only their rifles and their wits. No tanks, artillery, or jets and bombs were used in their area of operations.
This style of war, where the fighting men live, eat and sleep among the locals and develop a sense of identity with and responsibility for the villagers, is probably the only way to fight a “small war”. But as always the titanic institutions that are western militaries refuse to learn from past lessons.

[Judith Holley · Rating 3 out of 5]

Gets stressful at times but boooooof was it dry in some parts. Pretty neat to see how Americans were imbedded in Vietnam, and how war is not simply black and white. As an American, I enjoyed this because it has shown a light on who “won” and who “lost” during the Vietnam war. Good stuff.

[Jeremy Hunter · Rating 4 out of 5]

West tells the non-fiction account of fifteen Marines that volunteered to live in the village of My Hue. The primary military objective was to help train Vietnamese volunteers to defend their villages against the Vietcong. What is interesting about West's account was he was one of the Marine volunteers, but he rarely mentions himself in the narrative. The Village is a different look at a well documented war.

[Eddie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fascinating book about a small Marine Corps unit in Vietnam. Normally Marines don't operate in such long-term operations as a squad - 12 Marines, let alone this type of mission. Living with an safeguarding a Hamlet would have been traditionally more in line with Army Special Forces who are more specifically trained for this. That said, it doesn't mean Marines can't do it - it's just not under their mission. That was interesting to me. The length of time of their engagement and non-stop enemy incursions were in line with Khe Sanh. This was good so I'll revisit this in the future.

[Matt · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a great book. You can probably count the number of combat stories I'll read in my lifetime on one hand, but I'm very glad this is one. (In fact, I've now read it twice.)

It is less a story about individuals than it is about groups of people - the Marines, the villagers, the Vietnamese armed forces, and the Viet Cong. But that doesn't imply the human element isn't fundamental to this history.

The author portrays the drama of the Vietnam War in recounting the experience of a platoon with a semi-permanent station in a small central Vietnamese hamlet. It is told almost entirely from the perspective of the Marines (one of whom was the author).

I have no idea if the story is an important or groundbreaking one for people well-versed in military planning, but beneath the everyday drama it seems to tell a tale about how to fight effectively. For one thing, the Marines are not alone in their fight. Their platoon is a "combined" platoon, fighting alongside a group of native Popular Forces members. For another, they remain stationed in the small village of Binh Yen Noi, where they can become familiar with the terrain and the local population. Finally, they fight their battles without air support or massive weaponry. And despite a number of great tragedies along the way, they are largely successful. So this is a very different (and in some ways much more compelling) story than that which is told in, say, Oliver Stone's "Platoon". They take ownership of - and responsibility for - the village. They are invited into the homes of the villagers, who became familiar with the soldiers. The soldiers became part of the community. In a sense, it's a tale of winning "hearts and minds." The courage and character of many of these Marine enlistees is surely an element in a lot of war stories. But I supect "The Village" is probably otherwise not a very typical tale of the Marines.

But best of all, it's very compelling. The author relates the drama in a very distant, neutral tone throughout, relying on the action to move the story along. And the story is, of course, heart-wrenching in that it's a war story, so a lot of young people die.

At the same time, the book lacks several elements. You don't get a feel for the politics underlying the war effort (either in Vietnam or in the United States). You don't get much of anything from the perspective of any Vietnamese. And, as I already wrote, you don't really do much more than scrape the surface of the main characters. But in some ways, this is a strength of the work. It keeps the focus more on the events and the tactics and the environment.

[Elliotte Bagg · Rating 4 out of 5]

This true story of a squad of Marines in Vietnam offers a contrast to that war's infamy; this village of 5000 was held by a combined company of Vietnamese and Marines for over two years. The Marines became part of the village, closely knit with it's populace, while driving out the superior numbers of the Viet Cong. They relied on squad tactics, instead of calling in air strikes, because they avoided civilian casualties at all costs, people they treated with great respect and kinship, and for all their efforts and empathy, they succeeded at making the village and the surrounding area a safer place. The author went back in 2002 in the afterward and it is clear the villagers still hold their Marine brethren in high regard 35 years later.

To top it off, Bing West does an excellent job of writing the squad's exploits. If you are into military history at all, I definitely recommend this book!

[Andre · Rating 4 out of 5]

I agree with both Gannon and Wolf. It is a gripping story. I just don't know how much of it was true. Mr. West was not actually at this village until the very end but he writes as if he was there all along. Not West's best book as far as confirmed facts are concerned.



I met West at Quantico, VA right before my tour as an advisor in Iraq. He seemed like he was very full of himself. I am sure that he has done many great things but his reputation seems a little self generated.



That being said, I read this book and applied as many of the lessons as I could from it during my tour. It paid off in spades. If we fought like the Marines in this book, (fictional or not) Iraq would have been won 3 years ago.

[Raymond Rayner · Rating 5 out of 5]

Having spent 2 years of my life including tet of '67 The Village is intact. The Village endures and The Village Remembers brought tears to my eyes .
Was Col. David Hackeorth right about gorilla warfare ? This book make a strong case for that.
Good book written by Bing West who was in The Village .
One of General Mattis favorite books to read and is on his reading list .

[Toria · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is special to me since one of the soldiers mentioned was a next-door neighbor to my grandmother and I grew up knowing him. Not well, since I was only in grade school when he was in the military but I do remember him.

[Michael · Rating 4 out of 5]

The prose is adolescent at times, and the author sometimes reduces events to action-novel cliches. But still offers one of the more lucid and insightful narratives of insurgency and civil war that I have read.

[Martin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent view into a different side of the war than what I and most others experienced. Worth reading if you read about or served in the VN war.

[Patrick · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had heard nothing but great things about The Village and it did not disappoint.

[Nick · Rating 4 out of 5]

West understands that the best books about front-line soldiers avoid discussions about politics of the war and simply tell the stories of the soldiers (or Marines) as they experienced them. West's book comes close to being a classic of the Vietnam War, but even his experiences kept him somewhat removed from the action o the Marines guarding the village.

"The Village" shows that when soldiers are given a clear mission and the flexibility to judge and execute the necessary tasks, they can have great success. The operation in The Village contrasts with the bombing campaign, with targets chosen in DC, and other clearing operations that involved servicemen who could not possibly have an understanding of the destruction they were taking part in, with incidents like My Lai being the most egregious examples.

Stories similar in tone could probably be written about any conflict by any country. As the US nears the start of its third decade at war, this book again challenges the view of elite policymakers with optimistic expectations of American strength and the ease of winning wars, as well as reminds us of the costs of war, particularly those born in the country at war, that we must consider.

[Maria · Rating 4 out of 5]

During Vietnam the Marines formed "Combined Action Platoons" (CAPs) that lived in Vietnam villages and patrolled around them with local men. This is the story of a specific village and the 15 Americans that lived there... how they brought stability to the region and what it cost in blood.

Why I started this book: Library hold arrived, YEAH!

Why I finished it: This is a peek at the road not taken in Vietnam. A success won, with the tantalizing question of could it worked on a large scale across the country? The Marines sent selected men to live with the villagers. The Army preferred to swoop in with helicopters and kill the enemy units that they could find. Powerful story, vivid details and a different glimpse at the war in Vietnam.

[Star · Rating 4 out of 5]

On one of my trips to the National Museum of the Marine Corps, a docent recommended this book to dig further into the Combined Action Platoons (CAPs) that were implemented in Vietnam. It's an account from a Marine who lived it and went on to serve his country in numerous ways.

As a civilian, I feel unqualified to write a review of the book other than to say it is well-written and allows the reader to have a snapshot into the reality of the Vietnam War. As I read, I imagined these young men and the intense responsibilities on their shoulders.

Understandably, this book has been on the Commandant's Reading List. It is an essential read when studying Vietnam, maneuver warfare, and the history of the United States Marine Corps.

[Tony · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was hard to rate this book a 3 star. It is clearly a tale worth reading, and hearing how a very different approach actually led to some success in Vietnam. However, I did have a bit of a hard time getting motivated to read because of the style of writing. In short, though, certain stories in here are absolutely heart wrenching, inspirational, and surprising. Glad to have read it, but not for everyone. Having just read The Women by Kristin Hannah, the stark contrast in a similar setting was certainly apparent.

[Henry Peter Egal · Rating 5 out of 5]

CAP 133 memories

This book is awesome, it brings back many memories that I have serving in Vietnam. I volunteered to CAP and was assigned to CAP 133 with our main village of Phouc Hoa 1. There were so many of the same experiences that our CAP had as the CAP in this book. It was a great read and I’m glad I found it.

[Valzebub · Rating 3 out of 5]

A strange episode in a weird war. Definitely not what I was expecting when I picked this up. Regarded as a classic of the Vietnam war. I wish the author had himself present in the text. He instead avoids self referral so the story reads strangely.

[Alex Maslow · Rating 5 out of 5]

I listened to the audio book of this on audible.

This is a fantastic book about a company of Marines stationed in a village in Vietnam during the American War. I recommend it to anyone hoping to learn what war is like for soldiers, rather than an element of statecraft or geopolitics.

[David Swanson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read pre-deployment as a part of 3-69 AR BN, 1BCT, 3rd Infantry Division, 2012

[Austin Carroll Keeley · Rating 3 out of 5]

Page turner that looks at what might have been with the CAPs in Vietnam. Mostly anecdotal, but written with West’s grunt eye. Quite interesting.

[Michael Shannon · Rating 5 out of 5]

West’s book on the combined action platoon in Vietnam. Really good. So young. So much responsibility. Such a good job and that was before West is sent there.

We could have won…

[Abby Sostre · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the best book on Vietnam and the USMC.

[Braeden · Rating 4 out of 5]

Would give it 4.5 stars if i could. Invaluable for small unit patrolling techniques and application. Always amazes me how different the war could have been for 2 Marines a mile apart.