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Noble Warrior: The Story of Maj. Gen. James E. Livingston, USMC (Ret.), Medal of Honor
New addition to the "Commandant of the Marine Reading List, 2011"
Major General James E. Livingston received the Congressional Medal of Honor for his role as an infantry company commander at Dai Do, Vietnam, during a three-day grinding battle of attrition in which the 2nd Battalion, 4th Marine Regiment, numbering only 800 men, victoriously battled 10,000 or more NVA. His remarkable life and career is recounted in a book that has it all: exciting first-person eyewitness account of historic battle; the history of the development of tactics and strategies used in today’s war on terror; and a compelling story of leadership in action and individual courage in combat.
Major General James E. Livingston received the Congressional Medal of Honor for his role as an infantry company commander at Dai Do, Vietnam, during a three-day grinding battle of attrition in which the 2nd Battalion, 4th Marine Regiment, numbering only 800 men, victoriously battled 10,000 or more NVA. His remarkable life and career is recounted in a book that has it all: exciting first-person eyewitness account of historic battle; the history of the development of tactics and strategies used in today’s war on terror; and a compelling story of leadership in action and individual courage in combat.
272 pages, Hardcover
First published August 1, 2010
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91 people want to read
About the author
James E. Livingston
3 booksMajor General James Everett Livingston is a retired United States military officer.
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
January 4, 2015
The memoir by Medal of Honor recipient Maj. Gen. James E. Livingston USMC (Ret.) with assistance from Colin D. Heaton and Ann-Marie Lewis is pure history detailing a snapshot at the height of the Vietnam War. In early May 1968 Livingston, commander of E (Echo) Company 2nd Battalion, 4th Marines, 9th Amphibious Brigade, 3rd Marine Division earned the Medal of Honor for bravery against the Republic of Vietnam enemy army in the village of Dia Do.
His daily activities are told in detail. Most engagements resulted in Marine casualties and Livingston mentioned the numerous hazardous missions regarding “No Marine Left Behind”. True to his character as a CO he lived and breathed the Corps motto of Semper Fidelis. His record is a testament to the basics of duty, courage and devotion.
He shared a distain for Washington politics and the overall management of the war from the Commander-in-Chief (President Johnson) to General Westmoreland. However Livingston was not one to dwell on situations out of his control as he was fully consumed and engaged with his own combat assignments. He also did not appreciate members of the press taking close photo shots of dead Marines. Livingston has a very analytical mind and I fully appreciated his viewpoints and philosophy in life that he openly shared through ending chapters.
Knowing the greater percentage of Medal of Honor awards are issued posthumously I question how many MoH recipients like Maj. Gen. Livingston rose to become a general. Certainly he is in a unique group. Livingston did not set out to be a career Marine. Many great military leaders treasure their days a company CO more than anything. Upon receiving great recognition Livingston was determined to continue on with full service of giving back to the Corps, which he did in spades.
I thank Maj. Gen. James E. Livingston USMC (Ret.) for his stellar career and service to our nation along with his outspoken vision for our future. He is a role model to all Americans.
His daily activities are told in detail. Most engagements resulted in Marine casualties and Livingston mentioned the numerous hazardous missions regarding “No Marine Left Behind”. True to his character as a CO he lived and breathed the Corps motto of Semper Fidelis. His record is a testament to the basics of duty, courage and devotion.
He shared a distain for Washington politics and the overall management of the war from the Commander-in-Chief (President Johnson) to General Westmoreland. However Livingston was not one to dwell on situations out of his control as he was fully consumed and engaged with his own combat assignments. He also did not appreciate members of the press taking close photo shots of dead Marines. Livingston has a very analytical mind and I fully appreciated his viewpoints and philosophy in life that he openly shared through ending chapters.
Knowing the greater percentage of Medal of Honor awards are issued posthumously I question how many MoH recipients like Maj. Gen. Livingston rose to become a general. Certainly he is in a unique group. Livingston did not set out to be a career Marine. Many great military leaders treasure their days a company CO more than anything. Upon receiving great recognition Livingston was determined to continue on with full service of giving back to the Corps, which he did in spades.
I thank Maj. Gen. James E. Livingston USMC (Ret.) for his stellar career and service to our nation along with his outspoken vision for our future. He is a role model to all Americans.
July 3, 2025
The opening chapters were fine. A little heavy on Marine Corps jargon and timelines were slightly jumbled. The chapters describing the post Vietnam career seemed very thin. Where it fell apart was the preachy final chapters where the reader is forced to listen to a military opinion on civilian matters that he seems to have, at best, a biased and novice level knowledge of. Should have stuck with the military stuff. Could have been a good book.
July 7, 2019
Simply unreadable.
Although I understand most of the jargon, this book was ridiculous. I found myself lost, dozing off, skipping around, and other things I just never do.
I am sorry I recommended my library purchase this atrocious piece of literature.
Although I understand most of the jargon, this book was ridiculous. I found myself lost, dozing off, skipping around, and other things I just never do.
I am sorry I recommended my library purchase this atrocious piece of literature.
February 1, 2023
After 2 chapters I had to stop. Just didn’t like it.
March 6, 2011
Noble Warrior: The Life and Times of Maj. Gen. James E. Livingston, USMC (Ret.), Medal of Honor by James E. Livingston, Colin D. Heaton, and Anne-Marie Lewis is more than the story of Maj. Gen. James Livingston and how he earned the Medal of Honor. It is an excellent book on leadership that uses his story to convey the lessons.
We learn how he went from North Georgia College and Auburn University to joining the United States Marine Corps, getting his commission and his journey to fighting in Vietnam to his post-combat career. The book is excellent. It is well written and well documented. It helps us understand the life of a Marine and his leadership.
Livingston makes clear his motivation for the unlimited and occasionally ruthless training programs for which he was known. He had his Marines doing physical training in the combat zone. He maintained discipline – personal hygiene (including shaving), weapons maintenance, and personal equipment. He was a leader by example. I have no doubt his leadership saved many lives. His men were physically fit, their equipment well maintained and in good repair, and he had earned their follow-up by providing leadership.
Livingston recounts how their under strength battalion landing team found itself in a three-day life and death battle against 7,000 experienced North Vietnamese regulars.
I found myself wondering how bad it really was as I turned the pages of the account. The narrative was captivating. He clearly painted the picture where you felt like you were there with them. I was amazed when the men left the steaks and soft drinks behind to dash to the aid of the fellow Marines. It told me a lot about how he had trained and prepared his men to be Marines. How they put the good of the mission and the unit above individual needs.
Lance Cpl. Valdez’s account of Captain Livingstone never taking a step back or flinching got my attention. It reminded me of how our actions speak louder than our words. His men saw him lead out front.
His having them fix bayonets and then a movement where he used “the tested and tried edict of penetrating and then widening the hole. We had practiced these types of small-unit maneuvers and were good at it.” Again I see the leadership. This is more than just doing your job.
These are the things you have to do to be ready. These are the types of preparation than save lives and win battles. When you do what you should do you are viewed as hard. From reading the book I am convinced that only because he had paid the price in preparation, maintained the discipline having them stay fit, sharp, and their weapons maintained allowed them to overcome such a huge force.
Livingston returned to Vietnam and was involved in the frantic mass departure of Americans and Vietnamese as Saigon fell in 1975. He retired from the Marine Corps in 1995. He went on to a successful public service career where he advised on the recovery from the destruction of Hurricane Katrina. He does not hold back where he thinks the responsibility lay for that catastrophe.
The book is excellent. It would be a good addition to any military history or Vietnam War library. I see the book also as a good case study on how to do it right in the midst of a very bad situation – an outstanding resource for junior officers of all branches. The emphasis on physical training, weapons maintenance, and the basics of being a good Marine (or soldier) should inspire all junior leaders to do their job as it should be done. The use of the sidebar and the stories was excellent. It was like an in-depth look at the main event I was reading.
Major General Livingston for your service and leadership to the United States, thank you. To Colin D. Heaton and Anne-Marie Lewis for allowing the story to be told where you get a since for the personality and grit of Major General Livingstone, thank you. To all three authors – well done.
We learn how he went from North Georgia College and Auburn University to joining the United States Marine Corps, getting his commission and his journey to fighting in Vietnam to his post-combat career. The book is excellent. It is well written and well documented. It helps us understand the life of a Marine and his leadership.
Livingston makes clear his motivation for the unlimited and occasionally ruthless training programs for which he was known. He had his Marines doing physical training in the combat zone. He maintained discipline – personal hygiene (including shaving), weapons maintenance, and personal equipment. He was a leader by example. I have no doubt his leadership saved many lives. His men were physically fit, their equipment well maintained and in good repair, and he had earned their follow-up by providing leadership.
Livingston recounts how their under strength battalion landing team found itself in a three-day life and death battle against 7,000 experienced North Vietnamese regulars.
I found myself wondering how bad it really was as I turned the pages of the account. The narrative was captivating. He clearly painted the picture where you felt like you were there with them. I was amazed when the men left the steaks and soft drinks behind to dash to the aid of the fellow Marines. It told me a lot about how he had trained and prepared his men to be Marines. How they put the good of the mission and the unit above individual needs.
Lance Cpl. Valdez’s account of Captain Livingstone never taking a step back or flinching got my attention. It reminded me of how our actions speak louder than our words. His men saw him lead out front.
His having them fix bayonets and then a movement where he used “the tested and tried edict of penetrating and then widening the hole. We had practiced these types of small-unit maneuvers and were good at it.” Again I see the leadership. This is more than just doing your job.
These are the things you have to do to be ready. These are the types of preparation than save lives and win battles. When you do what you should do you are viewed as hard. From reading the book I am convinced that only because he had paid the price in preparation, maintained the discipline having them stay fit, sharp, and their weapons maintained allowed them to overcome such a huge force.
Livingston returned to Vietnam and was involved in the frantic mass departure of Americans and Vietnamese as Saigon fell in 1975. He retired from the Marine Corps in 1995. He went on to a successful public service career where he advised on the recovery from the destruction of Hurricane Katrina. He does not hold back where he thinks the responsibility lay for that catastrophe.
The book is excellent. It would be a good addition to any military history or Vietnam War library. I see the book also as a good case study on how to do it right in the midst of a very bad situation – an outstanding resource for junior officers of all branches. The emphasis on physical training, weapons maintenance, and the basics of being a good Marine (or soldier) should inspire all junior leaders to do their job as it should be done. The use of the sidebar and the stories was excellent. It was like an in-depth look at the main event I was reading.
Major General Livingston for your service and leadership to the United States, thank you. To Colin D. Heaton and Anne-Marie Lewis for allowing the story to be told where you get a since for the personality and grit of Major General Livingstone, thank you. To all three authors – well done.
September 16, 2012
Inspiring. Bought it at the Paris Island commissary. Signed by the author.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews