SEAL Warrior: The Only Easy Day Was Yesterday

by Thomas H. Keith, J. Terry Riebling, Michael E. Thornton (Foreword)

During the Vietnam era, many of the U.S. Navy SEALs (SEa, Air, Land commandos) never filed for a Purple Heart unless they were severely wounded. Thomas H. Keith, Master Chief, SEAL Team 2, is living proof. He carries a piece of shrapnel behind one lung, a reminder of the day he called in 40 mm mortar fire on the enemy that was trying to catch up to his crew as the crew hauled ass out of the bush. Not only did he never report it, it was never removed---it just wasn't serious enough. SEAL Warrior is the vivid, gritty, transporting memoir of a man destined for combat, a third-generation soldier for whom serving his country was not only an honor, it was tradition. While his grandfathers fought in France, and his father's position as a U.S. Navy Chief took him all around the world, Tom Keith fought his first war in the jungles of Vietnam. Fighting a guerilla war on foreign soil for the first time in American history, the SEALS found that there were no front lines; the enemy was an integral part of the entire society. This atypical form of warfare demanded that new tactics, new strategic applications of force, and a new understanding of a complex social and cultural enmity be found. SEAL Warrior goes beyond the horror and bravado of battle to offer a deeper insight into the ways in which the SEALs fought, learned, reacted, and expanded their understanding of guerilla warfare during the Vietnam War. It's also a personal, riveting account of how one young American survived, and, over time, grew to trust and revere many of those who once had been his enemy. With America again deeply involved in guerilla warfare, there is no better time to honor the unique abilities, understanding, and courage of these warriors who sacrificed it all to fight for nothing less than peace.

Genres: Military Fiction, Nonfiction, History, Military History

320 pages, Paperback

First published July 7, 2009

Reviews

[Robert Cook]

Okay, somewhat boring.

[Jcoug25]

I would have given this more stars but the womanizing, carousing, and sexual exploits overrode the salient parts of the story - ie the patrols and firefights in Vietnam as well as the early BUDS training and made this just okay for me. I salute the heros that put their lives on the line for our country.

[KB]

I read of lot of Vietnam memoirs, and this one was far from my favorite. I would file it under the "tough guy" category. If you're the kind of person who really enjoyed "We Few" by Nick Brokhausen, you will probably love "SEAL Warrior" by Thomas H. Keith.

[Ben]

I love SEAL books, but most of them are more current based on the last 20 or so years, so I like some of the rarer old ones. I have done some Vietnam era books before, but I think this was the first one I've read that went back to the UDT's so that was an interesting spin.

[Joe R,]

Excellent description of Seal operation in Vietnam. Lots of action.

[Pozak Joe]

Excellent military book for those who like WWII and seal experience.

[JAKE]

At times it would drag, but overall enjoyable and I learned a lot. Add a star because SEALs are awesome.

[Bill Millar]

Great read!

[Dawn L Yohannan]

awesome Book!

This is n awesome book written y a true hero that just tells it like it really was. A true American

[Fran Germinaro]

A well written story of SEALS in Vietnam. Emotional events but also mixed with humor. Especially an ammo box about to explode that contained an undesirable LOAD! Great job guys!

[Richard A Lambing]

Very interesting, but dated.

[Jon]

I have read many books written by Vietnam War soldiers and this rates right up with the best of them. There is lots of action and also a bit of pondering about the "whys and hows" the author's time in country.
Before reading this book I knew little about the SEAL teams and how they worked. Now I know what an amazing fighting force of precision ambusing they really were. Read it.

[Ralph]

It takes a special kind of personality to be a navy Seal. I guess that I am glad that there people with that type of personality, just glad that I am not one of them. The Seal teams did a tough and often thankless job in Vietnam and elsewhere. I could only hope that the majority of Seals are not like Kieth when they have R&R (e.g., can keep it in their pants).

[Tyler Barker]

Why did we lose the war? Simple because the Seals were so effective and stomping the business out of both Vc and Nva and due to our wonderful political environment and war protesting they pulled Thomas and the Seals out. shortly after we lose. This is a super awesome read.

[David Ward]

Seal Warrior: A Death in the Dark (Vietnam 1968-1992) by Thomas H. Keith (Thomas Dunne Books 2009)(959.70438). This is a pretty good tale of specialized military training. My rating: 6.5/10, finished 2009.

[Norm Konzelman]

Not an in depth work about the person, or about the Vietnam War in general. Basically how the man started and his journey as a life long warrior. The bulk being, how they beat the enemy and enjoyed their time off.
I liked it. Glad they are on our side.

[Mark Fallon]

A no-holds-barred account of a Navy SEAL's 3 tours in Vietnam. If you're looking for a politically correct stance, a pious attitude, or clean language, please skip this book.

[Michael York]

Solid read. Lots of action here...if you are looking for a blow by blow account of SEAL action in Vietnam, this is your book. It grabbed your interest and never let go.

[Bpw White]

Very very poor

[Art Wilmeth]

Pretty good book on what it was like to be a man with a green face in the delta region of Vietnam. Wish Thomas had given more descriptions of battle ops he went on with the SEAL teams.

[Steven Feeney]

Enjoyable and engaging