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Comments about the book
Received semi-finalist award for the 2006 Independent Publisher Book Awards-Historical/Military Fiction category See the Marine Gazette Review “In Battlelines, Lieutenant Colonel Dave Brown and his daughter, Tiffany, have captured the reality of war. Their chronicle of comradeship forged in the crucible of combat is a must-read for anyone who cares about soldiers, sailors, airmen, and Marines who fight our country’s battles.” Martin Brandtner, LtGen, USMC (Ret.) “Battlelines…is a tribute to the brave Marines of Fox Company, 2/5, who fought in some of the sharpest battles of the war. I fought alongside Dave Brown and his Marines, and can attest to the courage and tenacity displayed by the men of Fox Company.” O.K. Steele, MGen, USMC (Ret.) “Battlelines is a superb memoir on human behavior and the raw emotions felt by those who must constantly face the dangers of either closing or defending that last 600 meters against an aggressive, determined, and often-unseen enemy. Implicit in the telling is a portrait of unsurpassed courage, steadfastness, and a sense of mutual affection for one another that can only be derived from men who find themselves together under fire.”
Chris Brown, President F/2/5 Vietnam
Association I have just started reading Dave and
Tiffany Brown's book "Battlelines". I couldn't wait until I finished it to tell you how I feel reading it. I am up through the Union II era and I must say that it is well
written and really captures the day to day feelings of the men who served with
our company. Having gone to the reunions and developing the strong
friendships with men like Sam Henderson, Sam Jones, George Burgett and so many
more that when reading about their exploits with Fox Company you feel like your
with them as they go through their day to day patrols, operations, etc. As
most of you know at the end of each reunion we say a prayer and read the
names of our KIA's. After reading this book, listening to those names being
read will have a whole new meaning for me. If you haven't purchased the book
yet I would strongly recommend it. Semper Fi! Chris Bob Rinehart 11/10/05 Marc Waszkiewicz 11/14/05 Dave and all my fellow Fox mud/blood brothers: I just finished the book and cannot believe the profound impact it
has made upon me. While reading it, I was right back there with you
guys... sweating and grumbling; joking and laughing; screaming and
fighting; and, yes, crying too. Riveting. Brutal. Clear. Concise.
Honest. I don't think some of you know, but I had served almost a year
in-country at 11th Marines (artillery) Battalion HQ in the Fire
Direction Center where one of my jobs was plotting the locations of
"all friendlies" in the 5th Marines TAOR with little colored map pins
on a wall sized map board. Also, as watch sergeant, I monitored radio
communications from all 5th Marines' units, as we tried to make sure
you were not fired upon by friendly artillery while in the heat of
contact. During that time I observed that 2/5 was the "go to gang"
when anyone needed help and that Fox Company was the company of choice
when the chips were down. For that reason, I extended my tour an
extra six months (two times in a row) to serve with Fox Company as
your artillery F.O. (forward observer.) I have never regretted my
decision despite numerous wounds received and the unpleasant aftermath
of PTSD. Now that I have read the first hand accounts of what you all were
experiencing while I was "watching from my underground bunker" coupled
with the actual experiences of almost a year with Fox Company in the
field, I have now been able to piece together many events that I had
only listened to over the radio sets. This book has conveyed the history of a combat unit like no other
oral history I have read. I only have two regrets. One, that I was
unable to complete my second extension because of being seriously
wounded and, two, that I cannot do it all over again! However, this
book has allowed me to do both, at least vicariously. Semper Fi, Marc (Cpl. Ski/ Sgt. Ski) Waszkiewicz Viet Nam 1967-68-69 Rich Carter 11/24/05 I wish to extend
my thanks and appreciation to you and Tiffany for all your time and
efforts in exploring the trials and tribulations of Fox Company during
its deployment to Vietnam. The book gave me the opportunity to view
the war from the perspective of Marines and Corpsmen in all the
phases of the Vietnam War. You both did a great service to the Corps
and anyone in general in re-creating day-to-day experiences and
feelings generated by "those who actually fought the war." Being diagnosed
and treated for severe PTSD since 1994, I found it difficult at times
to read some of the graphic details and suffering which was part of
our existence in the field. However, in actuality, it helped me and
my condition; obliging me to confront so many unresolved issues. In
the process of reading, I suffered severe vivid nightmares of
incidents that never affected me during the entire time of my over 12
month tour in Nam. I suppose it has been the same for most of us who
witnessed first hand the horror and destruction of the human body;
especially those with whom our lives became so interwoven with. What
I believe got us through was our determination to live up to the high
standards of the Corps, and also because we relied so much on each
other. I did have
some good dreams while reading your book. Those dreams gave me
another opportunity to interact with my fellow Marines and Corpsmen
and to do something I never had the opportunity to do in Nam until
now....to say "goodbye" to them and be another step closer to closure
which I realize may never happen. Respectfully, Rich
Carter
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