Brief description:
They were the chosen ones—and the ones who chose to be the best. Never before had the United States given so select a group of fighting men such punishing preparation.
Now they were heading for their ultimate test of skill and nerve and sacrifice, in a war unlike any they or their country had ever fought before, in a land that most of America still knew nothing about—Vietnam... The Army’s organizational battle over the Green Berets – whether they’ll be a new and independent fighting force, or a subordinate part of Airborne, and whether they’ll keep wearing those funny hats – continues.
Lowell’s nephew Geoffrey Craig, a draftee, faces court-martial after punching out a bullying drill sergeant. Lowell faces the ticklish task of whether to use his influence to help Craig or whether that will backfire, and even if successful teach the boy the wrong lesson.
New characters include Karl-Heinz Wagner and his sister Ursula. Wagner is a former East German soldier who has escaped, with his sister, by crashing a truck through the Berlin Wall. He joins Special Forces but he and his sister teeter on the brink of poverty as he tries to support her on a private’s salary.
Felter develops the same relationship with Kennedy that he had with Eisenhower. Griffin really captures Kennedy’s wit, charm and appreciation for fighting men.
Parker accompanies to Vietnam a secret shipment of armed Army small planes – secret not from the enemy, but from the Air Force as the Army struggles under its restriction to leave air combat to the Air Force, which does little to support ground troops. Parker’s wife, an Army doctor, struggles with his going to war once more.
Lowell is too talented a paper-shuffler for the Army to give him a field command, and chafes under the restriction. The brass exile Lowell for a month to keep him away from Defense Secretary Robert MacNamara, whom the brass fears is close to accepting Lowell’s recommendations to expand Army aviation. Lowell’s latest flame is an attractive Army psychiatrist.
Now they were heading for their ultimate test of skill and nerve and sacrifice, in a war unlike any they or their country had ever fought before, in a land that most of America still knew nothing about—Vietnam... The Army’s organizational battle over the Green Berets – whether they’ll be a new and independent fighting force, or a subordinate part of Airborne, and whether they’ll keep wearing those funny hats – continues.
Lowell’s nephew Geoffrey Craig, a draftee, faces court-martial after punching out a bullying drill sergeant. Lowell faces the ticklish task of whether to use his influence to help Craig or whether that will backfire, and even if successful teach the boy the wrong lesson.
New characters include Karl-Heinz Wagner and his sister Ursula. Wagner is a former East German soldier who has escaped, with his sister, by crashing a truck through the Berlin Wall. He joins Special Forces but he and his sister teeter on the brink of poverty as he tries to support her on a private’s salary.
Felter develops the same relationship with Kennedy that he had with Eisenhower. Griffin really captures Kennedy’s wit, charm and appreciation for fighting men.
Parker accompanies to Vietnam a secret shipment of armed Army small planes – secret not from the enemy, but from the Air Force as the Army struggles under its restriction to leave air combat to the Air Force, which does little to support ground troops. Parker’s wife, an Army doctor, struggles with his going to war once more.
Lowell is too talented a paper-shuffler for the Army to give him a field command, and chafes under the restriction. The brass exile Lowell for a month to keep him away from Defense Secretary Robert MacNamara, whom the brass fears is close to accepting Lowell’s recommendations to expand Army aviation. Lowell’s latest flame is an attractive Army psychiatrist.
Publication
Jove (1985), Edition: Book Club (BCE/BOMC), 374 pages
Original publication date
1985
Collection
Physical description
374 p.