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ISBN 978-1-60264-715-2 Copyright 2011
(Hardcover) 462 pages 6X9
Scroll Down for Reader Reviews
By Mary Yost (retired English teacher, helped with editing the manuscript before submitting to publisher)
I am deeply impressed ALL OVER AGAIN with what a wonderful book this is. I sensed it would be great when I was working on it with you, but I feel you have gone far beyond your original goal of letting people know the truth about the Vietnam War . . . I am so glad I was able to be a part of bringing this tremendous undertaking to fruition.
5.0 out of 5 stars
This Book is the Real Deal - Finally!, April 16, 2011
By W. D. Neal (VA, grunt company commander in Vietnam 2 tours)
Of all the books I have read about Vietnam, Strength and Honor is the first book which is the real deal. I was there in 67 and 68, then again in 70 and 71 - on the ground and mostly in the bush. I was fortunate to know Terry, and was asked to contribute to the book. But as I read chapters by others, I knew these were the true stories of real warriors - how they saw things and how it affected them. FINALLY - someone has gotten it right - the good, the bad, and the ugly. What is most unique about this book are the highly varied perspectives of those who fought it - from draftee grunts to professional soldiers, from Special Forces soldiers to B-52 pilots, and just about everything in between. That complexity matches the complexity of that war.
Whether you supported the war, or didn't, I think it is very important to better understand it and how the troops we sent to fight this war really experienced it. This book does that. It is unique and truly excellent. And, I believe it is a major contribution to the truth.
By Ron Strauss (CEO of brand consulting firm)
Terry Garlock's new book "STRENGTH & HONOR" cuts through the fog of the Vietnam War like a light saber . . . contains the unvarnished stories told first person by the actual combatants. It's the real deal, a bottom-up recounting of the war by those who fought it . . . stories pack a punch as only a retelling by those involved could. As I read Bill Neal's chapter (Angry Skipper 6) I could hear the sounds, smell the jungle, and see what was happening as though I had been transported back in time to that place. I could also feel the weight of decisions made and the anguish over lives lost. This book is an amazing piece of history told by good men who survived Vietnam and came home.
5.0 out of 5 stars
Strength & Honor, April 19, 2011
By Edward C. Ragan, II "Kingsman 24 '68-69" (GA, helicopter pilot in Vietnam two tours)
The best book about this War! Terry Garlock has taken the time to talk to real Viet Nam Vets from all branches of the U.S. Military and more importantly all kinds of jobs within those branches. Unlike a lot of books about this war the truth literally jumps off the page, stares you right in the eye and says here I am and this is what happened to me. The men & women whose stories are in this book are real and some of this country's best, a true cross section of the U.S.A. If you were only to buy one book about the Viet Nam War.....BUY THIS ONE.
5.0 out of 5 stars
Read true stories by those who fought the war, June 20, 2011
By Garry Bruckner "Skytrooper" (Twin Lake, MI, grunt in Vietnam)
Strength and Honor is one of the best books I have read about the Vietnam war and those who served bravely and honorably. The story of the War told by the MSM and the turmoil in America was a nightmare of fabrications that turned a nation against the men they had sent to fight the war. Strength and Honor is a collection of true stories told by the men who fought the war from the air, the water, the ground and those who did their best to save lives. Do yourself a favor and read this book so you can learn the real history of the war, those who served and how the war was not lost, it was handed to North Vietnam.
5.0 out of 5 stars
Memorial Day 2011, May 30, 2011
By Peter Howson (Lithia Springs, GA, helicopter pilot in Vietnam)
A great book deserving of five stars. The Good, the Bad and the Ugly in the Appendix is the best compendium of the history and wars of Vietnam that I have read. Our war is highlighted by the personal accounts of training for and serving in Vietnam. As to a value judgment of the war and those who served, this book breathes fresh air and accuracy into a debate long dominated by dumb ass elitists. This book does not come in garbled. I have long answered the question as to what Vietnam was like with these six words: you had to have been there. Now, I will answer the question by recommending this book.
5.0 out of 5 stars
Outstanding collection of Vietnam memoirs, May 9, 2011
By Blackhawk 6x (Marietta, GA, helicopter pilot in Vietnam 2 tours)
Terry Garlock's book is the best collection of personal experiences of those who served in Vietnam, that I have read. Unlike the usual collection of stories of heroic deeds, Mr. Garlock's stories are told by individuals with diverse jobs in that combat zone which are not all glamorous and exciting. Instead they tell the story of that particular individual and how he, personally, experienced the Vietnam War. In addition to his experiences, he gives his perception of the attitudes, towards him, of those who did not serve in that conflict. These stories give the reader an insight into the variety of everyday individuals who served, and the reason for their long silence concerning their Vietnam experiences. I think Mr Garlock's book will do much to correct the many untrue myths that were created by the Anti War Left...that still misinform much of the populace.
5.0 out of 5 stars
The most accurate accounting of some who were there serving their country, April 25, 2011
By Ron Current (Mableton, GA, Dustoff pilot in Vietnam)
Terry accurately lays it all out in this book. From the historical background long before and through our involvement he gets it right. While reading the individual accounts the range of emotions went from outright anger to extreme sadness for what they went through. While I, along with many others, can feel proud for what we did I actually pity those who figured out ways to avoid serving. There is a special place in Hell for them as much as there is a special place in Heaven for us. Mr. Kerry, Ms. Fonda, LBJ, Mr. McNamara, countless news pundits and movie makers who made millions telling lies about our service are finally exposed for who they really are and what they did. So many men and women gave their all, many gave much and all had their lives changed forever in ways that only those of us still living can express. Thanks Terry for giving a few of us the opportunity to do just that!
5.0 out of 5 stars
This is a number of true stories...., April 7, 2011
By Norman Mcdonald "Norm McDonald" (Utah, grunt machine gunner in Vietnam)
This book is a number of true stories from those on the ground and in the air, in some cases of how the Vietnam experience was for them. This is very important at this time...there has been enough time to now tell the stories from a distance without the revisionist history being told in the media and even in the schools. Much of what is being taught about those times is ...well, nonsense. I spoke at a university in a graduate history class a few years ago...and before I could answer questions and give my lecture, I had to correct a couple of obvious lies being told by the professor to these grad students. He was not happy....I was more than happy to have him angry with me. I am tired of hearing things about those days that are twisted, half truths or even out and out lies. Please read this book...you will not be disappointed....
Reader Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
By C. Brady (USA)
I have seen numerous war movies and documentaries over the years, but none made me feel as immersed in the action, reality and truth as this book. Terry Garlock's "Strength and Honor" is the most moving book I have ever read. It has two basic parts: stories from 45 veterans plus a brief (28 page) history of the Vietnam war. Both parts, but especially the personal accounts, move me to tears, horror, pride, shame, anger, amazement and, most of all, gratitude. In "Strength and Honor", 45 military veterans (and one family of a vet) tell their stories. There are 23 one-page "postcards" alternating with 23 longer stories (5 to 25 pages in length, plus one 54-page account). As fascinating as the stories are, this book is not a quick read. The stories demand time for reflection, time to calm down and, in a few cases, just time to digest the logistical and technical details. I thank Terry Garlock for helping dispel some of the confusion and mystery that have cloaked this war for me since I was a middle and high school student during that time. I thank him for sharing his synopsis of the war and for getting these personal accounts out to the world.
5.0 out of 5 stars
By Cy Boys ( VN '68 - '69 Helicopter gunship pilot)
This book is unique and extremely valuable, beautifully edited, printed and bound. Clearly, Terry Garlock set out to correct the gross misconceptions that most people have about the Viet Nam war and it's veterans. He was completely successful. If you don't like this book - you can't handle the truth! Terry and his contributors certainly are telling the reader the truth and it will have an effect on the reader. Any reader!
This book is easy to digest since it is a compilation of the experiences of about 45 different people - 45 individual chapters. The wide spectrum of these participants experiences is very informative. You will find yourself pausing between chapters to absorb what you just read. Some of these stories will make you cry. Some will make you smile. Some will really trouble you. All will teach you something valuable about human beings and war.
The last chapter titled "The Good, the Bad and the Ugly" is, in my experience, the best condensed history of how we (The people of the USA) came to be involved in this ugly business. It should be required reading in all High School History classes so that WE THE PEOPLE never do something this stupid again!
If you are a Viet Nam Veteran or have one in your life, this book can help you understand how poorly the political and media establishments treated our "Best and Brightest" during and after this terrible conflict and how that has affected all of us veterans.
5.0 out of 5 stars
By Skip Bell (Atlanta, GA, helicopter pilot two tours in Vietnam)
This is an excellent book! The author compiles a wide variety of experiences by Veterans of different military services. The two themes that appear over and over are the love the soldiers have for their comrades and the lousy way Vietnam Veterans were treated when they came back home from the war. The book also contains as an appendix one of the best short histories of the Vietnam War that I have ever read. "Strength and Honor" is a keeper. Terry Garlock has done a masterful job.
5.0 out of 5 stars
Most Compelling Compilation of America's Finest in Vietnam, April 17, 2011
By Lt Col Thomas R, Charters, USAF (Ret)
This extraordinary Cobra Pilot has researched, written, compiled and edited the most compelling accounts of some of America's finest in Vietnam. Terry Garlock has contributed immeasurably to setting the historical record straight on Vietnam with this great read! I personally found it hard to put down with all the gritty, sometimes funny and profoundly moving stories of real heroes.
5.0 out of 5 stars
An Unfiltered Account of the Vietnam War, June 19, 2011
By John Connor
I graduated from High School and started my freshman year of college in 1971. As a result of being part of that generation, I have always had a fascination for the Vietnam War which has prompted me to read a number of books over the years on the subject including Terry Garlock's Strength and Honor. What distinguishes Strength and Honor is that it provides the reader with insight into the conflict from the perspective of a number of different vets who served in different branches of the military and at various levels within the military's hierarchy. This approach provided me with the sense that I was reading a more accurate representation of the conflict and how our men and woman served their country rather than what I received as a young man watching the conflict through the filter of the media. I walked away from reading Terry's book with a sense of pride and respect for our Vietnam Vets and shaking my head over how the American public was intentionally mislead by a news media with their own political agenda. I would recommend Strength and Honor to anyone seeking an honest account of the Vietnam War from the eyes of those who actually served.
5.0 out of 5 stars
The finest from the finest, April 2, 2011
By Phillip Jennings "PEJ" (Kirkland, WA)
I rarely give a book five stars. For Strength and Honor, nothing less will do. It's a great, and well edited, compilation of writing by Viet Nam vets, and it's dynamite. If you have any interest at all in what it was like in Viet Nam and the return home, you have to read this book. Give it to your kids, your parents, your friends. So many of the stories are simply mini-Red Badge of Courage accounts, or All Quiet on the Western Front stories, without the conceit of authorship and distance of time or culture. The stories are uneven, too personal, too detached, and all emotional--like the war. Like Stolen Valor, this book deserves a wide audience, particularly with the 50th Anniversary of the Viet Nam War commemoration kicking off next year. Well done, Terry.
5.0 out of 5 stars
The Truth Be Told
By Gary Linderer (MO, Ranger in Vietnam, author of several books on Vietnam)
There have been a number of compendiums on the VN war, and I have read them all. Strength and Honor, by Terry Garlock, wins the blue ribbon. The numerous stories, composed by veterans who survived that terrible war, give the reader a panoramic view of the varied facets of combat in that battleground. The stories are heartfelt and honest. Although written by now aging warriors, the lines could have been composed within hours of the actions they describe. Warriors remember their experiences as if they happened yesterday. I highly recommend this book for both those who have shared our experiences and for the uninitiated. As VN vets, our day in the sun is drawing to a close. Younger warriors have stories that need to be told. But until the last of us have answered the final revellie, history needs to know the truth of what we accomplished so many years ago. Read Strength and Honor and understand.
5.0 out of 5 stars
Best view from those who served in Vietnam, May 5, 2011
By NamPhotog (NC, Marine grunt photographer in Vietnam)
I have a sizeable library of books on the war, including some others that are collections of stories from those directly involved. But none until now has covered anything like the incredible span of this outstanding volume. From the Marine with survivor's guilt, to the POW, to the nurse and the wounded baby, to the B-52 pilot, to the chaplain, and so much more, the breadth of human experience conveyed is nothing less than phenomenal. And many of the stories deal not just with the events in the war, but with the experiences of returning home and trying to settle back into civilian life, experiences that have never been so well communicated before to my knowledge. Reading them will help bring healing to vets and be a major step in understanding to non-vets. There are also ample references to the contrasts between what Americans serving in the war actually saw and did, and what they heard in the media from home.
This almost unique book is deeply informative on several levels, and written in the plain words of those who were there. So many accounts are presented factually, clearly, and yet are profoundly moving Overall it presents a view of the war and specifically how Americans performed in it that is a real as real ever gets. It broadens the mind and touches the heart, and is a story that Americans, both older and younger, need to hear.