Hill 488 [Englisch] [Taschenbuch]

This is one of the best books on the Vietnam war to come out in awhile. I'm still filled with awe after reading this masterpiece of a book. It is a memoir from a veteran recon Marine about a hellish battle on Hill 488 in Vietnam. First we learn about Ray Hildreth and get to know him pretty well as he joins the Marines in 1965 and eventually becomes a sniper in a Recon Marine platoon. In 1966 he ships out to Vietnam and an expanding war. Ray is assigned to 1st Platoon, Charlie Company, 1st Recon Battalion. You can feel his fear as he goes on his first patrols with the mostly green platoon. Luckily Sergeant Jimmie E Howard runs the platoon and guides the young Marines in this tense war zone. Sgt. Howard is a veteran of the Korean war, where he won a Silver Star for helping defend a hill named Bunker Hill from a massed Chinese/N. Korean attack. Howard held 30 yds of the perimeter by himself, an amazing feat in itself.
The Recon platoon gets orders to go deep into enemy territory in the dreaded Hiep Duc Valley. (bitterly contested throughout the entire war. See Keith William Nolan's wonderful Death Valley for more.) You can feel the tension build through the story with his wonderful prose. (Charles Sasser helped write the book and has written many fine books about American fighting men) 1st Platoon successfully inserts onto Hill 488 where they call in airstrikes & artillery on NVA & VC troop concentrations. On June 15, 1966 the enemy got smart and attacked Hill 488 hoping to wipe out the small American platoon. Only 18 Americans held the hill, 16 Marines & 2 Navy Corpsmen. A full battalion of enemy troops (400-500 men) attacked. By all rights the Marines should have been overwhelmed by this massive force. (artillery was ineffective because the VC were to close & air support took 2 hours to arrive) You will not be able to put down the book as Ray Hildreth captures the fury, danger, & action of that night. Sgt. Howard is the glue for this platoon and earns the nations highest award for bravery the Congressional Medal of Honor. In fact this platoon becomes the highest decorated small unit in the entire history of the US military for their defense of Hill 488. They earn a congressional Medal of Honor, 4 Navy Crosses! (the nations 2nd highest award.) 13 Silver Stars (nations 3rd highest award.) & 18 Purple Hearts. 6 of these men made the ultimate sacrifice that night. (4 more Marines died trying to rescue this platoon the next day, as did a helicopter pilot.)
Somehow this little group of Marines holds out against overwhelming odds. This book captures the amazing fighting spirit of the US Marines, gives some nice history about the war itself & brings to light one of the most remarkable battles in American history. I can't say enough how grateful I am to Ray Hildreth for sharing this story & to his Marine brothers that fought & died with him. Get this book and you will not be disappointed. This is a must have book for any veteran, historian, or anyone wanting to learn what it was like in Vietnam.

I have read quite a few military and Vietnam related non-fiction titles. Hill 488 stands as the best book I have ever read. I can not understand how anyone could rate it lower then 5 stars. The first half of the book may start out slow, but the second half makes up for it in so many way. No other book I have read captures the emotion and intensity of a battle the way Hill 488 does. Hill 488 draws the reader in and doesnt let go until the very end. Dont pass up on this extraordinary true account. This book is by far the best Vietnam book I have read.

As a Marine I spent two tours in the Nam. My first trip over was in 1966 and my first assignment was Chu Lai. I was there when this took place. The author has done a fantastic job of researching the background and recreating the events of what took place. This story takes you there and places you in the middle of the action. It is a must read for any Veteren or anyone else who just want's to know what it was like to be in the Nam'