The United States Coast Guard in World War II: A History of Domestic and Overseas Actions
Thomas P. Ostrom. Jefferson, NC: McFarland & Company, 2009. 260 pp. Illus. Notes. Bib. Index. $39.95.
Thomas Ostrom's motivation for writing this book stemmed from the respect and admiration he gained during and after his eight years in the Coast Guard Reserve. As Coast Guard historian John Galluzo notes in his foreword, the service and its predecessor agencies "have been involved in every American war since 1798."
Among other tasks it performed during World War II, the Coast Guard provided crewmen for Navy and Army vessels as well as for its own ships, carrying military cargo and landing troops on dangerous shores. On the home front, its port security work included search and rescue, firefighting, and counter-sabotage missions.
"Prelude to Pearl Harbor" is the first of 17 chapters that cover the Coast Guard in each theater of our most costly war. Chapter 3 details organizational matters and the increase of personnel from 13,756 in 1940 to 171,192 in 1945. Chapter 7 focuses on the wartime commandant, Admiral Russell Waesche, whose contributions include creating the Coast Guard Reserve and Auxiliary units that were so vital to the postwar period.
Chapter 10 deals with the Atlantic war, citing such encounters as the sinking of the German submarine U-225 by the USCGC Spencer (WPG-36) and loss of the USCGC Alexander Hamilton (WPG-34) in a torpedo attack that killed 26 crewmen. Ostrom discusses action in the Pacific campaigns in Chapter 15; the Coast Guard-manned transport, USS Hunter Liggett (AP-27), landed Marines at Guadalcanal and shot down several Japanese aircraft in the course of that operation. A wonderful photo shows Marines holding a sign praising the Coast Guard for its key role in the invasion of Guam.
Thomas Ostrom gives us most enlightening lessons on the "Guardian of the Heartland" that had not previously been adequately recognized in U.S. combat history.
The Vietnam War: A Graphic History
Dwight Jon Zimmerman and Wayne Vansant. New York, NY: Hill and Wang, 2009. 160 pp. Illus. $19.95.
From 1962 to 1968, U.S. involvement in Vietnam grew from a few hundred advisers to major forces composed of divisions and corps. During that same period, American society was gripped by the most widespread antiwar movement since the Civil War. This book uses engaging artwork to describe the course of the conflict both in Vietnam and on the home front.
In his foreword, retired Air Force General Chuck Horner writes that the authors "have wrapped their arms around the combat operations and political pressures" of the long struggle. Thereafter, the compact volume consists of a prologue, five main parts, and a short postscript.
Part One briefly summarizes our commitment to Vietnam, starting with President Harry S. Truman's limited aid to the French fight against communist forces. It then details the quixotic policies of President Lyndon B. Johnson and his defense secretary, Robert S. McNamara. Part Three tells of 1968, when North Vietnam's Tet Offensive attempted to defeat the South Vietnamese Army and provoke a general uprising among the southern populace.
Parts Four and Five cover President Richard M. Nixon's policy of "Vietnamization" and the sad aftermath of the Paris Peace Accords. By early 1972, U.S. troop strength had been reduced to about 65,000 from some 500,000 troops in 1968. Meanwhile, North Vietnam had developed the world's fifth-largest army. One of the peace accord terms called for the release of U.S. POWs, and many Americans believed their return signaled an end that would permit them to move on and forget the conflict. As it turned out, as Ostrom illustrates, they were wrong.
Naval historian Craig Symonds describes The Vietnam War perfectly: "For those new to the story, it is a concise yet comprehensive and vivid overview; for those who remember the war, it is a stunning retrospective."
Men at War: A Soldier's Eye View of the Most Important Battles in History
Bill Fawcett (Editor). New York, NY: Berkley Publishing Group, 2009. 329 pp. $15.00.
This is an interesting collection of stories about frontline soldiers, from the Roman legionnaire who fought in ancient Gaul and Union infantryman at Gettysburg, to a Marine at the Chosin Reservoir in Korea and a Navy SEAL in Vietnam. No doubt warfare has changed remarkably over 2,000 years—but not the essential job of frontline combatants.
The Christian Crusades comprised one of the most violent and lengthy military campaigns in history. Richard I ("the Lionheart") set his sights on the Holy Land early in his reign. Ultimately, by terms of a truce, Acre and Jaffa were to remain in Christian hands; although Richard's foe, Saladin, would keep Jerusalem, Christian pilgrims were permitted to visit there.
Readers also learn that much later, young Jean Laurent joined Napoleon's army after its disastrous defeat in Russia. He became homesick while nonetheless applying himself to the study of manuals on artillery gunnery. Following his emperor's final loss, "while he felt sorry for his fellow army men, he was alive and that was not so bad."
As Army Private First Class Joe Smith raised his head above the landing craft's gunwale and caught a glimpse of Normandy's battered beach, he "found himself staring into Hell." His regiment had been told that beach defenses would be obliterated by Allied air strikes and naval gunfire. Yet, despite all the promises from higher headquarters, he saw the landing stopped cold, "men floundering and in total disorder" as the invasion plan seemed to be falling apart.
Fawcett gives us tales of men who saw combat for what it is: a dreadful yet somehow exhilarating experience.
Command Attention: Promoting Your Organization the Marine Corps Way
Colonel Keith Oliver, U.S. Marine Corps (Retired). Annapolis, MD: Naval Institute Press, 2009. 192 pp. Illus. Appens. Index. $26.95.
Here is a first-class reference book for military public-affairs personnel on information management and communications with other government civilian public-relations workers. It gets right to the point regarding information management and communications with government agencies and the civilian community.
Oliver writes that Command Attention was written for his "fellow practitioners of organizational communications from all walks of life." He admits that "PR" is seldom the most important work; on the contrary, that work "is done by the lance corporal with a locked-and-loaded M-16 in his sweaty nineteen-year-old hands."
"Telling It to the Marines," emphasizes the importance of getting your fundamental message to the troops, their families, retired Marines, and others. To do so effectively requires using print, television, radio, and the dramatically expanding medium offered by Web sites. Chapter 5 addresses "special opportunities," such as highlighting Marines selected for the space program or as White House Fellows. With respect to publicizing the Naval Academy, Colonel Oliver identifies the advantages of alerting young enlisted Marines and their dependents to its opportunities and making Marine officers aware of available staff and faculty positions.
In Chapter 10, "Outtakes and Bloopers," the colonel writes about the "boneheaded public affairs moves" he made in his career. He describes being an hour late to a luncheon at Camp Lejeune attended by the commanding general, the mayor of Jacksonville, North Carolina, and other dignitaries. In another instance, he bungled the date of an important PR opportunity in Panama City after Manuel Noriega was ousted.
Distinguished war correspondent Joe Galloway writes in his foreword to the book that Oliver "has written a lively, literate, useful handbook." I cannot imagine a more apt tribute.