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Books of 2023

Book 5 of 2023

Title: Killer Kane Authors: Andrew R. Finlayson ISBN: 9780786477012 Tags: 1968 Washington D.C Riots, Averell Harriman, Bess Clements Abell, Camp David, Catoctin Mountains MD, CH-34 Choctaw, CH-46 Sea Knight, CIA, CIDG, From LAPL, General Herman Nickerson, General Samuel B. Griffith, General William Westmoreland, Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, John F. Kennedy, Lady Bird Johnson, Martin Luther King Jr, Maryland, North Korea, Okinawa, Okinawa - Northern Training Area (NTA), Robert McNamara, Soviet FROG-3 Missile, SpecOps, US Capitol Building, USA 3rd Infantry Regiment, USAF Kadena Airbase, USAID John Paul Vann, USMC, USMC 12th Marines, USMC 1st Force Recon Co, USMC 1st Force Recon Co - Team Brisbane (Vietnam War), USMC 1st Force Recon Co - Team Circumstance (Vietnam War), USMC 1st Force Recon Co - Team Club Car (Vietnam War), USMC 1st Force Recon Co - Team Countersign (Vietnam War), USMC 1st Force Recon Co - Team Killer Kane (Vietnam War), USMC 1st Force Recon Co - Team Swift Scout (Vietnam War), USMC 1st MarDiv, USMC 1st Marine Air Wing, USMC 1st Marines, USMC 1st Marines - 1/1, USMC 1st Marines - 1/1 - F Co, USMC 1st Marines - 2/1, USMC 1st Marines - 2/1 - E Co, USMC 1st Recon Bn, USMC 1st Recon Bn - E Co, USMC 1st Tank Bn, USMC 26th Marines, USMC 26th Marines - 1/26, USMC 26th Marines - 1/26 - F Co, USMC 3rd Marines, USMC 3rd Marines - 2/3, USMC 5th Marines, USMC 5th Marines - 2/5, USMC 5th Marines - 2/5 - F Co, USMC 7th Marines, USMC 7th Marines - 1/7, USMC 7th Marines - 2/7, USMC 7th Marines - 2/7 - G Co, USMC 9th Marine Amphibious Brigade, USMC Air Observers - Black Coats (Vietnam War), USMC Camp Hansen, USMC Camp Pendleton, USMC Camp Schwab, USMC Force Recon, USMC Marine Barracks Washington (8th and I), USMC Scout Dogs, USMC The Basic School, USMC Washington Barracks Guard Co., USN USS Pueblo (AGER 2), USNA, VNM 1968 Tet Offensive (1968) (Vietnam War), VNM A Shau Valley, VNM A Vuong River, VNM An Bang, VNM An Hoa, VNM An Long, VNM An Son, VNM Antenna Valley, VNM Ap Ba, VNM Arizona Territory, VNM Ba Na Mountain, VNM Base Area 112, VNM Battle of Hue City (1968) (Tet Offensive) (Vietnam War), VNM Battle of Khe Sanh (1968) (Tet Offensive) (Vietnam War), VNM Camp Hansen, VNM Camp Reasoner, VNM Charlie Med, VNM CIA Phung Hoang / Phoenix Program (1965-1972) (Vietnam War), VNM Col de Ba Lien, VNM Command and Control North/FOB-1 (Vietnam War), VNM Da Nang, VNM Da Son, VNM Dam Cao Hai Bay, VNM Dong Nhut Mountain, VNM DRV NVA 2nd Division, VNM DRV NVA 320th Reconnaissance Regiment, VNM DRV NVA 368th Artillery (Rocket) Regiment, VNM DRV NVA 3rd Regiment, VNM DRV NVA 402nd Sapper Battalion, VNM Elephant Valley, VNM Freedom Hill PX, VNM Happy Valley, VNM Hiep Duc, VNM Hill 170, VNM Hill 199, VNM Hill 203, VNM Hill 224, VNM Hill 324, VNM Hill 327, VNM Hill 35, VNM Hill 372, VNM Hill 381, VNM Hill 387, VNM Hill 406, VNM Hill 417, VNM Hill 441, VNM Hill 452, VNM Hill 454, VNM Hill 478, VNM Hill 498, VNM Hill 502, VNM Hill 537, VNM Hill 575 (Tam Dieo Mountain), VNM Hill 582 (Kon Chay Mountain), VNM Hill 592, VNM Hill 594, VNM Hill 623, VNM Hill 678, VNM Hill 749, VNM Hill 800, VNM Hill 89, VNM Ho Chi Minh Trail, VNM Hoi An Thuong, VNM Hon Cau Mountain, VNM Hue, VNM Khe Dienne River, VNM Khe Gio tributary, VNM Khuong Dai, VNM Loc Tu, VNM LZ Finch, VNM MEDCAP, VNM Mortar Valley, VNM Nam O Bridge, VNM Ninh Dinh, VNM Ninh Khanh, VNM Ninh Long, VNM Nong Son Coal Mine, VNM Nui Ba Hoa, VNM Nui Chom, VNM Nui Nhu, VNM Nui Son Ga (Charlie Ridge), VNM Ong Thu Slope, VNM Operation Arizona (1967) (Vietnam War), VNM Operation Calhoun (1967) (Vietnam War), VNM Operation Claxon (1968) (Vietnam War), VNM Operation Knox (1967) (Vietnam War), VNM Operation Pecos (1967) (Vietnam War), VNM Operation Snoopy (People Sniffer) (Vietnam War), VNM Operation Union I (1967) (Vietnam War), VNM Operation Union II (1967) (Vietnam War), VNM Operation Wheeler (1967) (Vietnam War), VNM Phouc Ly, VNM Phouc Tuong, VNM Phouc Tuong (Dogpatch), VNM Phu Bai, VNM Phu Gia Pass, VNM Phu Loc, VNM Quang Duc Duc, VNM Quang Nam Province, VNM Quang Tri Province, VNM Que Son Mountains, VNM Que Son Valley, VNM Route 1, VNM Route 545, VNM RVN RVNP CSDB PRU Provincial Reconnaissance Units (Vietnam War), VNM Saigon, VNM Song Cu De, VNM Song Ly Ly, VNM Song Thu Bon, VNM Song Tinh Yen, VNM Song Vu Gia, VNM Song Yang, VNM Tam Kho, VNM Tam Talou Tributary, VNM Thach Bich, VNM The Enchanted Forest, VNM The Garden of Eden, VNM Thua Thien Province, VNM Thuan Long, VNM Thuong Duc, VNM Ti Tau Mountain, VNM Trang Bang, VNM Trao Hamlet, VNM Tu Phu, VNM US MACVSOG (1964-1972) (Vietnam War), VNM US MACVSOG Road Runner Teams (Vietnam War), VNM USMC AHCB An Hoa Combat Base (Vietnam War), VNM USMC Combined Action Platoon, VNM USMC KSCB Khe Sanh Combat Base (Vietnam War), VNM Vietnam, VNM Vietnam War (1955-1975), VNM Yellow Brick Road, Washington D.C Rating: 5 stars Subject: Books.Military.20th-21st Century.Asia.Vietnam War.Specops.Marine Recon

Description:

The leader of one of the most successful U. S. Marine long range reconnaissance teams during the Vietnam War, Andrew Finlayson recounts his team's experiences in the year leading up to the Tet Offensive of 1968. Using primary sources, such as Marine Corps unit histories and his own weekly letters home, he presents a highly personal account of the dangerous missions conducted by this team of young Marines as they searched for North Vietnamese Army and Viet Cong units in such dangerous locales as Elephant Valley, the Enchanted Forest, Charlie Ridge, Happy Valley and the Que Son Mountains. In numerous close contacts with the enemy, the team (code-name Killer Kane) fights for its survival against desperate odds, narrowly escaping death time and again. The book gives vivid descriptions of the life of recon Marines when they are not on patrol, the beauty of the landscape they traverse, and several of the author's Vietnamese friends. It also explains in detail the preparations for, and the conduct of, a successful long range reconnaissance patrol.

Review:

Finlayson has a very particular point of view on the war, and warfare. Throughout the book, he is constantly made aware that his actions and behaviors are both dangerous and obsessive. Yet, even though he acknowledges it, and says he takes it to heart, he still has the narcissistic bent to ignore them and feel that his way is the right way.

That’s both a positive and a negative.

His teams brought the war to the enemy and were immensely productive as far as kills and intelligence gathered. At the same time, they were in many ways reckless and dangerous.

God loves a fool and who dares wins are basically how he operates.

Overall though, the book gives you great insight into HIS way of running recon teams, and how Team Killer Kane/Swift Scout operated, the gear they took, the places they operated in, and who the people were. His writing style is quick paced and gives you a good sense of his thoughts and emotions and allows you to understand where his head was at and what he experienced.

While there were a few errors, especially in regards to keeping track of a persons rank (one page they’re corporal, next they’re a sergeant), and the weapons (carrying my m-14, and had 5 magazines of 5.56mm), the book is well done.

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