Being there . . . . in mid-1967 when the Vietnam War reached a turning point as officers of thehighest level of the MACV, the US Military Assistance Command, Vietnam, proclaimed, “We seelight at the end of the tunnel for this war ending soon.” And for these reasons: attritionobjectives were being achieved because Vietcong and PAVN units, Hanoi’s People’s Army ofVietnam, were losing more forces in South Vietnam than could be replaced throughrecruitment or infiltration. In addition, our Intelligence teams learned that Communistpolicymakers in North Vietnam concluded the war had reached stalemate proportions and thatbattlefield trends were not in their favor. In a final response, they insisted a vast Tet offensivebe launched during the celebration of the Chinese Lunar New Year. Their plan was tocoordinate a series of countrywide attacks intended to ignite an insurrection among SouthVietnamese civilians and military forces that would attack and crush the Saigon regime. TheHanoi North Vietnamese leaders hoped to cut the U.S. forces off at the South Vietnameseborder, triggering President Lydon Johnson to negotiate peace. By January 1968, 40,000 PAVNtroops were laying siege to the Khe Sanh firebase and its surrounded 7,000 U.S. Marines.IN HIS VIVID VIETNAM WAR MEMOIR OF FLYING HUNDREDS OF FLIGHTS DURING HIS 1966-1967 TOUR AS THE CREW CHIEF OF A USMC HELICOPTER GUNSHIP, PETER GREENE DESCRIBESHIS PERILOUS MEDEVAC MISSIONS IN SQUADRON, VMO – 6 – – HUEY SUPPLYING REMOTEOUTPOSTS, TRANSPORTING MARINE RECON TEAMS, PROVIDING GUNSHIP SUPPORT FOR THEMARINES AND MACY-SOGS IN AND AROUND I CORPS AREA. IN SHORT, THIS IS A RARE READFROM CASEMATE PUBLISHERS FOR THE READER TO BE THERE ALONG SIDE WHENEVER THEMARINES OR SOUTH VIETNAM FRIENDLIES GOT INTO TROUBLE, SINCE PETER’S GUNSHIP WASALWAYS ONE OF THE FIRST DISPATCHED TO ASSIST THEM . . . .Reviewed and highly recommended by Don DeNevi“HUEYS OVER KHE SANH – – Missions with the VMO-6”, by Peter Greene. CASEMATEPUBLISHERS: PUB DATE, SEPTMBER 14, 2024, 288 pages, hardback, 6” x 9”, 60 colorillustrations, $34.95. Visit, www.casematepublishers.com.Peter’s own stirring, nay, illuminating-inspirational, conclusion is the best possible of allendorsements Casemate could publicize for his memoir. Throughout his almost 300-pageskillfully organized memoir, he is concerned a little less with battles and strategy than with themen he served with, some very young whose high spirits guaranteed courage would win out.
Peter’s narrative appeal is due to his perfect balance of near-
death aerial encounters commingling with his own emotions, i.e., “As we flew up, and ourbuddies realized their gunships had arrived to provide overhead protection, they all startedjumping and cheering, giving us pilots thumbs up. It was then, at that very moment, that itstruck me I had one of the best jobs in the Vietnam War. I will never forget that momentbecause those grunts were so thrilled and excited to see Marine Huey gunships hovering
overhead watching and protecting them.”
Shortly after arriving in Vietnam in late 1966, and after only a month as a Huey gunshipgunner, Pete was one of several new arrivals who made “crew chief”. Usually, the most juniorrank on board, the crew chief was responsible for ensuring the gunship was in good workingorder and given the authority to down, even destroy, the aircraft if it was not. As a crew chief,he had to fly missions almost every day joined by different flight crews, at first from Ky Ha, andlater from Khe Sanh and other bases. From Peter Greene’s vantage point, you and I, dearreader, get to be in and experience for ourselves, as in no other text this reviewer is aware of,almost every aspect of the Vietnam War. The final sentence of his splendid self-story tells youprecisely who Peter who was, not only during war, but also who he remains today, mainlyofficiating basketball and soccer games, especially tournaments, while all his six grandchildrenand three great-granddaughters observe his diligence doing serious, accurate work. The best ofhim writes, “To all Marines who served in Vietnam and previous wars, and especially Marine
Aviation, I am so proud to have been one of you. Semper Fidelis!”
