The Gunner and the Grunt [Hardcover]

That the book simultaneously succeeds on the individual soldier level makes it a standout for any reader with an interest in the airmobile aspect of the Vietnam War. Vietnam Magazine.The Gunner and the Grunt is written in the voices of two soldiers who fought in the same battles as members of the same recon unit but from different angles. Michael Kelley, the Gunner, was flying in an armed helicopter above the jungle providing suppressive fire support, while Peter Burbank, the Grunt, was down in the jungle on foot patrol involved in fire fights with Viet Cong and North Vietnamese Army troops.The book follows these two Boston boys from army training through deployment to the war zone and the shock of first combat missions, to helicopter air assault Search and Destroy operations from the Cambodian border to the sands of the South China Sea.Two Boston boys fighting to survive their tour in Vietnam.Dual-perspective memoir of service with the First Cavalry Division Airmobile in mid-60s Vietnam.Michael Kelley was a helicopter gunship gunner; Peter Burbank was an infantryman.This co-written memoir follows the two authors as they enter the army, go through training, and go to war. It provides a fascinating look at two men doing very different but very intertwined jobs in a combat zone. As the Vietnam era veterans are aging, we are fortunate that many of them are recording their experiences for subsequent generations. This book earns its place among them.The Gunner and the Grunt is easy to read and difficult to put down. As a Vietnam veteran, this reviewer found their accounts accurate in describing the challenges and dangers of combat, as well as life as a field soldier.That the book simultaneously succeeds on the individual soldier level makes it a standout for any reader with an interest in the airmobile aspect of the Vietnam War. The authors accounts of their daily lives during their tours are vivid. Enhanced for the reader's benefit with a section of photol3è