Fire for Effect: USS Stoddard and the U.S. Navys First Shots of the Vietnam War [Hardcover]

There are not many accounts of life aboard a destroyer during the Vietnam War and this one does not disappoint.  The VVA VeteranThe first U.S. Navy ship assigned to defend Da Nanghome to a critical airfield and deep-water portUSS Stoddard was the first naval vessel to fire in the Vietnam War, on July 18, 1965. At this critical point in the early days of the war, the Stoddard worked unusually closely with both the Marines and an Underwater Demolition Team deployed to Da Nang. Together they conducted high-risk missions that exploited windows of opportunity uncovered by the Marines and UDT.Radarman John Calder recounts his journey from radar training to deployment aboard the Stoddard, through the challenges of naval warfare and the decision to volunteer for a second tour as the conflict escalated. He reflects on the rigorous training that prepared him for combat, the pride of attending Naval Gunfire Support Training School, and the honor of working with Marine spotters in Da Nang.This book is both a personal memoir and a tribute to the professionalism of the U.S. Navy, offering a rare, firsthand perspective on the early naval operations of the Vietnam War.Gripping account of serving as radarman on the USS Stoddard as the war in Vietnam erupted.Da Nang was the most important strategic asset in South Vietnam, containing the second largest airfield in South Vietnam, and a deep-water port on the South China Sea.Recounts the challenge and stresses of being crew on Da Nang Harbor Defense Ship.Marines stationed in Da Nang, UDTs, and one destroyer had the responsibility of preventing the VC from taking the real estate surrounding Da Nang.& will be of interest to Vietnam veterans, social historians, those interested in surface ship operations off Vietnam and the early years of the NGFS gunline, and those looking for primary source accounts of the war at sea in Southeast Asia.The author gives an up-close and personal account to which destroyer sailors of the era will rlC