Stealth Patrol: The Making Of A Vietnam Ranger - Softcover

Shanahan, Bill; Brackin, John P.

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0306813858 ISBN 13: 9780306813856

Publisher: Grand Central Publishing, 2004

Synopsis

From Stealth Patrol:"He spoke in a sort of clipped cadence, his words tumbling out quickly, one on top of the other; and his voice was deep and throaty, the way a bear might sound, if he could talk, after a night of drinking. 'Basically I'm here recruiting guys for the Lurps.... We operate in teams of five, maybe six, members apiece. In the Lurps, every man counts-and that's why we only take the best.'"Just four months after he arrived in Vietnam in 1968, Bill Shanahan joined the LRPs (Long Range Patrol). The mission of the Lurps, as they were called, was dangerous: Five- or six-man teams were dropped into the dense forest behind enemy lines. With quiet stealth, they observed enemy troop movements and staged ambushes that often ended in fierce firefights. When their mission was accomplished, they called for quick helicopter extraction. Back on base, they debriefed and tried to sleep off the adrenaline. Two days later they were back in the brush. The missions changed from week to week, but every day the goal was the same-stay alive.

About this title

About the Author

Bill Shanahan earned two Bronze Stars while serving in Vietnam with the 74th Infantry Detachment (Long Range Patrol), 173rd Airborne Brigade, and later Co. N, 75th Infantry. He lives in Alabama. John P. Brackin is a freelance writer who has contributed to many magazines. He lives in Birmingham, Alabama. John P. Brackin is a freelance writer who has contributed to many magazines. He lives in Alabama.

From Publishers Weekly

A two-tour Vietnam infantry veteran and a freelance writer join forces to produce this informative personal memoir that also casts light on the war's effect on American infantry tactics. When he went to Vietnam in 1968, Shanahan quickly discovered that company-sized search and destroy operations were clumsy, noisy and ineffective. Volunteering for the Long Range Patrols (or "Lurps"), he received special training and then went out as part of the group's light, six-man teams. Moving quietly, the Lurps could ambush small enemy units and call down heavy weapons (including the battleship New Jersey) on larger ones. Favored tactics were evasion rather than firefighting, so the patrols' casualties were lower, and the Lurps attracted legendary warriors such as five-tour Ranger Patrick Tadina. The Lurps also gave their members a variety of experiences, such as a waterborne surveillance mission that went awry off the coast and an observation mission through VC territory on which an enthusiastic, then terrified, supply sergeant came along as a guest. Shanahan and Brackin maintain a friendly, conversational tone throughout the book, so that this volume gives readers the feeling that they're listening to a loyal, even-tempered veteran recount his experiences over a few beers. This is a useful book about useful soldiers; one that is likely to appeal to serious and casual students of the Vietnam War.
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Edition details

• Publisher: Grand Central Publishing
• Publication date: 2004
• ISBN 10: 0306813858
• ISBN 13: 9780306813856
• Binding: Paperback
• Language: English
• Number of pages: 304