One Tough Marine: The Biography of First Sergeant Donald N. Hamblen, USMC - Hardcover

Norton, Major Bruce H.

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0345384814 ISBN 13: 9780345384812

Publisher: Ballantine Books, 1993

Synopsis

Sgt. Donald Hamblen was seriously injured on a routine exercise in 1962. And though his leg was amputated six inches below the knee, he fought to stay in the Corps and passed every kind of endurance test. Training other Marines for service in Vietnam in the supersecret Studies and Observation Group (SOG) in 1965, he trained teams of Vietnamese for clandestine missions in both North and South Vietnam. Wounded twice, he served 30 unbroken months of duty. And as far as is known, he is the first and only Marine to go into combat with a prosthesis. For Donald Hamblen was a true marine who would not quit and repeatedly demonstrated that he had the courage, spirit, and self-determination to overcome all obstacles.

About this title

From Kirkus Reviews:

Stand-up, anecdotal, typical reminiscences of one of the Corps' all-time tough guys. Putting his career in historical perspective, and writing with fellow retired Marine Norton, Hamblen--a career Marine enlisted man--relates his adventures during and after the Korean War and in Vietnam. As a Maine farm boy, the author knew rough living, so it wasn't surprising that he was more prepared for the hellish experience of boot camp than were many of his peers. As a PFC, Hamblen was sent to Korea as a replacement. The conflict had stagnated into trench warfare, but the author made his mark as a sniper and in other ways. His memoirs of Korea are detailed, and, here, he gives what's arguably the most underpublicized war in American history some varnish. Several years later, looking for new challenges, Hamblen joined the elite force recon--the Marine Corps equivalent of the SEALs and the Green Berets--but, in 1962, he parachuted on to some high-tension power lines and lost his left leg. How Hamblen responded to this accident makes his book's title crystal clear: Recovering, he not only remained in the service but was among four Marines who were accepted into SOG (the supersecret Vietnam War Studies and Observation Group). SOG teams typically operated behind enemy lines all over Southeast Asia (Cambodia, Laos, North Vietnam, even China), kidnapping NVA officers, conducting sabotage raids, and gathering intelligence. Unfortunately, this portion of the author's memoir cries out for far greater detail: Hamblen glosses over Vietnam in 60 pages. A mere hint of a fascinating life. But Hamblen refuses to name the names of guys who back-stabbed him, and his recounting lacks the smell of cordite, the sound of guns, the cries of the dying and wounded. -- Copyright ©1993, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.

From Publishers Weekly:

During a parachute-training jump at Camp Pendleton, Calif., in 1962, Marine Sergeant Hamblen became entangled in high-tension wires; though he survived electrocution, Hamblen's left leg had to be amputated. Facing a medical discharge and the end of a career he loved, he resolved to overcome his handicap and rehabilitate himself back to active duty. The story of how he managed to pass the demanding Physical Readiness Test, which finishes with a punishing three-mile run, is searing. Returning to full-duty status in 1963, Hamblen became the first Marine to be sent into combat wearing a prosthesis. He served 30 consecutive months in Vietnam as a reconnaissance specialist and adviser, taking part in more than 80 missions, half of them inside North Vietnam. Hamblen retired in 1970 after 20 years of service, and is now a professional hunting guide. His involving autobiography, written with Norton ( Force Recon Diary , 1970), also includes a fine account of his experiences as a rifleman and sniper during the Korean War. An inspiring story of general interest. Photos.
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc.

About this edition

• Publisher: Ballantine Books
• Publication date: 1993
• ISBN 10: 0345384814
• ISBN 13: 9780345384812
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 320