Hill 488

I first learned of Nui Vu or Howard's Hill ten years after the event. It wasn't a name commonly heard mentioned in the long litany of Indochina nightmares like Mouette, Dien Bien Phu, Ia Drang, A Shau, Khe Sanh, or Fire Base Mary Ann. Of course it's hard to stand out in that crowd but for some reason Nui Vu did to me. When I saw the title Hill 488 it didn't register that this was an eyewitness account of Nui Vu until I read the book's blurb. I ordered it without even thinking and once I opened it I couldn't quit. There were several times I wanted to. A petty vending machine burglary was Ray Hildreth's first step on the path to hell. As a former Marine from Baja Oklahoma, I totally related to Ray, the times and the circumstances. Jail or the Marines was a common choice judges offered back then. I've met more than one Marine who wished he'd taken the former option. But like El Salvador, everyone was innocent until they arrived in Vietnam. As Paul Harvey used to say, "Now you know the rest of the story" Sometimes I wish I didn't.

When I reported aboard 1st Recon Bn in Sept 1966, they were still talking about Hill 488. I knew several of the survivors who remained in-country after the battle and drank beer with them. I've had several "flashbacks" since reading this book, but they weren't too awfully intense. They served to remind of the missions we were assigned over my 12 month tour of duty with Delta Company. As a Navy corpsman serving with the Marine Corps, I was very proud of my service with 1st Recon Battalion. I would grade that experience as probably the most defining year of my life. Through the author, I felt the pain of the corpsman binding the wounds under fire and attempting to maintain life in their bodies. I recalled the smells of gunpowder, the jungle, the dirt and fresh blood. It all came back to me. Despite the memories it brought so graphically back, I couldn't put it down until the last page was read. We learned a lot from Hill 488/Howard's Hill and that info saved a lot of lives on future OPs and Area Recons.

What a great book and story. He chronicles his life and death experience and truly a book worth reading on events that occurred 50 years ago. He has taken a great deal of effort to put names on his fellow marines that died during his tour in Vietnam and has immortalized them for ever. I highly recommend this book! I will always wonder if it was all worth it. Was it for the glory, was it so important to stay another night, and given the costs of those that died that terrible night, did we learn anything about it all? Marines are geared to take care of each other and to complete the assigned mission no matter what the cost is. That’s what this book is about.

This book contains what I think is the best battle narrative that has ever been written. The first half of the book necessarily sets the stage for the battle sequence which occupies alternating chapters of roughly the last half of the book. I am trying to avoid superlatives, but the battle narrative that Hidreth and Sassar created is the the most captivating and gripping literature that I have ever read. I read this book once, cover to cover, but I have lost count of the number of times that I have read the alternating chapters of the last half of the book which describe the desperate saga of what transpired on Hill 488. If you want to feel the emotions, smell the smells, feel the pain of battle and to know the numbness on the other side of battle, Hill 488 is a must read.

I have read many personal accounts of combat in Vietnam, but Hildreth's description of the vicious fighting on Hill 488 is by far the most harrowing. Vastly outnumbered by an enemy determined to annihilate them, a small group of American soldiers demonstrated an incredible amount of grit, bravery, and sacrifice in supporting each other through an absolutely hellish night of repeated assaults and hand-to-hand fighting. There were a great many instances of valor and courage in Vietnam, of course, and I don't mean to diminish them in any way. I just found that Hildreth's book was particularly powerful in revealing not only the ugly, dirty brutality of war but also the humanity and valor of the troops as they fought to save each other. Quite moving, and highly recommended.

Incredible story. Hollywood at it's finest couldn't come up with this story. Just astounding. Some complaints were written about the way bits and pieces were inserted in the telling. Hard to imagine that the survivors could come up with a coherent description of that fight. It was chaos at its worst and each man, I would imagine, saw only what was directly in front him. And I would also expect over time memories to bury the worst of it. Criticism is valid, I suppose, but I don't see how anyone could have done a better job of writing it up.

A good write up of what must have been a truly traumatic amongst the chaos of the Viet Nam war. Hildreth does a good job to tell his story of entering Viet Nam, his thoughts and of those around him. It slowly builds up the story of Viet Nam, the US involvement and with him hardly ever having been in combat as a `green` 18 year old, to the terrifying events on Hill 488.The writing style is very matter of fact with no literary airs and graces and no real poitical axe to grind. It focuses on him and his small team.In a weird way, the actual `big event` sort of suddenly occurs and you are in the middle of the battle. It is written in such a way that you really feel you are there, the sights, sounds and smells. It wasn't about a US military triumph but more about the human tragedy, the friendship, the loss and perhaps most importantly of all, the will of the men involved to survive. A lot of medals were won and blood spilled (on both sides). It's not gung-ho but very matter of fact.I enjoyed it a lot but felt that the book ended quite quickly after the battle and it would have been nicer for some more information or narrative on what else went on after that (hardly a big deal).All in all, a very good read as I couldn't put it down and read it in about 4 days!

This is an extraordinary book of friendship, fear and valor with some visceral, punchy prose. Once I got drawn into the story I couldn't put it down and the story left me feeling pretty tired in my safe, comfortable, air conditioned apartment. While I was reading it just a tiny, tiny part of me was 'there'. That doesn't happen often with a book like this. It's a fine story of some very, very brave men.

What a moving story of heroism and bravery by so few,I found this book very moving and couldn't put down my kindle fire for long. Without rushing to pick it back up,my heart goes out to those brave young men who never made it back home alive for those who did make it back home alive well done Bravo.

Excellent again a human honest down to earth story it's vividness is so real you can feel for all those men women who fought and died in vietnam and the seriously injured who even with there own injuries put other soldiers before themselves heroes every one of them a good honest no holds barred book excellent

What a fantastic book! True tale of amazing and mostly untested in battle soldiers! If you ever read a book about the Vietnam war, then this must be in the top five! Courage beyond belief, definitely recommended!