Endorsements for Hill 119: Defending a Reconnaissance Marines’ OP, Vietnam, 1969-1970
“This is the single finest description of the Vietnam War at the grunt level. Overwhelming in its detail, Hill 119 brings the reader into battle, day after day, month after month. The readers leave exhausted, wondering how anyone survived and how and why grunts on both sides – Marines versus Viet Cong guerrillas and North Vietnamese soldiers – had the grit and resolve to hammer away at each other day and night, neither side relenting or backing down. It’s all here – the smothering heat, the AK rounds zipping past, the peaches in the C-rations, the mistakes, the small triumphs, the dead body stink, the blessed artillery blasting the bush in front of you, the rear echelon disconnections, the carefully planned inserts ending in hasty extracts. Everything you wanted to know about that jungle war is here in one book that grabs you and doesn’t let you go. Colonel Mike Fallon guides the reader through the land of warriors.”
Francis J. ‘Bing’ West Jr. is an American author, Marine combat veteran and former Assistant Secretary of Defense for International Security Affairs during the Reagan Administration.
“The story of Hill 119 during the war in Vietnam is an incredible one, extremely well researched and documented. More importantly however is that it is a story of Marines, young, but tough, smart, and courageous. While “Hill 119” is about Marines in reconnaissance units, there is great value in the book for gaining an understanding of what thousands of other Marines in the infantry underwent during their time in Vietnam; incredible danger in every step, existing in the elements which varied from wet to cold to incredibly hot, carrying loads of 60 to 100 pounds every day and existing on meager food from c-ration cans. Additionally, one gains an understanding of the skill and bravery of the Marine aviators who supported them, and in many cases, kept them alive. You cannot read Fallon’s book without gaining tremendous respect for those Marines who fought with courage and skill and served honorably where their country asked them to. I strongly recommend “Hill 119” for those who wish to gain additional insight into the Vietnam war and how it was fought.”
W.E. Boomer, General, U.S. Marine Corps (Ret) Retired as the Assistant Commandant of the Marine Corps. In the First Gulf War, Commanding US Marine Forces Central Command & I Marine Expeditionary Force. He had two tours in vietnam serving in combat as Company Commander for Hotel Company 2nd Bn., 4th Marines and in his second tour as an advisory to the 4th Vietnamese Marine Corps Battalion.
“This is the view from the combat Marine level of the reinforced 1st Reconnaissance Battalion in 1969 and 1970 in an economy of force role to protect what was called the “Danang Vital Area” as we started withdrawing forces from South Vietnam. Small units, often 8 Marines and Corpsmen at a time, relied on their wits and skill to keep a seasoned and determined enemy at bay. This is a riveting look at the courage, heroism, and bonds among Marines fully engaged in a vital if little noted campaign.”
Wallace "Chip" Gregson, LtGen US Marine Corps (Ret), former Commander, U.S. Marine Forces Pacific Stripes, Assistant Secretary of Defense, Asian and Pacific Affairs and patrol leader, S-3A and Company Commander in 1st Reconnaissance Battalion 1969-70.
“Page Turner! Page burner! You have heard of them; this one really is.
Mike Fallon has done a fantastic job of capturing a factual story of the day-to-day process of fighting the Vietnam War and has made it a riveting story. As I read through the pages I found myself back on an OP or in the “bush” in Vietnam over 55 years ago. I was that lieutenant again trying to find a way to get the job done while protecting my Marines. Mike did an incredible job of capturing on paper the personalities of these very real and wonderful people. He carefully develops the facts, the history, and the story of how we did our jobs and how we tried to improve.
I have known Mike Fallon for over 55 years. We were lieutenants together and we served a thirty-year career together. There are special people who impress you at each and every stage of a relationship, from platoon commander through MEF G-3 and beyond the Corps into the civilian sector. Mike Fallon is one of those people. He is smart, innovative, very insightful and 100 percent dependable. One description that covers every job or task he has undertaken is he is determined to do it right, get it right and make it better than it ever was before! He has held a dogged determination for every task; to get it done the right way for the full half century he has been my friend. This book is a perfect example of that determination. I just could not put it down as I read page after page of events that really did happen as he reports them in Vietnam in First Recon Battalion in 1969-1970. And he has pegged the people and the actions.
I have been a student of history all of my life. In my room full of history books this one stands out to me as one of the best for telling the story! Read it! You will enjoy it and learn a lot.”
Earl Hailston, Lieutenant General, U.S. Marine Corps, (Ret) former Commander of U.S. Marine Corps Forces Pacific, U.S. Marine Forces Central Command and a platoon commander and patrol leader in Echo Company 1st Reconnaissance Battalion, 1969-1970.
“A gripping and meticulously detailed account of the extraordinary bravery and sacrifice of Delta Company, 1st Recon Battalion, during one of the most challenging periods of the Vietnam War. As a former platoon commander with firsthand experience in this region, I can attest to Mike Fallon’s authentic portrayal of the unforgiving terrain of Da Nang and the immense challenges faced by the Marines operating there and how the Marines responded successfully.
This compelling history vividly captures the sacrifices, resilience, and camaraderie of these Marines, offering a profound tribute to their heretofore unheralded service. Fallon’s work masterfully conveys what it meant to be a Marine rifleman in combat and part of the Reconnaissance Battalion during one of the war’s most demanding chapters. For anyone seeking to understand the vital role and enduring legacy of Recon Marines, as well as the day-to-day life of a rifleman in combat, this book is the best.”
Arnold Punaro, Major General U.S. Marine Corps (Ret), CEO of The Punaro Group and Iron Arch Technology. Punaro retired as a in the Marine Corps Major General after 35 years of military service. In Vietnam he was a platoon commander in Lima,3rd Bn. 7thMarines receiving a Bronz Star for Valor and a purple heart. He is a successful author of, "On War and Politics: The Battlefield Inside Washington's Beltway"; "The Ever-Shrinking Fighting Force"; "If Confirmed: An Insider's View of the National Security Confirmation Process.” Former Staff Director, Senate Armed Services Committee
“Mike Fallon, one time patrol leader, platoon commander, outpost commander, and company commander in 1st Reconnaissance Battalion in Vietnam, has written an amazing story of combat, up close and personal. In writing this book, Mike has two purposes. First, he wanted to share the lessons we learned, often at a high price in blood, body parts, and even our lives, in hopes of passing those lessons on to current day warriors who now serve as the defenders of America. Mike tells us how in 1st Recon, we did the business of patrolling right: patrol orders, inspections, immediate action drills, rehearsals, and test fires. The result was that in face-to-face gunfight, we outshot the enemy by perhaps 20 to 1. Technology may have in some ways changed the way we fight, but some things remain unchanged. The sinking feeling when a booby trap (now an IED) goes off in the distance, and you know that some of your Marines have likely been killed or injured. Or the jolt of fear that shoots through your heart when you make point to point contact on a jungle trail with an enemy mere yards away. On a jungle trail, the point of an enemy fire team looks just like the point of an enemy platoon, and you have no idea which it is until the gunfire has already started. Mike tells us what that was like. Second, Mike wanted to tell the story of and honor those young Americans who fought in Vietnam. The time that Mike writes of, there was not much support for the war nor for those of us who had been sent to fight. I was never spat upon, but it happened. In spite of the fact that much of America didn’t seem to care, Mike and his Marines kept going back out on patrol day after day, night after night, at risk of life and limb. Even if America didn’t seem to care, those Marines will always be my heroes. And Mike Fallon has told us their story. “
Robert Fawcett, Colonel U.S. Marine Corps (Ret). A thirty-year Marine infantry officer. He served as the Commanding Officer of The Basic School. After retirement he became the Chief Academic Officer at Expeditionary Warfare School. In Vietnam he served as a platoon commander in 2nd Bn. 1st Marines, and as a patrol leader and platoon commander in 1st Recon Bn., 1970-71.
