Call Sign Rustic: Call Sign Rustic

by Richard Wood

Book Overview

President Richard Nixon could not keep American ground troops in Cambodia beyond June 1970 without authorization from Congress, which was not forthcoming. Not wanting to desert the anti-communist Lon... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 158834049X
• ISBN13: 9781588340498
• Release Date: September 2002
• Publisher: Smithsonian Books (DC)
• Length: 176 Pages
• Weight: 0.95 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.7" x 6.2" x 9.2"

Customer Reviews

Good Narrative About Some Brave Folks

Unlike one of the other reviewers, I *have* read the book and found it to be interesting and informative. I cannot vouch for the accuracy of the facts but would offer this: Colonel Wood was there in SEA and participated in the events he wrote about. Not that I care much for the Smithsonian Institute's politics (I think their efforts to make the Enola Gay display politically correct a little off-putting), I would assume that both Colonel Wood and the institute would strive for accuracy inasmuch as possible. All of this, of course, does not speak to the incredible bravery of the men in this and other FAC units. The concept of dragging yourself slowly across the sky, begging for NVA gunners to shoot you down strikes me as not a very pleasant way to earn a living. That Colonel Wood and the Rustics carried out their missions despite the constantly changing ROE's, the politicians' micro-management of the war is astounding. The book is written in a concise, matter-of-fact style and makes for an excellent introduction to this secret part of our involvement in SEA. It is fairly dispassionate and objective and does not have some of the more colorful adventures in it that other works on the same subject would. That, however, makes excellent counterpoint to such books as "Naked in Da Nang" and "Da Nang Diary".. ..all three are fascinating and worth reading. This book has an excellent bibliography and is a good jumping-off point should one want to study the era a little more intensely.

The Book Description start with a goof.

The "Book Description" submitted by the publisher started: "American army troops entered Cambodia in April of 1970. President Richard Nixon could not keep ground troops there beyond June 1970 without authorization from Congress, which was not forthcoming." This is incorrect. President Nixon chose to pull all U.S. troops out at the end of June, but that was his decision. He could have kept troops there months longer, if he had chosen to do so. There were people in Congress trying to impose limitations on the President's ability to use U.S. forces in Cambodia, but they did not manage to get such a limitation enacted into law until January of 1971. I have not yet seen the book, but this error right at the beginning of the publisher's summary of it leaves me a bit suspicious. I don't like the idea of giving a rating (4 stars out of 5) when I have not actually read the book, but the software on this site will not permit me to post any comment without making a rating.