Ringed In Steel: Armored Cavalry, Vietnam 1967-68

By Michael D. Mahler

Book Overview

During the height of the Vietnam war, the armored cavalry saw action in every hotspot on the map. From the terrifying New Year's Eve Mekong Delta ambush to the horrors of the Tet Offensive, here is Major Mahler's dramatic account of armored combat, when his cavalry squadron brought steel and death to the steaming jungles of Southeast Asia.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0891412646
• ISBN13: 9780891412649
• Release Date: January 1920
• Publisher: Presidio Press
• Length: 214 Pages
• Weight: 1.04 lbs.

Customer Reviews

ARMORED CAV

I WAS IN THE SAME UNIT AS COL. MAHLER IN VIETNAM IN 70-71 WE TRADED IN THE HEAVY/SLOW M-48 AND M-60 TANKS FOR FASTER/LIGHTER M 551 SHERIDANS WITH 152MM GUNS AND MOVED FROM DOWN SOUTH TO THE DMZ AT DONG HA. KNOWN AS THE (...) CAV.. LOOK FORWARD TO READING THE BOOK.. JUST FOUND IT ON THE 3/5 CAV BLACKKNIGHT WEB SITE.

I object! This is a great book on Cavalry Operations!

The previous reviewer missed the point. As an Executive Officer Mike Mahler was second in command, and often on-site commander of the unit. In this position he also had a lot of day-to-day contact with supporting and supported units. This is not a blood and guts account of fighting tanks, but one of how Armored Cavalry works. As a former Armored Cav Officer it was a great read and Colonel Mahler did a great job of explaining the complexities and challenge of Cavalry Operations. I wish I had had officers as good as he was commanding me.As to not ID'ing the unit, that is his choice and I will not fault him for it. Maybe he just did not want to drag up the names of dead or incompetent officers. Who knows.If I could I would love to talk with the Colonel one on one about his experiences. Great book for anyone interested in Armored Cavalry.

A Superlative Account Of Vietnam 1967-8

Major Mahler served in an Armored cavalry unit in Vietnam before and during the Tet Offensive, and here he relates his experiences during that time. One may not associate armor with Vietnam, but armor did play a significant role in the war, as Major Mahler demonstrates here.The stories within run the gamut, from the Birddog pilot shot down to the discovery of VC grains hidden along a road that the troopers confiscate, only to find that a nearby village gets pillaged by the VC because the grain was hidden along the road for the VC to take; the troopers gather enough grain to give back to the stricken villagers. There is also the tunnel that an APC falls into - and promptly unearths a surprised NVA general. There are the running shootouts during the Tet Offensive, and children accidently hit by .50 caliber machine gun fire and operated on by Army medics. There is the night an enemy company literally walks into an ambush by armor and a delightfully one-sided battle with an NVA batallion holed up in a large village, a battle that somewhat resembles the climax of Invasion USA. There is also Major Mahler's note on the situation on the ground following Tet - of how farmers who could not use roads the year before could now take their crops to market, "and this was progress that could be seen and felt in a war where progress could not easily be quantified."Major Mahler takes us to Vietnam through his words and we see what went on.

Ringed in Steel: Armored Cavalry in Viet Nam

Having served under Major Mahler during a time covered by part of his book, I can say everthing presented in the book is accurate. The book contains a factual account of the actions of the 3rd of the 5th Armored Cavalry in Viet Nam while Major Mahler was Executive Officer. With it lack of blood and guts, or gory details, it is a book which my wife and family can read as a way of getting some insite into what my life was like during those days so long ago. For years I had wondered why our officers had kept bringing us back to the same over-night position. We came back so many times that, as expected, we were attacked in force by a well prepared NVA. Our losses were high, both in terms of men and equipment. Even as a PFC, I had known our repetative use of the same positions, right along the side of Highway 1, was potentially desasterious. Until reading "Ringed in Steel", I had placed the blame opon our officers. Major Mahler exposed the orders, given by the Marines, objected to by our officers, which dictated that our unit return to this position every night. My confidence is now renewed in the decision making capability of the United States Army Officers Corps. For an insite into how our military operates, how decisions are made, what factors enter into those decisions, this book is a must read.

An exceptionally well written account of Armor in Viet Nam

Masterfully written, this work was difficult to put down. A must for cavalrymen and students of cavalry and armor.