SEAL Warrior: Death in the Dark: Vietnam 1968--1972

By Thomas H. Keith and J. Terry Riebling

Book Overview

During the Vietnam era, many of the U.S. Navy SEALs (SEa, Air, Land commandos) never filed for a Purple Heart unless they were severely wounded. Thomas H. Keith, Master Chief, SEAL Team 2, is living proof. He carries a piece of shrapnel behind one lung, a reminder of the day he called in 40 mm mortar fire on the enemy that was trying to catch up to his crew as the crew hauled ass out of the bush. Not only did he never report it, it was never removed - it just wasn't serious enough. SEAL Warrior is the vivid, gritty, transporting memoir of a man destined for combat, a third-generation soldier for whom serving his country was not only an honor, it was tradition. While his grandfathers fought in France, and his father's position as a U.S. Navy Chief took him all around the world, Tom Keith fought his first war in the jungles of Vietnam.Fighting a guerilla war on foreign soil for the first time in American history, the SEALS found that there were no front lines; the enemy was an integral part of the entire society. This atypical form of warfare demanded that new tactics, new strategic applications of force, and a new understanding of a complex social and cultural enmity be found. SEAL Warrior goes beyond the horror and bravado of battle to offer a deeper insight into the ways in which the SEALs fought, learned, reacted, and expanded their understanding of guerilla warfare during the Vietnam War. It's also a personal, riveting account of how one young American survived, and, over time, grew to trust and revere many of those who once had been his enemy.With America again deeply involved in guerilla warfare, there is no better time to honor the unique abilities, understanding, and courage of these warriors who sacrificed it all to fight for nothing less than peace.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0312379048
• ISBN13: 9780312379049
• Release Date: July 2009
• Publisher: Thomas Dunne Books
• Length: 320 Pages
• Weight: 1.31 lbs.
• Dimensions: 9.5" x 1.2" x 6.5"

Customer Reviews

SEALS

SEAL Warrior is one of the most informative texts on the life of a SEAL. It is a book you simply can not put down. It is well written and is an eye opener about the time, commitment, and equipment required to keep our country and military safe. One only needs to read this book to know our national heroes are not on TV but young men and women who are willing to give everything to keep our country safe. To them we owe the highest honors and respect. I would highly recommend this book.

And I THOUGHT I knew!

I heard the stories from friends who returned from 'Nam. I read and saw the news from both Gulf wars. I THOUGHT I knew how heroic and hard working our soldiers were. I thought I understood the mental and physical stresses. I thought I had a clear perspective of special operations and Seals. "Seal Warrior" raised my understanding to a whole new level. The true nature of our soldiers - the defenders of our freedoms - is laid out and examined. Once the book is read, you will NEVER fail to appreciate the special nature of those in uniform. "Seal Warrior" is a solid, first person trip through the experiences, learning, and dedication of a not-so-fictional Seal. A must read for understanding and appreciation of the costs of our freedom, our constitution, and our way of life.

Seal Warrior

Seal Warrior is one of the few first-person narratives from the Vietnam War (and I have read most of them) that captures the Spec-Ops war on the ground with such fidelity. Tom Keith and his team mates were superbly-trained professionals, masters in the art of sudden and overwhelming violence. The most vivid scenes in the book convey the surreal terror of a night ambush when a hurricane of steel balls from the Claymore mines and M-60, Stoner LMG, and M-16 fire explode out of the darkness into the faces of the unsuspecting VC only a few yards away. These are not supposed to be "fair fights" and rarely do the enemy so much as fire a round. For weapons buffs, the book is filled with technical details of the Seal's weaponry and their never ending search for more firepower with lighter weight and bulk. Tom and his buddies were a hard-living bunch, and tales of ladies and booze as well as raucous practical jokes enliven the text. Ultimately, however, the book is a testament to the love (for that is the only word that really applies) that binds men who have faced death together into a "band of brothers," willing to risk their lives without a second thought to save a pal. This is a great read and highly recommended.

Can't put this SEAL story down until read through!

SEAL Warrior was a very entertaining read. #1 Get the Book! #2: Check out the back cover and the liner information. You'll find that some very important senior ranking SEAL Team leadership folks know this man as one who was the go-to guy they preferred to deal with when reliable, effective SEAL- style action was needed "yesterday". #3: Next, check out the Forward section. It's author, Lt Michael E. Thornton, is a recipient of the Medal of Honor. So naturally that provides some great mind-engagement focusing traction for the reader to begin the story with, then proceed seemingly non-stop, until its solid story of life in the US Navy SEALs is completely read through. The story takes the reader through operationally focused actions of a platoon of "East Coast SEAL Team (ST2) of which Mr Keith was a very active TEAM oriented member. The timeframe is when CMC Thomas Keith was himself a fully qualified, active-duty SEAL Team operator on three straight tours of Vietnam, before he climbed all those hard earned rungs of enlisted NCO ranks culminating in his achieving Command Master Chief rank. A sideline awaits the reader: Accompanying the very interesting "sneak and peek" / ambush / capture / rescue / reconnaisance /interdiction missions he was engaged in within the unforgiving harsh environment of Vietnam, were sprinkled some of his R & R experiences with the fairer gender half of the human species at the various establishments he partied at, when not on duty in the deathly dark doing what he did best (SEAL missions). There were some offduty moments over there that I had no idea were part of an available agenda option! (SEALs fight hard, so I suppose it's fair that there is a "play hard" mode of entertainment available for this breed for fighting men-LOL). After the reador completes the skillfully presented "SEAL Warrior" story, he gets a treat! Following the story, there is an excellent glossary explaining equipment, weapons, and munitions that SEALs dealt with "out there" on missions. Some of the key things the reader can learn about SEALs from this story: There is no "I" in the word TEAM; There is no substitute for preparation before any mission; In training, as well as when performing deadly missions, "the only easy day is yesterday!", and: NO man is left behind!! In sum, a very good read provided by a REAL-DEAL SEAL, and his skilled cowriter.

SEAL Warrior - The Real Deal

SEAL Warrior Having read nearly every SEAL book I could find, I couldn't pass up the chance for this one. I was pleasantly surprised by the lighter side of the Vietnam SEAL experience, as seen through the eyes of Master Chief Tom Keith. SEAL Warrior has a vibrant mix of captivating battle scenes and the seldom glimpsed, behind the scenes look into a SEAL's everyday life. Tom saw Viet Nam from a different viewpoint than the other SEALs that have told the story before him. But it's not just a story about Viet Nam, or about SEALs. It's a story about life and how one patriot lived it to the fullest and continues to do so. It is a book you won't put down or get rid of when you finish it.