Tank Sergeant

By Ralph Zumbro

Book Overview

From tearing roads through the jungle to blasting out Viet Cong positions, from convoy escort to rescue operations, the tank crews in Vietnam did it all. Here is the best account ever of this fascinating aspect of the Vietnam War: Sgt. Ralph "Zippo" Zumbro's evocative, action-packed memoir of a year with A Company, 1st Battalion, 69th Armor. Always bold, sometimes reckless, the "tread heads" who manned "The Ape," "Assassin," and "The A-Go-Go" devised new combat tactics -- often in the heat of battle. Cut off from supply lines, they became master jury riggers and scroungers. They shared a unique perspective of Vietnam: from smiling Coca-Cola girls who betrayed you to Charlie, to buddies who stayed above the hatch a moment too long -- and took an anti-tank rocket in the chest; from impromptu fish fries to the Tet Offensive. When Sgt. Zumbro's tour of duty ended in June 1968, A Company was the most highly decorated unit in Vietnam.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0891412654
• ISBN13: 9780891412656
• Release Date: January 1986
• Publisher: Presidio Press
• Length: 196 Pages
• Weight: 1.01 lbs.

Customer Reviews

Darn good book on the war from a tankers point of view

Great book. Fun read as well, not dark, not brooding, these guys fought hard, and had some fun as well. Some highlights will have you rolling, like when a brand new M-48A3 is delivered the LST, puts the ramp down on a sand bar and the whole tank sinks as it drives in. Total loss.Another interesting part is the story of the M-48 that runs of a 1000 pound bomb turned into a mine. They get it running and drive it home.

Not War and Peace, but

This is one of the better books about armor in Vietnam. If you want to know what it was like to ride one of these steel beasts in the heat of Vietnam, driving into the teeth of the enemy fire and destroy the enemy face to face, this is the book. He tells it like he saw it, with little or no embellishment. If you are a tanker, then this is a great book for you.I would give it a 5 if it were better written, but some places his editor should have taken a hand in the final product.

Excellent account of tankers in Vietnam

Tank Sergeant is a very readable account of what it was like to be a tanker in Vietnam. If you are familiar with tank operations in previous wars, you'll be surprised by their use in Vietnam. Good coverage of AFV use as well. Highly recommended.