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SSG_L
Posted February 23, 2010
God bless you Hack! RIP!
As an Infantry NCO (currently serving) It's so refreshing to know that there are real people in the commissioned officer ranks. I've met and served with a few myself, but Hack definitely personifies the ultimate officer & warrior. When doing anything in the Army with my soldiers, superiors, I always am thinking in the back of my head WWHD? (what would Hack do?). This book is a great life story of one of my inspirations and Hack is truly a man I look up to and aspire to be like and hope that he would look down on me and be proud. I read "Steel my soldiers hearts" first, but wish I had read this first, so if you're looking to read any of Col Hackworth's books, or any military book period, I recommend this highly and also that you read it first. Again, God bless you Hack and RIP!
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Anonymous
Posted August 26, 2006
A Real American Hero
In a world of poseurs,Colonel Hackworth was a Real American Hero who devoted his life to this great country, and his ' Beloved Army '. His was an extraordinary journey in which his politics went from, ' ...being to the right of John Birch... ' as a young man, to striving for peace in the midst of the cold war. In between is the story of a warrior's warrior who Put His Men First. I completed AF at the same time as hearing of the Colonel's passing from cancer, which tragically, may have been brought on by exposure to chemicals used by the US in Vietnam. I was saddened the we had lost such a Great American. But I was angry, not only that all flags did NOT fly at half staff in the Colonel's honor, but also that there could be any further delay in his being awarded the Medal of Honor, despite his TWO nominations. If we want to do our part to make this country a better place, we should all do our best to be a more like ' Hack '. Rest In Peace, Soldier.
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Anonymous
Posted October 26, 2003
Heartwrenching
At this late date, I finally happened to read this wonderful account. Seeing news today of the problems in Iraq, one wonders if anything has changed in the deplorable state of the US Army described by Hackworth. But most of all, I was sickened with grief for all those who lost sons, husbands and fathers in Vietnam (or Korea for that matter). Lives literally, and worse, knowlingly wasted by those we were supposed to trust.
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Anonymous
Posted May 28, 2002
A Long March, But Worth Every Step
This is a BIG book, with a daunting number of pages, but worth reading every one. At one level it is a moving testimony to the courage, determination, and resourcefulness achievable by men in battle -- as well as to the importance of rigorous and appropriate training. At another level it is a first-rate text on what constitutes leadership, especially in adverse conditions. Finally, it is a damning expose of the cost in morale, in materiel, and ultimately in lives and in the failure to achieve national goals that results from fostering self-serving careerists in the military at the expense of leaders of men. The later parts of the book are also invaluable to put the lie to the claim, increasingly heard in some quarters, that we somehow won militarily in Vietnam. We cut our own throats in that war, both politically AND militarily, and Hack makes it plain not only THAT we did but HOW we did. Sometimes Hack seems like one of a kind. Thank God he is not.
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Anonymous
Posted June 25, 2002
A Wake Up Call To Duty
I read 'About Face' during my first tour of duty along the Korean DMZ 88-89. I was fortunate to visit several battle sites discussed in 'About Face' between patrols along the North Korean border. Hackworth's command focus and 'attention to detail' was a wake up call for this soldier. Hackworth tells it how it is Duty, Honor and Country. A must read for any grunt stationed along the Korean DMZ.
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Anonymous
Posted May 10, 2002
An excellent handbook to the military mind
Having served in the Army, I could identify with Hack's accounts of inefficiency and waste within the system. But I also identified with the leadership that he and many of my officers displayed. His is a fascinating look at ordinary men placed in extraordinary circumstances. His work has inspired me to track down other authors he cited, such as Bernard Fall's writings on the French experience in Indo-China. Good luck to you, Hack, wherever you may be...
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Anonymous
Posted June 21, 2001
The more things change, the more they stay the same
As a former Army officer, I can tell you that Hackworth's effort to paint the inner colors of the Army's leadership is a noble one. Far from being a mere 'disgruntled worker,' Hack tells it like it is. I find it amazing that his experiences are so similiar to those in today's ranks. This book, in a very strange way, forshadows the present dire situation of retention rates in today's Army - both officer and enlisted. Wars change but people stay the same. Aside from Hack profiling the ineptness of the ARmy's leadership (there are examples of great leadership too), this book is a great historical one told from the ground up.
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Anonymous
Posted November 17, 2000
this is a must read!!!
this is a must read for anyone who has served in the military or anyone interested in the vietnam war
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Anonymous
Posted January 17, 2000
An excellent font lines treatise on the real Vietnam
For the Vietnam history buff, this is a must. Col Hackworth tells it like it was with a compelling frankness America still needs. I think Col Hackworth now recognises that the 'Issues and Answers' interview was not the best way to affect change in the Army. But it was certainly consistent with his warrior style. I am looking forward to reading his study of Bosnia and Somalia, did we learn anything from Vietnam?
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