Three million Americans served in Southeast Asia during the Vietnam War. This is the amazing story of one man who came early and stayed late. Jim Parker had 5 years on the battlefield, serving initially as a 22 year old 2nd Lt platoon leader with the 1st Division that gyroed over from Fort Riley. His battalion was the first to encounter the Cu Chi tunnels and months later led the 1st Division in the successful Minh Thanh counter-ambush. Wounded and honored for bravery, Parker returned to what appeared to be an ungrateful nation, married, returned to UNC/Chapel Hill and was recruited as a CIA para-military operative in August 1970. After a year of clandestine intel and para-military training, he was posted to Laos where he led Hmong guerrillas against invading North Vietnamese. After the Lao cease fire, he was transferred to the delta of Vietnam to work as a spy and to liaise with South Vietnam Army commanders there. He was the last man out of Vietnam, leaving two days after the American embassy was evacuated. He preludes his story with a history of South Vietnam and events that led to the US military involvement. He pulls no punches in pointing out US policy maker mistakes in laying out the battlefield and developing strategy. In his own sometimes easy gaited southern story-telling style, he salutes brave soldiers who tried to stop the spread of communism in Southeast Asia and laments the death of so many gallant Asian allies who died fighting at his side, others who stayed behind at the end. It is a story full of adventure, history and, juxtaposed to the catastrophic horror of war, great humor. Readers will meet amazing men and women and share their concern for one another as they fought against a fanatical communist enemy. The book has excerpts from Parker's previously published Last Man Out, Codename Mule and the Battle for Skyline Ridge, with new transitional stories and additional details. Good Entertainment. Insightful History. Memorable reading.
