Point Man

by James Watson, Kevin Dockery

Overview

A founding member of the Navy SEALs recounts the formation of that elite fighting force in this “honest, no-holds-barred” memoir of the Vietnam War (Richard Marcinko, author of Rogue Warrior).

Chief Petty Officer James "Patches" Watson was there at the start. As a high-performing frogman with the famed Underwater Demolition Team 21, he was chosen to become a founding member—or a “plank owner”—of the U.S. Navy SEALs.

Through three tours in the jungle hell of Vietnam, he led the way as point man—the one in charge of navigating trip wires, booby traps and punji pits. In this vividly detailed memoir, he recounts guiding his squad of amphibious fighters on missions of rescue, reconnaissance, and demolition. Together with his brave comrades, Watson confronted a war's unique terrors head-on, unprotected . . . and unafraid.

This is the story of a hero told from the heart and from the gut—an authentic tour of duty with one of the most legendary commandoes of the Vietnam War.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780061749582
Publisher:	HarperCollins
Publication date:	03/19/2024
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	363
Sales rank:	207,626
File size:	709 KB

About the Author

Kevin Dockery is the military historian and field curator for the UDT/SEAL Museum in Fort Pierce, Florida. He lives in Michigan.

Editorial Reviews

Watson led a Navy SEAL unit through three harrowing Vietnam tours between 1967 and 1970, conducting raids, ambushes and prisoner-snatching missons. His memoir, written with freelancer Kevin Dockery, is packed with exciting behind-enemy-lines action sequences, and readers will find the pre-Vietnam material--dealing with the rigorous training the SEALs had to endure--engrossing as well. The narrative, however, is replete with seemingly exaggerated anecdotes glorifying the pluck of the enlisted man: ``We'll be all right, Admiral. Just keep the three Bs coming.'' ``And what might those be, son?'' ``Beer, bullets, and broads!'' And Watson occasionally succumbs to delusions of grandeur: a lowly Navy Chief, he convinces himself that the entire State Department ``wanted my head on a platter.'' Yet for all its macho hot air, this self-portrait of a sailor proud of his deadly accomplishments in the jungles and swamps of the Mekong Delta is highly entertaining. Photos. (Aug.)

Publishers Weekly - Publisher's Weekly

After reading this work, one understands why the U.S. Navy SEALS (Sea, Air, Land Commandos) are considered to be the best special forces in the world. The book tells the story of the formation of the SEALS and their baptism by fire in Vietnam as seen by chief petty officer Watson, who is a ``plank owner,'' or founding member of the SEALS. The book's title comes from Watson's habit of taking the dangerous lead on patrols during his three tours of duty in Vietnam. His account is as exciting to read as any military thriller. For the lay reader, Watson does a good job of explaining military terms and slang used by the SEALS. This book would make a good companion to SEAL teammate Richard Marcinko's Rogue Warrior ( LJ 9/1/92) and E.J. Jernigan's Tin Can Man ( LJ 2/1/93), other histories of navy enlisted men during wartime. Recommended for most libraries and strongly recommended for libraries with military sciences collections.-- Terry Wirick, Erie Cty. Lib. System, Pa.

Library Journal

This is the first published memoir of an enlisted member of the U.S. Navy's special warfare unit, the SEALs. Watson enlisted in the navy during the 1950s, trained with the underwater demolition teams (predecessors of the SEALs), was a member of the first SEAL team, and served three tours of duty in Vietnam. He received numerous decorations and saw enough combat to make up careers for six ordinary men, but he is no ordinary man. Watson is one of nature's warriors and, assisted by the author of "SEALs in Action" (1991), he tells his story grippingly.

Roland Green