Ripcord

Screaming Eagles Under Siege, Vietnam 1970

By: Keith W. Nolan

Narrated by: George Spelvin

On April 10, 1970, Hill 927 was occupied by troopers of the Screaming Eagles of the 101st Airborne Division. By July, the activities of the artillery and infantry of Ripcord had caught the attention of the NVA (North Vietnamese Army) and a long and deadly siege ensued. Ripcord was the Screaming Eagles's last chance to do significant damage to the NVA in the A Shau Valley before the division was withdrawn from Vietnam and returned to the United States.

At Ripcord, the enemy counterattacked with ferocity, using mortar and antiaircraft fire to inflict heavy causalities on the units operating there. The battle lasted four and a half months and exemplified the ultimate frustration of the Vietnam War: the inability of the American military to bring to bear its enormous resources to win on the battlefield. In the end, the 101st evacuated Ripcord, leaving the NVA in control of the battlefield. Contrary to the mantra "We won every battle but lost the war", the United States was defeated at Ripcord. Now, at last, the full story of this terrible battle can be told.

©2000 Keith William Nolan (P)2021 Tantor

One of the best on Vietnam.

I seldom re-read an entire book, but I will listen to this one again. An almost daily, remarkably researched book about an American firebase that was ultimately overrun. READ IT!

Unbelievable

“Ripcord” is a stunning work of a battle/battles that could have been won had American troops been actually supported. It’s maddening and frightening. Keith Nolan takes the reader into the heart of the conflict and makes the reader feel all emotions. It’s a roller coaster and how anyone got through it is a wonder. Brilliant retelling and narration.

Entertaining and detailed overview

I very much enjoyed this book and its treatment of firebase ripcord. Throughout much of it, it almost read like a novel grabbing and holding my attention. My only complaint is the author frequently makes a mistake of calling some of the VC/NVA‘s weapons AK50s. Honestly, it doesn’t bother me much but some of my more militantly gun nut friends would probably have an aneurysm hearing that. It’s also an odd mistake to make as the author also refers to them correctly as AK-47s. Sometimes he even refers to AK-47s and AK 50s in the same paragraph. Otherwise the book is great and I highly recommend the purchase 

courage of the soldiers and stupidity of senior officers

i hadn’t heard or read about this battle before. it is as good and important a story as We were young and soldiers once

day to day activities

The day to activities civilians don't know about. It seems even in the military you have those want promotions regardless of the human cost.