Recently, I was invited to help with a book launch unlike anything I usually cover, which typically revolves around expat life, off-grid living, Mexico, and medicinal herbs. Initially, I hesitated—this book about Vietnam didn’t seem like my usual read. But I had a Vietnam vet who touched my life profoundly, and that memory led me to give this book a chance.
Gary, the stepfather of a friend of mine as a teenager, became an unexpected support for me during a difficult time. I was young, feeling lost, and Gary helped me get on my feet. He found me my first apartment and even covered the deposit. When I came up short on gas or groceries, Gary made sure I didn’t go without. In exchange, all he ever asked for was my company—whether at flea markets, forest game lands, or even just McDonald’s when others in his family weren’t available. He was a saver, and I wasn’t the only person he’d helped over the years.
I once asked him about his time in the service, even suggesting he write a book about his experiences. After a pause, he told me he might, but that it wasn’t something he’d ever want me to read. What he had seen and done, he believed, were things no one should have to experience, even second-hand.
For his service, Gary earned the Combat Infantryman Badge, the National Defense Service Medal, an Overseas Bar, the Vietnam Campaign Medal, the Good Conduct Medal, and the Vietnam Service Medal. He was discharged in December 1967, carrying memories he rarely shared but that clearly left their mark. I don’t know whether or not he was part of Operation Swift (that book we discussed was left unwritten), but I chose to read this book in his memory.
Doyle Glass, author of Swift Sword, has created a powerful account of Operation Swift, one of the Vietnam War’s most intense and brutal engagements. Through forty-nine interviews with Marine veterans and their families, twelve after-action reports, and personal accounts from Glass’s trip to Vietnam, the book brings this harrowing battle vividly to life. Maps, photos, and a glossary of military terms support the narrative, providing a richly detailed account for military history enthusiasts.
Operation Swift, intended to rescue Marines under siege, quickly escalated into an 11-day ordeal in which 127 U.S. Marines and Navy Corpsmen and around 600 North Vietnamese soldiers lost their lives. Glass chronicles this battle with unflinching honesty, allowing readers to witness the Marines’ experiences in their own words—accounts that are shocking, brutal, and very real.
While Swift Sword celebrates these men’s resilience, courage, and sacrifices, it also captures the humanity on both sides of the conflict. The desperate tactics of Vietnamese fighters, including the use of camouflaged ambushes, children as scouts, and women hiding and carrying munitions, reveal the raw determination of people fighting to drive out foreign forces. These scenes are haunting and vividly highlight the tragedy of war. This book isn’t for everyone, but in these turbulent times, Swift Sword serves as a poignant reminder of the lasting scars of war on all those it touches—men, women, and children alike.
You can explore Swift Sword further here:
➡ Discover Swift Sword on Amazon HERE.
➡ Find it on Barnes & Noble HERE.
Surviving Mexico 