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Six Silent Men, Book Two
In the summer of 1967, the good old days were ending for the hard-core 1st Brigade LRRPs of the 101st Airborne Division, perhaps the finest maneuver element of its size in the history of the United States Army. It was a bitter pill. After working on their own in Vietnam for more than two years, the Brigade LRRPs were ordered to join forces with the division once again.
But even as these formidable hunters and killers were themselves swallowed up by the Screaming Eagles' Division LRPs to eventually become F Co., 58th Infantry, they continued the deadly, daring LRRP tradition. From saturation patrols along the Laotian border to near-suicide missions and compromised positions in the always dangerous A Shau valley, the F/58th unflinchingly faced death every day and became one of the most highly decorated companies in the history of the 101st.
But even as these formidable hunters and killers were themselves swallowed up by the Screaming Eagles' Division LRPs to eventually become F Co., 58th Infantry, they continued the deadly, daring LRRP tradition. From saturation patrols along the Laotian border to near-suicide missions and compromised positions in the always dangerous A Shau valley, the F/58th unflinchingly faced death every day and became one of the most highly decorated companies in the history of the 101st.
304 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published March 30, 1997
58 people are currently reading
76 people want to read
About the author
Kenn Miller
7 booksKenn Miller (b. 1948) is a decorated veteran of the Vietnam War. From 1967 through 1969, he served three voluntary extensions of his combat tours in an Airborne Ranger company in Vietnam. He was a Long Range Patrol team member and team leader in LRRP Detachment, 1st Brigade, 101st Airborne Division; F Company 58th Infantry (LRP); and L Company 75th Ranger.
After his military service, Miller returned briefly to the United States, then moved to Taiwan. After marrying and returning again to America, he studied history and English at the University of Michigan. He then worked as a janitor, auto worker, physical education teacher, ghostwriter, and part-time editor and “book doctor” for Ballantine Books, Ivy Books, and the Naval Institute Press. Miller now lives in San Gabriel, California.
After his military service, Miller returned briefly to the United States, then moved to Taiwan. After marrying and returning again to America, he studied history and English at the University of Michigan. He then worked as a janitor, auto worker, physical education teacher, ghostwriter, and part-time editor and “book doctor” for Ballantine Books, Ivy Books, and the Naval Institute Press. Miller now lives in San Gabriel, California.
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
February 24, 2014
The Six Silent Men series of books (there are three of them) were written by three Vietnam veterans who knew each other and served in the same unit, but at different times. Reynel Martinez wrote the first book, which chronicles the 101st Brigade LRRPs in Vietnam (I rated it 3 out of 5). Kenn Miller picks up the story after the unit was re-designated F Company, 58th Infantry (LRP). Gary Linderer finishes the story after it changed designation once again, to L Company 75th Infantry (Ranger).
I’ve owned these books for a while and have read them before. It had been long enough that I had forgotten a lot though.
SUMMARY
Operating in small teams of six to twelve men behind enemy lines and far from support, the LRRPs, LRPs, and Rangers performed some of the most dangerous work during the Vietnam War. After the 1st Brigade of the 101st was joined by the rest of the division in late 1967/early 1968, there were some adaptation problems as the battle-tested LRRPs integrated with their stateside “cousins”. This turbulent transition period is included in this book, as well as the “Captain Shepherd incident” (the possible fragging of an unpopular officer), and the November 20th mission in which the company suffered some of their worst losses with four men killed and eight wounded (not including casualties sustained by the LRP reaction force that rushed out to rescue a hurt and pinned down team).
OVERALL: 3 out of 5
The “Six Silent Men” series could be considered either a primer to prepare readers for the books of Gary Linderer (“Eyes of the Eagle” and “Eyes Behind the Lines”), Larry Chambers (“Recondo”) and John Buford (“LRRP Team Leader”), or they could be called a “finishing review”. This book, in particular, covers many of the same events in Gary Linderer’s and John Buford’s accounts.
I understand the biggest market for these books are modern soldiers trying to learn a thing or two from the “old guys” (I was introduced to these books by my brother, who picked them up while he was an Army Ranger). I can understand their usefulness there, but they’re also excellent reading for any student of war, special operations, or the Vietnam conflict. The perceptions of the author and the people he knows are fascinating. At times these soldiers feel like they might as well have come from a distant century, and at other points they might be a person you already know. Besides all the actual military history and action, this book is an interesting illustration of the things that change and those that stay the same.
RATINGS BY CATEGORY
CHARACTERS: 3 out of 5
Kenn Miller is able to capture a central “essence” to most of these people fairly well. It must be difficult to write about real people that you know, and making them stand out in written form. Unfortunately, similar to the problems in the first book, people come and go quickly. Derby Jones is mentioned once or twice, but the reader doesn’t get much sense of who he is. Miller speaks of himself in the third person, which doesn’t help him stand out (Linderer’s books are laced with good-natured short jokes regarding this author), and others like John Buford and Larry Chambers (who have written books of their own), are present but not touched on as much. Brubaker, on the other hand, almost feels like a “main character”, and the author’s feelings about Al Contreros (the team leader of the November 20th mission) and Ray Zoschak aren’t made clear. It would have been nice to know when someone like Zoschak joined the unit, but that isn’t mentioned. A reader must keep in mind that the “story” is about the entire unit, and doesn’t unduly focus on anyone.
PACE: 3 out of 5
Miller has the shortest of the three part story, so his book is brisk. It probably helps that I knew what was coming, though another person’s perspective on events is always interesting.
STORY: 4 out of 5
It’s difficult to rate “story” in a work of nonfiction. The author must have an interesting story to tell, and they have to do a good job of it. Miller is able to accomplish both, though the end result makes the entire thing feel more like a very brief, somewhat impersonal overview of events. There is a good amount of material covered that doesn’t appear in the accounts of other soldiers in the same unit though.
Miller’s perspective is also refreshing. The respect Linderer and others pay to the enemy soldiers is admirable, and no doubt sincere (ever indication shows that the North Vietnamese Army were both persistent and dedicated soldiers), Miller dispels some of the “legendary” status they hold. He describes very real people with their own weaknesses that the American soldiers (at least some of them) learned how to exploit.
DIALOGUE: 2 out of 5
There isn’t a lot of dialogue in this book. Rather than work from memory and interviews, Miller mostly provides the reader with a summary of what was said. This works for this material though, and doesn’t slow down the story. It undoubtedly keeps the narrative and dialogue much cleaner without all the military profanity, but it does reduce some of the atmosphere.
STYLE/TECHNICAL: 3 out of 5
Miller knows how to write clearly, and he spends less time on terrain features (that might confuse some readers) than Linderer or Martinez. Some details that readers would like to know are lost in the retelling and somewhat condensed form of the book, but there’s no part in this that will confuse a reader as to what’s happening in a given scene.
I’ve owned these books for a while and have read them before. It had been long enough that I had forgotten a lot though.
SUMMARY
Operating in small teams of six to twelve men behind enemy lines and far from support, the LRRPs, LRPs, and Rangers performed some of the most dangerous work during the Vietnam War. After the 1st Brigade of the 101st was joined by the rest of the division in late 1967/early 1968, there were some adaptation problems as the battle-tested LRRPs integrated with their stateside “cousins”. This turbulent transition period is included in this book, as well as the “Captain Shepherd incident” (the possible fragging of an unpopular officer), and the November 20th mission in which the company suffered some of their worst losses with four men killed and eight wounded (not including casualties sustained by the LRP reaction force that rushed out to rescue a hurt and pinned down team).
OVERALL: 3 out of 5
The “Six Silent Men” series could be considered either a primer to prepare readers for the books of Gary Linderer (“Eyes of the Eagle” and “Eyes Behind the Lines”), Larry Chambers (“Recondo”) and John Buford (“LRRP Team Leader”), or they could be called a “finishing review”. This book, in particular, covers many of the same events in Gary Linderer’s and John Buford’s accounts.
I understand the biggest market for these books are modern soldiers trying to learn a thing or two from the “old guys” (I was introduced to these books by my brother, who picked them up while he was an Army Ranger). I can understand their usefulness there, but they’re also excellent reading for any student of war, special operations, or the Vietnam conflict. The perceptions of the author and the people he knows are fascinating. At times these soldiers feel like they might as well have come from a distant century, and at other points they might be a person you already know. Besides all the actual military history and action, this book is an interesting illustration of the things that change and those that stay the same.
RATINGS BY CATEGORY
CHARACTERS: 3 out of 5
Kenn Miller is able to capture a central “essence” to most of these people fairly well. It must be difficult to write about real people that you know, and making them stand out in written form. Unfortunately, similar to the problems in the first book, people come and go quickly. Derby Jones is mentioned once or twice, but the reader doesn’t get much sense of who he is. Miller speaks of himself in the third person, which doesn’t help him stand out (Linderer’s books are laced with good-natured short jokes regarding this author), and others like John Buford and Larry Chambers (who have written books of their own), are present but not touched on as much. Brubaker, on the other hand, almost feels like a “main character”, and the author’s feelings about Al Contreros (the team leader of the November 20th mission) and Ray Zoschak aren’t made clear. It would have been nice to know when someone like Zoschak joined the unit, but that isn’t mentioned. A reader must keep in mind that the “story” is about the entire unit, and doesn’t unduly focus on anyone.
PACE: 3 out of 5
Miller has the shortest of the three part story, so his book is brisk. It probably helps that I knew what was coming, though another person’s perspective on events is always interesting.
STORY: 4 out of 5
It’s difficult to rate “story” in a work of nonfiction. The author must have an interesting story to tell, and they have to do a good job of it. Miller is able to accomplish both, though the end result makes the entire thing feel more like a very brief, somewhat impersonal overview of events. There is a good amount of material covered that doesn’t appear in the accounts of other soldiers in the same unit though.
Miller’s perspective is also refreshing. The respect Linderer and others pay to the enemy soldiers is admirable, and no doubt sincere (ever indication shows that the North Vietnamese Army were both persistent and dedicated soldiers), Miller dispels some of the “legendary” status they hold. He describes very real people with their own weaknesses that the American soldiers (at least some of them) learned how to exploit.
DIALOGUE: 2 out of 5
There isn’t a lot of dialogue in this book. Rather than work from memory and interviews, Miller mostly provides the reader with a summary of what was said. This works for this material though, and doesn’t slow down the story. It undoubtedly keeps the narrative and dialogue much cleaner without all the military profanity, but it does reduce some of the atmosphere.
STYLE/TECHNICAL: 3 out of 5
Miller knows how to write clearly, and he spends less time on terrain features (that might confuse some readers) than Linderer or Martinez. Some details that readers would like to know are lost in the retelling and somewhat condensed form of the book, but there’s no part in this that will confuse a reader as to what’s happening in a given scene.
November 8, 2017
This is the second in a series of three books by former members of the LRRP or LRP forces who fought in Vietnam so well. The author was a Lurp, as they termed themselves. He was involved in many tense situations, shootouts, escapes and evasions, and a whole lot of interesting back stories which he told with great aplomb. I thoroughly enjoyed this read. It was differenty, stylishly, than the first in the series, less concerned with names and more concerned with actions. Well done Mr. Miller.
May 31, 2019
Like the first in this series, this book reads as a chronology. I enjoyed reading this, however did find it lacked detail at times and had a habit of repeating itself. It notably got more captivating towards the end, as events dictated. Looking forward to reading the 3rd part of this series.
January 8, 2021
First Rate
Excellent presentation of the LRRP role and the dedication of
These troops to it. Military history that deserves to be recognized.
Excellent presentation of the LRRP role and the dedication of
These troops to it. Military history that deserves to be recognized.
March 6, 2021
Six Silent Men, Book Two
This along with Book One has been an eye opening expierence about the cluster f—k the Army can make out of a great unit! I’m looking forward to Book Three!
This along with Book One has been an eye opening expierence about the cluster f—k the Army can make out of a great unit! I’m looking forward to Book Three!
October 21, 2021
Very technical in some areas, but it's necessary to tell the story. Gripping action in other areas. Well told history overall.
February 6, 2025
Part 2 of Part 3 series. Like the first book, this book is laid out the same. However, the stories are told by someone else in the group as they continue to serve and watch many people from the first book move on or die.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews