Not Going Home Alone: A Marine's Story

by James J. Kirschke

Experience the pain, the pride, and the triumph of the Marine Corps

All the members of 1st Lt. James J. Kirschke’s mortar platoon and then rifle platoon knew the the Marines are America’s military elite, expected to train harder, fight longer, sacrifice more. Kirschke led by example in the hotly contested zone just south of the DMZ and in the dangerous AnHoa region southwest of DaNang. There Kirschke’s units, with resources stretched to the limit, saw combat almost daily in some of the fiercest fighting of 1966.

Sustained through the toughest firefights and bloodiest ambushes, the men’s morale proved a testament to Kirschke’s leadership and his dedication to what the U.S. Marines stand for. Those beliefs, and the faith of his men, in turn helped Kirschke through his long recovery after he was wounded by the triple explosion of a box mine rigged to an anti-tank rocket round and a frag grenade.

The Marines’ legend and reputation are based on the blood, courage, and discipline of warriors like Jim Kirschke. Sparing no one, he has written a powerful chronicle of the deadly war his Marines fought with valor.

Genres: Military Fiction, History, Nonfiction

298 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2001

Reviews

[Leonard]

A good read about a Marine platoon commander in Vietnam. Kirschke was in Vietnam early in the war, 1966-1967. It brings to life what intense pressure the "grunts" were under in Vietnam, no quiet time off, always under the threat of attack or ambush. The booby trap that wounded Kirschke was probably the one thing that bothered him in their area of operations the most. They were the most lethal weapons in the war. His long recuperation after the wounding is quite a story in itself.

[Dave]

Being a fairly 'late' entry into the field of Viet Nam War I am fairly surprised by the author's naivety over the US' involvement there. EIther that or he simply is in denial because to reevaluate his opinion might force him to question all that he lost due to injuries. It is really sad to see the delusional faith that people place in the government of the United States.

[Paul]

This is the military memoir of an English professor I had in college. He was a great professor who never even mentioned his service (or gave an explanation why he had both legs amputated) in Vietnam. Good book about a great man.

[Abby Jones]

This was like Major Dick Winters meets Matterhorn. Kirschke had a lot of the same leadership values and virtues as Winters. He trained his men hard, lead the way, and tried to get as many home as he could. The account of the letters Kirschke received from his men while he recovered from his wounds was touching as was the number of them who re-enlisted to stay in his platoon. Hearing Kirschke talk about how proud of his men he was and how diligent he was to be the best lieutenant he could be was inspiring.

Something I hadn't run into before but that I found really interesting was Kirschke calling the Vietnam War a land mind war due to all the booby traps and such that they dealt with on a moment by moment basis. He called the Marine leadership to task for not conducting more interviews of those who were wounded by them and developing better tactics for dealing with them.

Good book, glad to have it on my shelf.

[Brandon Till]

It was a good book but got confusing at the end

[Sophie Lynne]

I've met Captain Kirschke many times, as he's a regular at the bookstore where I work. Simply an amazing man and an amazing story