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Phase Line Green: The Battle for Hue, 1968
The bloody monthlong battle for the Citadel in Hue pitted U.S. Marines against an entrenched North Vietnamese Army force. By official accounts it was a tactical and moral victory for the Marines and the United States. But here survivor Nicholas Warr describes with urgency and outrage the Marines' savage house-to-house fighting--ordered without air, naval, or artillery support by officers with no experience in that type of combat.
Sparing few in the telling, Warr's firsthand narrative tells of desperate Marine suicide charges and of the Marines' selfless devotion to their comrades. His riveting account of the most vicious urban combat since World War II offers an unparalleled view of how a small-unit commander copes with the conflicting demands and responsibilities thrust upon him by the enemy, his men, and the chain of command.
From the Paperback edition.
Sparing few in the telling, Warr's firsthand narrative tells of desperate Marine suicide charges and of the Marines' selfless devotion to their comrades. His riveting account of the most vicious urban combat since World War II offers an unparalleled view of how a small-unit commander copes with the conflicting demands and responsibilities thrust upon him by the enemy, his men, and the chain of command.
From the Paperback edition.
296 pages, Paperback
First published March 1, 1995
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Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews
May 29, 2022
In his memoir, Nicholas Warr, who in 1968 was a relatively new Marine platoon leader, tells the story of the battle for Hue's Citadel, the bloodiest and most famous episode of the recapture of Hue by the American and South Vietnamese forces.
The Citadel, the walled city of the emperor, lay in the heart of the imperial capital of Hue. It was there that the Communists established their main stronghold after the success of their initial attack during the Tet Offensive. The first attempt by the Americans and the ARVN to retake the Citadel from them ended in failure, so in the third week of February, South Vietnamese and American soldiers entered the Citadel and engaged in a difficult urban battle – block by block, yard by yard, house by house. Warr participated in this terrible fighting as the commander of Charlie Company, First Battalion, Fifth Marines.
The Marines began their offensive on the morning of February 13. They sent two companies to clear each building on the way, as a third company was kept in reserve. Tanks and Ontos provided the needed fire support. Unaware that the ARVN paratroopers had withdrawn, though, the Marines found themselves alone against a host of North Vietnamese soldiers. With tanks in the lead, they moved forward, but could not even reach their line of departure because the North Vietnamese, who had constructed spider holes along the old walls, bombarded them with automatic fire, grenades, B-40 rockets, and mortars. The best news of the day was the successful erection of a pontoon bridge across the Perfume River to replace the damaged one, allowing the shipment of food and supplies into the old city.
On February 15, the Marines achieved some progress by capturing a tower along the wall in their sector. Aided by A-4 fighter-bombers during another break in the weather, the Americans took and held the structure after hand-to-hand fighting and heavy casualties. The battalion pushed forward the next day, gaining a few more buildings. As the author observes, the North Vietnamese in that part of the city fought better and employed more sophisticated tactics than those encountered south of the river. They had dug trenches and spider holes, used roadblocks, and did not hesitate to counterattack the Americans to regain key positions. As Warr explains, the poor weather and limited effect of heavy artillery against the stone structures forced the Marines to rely on mortars and armor, which resulted in a large number of casualties among the armor crews. The battle for Hue was not over until February 25.
As the author argues, the armored forces proved to be an essential element in the hard-won victory at Hue. Tanks brought the traditional firepower and mobility to the battle with heavy enough armor to protect their crewmen from most of the North Vietnamese weapons. The M48 tanks in particular were able to survive a huge amount of damage and keep fighting. This ability to withstand damage allowed the M48 tanks to fight throughout the battle after makeshift repairs and rotating crews. Furthermore, the fire control, loading, and driving were simple enough to allow inexperienced personnel to ride tanks into combat when there were not any replacement armor crewmen available. The light, fast M50 Ontos armored vehicles, on the other hand, could maneuver in the narrow streets near the Citadel.
Warr paints in graphic terms how bitter and bloody the recapture of Hue was with its house-to-house fighting that destroyed virtually the whole city and heavy casualties on both sides. He speaks fondly of his fellow Marines, especially of the Gunny, Charlie Company's gunnery sergeant, an admired and respected veteran of the Second World War and the Korean conflict. I cannot say that I appreciate Warr's strictly pro-American stance on the Vietnam conflict and his complete avoidance of the suffering of Hue civilians, but his first-person narrative offers a glimpse into the thought process of a military man. He has a good grip on the tactics that the Marines employed, although at times he is short-sighted.
For instance, he claims that the Americans were reluctant to send the Army with artillery to Hue because they did not want to destroy the beautiful, historical city, and this is why the Marines were left to fight as they could. In reality, though, the American commanders did not have any scruples about razing the city to the ground. It was just that the Communist attack on Hue came as a complete surprise. There were only Marine units and an MACV compound stationed inside. Had they been prepared for the battle, the Army commanders would not have left the Marines to struggle by themselves.
PHASE LINE GREEN is a fine attempt to recreate the battle for Hue's Citadel. Warr delivers less than he promises, and his work is not the definitive account of the battle of Hue, though. This book will appeal to those who like war memoirs focusing mainly on soldier camaraderie, personal perspectives, and a patriotic stance on the conflict, with only an occasional dive into tactics. As the author tells in the introduction, he wrote it after his therapist advised him to put the memories that haunted him on paper to get them off his chest.
The Citadel, the walled city of the emperor, lay in the heart of the imperial capital of Hue. It was there that the Communists established their main stronghold after the success of their initial attack during the Tet Offensive. The first attempt by the Americans and the ARVN to retake the Citadel from them ended in failure, so in the third week of February, South Vietnamese and American soldiers entered the Citadel and engaged in a difficult urban battle – block by block, yard by yard, house by house. Warr participated in this terrible fighting as the commander of Charlie Company, First Battalion, Fifth Marines.
The Marines began their offensive on the morning of February 13. They sent two companies to clear each building on the way, as a third company was kept in reserve. Tanks and Ontos provided the needed fire support. Unaware that the ARVN paratroopers had withdrawn, though, the Marines found themselves alone against a host of North Vietnamese soldiers. With tanks in the lead, they moved forward, but could not even reach their line of departure because the North Vietnamese, who had constructed spider holes along the old walls, bombarded them with automatic fire, grenades, B-40 rockets, and mortars. The best news of the day was the successful erection of a pontoon bridge across the Perfume River to replace the damaged one, allowing the shipment of food and supplies into the old city.
On February 15, the Marines achieved some progress by capturing a tower along the wall in their sector. Aided by A-4 fighter-bombers during another break in the weather, the Americans took and held the structure after hand-to-hand fighting and heavy casualties. The battalion pushed forward the next day, gaining a few more buildings. As the author observes, the North Vietnamese in that part of the city fought better and employed more sophisticated tactics than those encountered south of the river. They had dug trenches and spider holes, used roadblocks, and did not hesitate to counterattack the Americans to regain key positions. As Warr explains, the poor weather and limited effect of heavy artillery against the stone structures forced the Marines to rely on mortars and armor, which resulted in a large number of casualties among the armor crews. The battle for Hue was not over until February 25.
As the author argues, the armored forces proved to be an essential element in the hard-won victory at Hue. Tanks brought the traditional firepower and mobility to the battle with heavy enough armor to protect their crewmen from most of the North Vietnamese weapons. The M48 tanks in particular were able to survive a huge amount of damage and keep fighting. This ability to withstand damage allowed the M48 tanks to fight throughout the battle after makeshift repairs and rotating crews. Furthermore, the fire control, loading, and driving were simple enough to allow inexperienced personnel to ride tanks into combat when there were not any replacement armor crewmen available. The light, fast M50 Ontos armored vehicles, on the other hand, could maneuver in the narrow streets near the Citadel.
Warr paints in graphic terms how bitter and bloody the recapture of Hue was with its house-to-house fighting that destroyed virtually the whole city and heavy casualties on both sides. He speaks fondly of his fellow Marines, especially of the Gunny, Charlie Company's gunnery sergeant, an admired and respected veteran of the Second World War and the Korean conflict. I cannot say that I appreciate Warr's strictly pro-American stance on the Vietnam conflict and his complete avoidance of the suffering of Hue civilians, but his first-person narrative offers a glimpse into the thought process of a military man. He has a good grip on the tactics that the Marines employed, although at times he is short-sighted.
For instance, he claims that the Americans were reluctant to send the Army with artillery to Hue because they did not want to destroy the beautiful, historical city, and this is why the Marines were left to fight as they could. In reality, though, the American commanders did not have any scruples about razing the city to the ground. It was just that the Communist attack on Hue came as a complete surprise. There were only Marine units and an MACV compound stationed inside. Had they been prepared for the battle, the Army commanders would not have left the Marines to struggle by themselves.
PHASE LINE GREEN is a fine attempt to recreate the battle for Hue's Citadel. Warr delivers less than he promises, and his work is not the definitive account of the battle of Hue, though. This book will appeal to those who like war memoirs focusing mainly on soldier camaraderie, personal perspectives, and a patriotic stance on the conflict, with only an occasional dive into tactics. As the author tells in the introduction, he wrote it after his therapist advised him to put the memories that haunted him on paper to get them off his chest.
September 14, 2007
The author was a Marine platoon leader (1 Marine squad = 13 men; a platoon = several squads ) who wrote this book because his therapist recommended it as a way to extirpate the demons of war which the author believes ruined his marriages and his life for decades. The book is about the battle to retake the once beautiful, former capital of Vietnam: Hue. It was siezed in the Tet offensive of 1968 by the NVA (North Vietnamese Army) from the weak ARVN (Army of the Republic of Viet Nam) forces guarding it. The author's platoon's first and last contact with the enemy was around Phase Line Green (the front line). Because of a miscommunication, the platoon believed it had not yet reached the front line. They walked abreast into the street......... and were machine gunned by the enemy. After the author lost his platoon, he became an observer for his company's mortar assets (to direct fire precisely). A sad aspect of this battle was that because Hue was a beautiful and historic city, the US did not want to use their best weapon, artillery, because it would destroy the city. Instead, they sent Marines in to fight an urban battle without supporting fire. After the NVA chewed up many Marine companies, the US command slowly and gradually allowed more and more powerful firepower to be used: mortars, recoilless-rifle-tanks, tanks, then artillery. This battle was the context for a famous (yet perhaps apocryphal) quote from a Marine officer (which I paraphrase): In order to save the city, we had to destroy it. Smarmy leftists like to use this quote to point up the stupidity of the war. But now you know what this officer really meant: We didn't want to waste any more American lives; we decided to kill the enemy with artillery; we unintentionally flattened the city, so sue me.
This book is at the platoon level, so be prepared for many details about fighting. Do not expect a presentation of the big picture. The author is a humble man whose writing is good, and he portrays the events clearly and in an interesting way.
This book is at the platoon level, so be prepared for many details about fighting. Do not expect a presentation of the big picture. The author is a humble man whose writing is good, and he portrays the events clearly and in an interesting way.
July 31, 2008
This is the gripping true story of a Marine grunt platoon commander whose platoon was cut to pieces during the Battle of Hue in 1968. It's not a happy story.
The reason this book had an impact on me on a personal level is because it's a look down a "road not taken" for me. My life has some interesting parallels to Mr. Warr. I grew up in Oregon and then my family moved to Utah where I attended BYU after graduating from high school. I went on a two year LDS church mission, and then was drafted into the military. I decided to dodge the draft by enlisting in the Marines. I was offered an opportunity to attend Officer Candidate School while in boot camp, but I turned it down. I finished boot camp and was assigned a MOS that saw me serving at division level communications centers for the balance of my enlistment. I never went to Vietnam, never fired a shot in anger, never was placed in harm's way. I often wondered what would have happened if I'd served my obligation as an officer instead of enlisted. Most likely I would have been a grunt platoon commander and spent a tour or two in Vietnam. The hardest part of that would have been giving orders that could get other Marines killed if they followed them. We'll never know, because that's the road not taken.
The reason this book had an impact on me on a personal level is because it's a look down a "road not taken" for me. My life has some interesting parallels to Mr. Warr. I grew up in Oregon and then my family moved to Utah where I attended BYU after graduating from high school. I went on a two year LDS church mission, and then was drafted into the military. I decided to dodge the draft by enlisting in the Marines. I was offered an opportunity to attend Officer Candidate School while in boot camp, but I turned it down. I finished boot camp and was assigned a MOS that saw me serving at division level communications centers for the balance of my enlistment. I never went to Vietnam, never fired a shot in anger, never was placed in harm's way. I often wondered what would have happened if I'd served my obligation as an officer instead of enlisted. Most likely I would have been a grunt platoon commander and spent a tour or two in Vietnam. The hardest part of that would have been giving orders that could get other Marines killed if they followed them. We'll never know, because that's the road not taken.
May 22, 2019
Some of the great literature arising from the Vietnam war was published within a few short years of that conflict's end. Works by veterans such as Philip Caputo & James Webb are considered to be hallmarks of the political interference, mismanagement, indecision, & needless brutality of that war. Had Nicholas Warr's Phase Line Green (I'd never heard of the author or his book until a few months ago, despite an appetite for Vietnam war literature) been published in that same time period, instead of almost 30 years later, his work would doubtless share in that same noteworthiness. Perhaps, in time, it may.
Accurate portrayals of combat, for the most part, are those provided by those who experience it directly. As a lieutenant in a marine company, charged with retaking the city of Hue in 1968, Warr was thrust directly into the fray. His company was the "tip of the spear", so to speak, & it had to endure the inanities & madness of political interference & a degree of military ineptitude. The decimation of Lt. Warr's platoon catapulted the author into a realm which he strives mightily to convey to the reader. He witnessed incidents of bravery, self-sacrifice, terrified scrambles for safety, & slaughter that numb the mind. At one point, I had to place the book down in order to absorb the profundity of what I'd just read.
What really makes this book a treasure is the candour of Mr. Warr, who spares no one, including himself, as he relates emotions & various incidents, both laudable & condemnable. We've all aware how war can dehumanize. This young lieutenant, who had a paternalistic attitude toward his men, & who comes across as a sensitive young man, witnessed a needless act of brutality toward the end of the Hue city fight. Without any rationale or reason, he himself duplicated this senseless act - no emotion, no explanation. That's war. In another incident [SPOILER ALERT] the trauma of having lost his platoon, as well as many other men, exploded at one point, resulting in his own troops having to swarm their lieutenant in order to prevent him from murdering a prisoner of war. Lt. Warr comes across as grunt's platoon leader (as opposed to a sycophant concerned with how to please his superiors). He takes a jaundiced view of military ceremonies where medals for valour are awarded. He witnessed a few acts, one of which merited the Medal of Honour (the lieutenant himself initiated the award process), but which was denied. That the superiors who determine such things would prefer a "model marine" for such recognition, as opposed to one who is rough about the edges, made the lieutenant realize the existence of an almost caste-like hierarchy with respect to awards of merit. Lt. Warr was more concerned with his own men, who had much respect for him, than he was with his superiors, many of whom couldn't appease their political masters enough.
Accurate portrayals of combat, for the most part, are those provided by those who experience it directly. As a lieutenant in a marine company, charged with retaking the city of Hue in 1968, Warr was thrust directly into the fray. His company was the "tip of the spear", so to speak, & it had to endure the inanities & madness of political interference & a degree of military ineptitude. The decimation of Lt. Warr's platoon catapulted the author into a realm which he strives mightily to convey to the reader. He witnessed incidents of bravery, self-sacrifice, terrified scrambles for safety, & slaughter that numb the mind. At one point, I had to place the book down in order to absorb the profundity of what I'd just read.
What really makes this book a treasure is the candour of Mr. Warr, who spares no one, including himself, as he relates emotions & various incidents, both laudable & condemnable. We've all aware how war can dehumanize. This young lieutenant, who had a paternalistic attitude toward his men, & who comes across as a sensitive young man, witnessed a needless act of brutality toward the end of the Hue city fight. Without any rationale or reason, he himself duplicated this senseless act - no emotion, no explanation. That's war. In another incident [SPOILER ALERT] the trauma of having lost his platoon, as well as many other men, exploded at one point, resulting in his own troops having to swarm their lieutenant in order to prevent him from murdering a prisoner of war. Lt. Warr comes across as grunt's platoon leader (as opposed to a sycophant concerned with how to please his superiors). He takes a jaundiced view of military ceremonies where medals for valour are awarded. He witnessed a few acts, one of which merited the Medal of Honour (the lieutenant himself initiated the award process), but which was denied. That the superiors who determine such things would prefer a "model marine" for such recognition, as opposed to one who is rough about the edges, made the lieutenant realize the existence of an almost caste-like hierarchy with respect to awards of merit. Lt. Warr was more concerned with his own men, who had much respect for him, than he was with his superiors, many of whom couldn't appease their political masters enough.
February 18, 2019
Lt. Nick Warr was my Platoon Commander in 1st Platoon/Charlie Company/1st Battalion/5th Marine Regiment/1st Marine Division during part of 1967-1968. This book reveals the truth about The Battle of Hue City which was one of the bloodiest battles of the Vietnam War. It is my understanding that it was required reading in the Marine Corps for a number of years.
Check out my book, Battlefield Faith, on Amazon for my personal experiences in Vietnam with the 5th Marines coupled with my faith in God.
Check out my book, Battlefield Faith, on Amazon for my personal experiences in Vietnam with the 5th Marines coupled with my faith in God.
October 28, 2012
This is a great leadership book as well as a nice military history book. Shows what happens when you don't use all of the tools at your disposal.
November 13, 2024
Told from a USMC Infantry platoon leader, this describes his experiences during the Tet Offensive and the battle for the Citadel that he had to take. If you're looking for a graphic novel on the Vietnam War, then I would suggest reading this book. It shows in graphic detail what him and his Marines had to go through in order to seize the objective and the daily battles with his mind, his men, and the enemy in this book. I would recommend reading this book as it shows the vicissitudes of war and what you notice during it. His thoughts are captured well and is an easy read, if not a little long. I took my time with this book and was glad it was written, as while I didn't serve in that war (I wasn't even a thought during that time), it opened my eyes to some of the reasons why the war was conducted the way it was, and so on. So check it out sometime if you like the history of that famous war.
December 28, 2025
An Excellent First-Person Account of the Battle for Hue
As a Navy veteran whose ship provided 3,521 rounds of 5” & 6” support for the Marines during the month of February 1968 in & around Hue. I have the coordinates for where those fires were directed & am keenly interested in reading Marine infantry accounts of this battle.
My dad was a front line Marine during the battles for Tarawa, Saipan, Tinian; was held in reserve for the Okinawa battle & was part of the occupying force in Nagasaki after the Japanese surrender. He was a proud Marine until the day he died at 87.
Deepest Respect for what Mr. Warr & his fellow Marines endured during this brutal battle; and how they persevered & prevailed against overwhelming odds.
And now we have peace & good relations with Vietnam. May God bless & grow that bond.
As a Navy veteran whose ship provided 3,521 rounds of 5” & 6” support for the Marines during the month of February 1968 in & around Hue. I have the coordinates for where those fires were directed & am keenly interested in reading Marine infantry accounts of this battle.
My dad was a front line Marine during the battles for Tarawa, Saipan, Tinian; was held in reserve for the Okinawa battle & was part of the occupying force in Nagasaki after the Japanese surrender. He was a proud Marine until the day he died at 87.
Deepest Respect for what Mr. Warr & his fellow Marines endured during this brutal battle; and how they persevered & prevailed against overwhelming odds.
And now we have peace & good relations with Vietnam. May God bless & grow that bond.
March 16, 2022
When was the last time you read a war memoir where the author, a combat leader, stated that he sucked at war? Rarely is such a damning declaration made, although it must have happened countless times over history. In Phase Line Green, Nicholas Warr makes that claim.
A young Marine Corps lieutenant finds himself leading troops in the 1968 Battle of Hue City. His struggles are incredible and he describes his failures with brutal honesty.
This is a must read for any young person who wants to be an infantry leader, either officer or NCO. It’s also an excellent selection for those who want to better understand the Vietnam War or the struggles that common soldiers (Marines in this case) endure.
A young Marine Corps lieutenant finds himself leading troops in the 1968 Battle of Hue City. His struggles are incredible and he describes his failures with brutal honesty.
This is a must read for any young person who wants to be an infantry leader, either officer or NCO. It’s also an excellent selection for those who want to better understand the Vietnam War or the struggles that common soldiers (Marines in this case) endure.
July 4, 2017
A excellent telling of a horrible battle & the valiant men of Charlie Company who fought in the battle. A story of the men who died and survived. A book about life & death, tragedy & death. It is more than that it is about friendships, closeness and heroism. It shows how ugly war can be at the same time how close men can be to each other.
November 8, 2023
Wonderfully written memoir of the Battle of Hue that provides crushing details and vivid descriptions. Although explanatory footnotes would have made this book easier to understand (initially), I was able to figure out the acronyms & abbreviations as the book progressed. Slow start, but once Warr arrives in Hue and enters the Citadel, it’s nearly impossible to stop reading!
May 17, 2020
I could not have enjoyed this book more than I did. It was awful. Only terrible things happen and Warr gives you the straight scoop. It works as an in-depth lesson in military history and sets the record straight in 1960's political science.
June 28, 2022
This is an intense, personal account of the author's experiences during the house-to-house urban fighting to recapture the Citadel in Hue City from the North Vietnamese Army in early 1968. Four out of five stars.
August 18, 2022
This book was mentioned in "No True Glory" about the battle in Fallujah. There are similar themes in the two. The main one is about leaders far from the front lines making uninformed decisions and enacting rules of engagement the cost the fighters their lives.
February 25, 2018
Probably the best first-person combat account that I've ever read. Moves fast and never lets up.
June 9, 2019
Good PME for Military.
November 23, 2023
Didn't finish. I have a hard time reading history when it's not a smooth story.
February 19, 2017
Don't read alot of books like this. My cousin was one of the people in it.
January 15, 2012
Nicholas Warr tells of his exploits as a USMC platoon leader in Vietnam. The featured battle did not take place in the rice paddies, but rather in a town with buildings. Lt. Warr uses the colorful warrior language to place the reader in the center of the action. Additionally he mentions the far too many restrictions that kept his men from putting their full training to use.
April 1, 2012
Awesome. This is a quick read that you will knock out in a weekend. Once you pick it up you will not want to put it down. It is a first hand account from a platoon commander at Hue City, 1968 slugging it out to cross Phase Line Green. After reading this fascinating account, you will want to read more about the battle for Hue. Of all of my Vietnam books, this, and the village are my favorite.
December 19, 2014
This is one of the few books I have read on the Vietnam War, and it was excellent. This first hand account of the battle was riveting. I think most people don't think of urban warfare during Vietnam, but the Battle of Hue featured constant house to house fighting and was very reminiscent of the modern Battle of Fallujah in Iraq.
February 15, 2016
This is a strong, personal sharing of the savage fighting in the ancient Vietnamese city of Hue following the Tet Offensive in '68. It is an unsparing account; tragedy occurs right and left, some avoidable, some not, the line between the two always uncertain. An important view of action up close with all the rawness.
May 30, 2020
This was a good concise retelling of the bloody fighting at Hue. Most the dramatic aspects of this book are retold in Mark Bowdens Hue 1968 which I would recommend instead. I thought this book would provide greater clarity for aspects of the battle. I was a little disappointed
January 3, 2008
Brutal street by street account of a Marine Corps Lieutenant during the battle for the Imperial City of Hue in South Vietnam, 1968.
August 20, 2012
Absolutely amazing. It is everything you could ask for in a book about Vietnam and a memoir; personal, informative and truly gripping.
Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews