Fire in the Hole: Tales of Combat with the 1st Engineer Battalion in Vietnam

by Mike Guardia

Combat Engineers. The Unsung Heroes of Vietnam.

August 25, 1966. Specialist Dan Crowley was among the handful of demolition experts assigned to a route clearing mission in support of Operation AMARILLO. His equipment load was the same as it had been numerous times a Claymore mine, TNT, C-4 explosives, blasting caps, time fuse, det cord, eighteen rounds for his M-79 grenade launcher, two hand grenades, and his Colt .45.

But this would be no ordinary mission.

The Viet Cong had just surrounded an American patrol along Highway 16. Crowley’s outfit – Charlie Company, 1st Engineer Battalion – was among the smattering of units thrown together for this impromptu “relief force.” History would call it the Battle of Bong Trang.

In a war dominated by airmobile infantry, the combat engineers played a critical role in shaping America’s battlefield victories. They built obstacles, dug defensive positions, set landmines, performed various types of demolition, and could fight as infantry whenever ordered.

Fire in the Hole tells the story of Charlie Company, 1st Engineer Battalion during their deployment to the Republic of Vietnam in 1965-66. Told from the perspective of four Charlie Company veterans – Dan Crowley, Larry Blair, Chuck Humphrey, and Jay Franz – this book provides an intimate, no-holds-barred account of the combat engineers in Vietnam.

193 pages, Kindle Edition

Published December 15, 2023

About the author

Mike Guardia is an internationally recognized author and military historian. A veteran of the United States Army, he served six years on active duty as an Armor Officer. He is the author of the widely-acclaimed "Hal Moore: A Soldier Once...and Always," the first-ever biography chronicling the life of LTG Harold G. Moore, whose battlefield leadership was popularized by the film "We Were Soldiers," starring Mel Gibson.

He has twice been nominated for the Army Historical Foundation's Distinguished Book Award and is an active member of the Military Writers Society of America.

As a speaker, he hosts the lecture series "Hal Moore: Lessons in Leadership," which is available for presentation at schools, businesses, and civic organizations worldwide. Mike Guardia has given presentations at the US Special Operations Command and the International Spy Museum. His work has been reviewed in the Washington Times, Armchair General, ARMY Magazine, DefenceWeb South Africa, and Miniature Wargames UK.

He holds a BA and MA in American History from the University of Houston. He currently lives in Texas.

Reviews

[Bill Elston · Rating 4 out of 5]

A different approach to the VZn war

Most VN stories focus on th3 infantry or helicopter crews activities. This books recalls a completely differen5 side of the war. Interesting reading at the very least.

[Jim]

Interesting book

This author does an excellent job telling the story of four veterans. This is invaluable and I'm thrilled to see people capturing the experiences of Vietnam veterans before they are lost forever!

[William Prather · Rating 5 out of 5]

learned a lot

Interesting read
Learned about what engineers did specially in Vietnam
Enjoyed the read and did not put down until finished
Good read

[Robert W Waterman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very interesting

A superlative depiction off the life of a military man. I enjoyed the factual trip through one man's military career.

[Richard A Lambing · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book. I learned a lot. Keep in mind, the information is very dated.

[Steve Raymond]

lots of truth

Great story, I was also an engineer in Vietnam and had classmates in this battalion. Well told and brings back memories.

[Peter R Lake · Rating 3 out of 5]

Did not find it interesting, read approximately half then quit.

[Robert]

good first hand accounts

I have read a lot of Nam memoirs but this is the first in depth story I have read concerning hie activities of combat engineers