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First In, Last Out: An American Paratrooper in Vietnam with the 101st and Vietnamese Airborne
A Vietnam veteran recounts his experience through two tours of duty—early in the conflict and then in its final stages.
Fresh out of West Point, John Howard arrived for his first tour in Vietnam in 1965, the first full year of escalation when U.S. troop levels increased dramatically, from 23,000 to 184,000. When Howard returned for a second tour in 1972, troop strength stood at 24,000 and would dwindle to a mere fifty the following year. He thus participated in the very early and very late stages of American military involvement in the Vietnam War.
Howard’s two tours—the first as a platoon commander and member of an elite counterguerrilla force, and the second as a senior advisor to the South Vietnamese—provide a fascinating lens through which to view not only one soldier’s experience in Vietnam, but also the country’s.
Fresh out of West Point, John Howard arrived for his first tour in Vietnam in 1965, the first full year of escalation when U.S. troop levels increased dramatically, from 23,000 to 184,000. When Howard returned for a second tour in 1972, troop strength stood at 24,000 and would dwindle to a mere fifty the following year. He thus participated in the very early and very late stages of American military involvement in the Vietnam War.
Howard’s two tours—the first as a platoon commander and member of an elite counterguerrilla force, and the second as a senior advisor to the South Vietnamese—provide a fascinating lens through which to view not only one soldier’s experience in Vietnam, but also the country’s.
291 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 1, 2017
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
November 13, 2025
Reading For Those who Served Then..
I was in the 11AAD test to become the 1st Air Cavalry division and ETS’ed in early 1965 missing Vietnam as an infantryman. The author explained a lot of what Vietnam was like that year well. Odd that he allowed his Tiger Reconnaissance United to spit off in hostile areas like the 7 man unit that sent 2 troops ahead to scout and were lost. I recall reading how the V.C. found them and killed one, making the other prisoner and he was never accounted for thereafter! His map of the Korean DMZ area shows my 2/17/7 I.D. was located far North at Camp Keiser. Very interesting book.
I was in the 11AAD test to become the 1st Air Cavalry division and ETS’ed in early 1965 missing Vietnam as an infantryman. The author explained a lot of what Vietnam was like that year well. Odd that he allowed his Tiger Reconnaissance United to spit off in hostile areas like the 7 man unit that sent 2 troops ahead to scout and were lost. I recall reading how the V.C. found them and killed one, making the other prisoner and he was never accounted for thereafter! His map of the Korean DMZ area shows my 2/17/7 I.D. was located far North at Camp Keiser. Very interesting book.
October 14, 2025
The first portion of this book is worth the time it took to read it once you get past the first chapter. I sincerely enjoyed it. However…. The second half of the book(the second tour in Vietnam as an advisor) turned the experience into a less than enjoyable read. To be honest it drug my opinion of the book into a tail spin. I cannot in all honesty recommend this book to anyone. I realize the Author put his time and effort into telling this story. But the first part should have been the entire book.
August 13, 2025
I was there. Great book by an American hero.
February 5, 2026
An American paratrooper's view of Vietnam history.
A honest reflection on the Vietnam war. You come away with a better understanding of what happened on the ground and why.
A honest reflection on the Vietnam war. You come away with a better understanding of what happened on the ground and why.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews