Very Crazy, G.I.!: Strange but True Stories of the Vietnam War

by Kregg P.J. Jorgenson

AMERICAN BOYS AT WAR IN VIETNAM--AND INVOLVED IN INCIDENTS YOU WON'T FIND IN THE NATIONAL ARCHIVES

In this compelling, highly unusual collection of amazing but true stories, U.S. soldiers reveal fantastic, almost unbelievable events that occurred in places ranging from the deadly Central Highlands to the Cong-infested Mekong Delta.

"Finders Keepers" became the sacred byword for one exhausted recon team who stumbled upon a fortune worth more than $500,000--and managed, with a little American ingenuity, to relocate the bounty to the States. Jorgenson also chronicles Marine Sergeant James Henderson's incredible journey back from the dead, shares a surreal chopper rescue, and recounts some heart-stopping details of the life--and death--of one of America's greatest unsung heroes, a soldier who won more medals than Audie Murphy and Sergeant York.

Whether occurring in the bloody, fiery chaos of sudden ambushes or during the endless nights of silent, gnawing menace spent behind enemy lines, these stories of war are truly beaucoup dinky dau . . . and ultimately unforgettable.

Genres: History, War, Nonfiction, Military Fiction

229 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published January 1, 1994

Reviews

[Carlton Phelps · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hard to believe some of the stories.
But I wasn't at any of the happenings and Veit Nam is a vast old country.
It was interesting though.
Easy reading and the stories are fairly short. So if you don't like the one you reading it doesn't take long to get to the next story.
Men and women were in unbearable situations and time would slowly pass by, that is, until all hell broke loose.
These stories show a different side of the war with tall tales, or maybe not.

[Michael Burnam-Fink · Rating 3 out of 5]

Jorgenson is a real soldier and journalist by his bio, seven years in the Army and then a stint as editor of a Special Forces oriented magazine Behind The Lines in the 90s. In Very Crazy G.I., he collects tall tales of the Vietnam War, the kinds of yarns soldiers would tell each other at a bar. Some are well attested to, as in the punched up description of Joe Hooper's Medal of Honor. Many of them feature canny GIs, getting even with stuffed shirt pogues and tricking bar girls, with turnabout for soldiers who pay $50 for a pair of Ho Chi Minh's sandals, or who tested the stability of C4 (very stable, fortunately for the guy jumping on a flaming chunk of it).

I'd have to say that my absolutely favorite though were when Jorgenson puts an almost Fortean lens on the war. Ape-men unknown to science lurking in triple canopy jungles and dragons swimming in the Gulf of Tonkin. Viet Cong ghosts creeping through the wire before an attack. A Marine who figured out that God's first name is Frank, and divinely dodged death in a dozen ways at Dong Ha.

I'll leave it to Tim O'Brien to deliver the lecture about true war stories. Some of these try and find moral lessons or punch lines, but the best of them glory in the strangeness and absurdity.

[Bryan Worra · Rating 4 out of 5]

Every now and then it's nice to take a break from detail-heavy, analytical responses to the Vietnam War and the tumultuous 60s and 70s and read a book like this.

It doesn't concern itself with the politics but rather the experiences, especially the often strange moments for which there is typically no place in 'serious' studies and reflections on the war.

These are often a grunts' take on life during wartime, and I've found several of the pieces far more illuminating and interesting to read than those 'definitive' accounts typically drawn from numbing orders of battle and accountant spreadsheets.

There are even hints of cryptozoological encounters, practical jokes and chance meetings that illustrate a rich realm of stories worth hearing among our veterans. Should it be the only book you read about the Vietnam War? Heavens no.

But that doesn't mean these stories have no place in our understanding of the time, either.

[Luka · Rating 4 out of 5]

I would read a book by Jorgenson even if it was a manual on how to yawn properly when tired. Or whatever. While not as strong as his magnum opus "Acceptable Loss," the book does provide some unique narrative that makes the reader bond with the soldiers in question. The humorous element is always there, and not just for the purpose of laughter — it's actually inspiring. Being a war veteran, the writer nails the technicalities while keeping the crazy stories fun and interesting. Cheers, Jorgy!

[Jamie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I would probably push this up to a 4.5. Very enjoyable. A couple of stories I laughed out loud and others I tensed up with the action. One thing: I'm desperate to know what happened in the aftermath of The Talisman! Ending a story like that makes me want to agree with Hollywood in the last story, Dissolve to Black.

[Sharon · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed the odd and unusual in this book. I grew up during the Vietnam War, but was too young to understand what the hell was going on. As an adult, I can see a bigger picture, but I like learning about the stories told by veterans. I have nothing but respect for the men who were the unwilling led by the unqualified.

[a.t.m. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Compilations of great stories

The author has written a compelling book about stories involving veterans
, while in country. I highly recommend this book and any other books this author has written.

[Rodney Haydon · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found a copy of this book in an antique store in Waxahachie, Texas and quickly scanning through it I decided that it looked interesting enough to put down the $1.50+tax they wanted for it. I'm glad I did. A quick read but some interesting stories about the Vietnam War from the boys that were there.

[Rich · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was a solid entry in the odd occurrences that happened during the Vietnam war. I enjoyed the author’s writing as well as his sense of humor and punishing stolen valor turds at conventions. The actual bizarre incidents were alas hit and miss and detracted from the book overall. There are better books out there covering essentially the same topic.

[Aaron Erhardt · Rating 3 out of 5]

Things that make one go, hmmm.

[Esteban Stipnieks · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very entertaining collection of stories .... compiled by a vet describing real and phony vets. Like hearing a group of my dad's friends talk freely about Vietnam.

[Frances Adragna · Rating 5 out of 5]

love the stories

[Bill McBreen · Rating 3 out of 5]

weird & disturbing stories I'd never heard of from Vietnam

[Wellsbowman · Rating 3 out of 5]

The author's purpose in this compelling, autonomous collection of amazing true stories of U.S. soldiers reveal fantastic, almost unbelievable events that occurred in places ranging from the killer Central Highlands to the Cong-infested Mekong Delta. The point of view is in 3rd person format.

The themes of this book vary due to the stories in this very good book. Jorgensen wrote this book about the Vietnam war, and also about the soldiers in the war. All of the stories that are written in this book are from actual Vietnam veterans. Jorgensen is wanting to share stories about the Vietnam war, the stories are “beaucoup dinky dau”
Which means very crazy person.

The style of the book is just to share good and crazy stories of the Vietnam war and the life that the soldiers lived at basecamp, and on the battlefield. The style of the book is effective. It gets the word out about the war and also it tells very crazy stories. It makes you feel like you're right there in Vietnam alongside the U.S. soldiers, there are bombs exploding, gunfire ringing throughout the whole area, bullets hitting all around you! And the suspense of the stories just keeps you reading.

I really like this book and like the fact that it never gets boring. Because weather occurring in the bloody, gun-hoe confusion of sudden attacks or during the eternal nights of silent, menace spent behind enemy lines, these stories of war are very “beaucoup dinky dau” . . . and ultimately unbelievable. I don't like how the stories aren't a little longer though, it seems like I read through them really fast, but it might just be the fact that they are so interesting. It is not like any other book that I have read, the stories just sound so unreal, but the crazy part is that there all told by real soldiers. This book is very “beaucoup dinky dau”!

[Allen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Had much higher hopes for this one. Most of the stories were OK, but I'm sure there were many, many more, crazy stories during that conflict. A few of them didn't even really lead anywhere. But getting the soldiers to tell the stories would probably be the hardest part and the writer here that gathered them did his best I'm sure. There are a few winners here, the wild tiger hunt, the back from the dead soldier, and a few others. A very quick read.

[Anthony Dolce · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very short, fun & easy read. The stories are mostly about snipers pulling off crazy shots and completing very low odd survival missions. Had a tough time putting this book down. Kregg puts you in right along with the soldier like your his own spotter. Every page turn will have you grasping for more story of each soldier.

[Karib · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found it easier to think of this book as being a collection of short stories that all happen to involve Vietnam rather than a short story book about it. Overall, I rather liked most of the stories, although some of them were too short or too vague for me.

[Fishface · Rating 3 out of 5]

I had a good time with this one. The stories are wildly different from each other, but all are the kind of funny-little-corners-of-real-life that I like so much. Some of them are a scream. I personally recommend that you save "I Killed Ho Chi Ming" for last. It's priceless.

[Eric · Rating 2 out of 5]

The writing is mediocre, and I'd heard some of the stories before.

[Nathan · Rating 1 out of 5]

Too many descriptions of Seattle pizza and microbrews, not enough fragging or face-melting.

[Ruth · Rating 2 out of 5]

c2001. Quick and easy read with some entertaining stories. Great for travelling where you did not have to focus too much.

[Keith · Rating 3 out of 5]

OK Vietnam War stories.

[Sharon · Rating 3 out of 5]

Enjoyable reading, not terribly deep, but some of the experiences were laughable, some were creepy, some were just sad. I enjoyed the author's sense of humor throughout.

[Derek · Rating 4 out of 5]

Crazy stories, of a war that made little sense to most.