Vietnam: Ground Zero

Vietnam: Ground Zero #1

by Eric Helm

The stench from the dead rose from the trail in an almost visible fog. Special forces patrol leader Anthony Fetterman had encountered scenes like this before in Vietnam. In front of him were the bodies of a missing ARVN patrol, massacred by a Vietcong force directed by a Chinese general from a base in Cambodia.

When the Special Forces squad gets caught up in a CIA operation to assassinate the Chinese commander, they find themselves the target of a careerminded Army general who presses ahead with charges of murdering a foreign national in a neutral country.

For an American newspaper correspondent in Vietnam, it's the story of a lifetime. And with the CIA adopting a "we don't know you" attitude, the squad leader finds himself fighting the Army, the press and time to save his men from being court-martialed for doing the job they were trained to do.

VIETNAM: GROUND ZERO—fiction drawn from fact that brings the ten thousand day war home as never before!

Genres: Military Fiction, War

220 pages, Paperback

First published July 15, 1986

Reviews

[Abibliofob · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really find the books by Eric Helm entertaining, this one Vietnam: Ground Zero is no exception. It is the first in this series but we get to follow the characters from the Scorpion Squad. War is never fun but this book has parts that can only be described as MASH in vietnam. The situations and problems with chain of command is incredible. If you like me like military fiction with humor this could be something for you.

[Adam · Rating 4 out of 5]

After Pinnacle Books published four of Eric Helm's Scorpion Squad novels in 1984 and 1985, Gold Eagle (a.k.a. Harlequin for Hairy-Chested Macho Men) acquired the series and renamed it "Vietnam: Ground Zero."

This is the first book of the revamped series (and the first I've read), and I was happy that Gold Eagle's editors didn't seem to tamper in any way with the world that Helm had already created in The Scorpion Squad. The characters are all the same, US Army Special Forces Camp A-555 is still located in the "Parrot's Beak" region of the Mekong Delta, and the writing is still muscular and precise.

Vietnam: Ground Zero continues the story of Master Sgt. Anthony Fetterman's vendetta against a shadowy Chinese commander whom he believes is training and instructing the Vietcong just over the border in Cambodia. With the tacit agreement of a single CIA operative in Saigon, Capt. Mack Gerber gives Fetterman permission to slip over the border to assassinate the Chinese officer. Needless to say, things don't go entirely according to plan, and once back in Vietnam, things go from bad to worse, with the CIA disowning the operation, which leads to a military court martial. (Reading this book after the 2004 presidential election, it's hard not to think of the "swift boating" of John Kerry, and the controversy surrounding statements he made about being in Cambodia during Christmas 1968, but that's neither here nor there.)

The back cover copy of all the books in the Vietnam: Ground Zero series claim that "Eric Helm is the pen name of two Vietnam veterans, men who were there and who now tell it like it was." Actually, my understanding has always been that Helm is a pen name for pretty much just one person; Kevin Randle. I think Bob Cornett, his writing partner, only collaborated on two books with Randle during his run at Gold Eagle. Anyway, assuming this copy is true, I have no idea what Randle actually did in Vietnam, or how long he served there, but he certainly spins a good yarn.

[Richard A. Smith (Consignment) · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think this is the first book I've read by this author. I guarantee that it won't be the last! This book is non-stop from a mission to find an ambushed team to an argument between a general and Captain face to face and who blinks first. (Not telling you who wins! Read it and see) This is truly a non-stop "can't put down ' book going from Viet Nam to Cambodia and all over Nam. The author makes you feel like you're out here with the team. It doesn't get any more realistic than that! Great job! Looking forward to the next book by Eric Helm.
Richard Smith

[John Podlaski · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed reading VIETNAM GROUND ZERO by Eric Helm as it kept my interest from beginning to end. I have read several of the author's books in this series and have enjoyed them all. In this book, the team is caught in an ambush, and a Chinese National is seen running away with other VC soldiers into Cambodia. The US is prohibited from entering Cambodia, so the team cannot pursue him. However, they get some help from the CIA and locate the camp where he may be dwelling. So an unsanctioned patrol is sent to find and kill him.

A general who has never been in combat dislikes the Special Forces and tries to wreck the unit and its individual soldiers. After the mission, there is a leak within the unit, and it looks like the General may succeed. Soldiers from the team are arrested for court martial. Capt. Gerber does everything in his power to help free the men and get the general off the unit's back. It's good that he has the press on his side.

I highly recommend this series. All the accounts that I've read appear true to life and represent what actually happened during the war. Well worth a read.

[Jeff Lewis · Rating 4 out of 5]

A first discovered Eric Helm's books back in 1980s but now being older and wiser a the story as greater depth. The plot is fairly straightforward as Special Forces attempt to take out Chinese adviser in Cambodia which of course being about Vietnam has a sting in the tail. Thoroughly entertaining novel.

[John F · Rating 5 out of 5]

Memories

Boy, this book brings back all the highjinks, skullduggery and normal mayhem that occurred during the war. Enlisted troops serving 12-month rotations while the officers did a 6-month command tours of duty, then were assigned off the line becoming “REMPs.” Hell that alone caused serious issues, resulting in “continuity” between the enlisted ranks and the officers.

[Loretta Gabriel · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very interesting story.

The author has written a very interesting and detailed story of the events of an outpost in the Vietnam War. This is a very enjoyable and entertaining story that will keep you interested and engaged from start to finish.

[John · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well written VietNam novel

As a VietNam veteran, I found this novel to be pretty believable. I will read the next book of this series. The author's dialog was right on and I could relate.

[Connie Hamby · Rating 5 out of 5]

A really good book

I love the books by Eric Helm especially the Vietnam books I love to read these books, thanks for a great book

[Sam Carpenter · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very good read

Well written in a way that is easy to follow. Great adventure that shows how things really work in war. Total bs.
Rock on

[Jack Rilkoff · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a pretty good read. I will try another in the series before I make a decision on the rest of the books.

[Dan Reck · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reading about what these guys went through is very intensive and we should always thank a vet who served in this war. Good read

[Robert L Baxley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Been there

Been there done that. This book, kept my interest. Just like some of the missions I was on. I’ll read the next book, just to see if it’s like what I did.

[chris cantrell · Rating 5 out of 5]

As good as I remembered

I read the paperback when it first came out 1987 If i remember correctly the whole series is a good one

[John Lovett Hunt · Rating 3 out of 5]

An OK read. Not as interesting as I expected having read a number of other books related to this topic. I feel it got off track about halfway through.

[Edmund Murphy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Have read the whole Ground Zero series, about 20 or so novels. A good blend of military action and other background information about the Vietnam War.

[gregory c smith · Rating 2 out of 5]

Reads like a high school wrote it

Sketchy, like it was written by a middle school kid who reads a lot about the southeast Asian war games.

[Victoria · Rating 1 out of 5]

I rarely DNF a book, but this one I just couldn't push through. It may a wonderful story, but it just wasn't for me. The characters were just not well developed and I found the writing to be dry.

[Robert Lewter · Rating 5 out of 5]

High adventure

Lots of action from the first page and a really good plot. This story has it all. You don't know how it will end until the last page.

[Nancy Graham · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ground zero

A real good book to read. I hope the other books are just as good.I really like it
Eric helm is a good writer.

[neil fowler · Rating 4 out of 5]

Xmas relief

Needed to relax shoot a few nvs skip to Cambodia , squeeze a brigadier generals nuts, oh yes shoot a Chinese citizen who was posing as a soldier all before Xmas dinner. Enjoy

[John Sullivan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mostly a story of a general with an axe to grind with the special forces. There is a pretty female reporter, a CIA contact, and the NVA. The Chinese are helping the NVA get to be a better fighting force. Ambushes and patrols, life in the jungle is difficult and strength-sapping.

[Josh Hitch · Rating 4 out of 5]

First in a series, but really the fifth book since it continues the Scorpion Squad series. This one was interesting, it has rivalry between a general and the special forces leading to a hush hush court martial kangaroo court. This was because they took out a Chinese Officer in Cambodia. However the squad has weapons it can use to protect themselves in the petty world of armchair generals. It has plenty of infield action plus just enough behind the scenes beaucracy to make it interesting. The only point I think is silly is the romance between Captain Gerber and the female reporter. Might not be bad other then its the look alike sister of the nurse he had a fling with in the four book Scorpion Squad series. To me that just too soap opera.

Still highly recommend, can be read as a first, though really I think not having the background of the previous series would lessen it quite a bit.

[Dave Neuendorf · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the first in a series of many books about a team of US Army Special Forces soldiers (Green Berets). It is dismissed by many as being in the "men's adventure" pulp fiction genre (which I usually don't read), but I view it as good quality historical fiction. The stories are all exciting, presenting real Special Forces heroes and real enemies, both in the ranks of the US military and intelligence services, and in the Viet Cong and NVA and their supporters in the press and other western institutions. My five-star rating applies to the whole series. It is still possible to buy many of the used paperbacks on Amazon for very low prices. I consider it one of the gems of my book collection.

[Mike Osborn · Rating 3 out of 5]

This series of books seemed to start out as a good idea. They did discuss a lot of aspects of the Vietnam War. The characters were real bad-asses that you wish you were running missions with. But the sad thing was, once you read the first four, the story line only took up about half of the book. The rest was just a replay of characters and events that took place in the previous books. By about book 12 in the series, I swear to God, the story line was only about 10 pages of these 200 page books.

[Brian Grouhel]

I collected this whole series back in the '80's and enjoyed much back then. They recently came out of storage and back onto a bookshelf. This introductory novel was still just as good now as then. Mack Gerber and company get into and out of trouble with just the right amount of bush sense and bravado. I'm looking forward to reading them all over again!

[William · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good story

An interesting take. I enjoyed it and I will be reading the test of the series. Characters are developed good and believable. Plot is also believable, for an experienced company, I am a 1/7th Cav Vet. "GARRY OWEN"

[Randy Grossman · Rating 3 out of 5]

A pretty good story... It had similarities to a MASH episode. Some harsh language, but I suppose that can be expected in a war zone.

[R.E. DURHAM]

read all of eric helm's books, a great series

[Troy Macgarvie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this series years ago and want to read again .very good series