The Killing Zone: My Life in the Vietnam War

by Frederick Downs

“The best damned book from the point of view of the infantrymen who fought there.”― Army Times Among the best books ever written about men in combat, The Killing Zone tells the story of the platoon of Delta One-six, capturing what it meant to face lethal danger, to follow orders, and to search for the conviction and then the hope that this war was worth the sacrifice. The book includes a new chapter on what happened to the platoon members when they came home.

Genres: History, War, Nonfiction, Military Fiction, Biography, Military History, Memoir

272 pages, Paperback

First published September 30, 1978

Reviews

[Steve · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read the book because my brother was killed in Vietnam back in March of 1969 with a squad of men. Someone tripped a mine. It could have been my brother, George. He was 20 years old. This book gave me a clear picture of what it was like over in the jungles and what he had to endore everyday. When he was injured by a Bouncing Betty Mine, it gave me an explanation of how my brother's squad was killed. When someone trips a bouncing betty, it flies up out of the ground to about waist high and explodes, to kill and disable.

God Bless Our Heros who lived and died over there.

steve farawell

[M.G. Edwards · Rating 4 out of 5]

First published in 1984 and updated in 2007, Frederick Downs, Jr.'s personal account as an infantryman in Vietnam during the war is one of the best books ever written about those who saw ground combat in Vietnam. It's a jarring story of a soldier's life in the field as told through Downs' chronicle of his time near the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) in 1967-68. That his novel is a must-read for West Point cadets is a testament to its accurate portrayal of military combat conditions.

My father served in Vietnam in the same area and time period as Downs. His book taught me a lot about what life in the killing zone was like for my father, who rarely spoke of the war before he passed away. The author writes with such vivid detail and intensity that he drags the reader into his story. At times, I thought I was in the field with him -- even though I will never know what men like Downs went through during the war. His book is a tribute to the Vietnam veterans who rightly deserve recognition for their sacrifices. I also appreciated Downs' efforts to promote reconciliation with the Vietnamese people.

I gave this book 4 stars because it's not for everyone. Downs tells it like it was. His graphic depictions of the reality of the Vietnam War and derogatory language might leave some readers offended. It should be understood, however, that his narrative portrays the realities of that time period and was not gratuitous. Written as a daily journal, the book does not follow the traditional structure of a novel. The primary conflict in the story -- war -- does not lend itself to a concise climax or ending.

I highly recommend this book to anyone who wants to read a first-hand account of the Vietnam War or about the life of a soldier in combat. In an age when soldiers are still deployed to far-away battlefields in hostile conditions and face grave danger each and every day, this 45-year-old story is just as relevant today as it was when it happened.

[Bon Tom · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the best books of this kind. The movie in your head, except, there's added horror of all incredible events being real.

[Cav · Rating 4 out of 5]

"In the fall of 1968, as I stopped at a traffic light on my walk to class across the campus of the University of Denver, a man stepped up to me and said, “Hi.” Without waiting for my reply to his greeting, he pointed to the hook sticking out of my left sleeve. “Get that in Vietnam?”
I said, “Yeah, up near Tam Ky in I Corps.”
“Serves you right.”
As the man walked away, I stood rooted, too confused with hurt, shame, and anger to react.
Ten years have passed. The hurt, shame, and anger still flood over me with the memory. But of one thing I am certain—none of the men I knew who served in Vietnam deserved to die or to be maimed, either physically or mentally.
I think it is necessary now to give another view of Vietnam, that of the day-to-day life of an infantryman on the ground.
I have always been asked what I thought about Vietnam, but never what it was like to fight in Vietnam. This is the way it was for us, the platoon of Delta One-six..."

The Killing Zone is the memoir of author Second Lieutenant Frederick Downs, Jr. 05337689, First Platoon, Delta Company, Third Brigade, Fourth Division in Vietnam, from 8 September 1967, to 11 January 1968. The afterword of the book briefly follows events of the war after Downs's tour of combat ended, as well as details a return trip to Vietnam made by Downs years later. The book opens with the above quote.

Author Frederick Downs gives the "thumbs up" while wearing the DEKA arm: (Photograph courtesy of the U.S. Army)


I generally appreciate books that detail historical accounts of war, so I put this one on my list as soon as I came across it.

The writing here was fairly decent. Downs provides a ground-level account of the daily lives of himself and the fellow members of Delta -One Six. Their patrols, firefights, enemy engagements, and other details are covered here by Downs.

I found this quote particularly poignant:

"Why did we want to kill dinks? After all, we had been mostly law-abiding citizens back in the world and we were taught that to take another man’s life was wrong.
Somehow the perspective got twisted in a war. If the government told us it was alright and, in fact, a must to kill the members of another government’s people, then we had the law on our side.
It turned out that most of us liked to kill other men. Some of the guys would shoot at a dink much as they would at a target. Some of the men didn’t like to kill a dink up close. The closer the killing, the more personal it became.
Others in the platoon liked to kill close in. A few even liked to torture the dinks if they had a prisoner or cut the dead bodies with knives in a frenzy of aggression. A few didn’t like to kill at all and wouldn’t fire their weapons except to protect their buddies.
Mostly, we all saw it as a job and rationalized it in our own way. Over it all ran the streak of anger or fear that for brief moments ruled us all..."

The author suffered grievous injuries during his combat tour. I am including the direct quote from the book mainly for my own future reference. To avoid giving the details aways, I have covered the quote with a spoiler.
"I passed through the gate. My right hand grasped my M-
16, my left held my cigarette. I was humming “The Blue Tail
Fly” as I mentally ticked off the positions around the saddle
where I would set my men. I noticed the time—0745 hours.
My foot slipped backward a fraction of an inch, hitting the
trigger mechanism of a mine.
I never heard the explosion. Black powder and dirt flew
by me. My eardrums were ripped. My body was flying
through the air. I threw my arms in front of me in a reflex
motion to balance myself. My eyes registered the horror of a
brilliantly white jagged bone sticking out of the stump of
arm above where my left elbow had been. Ragged, bloody
flesh surrounded the splintered bone. My mind cursed as
utter helplessness and despair overwhelmed me.
Another part of my body coolly calculated what had
caused the explosion—it had been a land mine. But what
kind would blow off my arm instead of my legs? Of course! It
had to be a “Bouncing Betty,” a mine that flies up out of the
ground after being tripped and explodes waist high. That
would do it!
My M-16 had been in my right hand. The rifle was
shattered; my hand was mangled. I stared in horror at what
remained of my right arm. The flesh had been ripped away,
exposing the two bones in my forearm from the wrist to the
elbow. The bones looked like two white glistening narrow
rods buried in the raw bloody meat. Thinking My God! My
God! My God! I felt the total defeat of my life as I landed on
my feet five yards from where the mine had exploded.
After landing, I staggered forward two or three steps and
then collapsed. My legs wouldn’t work. The mine had gone
off about six inches from my left hip. From the waist down
my body was mutilated and torn where large chunks of
flesh, muscles, blood vessels, and nerves had been ripped
away by the hot exploding shrapnel. My buttocks were
blown away. The backs of my legs were ripped to the bone
down to my heels.
I rolled over on my back, being careful to keep my stump
and right arm out of the dirt and sand. My body was sending
so many pain signals to my brain that it was overloaded like
an electrical circuit. It caused me to feel a racing, humming
numbness.
I lifted my head to view a scene from hell.
My pack had absorbed the majority of shrapnel that
would have entered my back and spinal cord. It had been
blasted to splintereens. My belongings were scattered in a
wide area around me. Ammo, C rations, poncho and poncho
liner, my precious horde of almost three hundred heating
tabs, extra canteens of water, my green cat songbook, my
grandmother’s gift book of Readers’ Digest Condensed
Stories, and various odds and ends were lying among the
pieces of flesh and fragments of my uniform spread around
the ground.
Rueto, my RTO, who was close behind me, was sitting on
the ground, astonishment on his face, screaming in a terrorfilled
voice that he had been hit. From the waist down he
had been shredded; blood covered him like a sheet. The
man behind him, Robbins, had caught shrapnel in the guts
and was screaming. Two men behind him and one of the
point men had also been hit with shrapnel. They were quiet.
Altogether, six of us were hit.
The infantryman’s soul-tearing cry of “Medic! Medic!”
sounded through the air. My ears were working again.
There was initial confusion but long hours of training took
over as the men moved to perform the functions they had
been taught since entering the army.
I saw Doc rushing forward from his position in the middle
of the platoon. “Ah, good,” I thought. Putting my medic in
the middle of the platoon offered him the best protection
from harm and it was paying off.
The squad leaders were directing some of the men into a
defensive perimeter around us as other men rushed to the
aid of their comrades. My friend Spagg reached me first. I
looked at the shock in his eyes as he knelt over me to cut
off my web gear.
I yelled at Rueto, “Shut up, Rueto, I’m hurt worse than
you and I’m not yelling.”
“Sir, I’ve been hit bad. My legs, my legs, it hurts like
hell,” he wailed.
“I know it,” I bellowed. For some reason it took a great
effort to answer him, “but shut up!”
I watched a couple of men run by me to the wounded
point man. They would only glance at me sideways as I lay
there holding my bloody stump in the air. They seemed
nervous.
Some of my men ran toward me, then turned suddenly
away at the sight of my torn body. They stood near me but
hesitated to come too close, as if their movement through
the air would make it worse.
Spagg asked me to turn sideways a little bit so he could
pull my gear free. There were tears in his eyes as he worked
over me.
With a grunt, he pulled the belt out from under me.
“Is there anything I can do for you, sir?” Spagg asked.
“Yes, run over there and pick up my arm and bring it
back to me. I don’t want to leave it in this stinking village!”
He ran over, picked up my arm with the wristwatch and
colorful bracelets attached, brought it back, and laid it
across my stomach. He then picked up my right arm that I
no longer could control and also laid it across my stomach.
He gently bent the bracelets off the bloody wrist and threw
them away. Then he ran over to the bushes where I think he
got sick.
Marley, my platoon sergeant, rushed to my side. I asked
him if he had radioed Delta Six for a dustoff. He replied that
he had and asked if I was alright. He said that Delta Six was
on his way.
I said, “He’d better hurry if he wants to see me!”
Doc pushed Marley out of the way. I told him there wasn’t
much he could do. He ignored me as he hurriedly gave me a
shot of morphine and tied a tourniquet around my stump.
My medic had the bad habit of always telling a man how
bad he was hit. I had chewed him out a number of times
about this as I had about many things. I decided this would
be a good time to see if all those ass-chewings had made
any impression.
“Doc, it looks bad, doesn’t it? I probably won’t make it,
will I?”
Doc agreed, “Yep, it’s really bad, sir.”
“Doc,” I grimaced, “if I’ve told you once, I’ve told you a
hundred times you don’t tell a man he’s bad off when he is.”
He looked at me kind of funny.
“I’m thirsty, Doc. Let me have some water.”
“I can’t, sir, you may have internal injuries.”
“I don’t have any internal injuries, Doc. I would know
that. Let me have just one sip.”
“No, sir, you know better. I can’t.”
“I suppose you’re right, Doc.” I was cold and it was a
very hazy day. That’s funny, I thought. I thought the sun was
coming up like thunder across the bay.
I told Marley to get my squad leaders.
“Go take care of the other men, Doc. They need you.”
I looked up. Marley and my squad leaders were standing
in a rough line along my right side. I asked who was hurt. I
was feeling weaker and weaker. It was so goddamn cold. As
my body fought for life, my thoughts ran to my men and my
platoon. I felt I was cheating them by leaving when they
needed me most. When I had joined the platoon as their
leader, they had taught me the ways to survive in combat. A
second lieutenant who was new-in-country” and they who
were “old-timers”—eighteen, nineteen, twenty, but old to
the ways of combat and death. As I gained experience and
confidence as a leader, I became an “old-timer,” having to
make decisions that had put me in the position I was now in
—wounded and maimed, facing death.
My men were still there looking at me, despair on their
faces. Their invulnerable leader had been brought down.
“Marley.”
“Yes, sir.”
“I want your men to get the dink who planted that mine. I
want him dead! Get him!”
“We will, One-six, don’t you worry about that.”
They looked at each other, then back at me.
The grey haze of the day was strong. I pushed it back to
look beyond my men.
It was colder now and harder to see. I was thinking of my
Grandma Downs and her farm, of the woods and fields of
Indiana I loved so much. If only I could walk them one more
time. I’m only twenty-three years old and I’m dying. What a
waste! There are so many things I had meant to say and do,
but I hadn’t. Now I will never get the chance.
A familiar sound broke through the haze. A chopper. It
swept across my line of vision. It had a big red cross painted
on its side. I saw the dust swirl up as it settled to rest.
If I could only stay awake, I might make it to the field
hospital.
There was a fury of activity as the wounded were loaded
aboard. A path was cleared through my men as a stretcher
was brought to me. It was flipped open and thrown beside
me in haste. I was lifted by my men onto the stretcher and
rushed to the chopper. The man carrying the head end of
the stretcher got sick and dropped me. Spagg grabbed the
handles and lifted."

Downs also includes a hard-hitting quote near the end of the book; when he returned to Vietnam, and to the area where he received his wounds.
"Suddenly one of the Vietnamese vets smiled broadly and
approached our table, stopping by my chair. When I stood
up, he grabbed my hand in both of his and shook it, talking
excitedly. Understanding nothing, I stood mute, smiling and
looking toward a Foreign Service officer for an explanation.
Both groups were in a kind of staring standoff until the
Foreign Service officer came to our rescue. As the two
Vietnamese talked back and forth, the Foreign Service
officer glanced my way, uncertain as to how I might take
what was going on.
Finally, all became clear. They had learned that I had
been a soldier and had fought near Phu Nhieu, Vietnam, on
the Bataganian Peninsula in 1968. The soldier shaking my
hand had been in the North Vietnamese Army fighting in the
same area at the same time. He was excited to have met an
old enemy. I grinned, looked at him, and said, “If you fought
in the same area I was at the same time, maybe you are the
one who planted the land mine that blew my arm off.” He
replied, “Maybe I did, so let me buy you a beer,” releasing
my hand to wave the waitress over. The moment of tension
dissolved as I laughed and told him that was a hell of a good
idea. As we drank, I spoke of my wife and two small
daughters at home and he suddenly rose from his chair to
run next door, returning with three small blue-and-white
vases, presents for my loved ones. He told me it was good
the war was over. I agreed it was better to drink beer
together than to kill one another..."

Although I did enjoy hearing this historical account, it's too bad that the author didn't include a contextual overview, tying his movements to the broader picture of the war. I was also hoping that there would be some pictures in the book. Unfortunately, there were not (at least in the copy that I have).

The Killing Zone was still a gripping real-life account of combat during the war in Vietnam. I would recommend it to anyone interested.
4 stars.

[Mrtruscott · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.75 (review/comments pending)

[Youp · Rating 4 out of 5]

A haunting memoir that blurs the fine lines between good and evil.

One of my favorite topics to read about is the human capacity for committing evil acts. I do not enjoy those reads in a sadomasochistic manner, but they teach me a lot about human nature and therefore, about myself. Probably the most important thing I have learned from this, is that true evil is a rare phenomenon. The Charles Mansons, Vlad the Impalers and Pol Pots of this world are far outnumbered by people either forced to commit horrible acts, or those themselves arguably victims of a downwards spiral into barbarism. What seems to be evil from a quick glance, is often more complicated when taking a detailed look.

The Vietnam War is one of those conflicts which seemingly had no shortage of evil deeds commited by American soldiers. Burning down entire villages, airdropping tons of explosives and chemicals, and the killing of women and children should be high on the list of heinous acts. So for anyone with a limited understanding of this war, such as myself, it is easy to condemn U.S. troops for their actions. Reading 'The Killing Zone', a memoir by Vietnam veteran Frederick Downs, I realized once again that labeling something as good, bad, or even evil becomes increasingly harder the more you learn about it.

Like most memoirs by non-writers, The Killing Zone's writing is solid, yet nothing special. The style is mostly descriptive and matter-of-factly, mainly focusing on events instead of the author's thoughts and emotions. Since the reader is witnessing the events from the start of Downs' deployment in Vietnam, one can develop a deeper understanding of the actions and emotions of the U.S. troops. Having experienced several firefights, ambushes and booby-traps, the American soldiers grow increasingly skeptical, frustrated and tired of the war. Eventually, the line between good and evil becomes impossibly hard to draw. What would you do with an underground tunnel that probably hides numerous Vietcong soldiers, yet could also contain innocent women and children? Should you pull the trigger when your enemy is a young teenage boy, willing and able to kill you? How can you not become trigger happy - or even sadistic - when you have witnessed several of your friends die gruesome deaths from booby-traps? Throughout the book, I grew more empathetic to the many American soldiers who got caught up in a war that turned out so different from what they imagined.

If you are interested in human psychology or war stories, The Killing Zone is a great read. Not recommended for the squeamish.

[John Podlaski · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fred Downs does an excellent job at depicting the day-to-day life of infantry soldiers in the Vietnam War. Told through the eyes of a Platoon Leader/Second Lieutenant, we see the war from a different perspective. Using a journal approach, the author leads his platoon - alternating between their tedious duty of protecting bridges to the difficult humps through the jungle on search and destroy missions. The battles are descriptive and you are saddened when one of the well-developed characters is killed or wounded. Although the book only covers six months of the author's tour, he touched upon just about everything that a young infantry soldier would encounter: mines, booby traps, ambushes, fragging, heat, monsoon rains, air assaults, burning down hootches, tunnel complexes, digging up graves, etc.

The story is fast moving and easy to read. As a Vietnam Infantry vet, I have read many memoirs and stories about the war, and find myself always comparing my experiences with those described in the book I'm reading. There are three and a half million different stories that can be told about the war; each is unique in its own way. By reading Killing Zone, Mr. Downs brings the reader right into the fold - up close and personal - to learn and experience his war firsthand.

Killing Zone deserves a five star rating and is highly recommended!

[Iain · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is about men in combat, American infantrymen, in the Central Highlands of Vietnam in 1967~1968. The Killing Zone tells the story of the platoon of Delta One-six, capturing what it meant to face lethal danger, to follow orders, and to search for the conviction and then the hope that this war was worth the sacrifice. The style of memoir follows that of a journal with daily entries retelling what happened to the platoon. Sometimes nothing but waiting around (most of the time) and others consisting of frantic violence that changes the lives of the men in Delta One-six. Essentially you follow Lt. Frederick Downs Jr. who in September 1967 becomes the leader of First Platoon, Delta Company, in the Army's Third Brigade, Fourth Division when he was 23 years old. After just four months in country, Downs was leading an ambush when he triggered a "Bouncing Betty," or a bounding antipersonnel mine. Downs tells the story of his day to day experience and those of the men under his command.

“Man’s beginning and man’s end would always be attended by only a few. Those that bore him at birth and those that bore him at death. The only important thing was what he did in between. Good or bad or indifferent, he would touch those around him in some way and then be gone.”
~ Lt. Frederick Downs Jr.

“The best damned book from the point of view of the infantrymen who fought there.”—Army Times

[Ellen Satinoff · Rating 5 out of 5]

I usually read books about WWII and the Holocaust so this was a bit of a departure for me. I was so engrossed in the story and Downs' account of his experience in Viet Nam that I immediately purchased the 2 follow up books, Aftermath, and No Longer Enemies, Not Yet Friends. Downs writes with such an immediacy that it's hard to believe the war was 50+ years ago, especially for one of my generation. I urge anyone who is interested in history - especially American history - to read this book. It is very though provoking and will have you examining our involvement in Viet Nam.

[R.L. Herron · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting and informative look at the Vietnam War.

[Larry Bassett · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was first published in 1978 and covered events experienced by the author in 1967 and early 1968. He went to Vietnam as a 23 year-old lieutenant and served in active combat for just over five months until he was seriously wounded. The book was then re-released in 2006 at which time the author wrote the afterword for the book.

This is the first book that I have read about Vietnam in quite some time, but I have read a whole lot of books about that war and the people in it. Vietnam is my war. The war that happened when I was in college and felt that if I was drafted, I would go to Canada or go to jail. It was the war that I did not go to. The goal of the author was to show that the people he served with were good soldiers. He acknowledges that he hated the enemy and he killed them willingly and as effectively as he could. It was not all killing at a distance. He told of killing one enemy soldier by bayoneting him in the neck. Not once but twice. He told of one experience where an elderly Vietnamese woman was wounded. He told that he did not feel guilty about that because she was not supposed to be where she was. She was the one at fault. He told that he hated the Vietnamese for 20 years. But for me, the book had the same effect as so many other books about Vietnam. War is wrong.

Here are my usual additions created by Copilot AI.

The Killing Zone: My Life in the Vietnam War

“The Killing Zone: My Life in the Vietnam War” by Frederick Downs Jr. is often praised for its authentic portrayal of the infantryman’s experience during the Vietnam War. Here’s how it stands out and also shares similarities with other books on the same subject:

Differences:

Personal Narrative: The book is a first-person account of Downs’ own experiences, offering a deeply personal perspective on the war.

Focus on Infantry: It specifically captures the life of the platoon of Delta One-six, providing an intimate look at the daily realities and dangers faced by infantry soldiers1.
Emotional Depth: Downs delves into the emotional journey of soldiers, from the initial conviction to the eventual hope that their sacrifices were worth it.

Similarities:

Historical Context: Like many Vietnam War books, it provides insights into the political climate and the dynamics of the conflict.

Combat Experience: The book shares with others the theme of combat and its effects on soldiers, a common thread in Vietnam War literature.

War’s Aftermath: It includes a chapter on what happened to the platoon members after they returned home, a topic often explored in other memoirs and histories.

Overall, “The Killing Zone” is distinguished by its intimate soldier’s view and emotional honesty, while it aligns with other works in its exploration of the broader implications and experiences of the Vietnam War.

The perception of “The Killing Zone: My Life in the Vietnam War” as being less critical of war compared to other Vietnam War books is not a universally noted point among reviewers and critics. However, it’s important to recognize that individual responses to literature can vary greatly, and what might seem less critical to one reader may not be the case for another.

From the available reviews and discussions, the book is often recognized for its authenticity and personal narrative, which might contribute to a different tone regarding the war. It focuses on the personal experiences and emotional journey of the author, which could be interpreted as less of a critique and more of a personal account of war’s realities.

It’s also worth noting that the book was published in 1978, a time when the collective understanding and public discourse about the Vietnam War were evolving. The context in which it was written and received initially may differ from contemporary perspectives.

If you’re interested in a broader range of opinions on the book, it might be helpful to look at community reviews on platforms like Goodreads or seek out literary analyses that compare “The Killing Zone” with other works on the Vietnam War.

[Abdulfattah Popoola · Rating 3 out of 5]

Author lays bare the violence of war and sometimes comes across as glorifying violence or playing superhero.

He has a captivating writing style that draws you in and made for an engaging story.

Very little is discussed about the Vietnamese and the country- most of the interactions happen through a gunsight.

[Jack Lager · Rating 4 out of 5]

A beautiful rendition of the author’s experience as an infantryman within Vietnam. It is a great book to remind readers of the hellish experience that war is.

It reads like a classic movie, but it pulls the emotions harder being a true story, with real people who suffer, died, or were forever maimed by the events that unfolded in Vietnam.

[Hans · Rating 4 out of 5]

What does it take to fracture the human mind or break the human spirit? Our natural tendency is to constantly seek to make sense out of our environment. So where there is no meaning or purpose our minds will naturally create them. There are however, experiences that seem beyond the capacity of the mind to grasp or ever explain, that of being thrust into the harrowing and chaotic forge of senseless combat that can overwhelm even the strongest. LT Frederick Downs captures this well in his writing taking the reader along for the ride through the sights, smells and his individual transformation during his combat tour in Vietnam.

His most intimate struggle with death was when he faced off one on one against a North Vietnamese Soldier and after his M16 jammed resorted to grabbing the NVA Soldier by his jacket and thrusting a captured dull Bayonet down his throat repeatedly. After letting go of the man and letting his body fall to the ground he retrieved a wallet from his pocket and found the picture of, what is assumed to be, his wife and two children. The author also had a wife and two children at home. And the force of the NVA Soldier's humanity tried to slam into him in that moment but he fought back to not let it. My own Grandfather had a similar experience during World War II and the experience haunted him until his dying days.

I also really like his return to Vietnam later in life where he had a drink with some NVA Veterans when they realized they fought in the same area of operations. The author jokingly told the NVA Veteran "Maybe you planted the mine that blew me up and took my arm" and the NVA Vet replied "Maybe I did, let me buy you a drink". The humanity of the enemy coming full circle. The struggle every Soldier eventually has to come to grips with.

[Trayner Bane · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Killing Zone: My Life in the Vietnam War is easily one of the best Vietnam war books. Based on the true story of Frederick Downs’ deployment to Vietnam in 1967-1968, the book reads like a diary and articulates his experiences in detail. It provides amazing insight into what was going on in his mind (and around him) as he learns to adapt to the chaos of combat while keeping his men alive. Right from the book’s preface I was pulled in to the story when he described his post-deployment encounter with a man at the University of Denver in which the man sees his amputation above his left elbow and says, “Serves you right.” Wow. It’s easy to question another person’s morality when yours has never been truly tested.

One of the most powerful passages for me was also the following: “Man’s beginning and man’s end would always be attended by only a few. Those that bore him at birth and those that bore him at death. The only important thing was what he did in between.”

I read the updated reprint of the book and found the Afterword provided an insightful look into the after effects of his deployment, from his career with the VA to his closure revisiting Vietnam 20 years later. He also provided pieces of after action reports that described the fate of his fellow soldiers after his war-ending encounter with a “Bouncing Betty”. I highly recommend this book for a true glimpse into the soldier’s perspective of the Vietnam war.

[George Seaton · Rating 4 out of 5]

War, any war, is inevitably viewed by the infantry soldier or Marine as encompassing a single truth: kill or be killed. That soldier's or Marine's humanity--if he possessed any to begin with--is necessarily compromised by that truth. Such is what I came away with from "The Killing Zone..." Not a particularly well-written narrative, but a revealing one if only to point out the depth of callousness assumed by Downs and his men. Some examples:

"One of the men took one of the dink’s hands that had been severed at the wrist and stuck it upright in the soft dirt at the edge of the crater. He then put a cigarette between two of the fingers."

"This would be my dog. I carefully lined up the M-16’s sights on the dog and squeezed the trigger. It was an easy shot of fifty meters. I nailed him with the first shot, pumped a few more rounds in him just for the hell of it..."

"I thought afterward that we were all becoming pretty callous to life. The thought was a small one and soon left me."

"The men were happy we had finally seen action and killed some dinks. They were joking about it as they searched the bodies for souvenirs."

If for no other reason, I gave this book four stars because it does provide insight into the morass that Vietnam was, and the fragility of any man's better angels when faced with that singular truth--kill or be killed.

[Ian · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pretty good. I’d probably rate it a 3.5, but rounding up to 4 because wow the events Downs relays are frankly unbelievable. We’ve all seen war movies, where the action happening on screen is separated from us by the fact it’s a Hollywood product, but hearing about the things Downs experienced in the field, escaping death not once, not twice, but several times was insane. His bravery is admirable to the highest level and the way he relays it so matter-of-factly shows that this is a man who was just doing what was best for him and his soldiers. While some parts were tough to read, they were offset by Downs’ own musings on what the purpose of this fighting was all for. Really great, and while there were some typographical errors that kinda bugged me, I would definitely recommend this book for military buffs or anyone curious about the experience of the American soldier in Vietnam

[Cindy Deyo · Rating 5 out of 5]

I found this book in the history section of Baldwin's Book Barn in Lancaster, Pa...it was published in 1978 and again in 2006 and I'm so glad to have the opportunity to learn more about what was going on in a time when I was living my life as a young, independent adult oblivious to what "real life" meant to so many others of my generation, and more reflectively, to many of my high school classmates who entered the service on their own terms or who were drafted. I recommend this first-hand account of a young, idealistic infantryman to anyone wanting to expand their consciousness about a very difficult time in our history.

[Patrick]

I've read a lot of first hand accounts of men in combat, and this had me hooked. Then to find out it's the first of 3? And that he is head of a prosthetics dept in the VA, still serving? Pretty Amazing.
EDIT I've since bought and read his second and am currently reading his third. This one cuts off where he is wounded and medevac'd, the second details his hospital and recovery experience, and his 3rd is a humanitarian trip back to Vietnam. 3rd one is a bit slow compared to the first, but it's a cool story line to follow.

[Thomas Hunt · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a former Marine who's father served in Vietnam as a Marine himself, we all know there are rivalries within each branch of the United States Services. I will say, The Killing Zone is likely the best book I've read about combat, especially in regards to the Vietnam experience. It also gives me a deeper understanding of the conflict my father experienced in his 13 months in country. God Bless all our service members and thank you LT Downs for sharing his story.

[Greg · Rating 3 out of 5]

Like "The Things They Carried" with all the literature removed.

[Eric_W · Rating 5 out of 5]

The very personal story of a young lieutenant’s gradual disenchantment with the war in Vietnam. What especially comes through is the distinctness, often becoming bitterness, the soldiers feel toward the ARVN and the total lack of empathy for the “dinks.” Everything seemed pointless, They would spend days and weeks taking a piece of ground, taking casualties, only to pack up and leave after a period. Just as a company would become familiar with territory and feel like they are making progress, they would be relieved by a brand-new company of recruits who will have to learn their lessons all over, taking casualties in the process. In the meantime, everyone knows the one constant will be the permanence of the Vietnamese people who will be there and return to an area as soon as the Americans leave.

Some relevant selections:

However, we traveled in a vacuum of understanding among the villagers and farmers because neither we nor they understood the other’s language. Whenever we found a booby trap in or near a village full of people, we were powerless to question anyone or do anything about it. We couldn’t take the whole village prisoner, so we were forced to vent our anger by destroying the hootch closest to the booby trap.

The American strategy was to draw them into a fight so we could use our superior firepower to destroy them. To win a battle, we had to kill them. For them to win, all they had to do was survive.

The trouble with Nam was that we didn’t control anything that we were not standing on at the time. Anything that moved outside our perimeters at night was fair game because the night belonged to the enemy and both sides knew it. The reality of only owning the ground you stood on meant making sure you continued to stay on that ground.

Why did we want to kill dinks? After all, we had been mostly law-abiding citizens back in the world and we were taught that to take another man’s life was wrong. Somehow the perspective got twisted in a war. If the government told us it was alright and, in fact, a must to kill the members of another government’s people, then we had the law on our side. It turned out that most of us liked to kill other men. Some of the guys would shoot at a dink much as they would at a target. Some of the men didn’t like to kill a dink up close. The closer the killing, the more personal it became... I didn’t believe in torturing or in allowing a dink to die a lingering death. In the jungle we never took prisoners if we could help it. Every day we spent in the jungle eroded a little more of our humanity away. Prisoners could escape to become our enemy again.

I stood alone on the side of the road, smoking a cigarette and thinking, perhaps for the first time, that we could lose this war. Standing alone under the cloudy sky, I felt alien in this land. We had just finished an operation back in the jungle and these men now were going out to a different part of the jungle to play the same deadly game of hide and seek with the enemy, probably with the same inconclusive result.

Perhaps the most authentic Vietnam War memoir I have read.

[Dennis Murphy · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Killing Zone: My life in the Vietnam War by Frederick Downs is an interesting take on a war memoir, as Downs was in charge of a small group of soldiers. Usually the memoirs I come across are from more senior men, or someone representing the common soldier. This book is as illuminating as it was troubling. There were a large number of practices that I was aware that soldiers were involved in, but I was operating under the impression that they were outside of the norm. When Downs writes that a man may beat up an unarmed prisoner to vent his anger, because it was his right, and that he would have killed the unarmed man just the same that's chilling. That earlier in the story he halted a similar act goes to demonstrate what war and life-threatening experience can do to people on the front lines. I was thankful for the intervention of the captain to save the unarmed man. After reading this book, it becomes even easier to understand how and why we lost. There's the various extenuating circumstances and contextualizing factors that are about this man writing a memoir many decades later, and thus various blinders or biases might have seeped in - which is true for all memoirs, let alone war memoirs.

This book is frank and honest, or at least it tries to be. I'd kick Downs out of the modern American military if I had the chance, but I am thankful for this book.

87/100

[Nicole · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a very interesting read, it is written by a Vietnam War veteran and it about his service serving over there but it is written as journal entries. I admire Downs and the sacrifice he has made for this country along with everyone who has served. I just had a bit of trouble with some of the writing style of the book. There were times were the scene would jump around so I was not always sure what was happening, I also do not understand all of the military terms which is a bit of a hindrance for this book. I know some as I've read various war books and I've written a paper on Vietnam, which helps but if you have no background to the War I would not recommend this as your intro into knowing about the war. I was also a little disappointed there was not more on about how Downs himself help about the war and what was happening.
But the experiences he went through will definitely show you the level of sacrifice these men had to go through. I really enjoyed reading the Afterword as I felt as though it really added to the story. Again I have such a hard time rating books like these because how can you put a rating on someone's experiences?

[Jess · Rating 4 out of 5]

**4.5 stars**

Frederick Downs was “only” in Vietnam for 4 months, but those four months were filled with enough to earn him multiple medals and ended when a Bouncing Betty took his arm. When I chose to read this book I was seeking a version of Vietnam from those who were there, those who fought, to better understand what it was like to live through it. Downs’s story is exactly that. For those who didn’t like the use of slurs and military lingo, sorry but that was the reality. You don’t have to like it but Downs is telling his story for what it was, and for that I give him credit.

What Downs and his fellow soldiers went through was a harrowing ordeal whether it was multiple tours or a week. These soldiers were largely disrespected when they came home. The very least we can do now is listen to the stories of those who choose to tell them.

[Jaymes · Rating 1 out of 5]

I've read a lot of war memoirs, but this is the first one I couldn't finish. Author refers to the Vietnamese by the derogatory term "Dinks" all the way through, which already had me hovering over the off button, but I finally had enough after the part about the dog who had heen a nuisance and set off some rigged flares, and decided to kill it. he says quote " the first bullet killed the dog, but i pumped a few more rounds into it just for the hell of it" at that point i felt i had heard enough of this assholes story. Glad he got home in one piece, but I don't need to know anymore of his story.

[Nick Ueber · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is one of the best books detailing life and death of an infantry platoon in Vietnam. Downs is as good a writer as he was a Lt leading a group of men in combat. Honest, tough, caring and capable. He was also able to denigrate his enemy just like the army wanted him to do looking at them as dinks who needed to be killed and not as human beings, until a visit to Vietnam 20 years after the war. He was able to survive the loss of close comrades under his command as well as horrific woulds to himself to have a fulfilling and giving life.

[Dror Miler · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the most graphically written novel I've read about the Vietnam war. It is straightforward, unapologetic, and not trying to be politically correct. Frederick Downs describes the horrific war in so many details that it overwhelms you as a reader. It's an excellent book.

[Linus · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the best book I have read about the Vietnam War, up there with Micheal Herr´s "Dispatches" and a few others, documenting the early stages of the war, up until the Tet Offensive, from the point of view of ordinary infantery men and grunts, showing the war in its pointlessness, brutality but also the camaraderie and poignancy fostered by such experiences. Recommended to anyone interested in the Vietnam War.

[David Shaffer · Rating 4 out of 5]

I finished Frederick Downs, The Killing Zone: My Like in the Vietnam War, which is an interesting first-party account, a platoon leader in 1967-1968 Vietnam.

Short, intense, and revealing of one man’s individual experience as a platoon leader, who seemingly led a charmed life during the war. I enjoy high-level histories, but a personal account which doesn’t claim to see the big picture is refreshing.

A 4 star read, in my opinion.