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LAST MAN OUT: A Personal Account of the Vietnam War
"I WAS AMONG THE FIRST MEN IN,
AND I WAS THE LAST MAN OUT."
In Vietnam, at both the start and finish of the conflict, 2d Lt. James E. Parker Jr. saw the war as few men did. Now, with uncommon insight and raw honesty, he captures the stark realities of jungle combat, heavy casualties, and heroic sacrifice. From the tight confines of a VC-occupied Cu Chi tunnel to bloody firefights in areas that hardcore VC and NVA vets had controlled for decades, Parker relives the rain, the heat, the horror, the pain--and the anguish of kneeling beside a buddy whose blood turnd the soil black as he lays dying. Vietnam exacted a very high price. Parker pays tribute to the men who paid it.
AND I WAS THE LAST MAN OUT."
In Vietnam, at both the start and finish of the conflict, 2d Lt. James E. Parker Jr. saw the war as few men did. Now, with uncommon insight and raw honesty, he captures the stark realities of jungle combat, heavy casualties, and heroic sacrifice. From the tight confines of a VC-occupied Cu Chi tunnel to bloody firefights in areas that hardcore VC and NVA vets had controlled for decades, Parker relives the rain, the heat, the horror, the pain--and the anguish of kneeling beside a buddy whose blood turnd the soil black as he lays dying. Vietnam exacted a very high price. Parker pays tribute to the men who paid it.
- GenresHistoryNonfictionWar
352 pages, Paperback
First published March 1, 1996
2 people are currently reading
63 people want to read
About the author
James E. Parker Jr.
10 books1 followerWhen the author was 15 years old he ran away from home, ending up in Havana, Cuba. His parents were not amused and not long after he returned he was enrolled in the Oak Ridge Military Academy for an attitude adjustment. There he learned discipline but he was still driven by a ramblin', rambunctious curiosity; summers he worked as a Myrtle Beach life guard. He went on to UNC/Chapel Hill, played lacrosse, flunked out, went with a couple of buddies down to Managua, Nicaragua but was chased out by what would become the Sandinistas. He flew to Florida, worked at a Miami hotel, returned to college for one more semester before dropping out to join the US Army.
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
May 8, 2023
Not a tremendous amount of standout material in this personal memoir. The first half of the book recounts the author's initial years in the Army going through boot camp, OCS selection and school. Then assignment to the 1st ID and shortly thereafter deployment into the very early years of American involvement in Vietnam. Although not unique, an interesting story. I was hoping the second half of the book which recounted the author's CIA field activities in Laos and Vietnam would be insightful. Unfortunately there wasn't much here - not nearly half a book's worth. A lot of fluff except for the last three chapters which recounted the events leading up to the fall of Saigon. The final days are recounted in quite a bit of detail and reminded me of a recent departure of America from another foreign country.
December 3, 2024
Last man out is an interesting story in 3 parts.
The first part covering his time as an infantry 2nd Lt during the early parts of the conflict are interesting for its insight into the war before the buildup, when the 1st ID first landed and started operating in the CMD/III Corps area. From the different accounts of the battles to discovery of the Cu Chi tunnel complexes, his remembrances and story telling of key battles is worth the read just due to his perspective of them.
Instead of trying to be a history book and giving the strategic view every few pages, you really get a sense of how myopic war can really be. All he really conveys is what he knows, and that is just the battle around him, what he can see and what his experiences are. An example is that while there are a other books out there about the Battle of Minh Thanh road and Op El Paso II, this is one of the few where you get an up close telling of DePuy and others who fought in the battle, the sense of confusion, and the emotions involved before, during, and after.
The 2nd part about his time in the CIA and the War in Laos is less well done, and he tries to rectify that with his other 2 books Codename Mule and the Battle for Skyline ridge.
The 3rd part of the book is about his return to Vietnam with the CIA after leaving Long Tien, and this is the part of the book where you really get the sense of the disaster those final few weeks and days were. From how out of touch the upper levels of the CIA were to his conversation with ARVN generals is a must read, especially for those who served in Afghanistan.
"Nation Building? The Vietnamese culture goes back to the beginning of time, and you are telling us how to live and work and govern? Does this make sense?"
The story of his final days and that of the USNS Pioneer Contender & Capt. Ed Flink are full of suspense and an emotional roller coaster that once again, anyone who served in AFG or was there at the end, will definitely feel a sense of deja vu.
Overall, the book is an incredible account of the war in Vietnam at the start and the end. Well written, full of interesting stories and experiences, some insight that is rarely found elsewhere, and all of it in a well paced narrative.
The first part covering his time as an infantry 2nd Lt during the early parts of the conflict are interesting for its insight into the war before the buildup, when the 1st ID first landed and started operating in the CMD/III Corps area. From the different accounts of the battles to discovery of the Cu Chi tunnel complexes, his remembrances and story telling of key battles is worth the read just due to his perspective of them.
Instead of trying to be a history book and giving the strategic view every few pages, you really get a sense of how myopic war can really be. All he really conveys is what he knows, and that is just the battle around him, what he can see and what his experiences are. An example is that while there are a other books out there about the Battle of Minh Thanh road and Op El Paso II, this is one of the few where you get an up close telling of DePuy and others who fought in the battle, the sense of confusion, and the emotions involved before, during, and after.
The 2nd part about his time in the CIA and the War in Laos is less well done, and he tries to rectify that with his other 2 books Codename Mule and the Battle for Skyline ridge.
The 3rd part of the book is about his return to Vietnam with the CIA after leaving Long Tien, and this is the part of the book where you really get the sense of the disaster those final few weeks and days were. From how out of touch the upper levels of the CIA were to his conversation with ARVN generals is a must read, especially for those who served in Afghanistan.
"Nation Building? The Vietnamese culture goes back to the beginning of time, and you are telling us how to live and work and govern? Does this make sense?"
The story of his final days and that of the USNS Pioneer Contender & Capt. Ed Flink are full of suspense and an emotional roller coaster that once again, anyone who served in AFG or was there at the end, will definitely feel a sense of deja vu.
Overall, the book is an incredible account of the war in Vietnam at the start and the end. Well written, full of interesting stories and experiences, some insight that is rarely found elsewhere, and all of it in a well paced narrative.
August 8, 2021
A page-turner of a book, though the title didn't really seem fitting. Parker wasn't actually the last man out of Vietnam, and the ending was a bit underwhelming. I liked learning more about the conflict in Laos and the events leading up to the fall of Saigon.
May 31, 2022
A story of one man's personal experience in Vietnam.
September 7, 2016
Great book, I have an autographed copy from Parker, when I was at the CIA
January 15, 2011
Very good nonfiction about a soldier from North Carolina; traces his experiences from CBT to leading a combat platoon in Vietnam to his return as a CIA agent. Takes a balanced position - honors the troops. Great read for all Vietnam era veterans.
January 12, 2016
The story of the evacuation of the US embassey when South Vietnam finally fell to the communist forces.
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October 2, 2011So sad but good
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March 8, 2016paperback 4x7
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews