War Paint: The 1st Infantry Division's LRP/Ranger Company in Fierce Combat in Vietnam

by Bill Goshen

The men who served with in the 1st Infantry Division with F company, 52nd Infantry, (LRP) later redesignated as Company I, 75th Infantry (Ranger) --engaged in some of the fiercest, bloodiest fighting during the Vietnam War, suffering a greater relative aggregate of casualties that any other LRRP/LRP/ Ranger company. Their base was Lai Khe, within hailing distance of the Vietcong central headquarters, a mile inside Cambodia, with its vast stockpiles of weapons and thousands of transient VC and NVA soldiers.Recondo-qualified Bill Goshen was there, and has written the first account of these battle-hardened soldiers. As the eyes and ears of the Big Red One, the 1st Infantry, these hunter/killer teams of only six men instered deep inside enemy territory had to survive by their wits, or suffer the deadly consequences. Goshen himself barely escaped with his life in a virtual suicide mission that destroyed half his team.His gripping narrative recaptures the raw courage and sacrifice of American soldiers fighting a savage war of men of all colors, from all walks of life, warriors bonded by triumph and tragedy, by life and death. They served proudly in Vietnam, and their stories need to be told.

Genres: War, Nonfiction, History, Military Fiction

270 pages, Kindle Edition

First published August 1, 2001

Reviews

[Sleepy Boy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not a bad memoir, could have been a lot better in my humble opinion. Just weak on first hand combat details.

[Carlton Phelps · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book like many Vietnam experiences that they found themselves in.
Mr. Goshen's experiences were, to say the least, harrowing. He was in a six men team that was inserted into hostile areas to find and report on enemy activities or seek out and kill men from the other side.
He is very open about the fact that the war was not fought to win because of politicians. Too many restrictions were placed on the American soldiers not to bring the war to Laos and Cambodia. The enemy was free to travel back and forth over the borders with no fear of having to fight after they crossed over. There Vietnamese camp within eyesight that we weren't allowed to attack.
The loss of friends and fellow soldiers was heartbreaking.
And after Mr. Goshen was shot many times and finally shipped back to America, he had many operations on his body, but his soul and mind are ongoing.
He freely talks about the problems he and his wife had, and how wonder she and his children have been helping him work through his mental problems.
He talks about his relationship with his God and how that has helped him the most.
Also, he has poems in the book that are beautiful.
If you want to learn about heat, humidity, and bugs, snakes, tigers that all want
to make your life worse while sleeping in the rain, Mr. Goshen's story will give you great examples of this.
Thank you, Mr. Goshen, for your service. While you were fighting for your life I was in Central America guarding the Panama Canal.

[Rick · Rating 3 out of 5]

It is kind of hard to rate something like this. It is a personal account of one soldier and his Ranger/Long Range Reconnaissance Patrol (LRRP) unit with the 1st Infantry Division in Vietnam, based in Lai Khe. I was also in Lai Khe a year earlier so much of it is quite familiar to me. Although I had nowhere the combat experience of this soldier it was quite disheartening to me to hear that the powers to be would often discount the reports of the LRRPs of the locations of enemy soldiers when the LRRPs were actually in contact (in combat) with the enemy! I was in a Military Intelligence Platoon and those same powers to be would often discount our intelligence when we had enemy units located, sometimes right outside of our perimeter. Very sad.

[Macarius · Rating 4 out of 5]

War Paint

Bill Goshen was my introduction to military memoirs. And I loved his book when I first read it in high school. I’m sorry to say it hasn’t aged quite so well. That said, I had not read Homer until I was an adult, so I’ve, uh, been places with my literary tastes.

This is still a good military memoir that gives you a blunt, honest look at war in Vietnam. For the uninitiated with reading military memoirs, I’d say definitely check this out. Reason being: he explains the different forms of weaponry, their names, purposes, how they work, how a LRRP squad works, who does what in a LRRP squad - he spells things out with succinct clarity.

His stories of action in Vietnam are quite eye-opening regarding the decisions made during the war, such as our constant battle to lose, the government’s use of Agent Orange (which has killed many of our ‘Nam Vets prematurely by this point), and why you want to signal your guard post friends when coming home at night. Also, when they use starlight scopes and call in for air support - oh yeah.

Another note of interest is his Christian background. He comes across as a Born-Again, given his lack of literary finesse, both in his repetitious musings (I’m sensitive to repetition, so take my critique with a grain of salt) and his less than stellar poetry included at the back of the book. Now, I say this with a critical literary eye, BUT - his Christian background comes directly into play late in his story in a very encouraging way for a guy reading this at a young age. So by all means, be not deterred. I’m just a snob.

[Dawn · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed reading a book from my father's generation about Vietnam. Bill Goshen writing about his combat experience was exciting as well as sobering what soldiers did and sacrificed for our country. I appreciated the extensive glossary that helped me understand terminology. Explaining the training, organizing of how the team worked made me proud. There are also humorous parts about daily living and camaraderie.

[Ernest Carter · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very good read

A very good down to earth read on the war in Vietnam from a ordinary soldiers point in a not so ordinary unit

[James Sanders · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great Book

I really enjoyed reading War Paint. As a former redleg with the Big Red One, it brought back so many memories of my time at Lai Khe and the firebases.

[Ken Smith · Rating 3 out of 5]

Viet Nam recondo troop

[John Hansen · Rating 4 out of 5]

For the most part I enjoyed this book. However, the author's editorializing about the justification (or lack of) for America's presence in the war was excessive.

[Ed Burnette · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thought Provoking

While this book clearly speaks of what soldier's life was like during the Vietnam war, and the relationships developed; it was the last chapter titled The Last Team that tied everything together. During our current times, those thoughts and sayings are more true today than ever especially the part were we must teach our children the past and the cost of freedom.

[Tyler Barker · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have read multiple accounts of the Special Forces. This one was unique with multiple individual stories from a heros tour in Vietnam. The book shows how overused the Rangers were and misused. It also gives you another account that even the soldiers were frustrated and didn't know why they were fighting. The Army lingo and trade words gets old.

[Wm · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some interesting accounts of missions, but the author not participate in all of them. Several accounts were very similar. Never the less, anyone who was a LRP is a hero to me and I truly appreciate their books.

[Robert · Rating 2 out of 5]

I made the mistake of checking out the audiobook version from the library without noting that it was an abridged version. The reader was good but the narrative was much too truncated.