“A non-fiction war book that’s long on laughs and short on vulgar language. Outstanding!” -Ron Huwitz
"I thoroughly enjoyed it and read it straight through. I could not put it down. I was there during most of his tour and was familiar with a lot of his anecdotes about Black Hawk. My only disappointment was that it ended too soon. Bob is to be commended for the support he gave our Currahees and the very fine literary effort. I shall treasure both." - Dave Beaty 3-506th Infantry Airborne
"The more I read of Miller's work, the more I like it. Like Hunter S. Thompson, Miller is a born curmudgeon, cynic, and rebel. I cracked up when his commander described him as 'he'll never make general but he'll get you there and back.' No grunt ever had a truer, more unconditional friend. This memoir hit particularly close to home for me as it detailed the author's experiences as a warrant officer chopper pilot in Phan Thiet, Vietnam from May '68 to May '69. I graduated flight school in Jan '69 but ended up in Korea. This account showed me a lot of what I missed. Miller shared several photos of the Vietnam chopper pilot experience in his book. You can see more if you Google 192nd Assault Helicopter Company. I also recommend Googling View the Wall and searching for Arann and Thoman, Miller's comrades in the 192nd--a very moving experience. Our country owes the Vietnam vet more than it can ever repay. In my estimate, the greatest of them are the ones who rejected the party line but showed up for duty anyway. A tip of the hat to Bob Miller for this Vietnam book." -Ejner Fulsang, author of A Knavish Piece of Work. Mr. Fulsang is a West Point graduate.
Black Hawk: A Good Man, An Extraordinary Soldier
Kill Me If You Can by Bob Miller
"There are lots of books about the Vietnam War, but this military book is different. I served in the Vietnam War and deeply appreciate meeting these guys Miller writes about; they, like me, were not John Wayne. We were young, foolish and, yes, sometime scared shitless. We made mistakes; but as Miller points out, we were up against an army that didn't know the meaning of surrendering. In my opinion, this short Vietnam War memoir/biography has somehow captured an elusive truth, a vulgar accuracy of the politicians, history, and is an on-target analysis of the Vietnam War. It might ruffle the feathers of those who march in lockstep to Washington's war drum, but will find favor with anyone who cried with joy listening to Barack Obama's speech in Germany. Neither Obama nor this author, especially this author, will go quietly into the night". —David Chapman Sydney, Australia
This is a riveting Vietnam War diary that contains graphic war photos. It's a non-fiction story about the 192nd AHC, 3-506th and 173rd Airborne units of the 101st Airborne Division. It's a rare and illuminating glimpse into the lives of the pilots and foot soldiers at LZ Betty in Phan Thiet, Vietnam. This is a unique non-fiction military book.
Black Hawk doing what he did best--caring for his men.
Honestly, I could have been in the middle of a damn heart attack and he'd expect me to rush out to medivac one of his troopers with a toothache. God rest his soul. LTC Alves was a true Vietnam War hero.
"During the period that Lieutenant Colonel Manuel A. Alves, a hawk-nosed infantry officer from California, commanded the 3-506th Inf. Battalion there was little doubt in anyone's mind as to who was in charge. Sometimes within an Army outfit the Battalion Operations Officer (S-3) or the Battalion Sergeant Major will try to run the battalion, but when LTC Alves assumed command in December 1968, he let everyone know that he followed the principles of Unity of Command and Chain of Command. LTC Alves relied heavily on his company commanders, usually senior 1st Lieutenants or junior Captains, but he also made sure that his company commanders knew who their superior was, and that the orders would come from only one person within the battalion as long as he held the position of battalion commander. I seriously and honestly believe that one of the main reasons why so few men from the 3rd-506th Inf. were killed or seriously wounded while in Vietnam was the excellent leadership exhibited by Black Hawk in the management of the battalion." -- Analysis 1971 Dr. James E. Gates
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Again, LTC Alves doing his thing--promoting a young trooper in the field. That's the good news. The bad news is now this guy must live up to the boss's expectations or off come the stripes.
I can't tell you how many times I've had to drink out of that canteen of his because, as a former Air Force guy, I had forgotten to fill mine or had left it in my tent.
"You missed! But kill me if you can, you SOB. Four bullets in the cockpit, one in the compressor, and down we went. I wish Black Hawk and his 3-506th Currahees would take the day off. That old man is going to get me killed." -CW2 Bobby Miller (Vietnam War 1968-69)
Biography: Miller was born in Florence, Alabama. He served as a pilot in Vietnam in 1968-69 and was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross and the Air Medal. Challenged Richard Shelby for a seat in the U.S. Senate in 1992. Produced the television show, The Late Show (BLAB 2001). Worked as the golf pro on Holland America's ms Westerdam. Bob Miller is one of America's most controversial writers. It would be an understatement to say he was anti-Vietnam War.
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Kill Me If You Can, a military book taken from diary entries written over three decades ago by an ordinary soldier about three extraordinary soldiers: LTC Manuel A. Alves (Black Hawk), CW2 Richard Arann and WO Theodore Thoman. Kill Me If You Can has filled a unique void in the areas of the Vietnam War history, Vietnam War analysis and war memoirs/biographies of those who served in the Vietnam War.
Publisher's proviso: This is a book about the Vietnam War by Bob Miller, one of America's most controversial writers of non-fiction books and military books. It is almost impossible to predict how Vietnam/Viet Nam veterans will judge this book since Bob Miller is being called a hero by some and a traitor and expatriate by others. Without a doubt, Bob Miller is a rebel, but he is not without a cause. We do concede that Kill Me If You Can is a highly controversial Vietnam War military book that's potentially divisive.
REVIEWS
Looking for a quick read; a Vietnam War book on military strategy, aviation history, and grunts in the 101st Airborne Division? This is the book. But don't buy it expecting to read about flag wavers and military butt boys. These guys obviously loved their country, but it's doubtful that Johnson, Nixon, McNamara or Kissinger would have survived a flight with Arann and Miller at the controls. CW2 Arann, being a patriot, might have passed up the opportunity to rid the world of a war mongering politician, but not Miller.
Amazon.com - Best Price
Amazon.com - Best Price
Kill Me If You Can,You SOB is unquestionably a controversial Vietnam War book. It's a genuinely strange analysis of the Vietnam War and the history and politics behind the Vietnam War. This book was written in Vietnam, not afterwards from memory. Miller tells it like it was not how he remembered it being or wished it had been.
"Call it the Vietnam War, the Viet Nam War, the Second Indochina War, or the Vietnam Conflict and it would still be a misleading description of what was nothing more than an aggressive act of commerce. But then every war since the beginning of time has been fought to gain and/or protect possessions. But that’s fodder for a book other than one about the Vietnam War.
"The Vietnam War, again like the Iraq War and the failure of the United States to achieve its objective of improving the bottom line, had a major impact on U. S. politics, culture and foreign relations. Americans were deeply divided over the U.S. government’s justification for, and conduct of, the Vietnam War. American youth are hardly ever wrong in their assessment of U.S. politicians and their policies, but it must be understood that they are a mom-and-dad- subsidized group that is free to be a free spirit. The Vietnam War in the late 60s and early 70s became known as the "War Within" for returning battlefield- hardened Vietnam veterans. I believe there’s even a military book with that title. The war exacted a huge human cost as well. In addition to approximately 58,000 U.S. soldiers killed and 3 to 4 million Vietnamese from both sides, 1.5 to 2 million Laotians and Cambodians lost their lives. If there is one thing you can count on from the Americans and the British, they will kill far more people than their opponents. They are also very gracious and allow their historians to bestow that shameful fact on Hitler, Stalin, and so forth." — Bob Miller
Vietnam, officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, is the easternmost country on the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia. It is bordered by China to the north, Laos to the northwest, Cambodia to the southwest, and the South China Sea to the east. With a population of over 86 million, Vietnam is the 13th most populous country in the world.
Vietnam was under Chinese control for a thousand years before becoming a nation-state in the 10th century. Successive dynasties flourished along with geographic and political expansion deeper into Southeast Asia, until it was colonized by the French in the mid-19th century. Efforts to resist the French eventually led to their expulsion from the country in the mid-20th century, leaving a nation divided politically into two countries. Bitter fighting between the two sides continued during the Vietnam War, ending with a communist victory in 1975.
By 2000, Vietnam had established diplomatic relations with most nations. Its economic growth had been among the highest in the world in the past decade. — Wikipedia