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First In, Last Out: An American Paratrooper in Vietnam with the 101st and Vietnamese Airborne Kindle Edition

by John D Howard (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
4.4 out of 5 stars 38 ratings

A Vietnam veteran recounts his experience through two tours of duty—early in the conflict and then in its final stages.

Fresh out of West Point, John Howard arrived for his first tour in Vietnam in 1965, the first full year of escalation when U.S. troop levels increased dramatically, from 23,000 to 184,000. When Howard returned for a second tour in 1972, troop strength stood at 24,000 and would dwindle to a mere fifty the following year. He thus participated in the very early and very late stages of American military involvement in the Vietnam War. 

Howard’s two tours—the first as a platoon commander and member of an elite counterguerrilla force, and the second as a senior advisor to the South Vietnamese—provide a fascinating lens through which to view not only one soldier’s experience in Vietnam, but also the country’s.
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  1. Print length
    291 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    Stackpole Books
  4. Publication date
    June 14, 2023
  5. File size
    5.2 MB
  6. Page Flip
    Enabled
  7. Word Wise
    Enabled
  8. Enhanced typesetting
    Enabled
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Editorial Reviews

About the Author

John D. Howard graduated from West Point in 1964, beginning a military career that included two tours in Vietnam and service as platoon commander, company commander, battalion commander, brigade commander, division operations officer, division chief of staff, deputy commanding general of the 10th Mountain Division, executive assistant to the U.S. Army vice chief of staff, and U.S. Defense Representative in Pakistan. He is a graduate of the Infantry School, Airborne School, Ranger School, the Naval Postgraduate School, and the Army War College. He retired in 1992 as a brigadier general and spent the next twenty years as a business executive. His combat awards include the Silver Star, Purple Heart, five Bronze Stars, and the Combat Infantryman’s Badge. Howard lives in Arlington, Virginia.

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B075PGS56W
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Stackpole Books (June 14, 2023)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ June 14, 2023
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 5.2 MB
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 291 pages
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.4 out of 5 stars 38 ratings

Customer reviews

4.4 out of 5 stars
38 global ratings

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Top reviews from the United States

  • Harry DeNoers
    5.0 out of 5 stars Heartfelt Warning
    Reviewed in the United States on February 3, 2025
    Verified Purchase
    Veterans deserve respect, and our warriors deserve 100% support and a clear commitment to victory, or don’t send them.
    A Veteran
    1964-1967
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  • Mark A. Drexel
    4.0 out of 5 stars I knew General John Howard
    Reviewed in the United States on January 12, 2022
    Verified Purchase
    I knew General John Howard when he had a place in Ocean City MD. I was surprise to see he had a book out on his military career. I had to buy it and found out allot of stuff I was not aware of. I knew he did two tour of Viet Nan but I was blown away with what he experienced over there. Two of my friends also bought his book and were well pleased
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  • Emmett Lynch
    5.0 out of 5 stars One of the better written accounts of a Vietnam combat officer.
    Reviewed in the United States on April 9, 2022
    Verified Purchase
    I quickly read this book because it was so well written. The author and I certainly shared similar opinions on the poor performance of South Vietnam Army in the field. Unfortunately, when we entered Vietnam, it was an American lead war when it should have been a trained South Vietnamese army fighting to save their own country. There is an old saying that states "you get the country you deserve". Despite all this, my own personal memories are always of the quality of the soldiers I served with in the 101st. We came from different states and backgrounds but we hung together and fought well. Looking back at my time in Vietnam (November, 1968-January, 1970), I can say that after Hamburger Hill, Senator Ted Kennedy's speech in the Senate and President Nixon's policy of making the South Vietnamese carry more of the war effort probably saved my life. Starting in May of 1969, my unit was pulled back from the A Shau Valley front and instead my unit spent the rest of that year protecting and securing areas in the mountains close to LZ Sally or Quang Tri. Thumbs up for me on the book.
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  • David L. Howard
    5.0 out of 5 stars Good book
    Reviewed in the United States on March 10, 2024
    Verified Purchase
    Good insights into soldering in Vietnam
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  • Rayne
    5.0 out of 5 stars His father taught me and his mother was an excellent math teacher who worked with me
    Reviewed in the United States on November 16, 2017
    Verified Purchase
    I happen to know the author. His father taught me and his mother was an excellent math teacher who worked with me. In addition, the author attended my promotion to Brigadier General, US Army Reserve, when we both were assigned to the Pentagon. Knowing him made his book that more interesting to me. He was very candid about his military career so in a couple of areas I would not have agreed with him but overall, I enjoyed reading the book and would recommend it to anyone who enjoys military history. I would love to obtain the author's address so that I could drop him a note and thank him for writing the book.
    3 people found this helpful
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  • Marvin Ford
    4.0 out of 5 stars A good book about one Soldier’s experiences in Vietnam
    Reviewed in the United States on December 11, 2017
    Verified Purchase
    A good book about one Soldier’s experiences in Vietnam. This story covers his two combat tours in country at different stages of the conflict.
    2 people found this helpful
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  • Amy A. Fitzpatrick
    5.0 out of 5 stars Early/Late
    Reviewed in the United States on June 9, 2019
    Verified Purchase
    The author provides keen insight from his experience on the ground during the early days of the war. The war was raging long before Tet '68. After his first tour, Captain Howard was stationed on the DMZ in Korea. Tensions were high in the forgotten peninsular in 1968. Eventually Major Howard was redeployed to Vietnam as an adviser to a South Vietnamese airborne unit. Heavy fighting between the South and the North in 1972 was made more complicated by mistrust between the American advisers and the ARVN commanders. For other reading, check out "Duster Duty, 1967".
    One person found this helpful
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  • Bob Baker
    5.0 out of 5 stars Brought back old memories of I Corps (FRAC)
    Reviewed in the United States on August 16, 2018
    Verified Purchase
    I was able to quickly read the book, in some ways because I was also in I Corps during the same period and knew the areas he described. I was assigned to the 571st MI Det. headquartered in Da Nang (with teams located throughout I Corps) and have written various articles on the offensive.
    It is an excellent book and helps fill the void about the fight in I Corps during the Easter Offensive and the mistakes that ARVN made that made matters worse.
    One person found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

  • PJD
    5.0 out of 5 stars A career soldiers story.
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on August 23, 2019
    Verified Purchase
    An interesting read and very well written.
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