The story and photos tell a very interesting view of going off to war. I had no ideal Chaplains had to do so much. I am using the book for a class report---the details and pictures of the Vietnam war from his perspective are highly recommended. Well written. My thanks to all the Chaplains in our country's service.

An honest, ground-level, and poignant true story of an Army chaplain, Colonel Sam Hopkins, who served with one of the most highly decorated units of the Vietnam war---4th Battalion, 60th Artillery (Dusters). This plainspoken book is highly recommended because it contains none of the vulgarism, horrors, and often John Wayne bravado depicted in many war narratives. Armed with only a Bible and Kodak Instamatic camera, Hopkins takes the reader on a somber, yet at times humerous, journey into the Vietnam war and the lives of the young American soldiers who fought there; faithfully reminding them time and again, that their frail lives belonged to a higher authority---to "Supreme Six," the Army's slang for God. His feelings, doubts, and fears, before, during, and after the war so clearly presented give this book an unequivocal place in Vietnam war literature.

Charlie Two Shoes is a fascinating story of one man's friendship with a group of US Marines and his incredible perseverence in getting re-united with them. Peterson and Perlmutt tell the story through Charlie's eyes and those of his Marine pals. They give us an intriguing look at life behind the Bamboo Curtain. More amazing than Charlie's budding friendship -- he was around the Marines for about four years as a teenager -- is his enduring perseverance in keeping his dream of a reunion alive. The dream survived decades, including years in a Chinese prison and more under house arrest in his small village. After all that, his eventual reunion in the U.S. had drama of its own. One Marine buddy turned out to be more interested in his own fortunes than Charlie's,and Charlie's efforts to stay got mired as much in domestic politics as international. A good read by gifted writers.

Charlie Two Shoes and the Marines of Love Company is not only an inspiring story about friendships and loyalty, but also an excellent retelling of some little known American history. Set in Northern China starting at the end of World War II and continuing to recent times, the reader will learn about the atrocities visited upon the Chinese peasantry by the Japanese, the communist take over of China and America's futile efforts to stop it, the severe poverty and starvation the Chinese people endured, and the political repression and corruption that continued for years. Into the shadows of these desolate and hopeless conditions, the warmth and charity that the American Marines and missionaries brought with them to China and to a young boy, nick-named Charlie, shine brightly. The reader is invited on a journey through Charlie's life of joys and travails, but is pulled aside by the authors from time to time for some excellent and concise description of the historical context. Thus this true tale of friendship and suffering also enables the reader to also learn the larger story of the historical events which ultimately were its cause.

Former marine pilot Ernest C. Brace was employed as a U.S. contract pilot for USAID, flying in Laos supporting Vietnam war efforts, when his airstrip was overrun by enemy forces in May of 1965 and he was taken captive.

In his initial 3 years of captivity in Laos, Brace would be held alternately by Pathet Lao and North Vietnamese troops. Suffering inhuman conditions and being caged like an animal, he would end up attempting 3 daring escapes earning him brutal beatings and subsequent injuries that would affect him the rest of his life.

Upon being transferred to North Vietnam, Ernest Brace would continue his last four and a half years of imprisonment in the Hanoi Hilton, Plantation, and Briar Patch prison compounds. While confined in these locations, though not obligated to do so, he honorably followed the U.S. serviceman's code of conduct earning him the respect and admiration of all the American prisoners he was with.

Although never tortured like other POW's, Brace would risk this many times as he became a major junction for communications between prisoners which helped boost morale and also heightened resistance to captors. Offered early release due to his civilian status, he declined with the intention of only going home when the sum total of American servicemen were also released.

Upon repatriation from Vietnam in 1973, after almost 8 years in captivity (four and a half of those years in solitary confinement), Brace would find his return triumphant and bittersweet at the same time. Learning that his wife had remarried during his imprisonment and spending a full year in hospital visits to repair his injured body, he would eventually find success, happiness, and prosperity in the years to follow.

Ernest C. Brace, the longest held civilian POW of the Vietnam war, is a true American hero in every sense of the word and is an outstanding example of how patriotism, loyalty, courage, and inspiration are brought out in a person. So much so that he was awarded the highest civilian award given by the Department of Defense for his actions during confinement in Vietnam.

A Code To Keep is a well written and remarkable narrative on POW captivity and comes highly recommended to everyone.

I read this book quite a few years ago. I was in a Marine infantry platoon in Vietnam, and am not easily impressed by war stories. Too many of them are exaggerated, or just plain untrue. When this book first came out I found out Brace and I were both working at Sikorsky Aircraft in CT and I lived about a half mile away from him, so I read the book. It made an impression on me few war books have. Brace was drummed out of the Marine Corps in disgrace when he walked away from his crashed plane on a training flight in the States. Eventually he was flying missions for the CIA in Laos where he was captured by the Pathet Lao. He felt he had "a code to keep" as a POW, and his behavior was recognized by other prisoners as outstanding enough that he was the only civilian prisoner of the Vietnam War recommended for a medal. His tale is riveting, and it makes us realize that even if we mess up in life, we can come back and redeem ourselves.

I have read this book many times over the years, first when I was 12 years old hearing about my famous cousin who was a prisoner of war, then again at about 16. As I read this book I was in complete awe that one man could with stand so many years of such hardship, things were done to this man that most of us have only seen in the movies. He lost his family, but gained it back with a new wife and life. If you read this book only for the history then you are missing half the story this is a story meant to inspire something special in a person. If you take nothing from this book I ask that you take this mans legacy with you when you close the book, after all how much did it take from hisself to find the bravery to sit down and relive those terrible years in his mind over and over again.

I had the pleasure of working with Ernie in a privately owned company a few years ago. I was amazed when I found out exactly what he went through for so many years. When his son loaned me a copy of his book I could not put it down.

This book is a page turner, every event in Ernie's life takes many turns. You are always asking yourself how much can this man take? Why doesn't he just give up? After reading this book you can see that a man of his character would never consider that an option. This story is a harrowing account of a civilian pilot taken prisoner and held for many years. Held in various locations he finally ends up at the famous "Hanoi Hilton". Ernie is a wonderful man and I appreciate his sharing his story. Try your library if you can't find it here.

Dan Dane shines a bright light on another cost of the "American War" as the Vietnamese call it. Judge Dan tells the story of how Americans destroyed Americans in the name of orders and government policy. If you want to know how Saigon Warriors, class warfare, and drug use destroyed an army, this book tells it all.

Judge Dane writes a entralling story about the last years of the Vietnam War as seen through the eyes of a JAG officer. His courtroom scenes and depiction of military politics read as real as possible. All the distinctions - officers/grunts - career/draftee - white/black - combat/backup - add to the tension and conflict. He puts forth a convincing hypothesis about why we lost the war. Once realized, the hypothesis seems obvious and one further realizes that the same element echoes through American society today - still causing lost lives. The Judge is to be complimented on his rendition and understanding.

Complete timeline and strories from beginning to SE Asia. The author's style of interjecting his own fact-based impressions really help lighten up what could be an otherwise long winded topic. I have read several books on US military history, but none as thorough and cross-service as this. Most just covering one conflict or one branch of service. This has it all. A MUST FOR ALL MILITARY HISTORY BUFFS!

This is the ONE book you should read if you are interested in American History. Perret links society and culture to an exposition of the American military experience, showing how both are intertwined, and how each affects the course of the other

This is one of the two books I read in preparing for a 3 week stay in Vietnam. The content was right on the mark, and helpful for even this traveler. In essential tips it more than paid for itself! It is simply a must for those traveling to Vietnam.

This book is a must for anyone planning a visit to Vietnam. My wife and I visited Hanoi three years ago and the content of this book hit the mark. It is full of practical information that is up to date and written by someone who has been there. This book will keep you from cultural mistakes that might cause you to offend someone and will help you get around the country in a smoother way. Our family is now returning to Vietnam for a four year stay and this book will be going with us!

John Mermin turns the old saw -- "we lost Vietnam because the liberal press turned against the effort" -- on its head in "Debating War and Peace." Instead, Mermin suggests that the modern media fails to fulfill the important role of a free and independent press in a democratic society. Taking recent conflicts as his starting point, Mermin concludes that the modern media, rather than critically examining government policies and providing a crucial independent source of information to an informed public, frequently parrots the conventional wisdom inside the Washington Beltway. For those who are troubled by consolidation in the media industry, the trivialization of major issues, and the potential sway of a "liberal" press, this may not be such a bad result. Nevertheless, Mermin's book warns us to read the news from Washington, D.C. with a critical eye, especially in a time when the rapid-fire news-cycle prevents reporters from pursuing more than a sound-bite about the issues of the day.

This book lays out in precise detail how media coverage of recent American military interventions has been determined by the spectrum of debate within the government itself. As a result, the press has reported only a very limited set of positions vis-a-vis these wars. Consensus within the government about them has led to the appearance of national consensus, and informed dissent has in such cases gone largely unreported. For citizens whose political ideas fall to the right or left of the mainstream, and who are therefore suspicious of the government's agendas, this should be unsettling news indeed. Though Mermin's account is measured and aims at ideological neutrality, the implications might well be grounds for outrage on the part of anyone who cares about the twin ideal of democratic process and informed citizenry.

A book all international investors should read, especially those to whom "getting in on the ground floor" is important. A book all Americans should read in order to get an interesting perspective on Vietnam's culture, her view of the American people and the twists and turns post war relations have taken. A true and accurate picture of an Asian nation worth reading.

I've been investing in foerign markets for the past three years but have been afraid of getting into Vietnam for a while. After reading this book, though, I think I have a better idea of the opportunitites to both make and lose money over there. It is very well written, the color pictures are superb and I just love the author's immense knowledge.

One of the only books I have ever read in one sitting and then went back to read again. I have also met Mr Ruybal, who I purchased the book from and he is definately a geniune individuall. I applaude him for telling it the way it was.

Mr. Ruybal's book tells it like it really was!!! I applaud his honesty in writing about his expierence! I know several vets, and all of them are alcohol or drug dependent people, or they are recovering from addiction. Mr. Ruybal was honest in his thoughts and feelings.