Book Review: Backtracking in Brown Water
Once I started reading Backtracking in Brown Water, I could hardly put it down. Damn you Rollie, you succeeded in taking me back to Vinh Long and Advisory Team 68, after a more than 40 year absence. I thank you for honoring all who served, but especially patriots like Bob Olson and Walt Gutowski, Army guys you worked with that were members of Team 68 and that I knew well. They were great men whose spirit and professionalism you captured well. I highly recommend the book, especially to those who served in any capacity in the Mekong Delta.
Mike Paluda
Marquette, Michigan (COL, USA, Ret.)
When I began to write about Bob Olson, the word got out to some of his old Army friends from Vietnam. A couple of them reached out for me and one, in particular, Mike Paluda became a large part of the chapter titled "Warrior." Mike knew Bob Olson well but, as important as that was, his comments were especially relevant since he had held the advisory position with the Vinh Long Battalion just before Bob was assigned to the post.
ReplyDeleteI didn't really know Mike in Vietnam, but we had met... at the Memorial service that was held in Vinh Long for Bob after his death. I wanted an Army voice in the book, and Mike has provided that. He also wrote an endorsement of the book, a portion of which is printed on the back cover. Those of us operating on PBR's on the Mang Thit River often saw these U.S. Army advisors. Mike Paluda has "filled in the blanks", so to speak, so that we now have a much better understanding of their organization and of what their mission was in this area of the Mekong Delta. If you are an Army man, I know that you will appreciate the comments in this book as made by Mike Paluda.
Rolly Kidder