The Hill Book

SPOILER ALERT:

Jason and Ty are brothers, who live in a small town in Oklahoma. Big brother, Jason, is a football star and got a scholarship to play in college. Ty is a senior in high school, with hopes of getting a football scholarship of his own after this final season. Unfortunately, both are picked on, Jason by his coach and Ty by the high school principal. Ty is injured in practice and unable to play football so his scholarship possibilities vanish. Later, with the backing of the principal, fellow students set-up Ty to get in trouble with the law and he is eventually kicked out of school, then immediately joins the Army against the wishes of his parents. Jason is good enough to be a starter, but isn't given a chance to play in college - doomed to be a human dummy on the football practice squad and then has his scholarship revoked by his spiteful coach. With no money for college, Jason also joins the Army, goes to OCS and becomes an officer, then follows in the footsteps of his ancestors and younger brother - going to jump school and earning his Airborne Wings.

Ty is sent to Vietnam as an Airborne Infantryman in the Central Highlands. There, he becomes a skilled tracker and point man, promising those with him that he would keep them safe. He, soon garners the reputation of being the best in the battalion. Jason arrives in Vietnam a few months later and heads up an infantry platoon in the mountains around Dak To. His platoon is soon ambushed and he loses most of his men on the hill, barely surviving himself. However, he's learned valuable lessons about the enemy that he will use later in his tour. Both brothers are soon reunited and end up together in the fight for Hill 875 during November, 1967.

The author has painted vivid and accurate scenes of the battles of Dak To, the story seems to follow the same sequence of events as listed in the historical registers. Although, "The Hill' is fiction, yet, it is clear that the author called upon his own memories of these terrible times. The accuracy is spot on and readers are drawn in as if there are right there with the soldiers fighting for their lives. This tome is visceral in its descriptions and tells it like it was - leaving nothing to the imagination. It's too real!

Characters are well rounded and I was saddened when they begin dying in the story. This story will also show readers how those 18 and 19 year old soldiers fought heroically and did everything in their power to protect one-another. These were the best that America had at the time.

I completely enjoyed this story and found it hard to put down - completing it within three days. I recommend "The Hill" to anyone that wants to learn more about what happened to some of us in Vietnam and why many combat vets suffer today with recurring memories and nightmares of those past days we left behind.

Thank you Leonard B. Scott for an entertaining read! Also, thank you for your Service and Welcome Home, sir!

John Podlaski, author
Cherries - A Vietnam War Novel