Gone Native: An NCO's Story
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On his first combat assignment, Cornett accompanied the Vietnamese Rangers on a search-and-destroy mission near Khe Sang. There he gained entree into a culture that he would ultimately respect greatly and admire deeply. Cornett's most challenging military duty began when he joined the Phoenix Program. As part of AK squad, he dressed in enemy uniform and roamed the deadly Central Highlands, capturing high-ranking VC officers in hot firefights and ambushes. It was there, deep in enemy territory, where the smallest mistake meant sudden death, that the Vietnamese fighting men earned his utmost respect.
While offering rare glimpses of an aspect of the war most of the military and media never saw, Cornett tells the full, gut-wrenching story of his Vietnam. He also gives an unsparing view of himself - telling a no-holds-barred story of an American soldier who made sacrifices far beyond the call of duty . . . a soldier who, in defiance of the U.S. government, refused to turn his back on the Vietnamese.
While offering rare glimpses of an aspect of the war most of the military and media never saw, Cornett tells the full, gut-wrenching story of his Vietnam. He also gives an unsparing view of himself - telling a no-holds-barred story of an American soldier who made sacrifices far beyond the call of duty . . . a soldier who, in defiance of the U.S. government, refused to turn his back on the Vietnamese.
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There's no doubt that the army goes a long way in turning a civilian into a soldier. Read the first page
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There's no doubt that the army goes a long way in turning a civilian into a soldier. Read the first page
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19 of 19 people found the following review helpful
Format:Mass Market Paperback
Cornett's Gone Native is an excellent account of his time in Vietnam. There are hundreds - if not more - books on this subject, ranging from the mediocre to the gripping. This is one of the latter.
Cornett - or Lurch to his friends - starts at the start: how he came to be involved in the conflict. He recounts all of his years in Vietnam with a passion and holds back nothing at all. He tells of his time with the Foul Dudes - the Lurps of 101st Airborne. Those that have read James W Walker's Fortune Favors the Bold will recognise some of the war stories and many of the people mentioned, including Walker (Limey) himself.
Lurch tells how he served with the Special Forces, and how he came to leave them, and of his skills as a medic. He tells us with emotion of his relationship with the Montagnards when he worked with them in the latter stages of the war, and how he managed to get himself into more trouble than can be imagined when an officer disallowed him to see his pregnant indigenous wife.
The book is so full (he served in Vietnam for around six years) that it is hard to review in a few words. My only criticism is that the book ended rather abruptly, leaving the reader hungry for more. It is cleverly written and makes you see that this was a man who really cared about the people he was there to help.
Read it - I guarantee that you will enjoy it. This man did it all and tells you about it. All of it. Well done Lurch - this stands out above the rest of them. JB
Format:Mass Market Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
The first 188 pages were similar to other Vietnam war accounts (not to minimalise the experience). The most interesting bit, as others have pointed out, begins rather late in the book. While there is quite a lot of getting drunk, visiting prostitutes, and smoking various organic material (which I did not find especially praiseworthy), there was also a strong appreciation for indigenous culture which was refreshing. Corbett is unapologetic in his love for the Vietnamese, in particular the Montagnards. The first part of the book was worth reading, but was much less interesting than the last 25% or so.
0 of 2 people found the following review helpful
Format:Mass Market Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
I think that every book should be written in a way that arouses the attention of the reader, even if it is a nonfiction book like this.
Most of this book is written in a dull, unemotional way, almost like an accountant writing an inventory. The trajectory of the author through the Vietnam War and its interaction with the Vietnamese people is so out of the ordinary that the ordinary way this book is written constitutes a lost opportunity for an exceptional piece of literature.
Other reviews mention a lack of description of combat events. I agree, but I think that's a matter of personal taste. But, contrastingly, there are plentiful descriptions of the author's quarrels with officers and NCOs that stepped on is way, to a point that appears exaggerated and leaves one wandering if this is a book about Vietnam War or about a war with the American military institution.
Most of this book is written in a dull, unemotional way, almost like an accountant writing an inventory. The trajectory of the author through the Vietnam War and its interaction with the Vietnamese people is so out of the ordinary that the ordinary way this book is written constitutes a lost opportunity for an exceptional piece of literature.
Other reviews mention a lack of description of combat events. I agree, but I think that's a matter of personal taste. But, contrastingly, there are plentiful descriptions of the author's quarrels with officers and NCOs that stepped on is way, to a point that appears exaggerated and leaves one wandering if this is a book about Vietnam War or about a war with the American military institution.
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