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xiv, 337, [1] pages. Illustrations. Maps. Index. Name in ink on fep. Foreword by Lt. Gen. Herman Nickerson, Jr. USMC (Ret.). "I have been associated with countless service personnel during my lifetime and Sergeant Hamblen tops the list of selfless, dedicated, all-American tough Marines. Words are inadequate to portray his life as fully as he has lived it, but his biography will serve as an inspiration and be a worthy model to be emulated by all who would aspire to be among the few good menâ "the Marines. As one of the â Godfathers' of the Marine Corps deep reconnaissance, it has been a privilege to have known and served with Woody Hamblen. Semper Fidelis."â "Herman Nickerson, Jr. Sgt. Donald Hamblen was seriously injured on a routine exercise in 1962. And though his leg was amputated six inches below the knee, he fought to stay in the Corps and passed every kind of endurance test. Training other Marines for service in Vietnam in the secret Studies and Observation Group (SOG) in 1965, he trained teams of Vietnamese for clandestine missions in both North and South Vietnam. Wounded twice, he served 30 unbroken months of duty. And as far as is known, he is the first and only Marine to go into combat with a prosthesis. Donald Hamblen repeatedly demonstrated that he had the courage, spirit, and self-determination to overcome all obstacles. Major Bruce H. "Doc" Norton, USMC (Ret.) has been a combat veteran, a career Marine, a military museum director, an military history professor, and is an award-winning author of numerous books on and about the Marines. On September 21, 1962, U.S. Marine Staff Sergeant Donald N. Hamblen's life changed forever . . . During a routine parachute jump, strong winds drove Hamblen into high tension wires at the outskirts of Camp Pendleton, California. Doctors were astounded that he had survived, but five days later his leg had to be amputated five inches below the knee. For most people, this would be the end of the story. He is one of the few Americans who can document having fought repeatedly in North Vietnam, and by his extraordinary example, he served as an inspiration to other badly wounded soldiers. This is his incredible story of courage, spirit, and self determination. Derived from a Kirkus review: Stand-up, anecdotal reminiscences of one of the Corps' all-time tough guys. Putting his career in historical perspective, and writing with fellow retired Marine Norton, Hamblenâ "a career Marine enlisted manâ "relates his adventures during and after the Korean War and in Vietnam. The author knew rough living, so it wasn't surprising that he was more prepared for the hellish experience of boot camp than were many of his peers. As a PFC, Hamblen was sent to Korea as a replacement. The conflict had stagnated into trench warfare, but the author made his mark as a sniper and in other ways. His memoirs of Korea are detailed, and, here, he gives what's arguably the most underpublicized war in American history some varnish. Several years later, looking for new challenges, Hamblen joined the elite force reconâ "the Marine Corps equivalent of the SEALs and the Green Beretsâ "but, in 1962, he parachuted on to some high-tension power lines and lost his left leg. How Hamblen responded to this accident makes his book's title crystal clear: Recovering, he not only remained in the service but was among four Marines who were accepted into SOG (the supersecret Vietnam War Studies and Observation Group). SOG teams typically operated behind enemy lines all over Southeast Asia (Cambodia, Laos, North Vietnam, even China), kidnapping NVA officers, conducting sabotage raids, and gathering intelligence.
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