Small Arms of the Vietnam War

With the modern military emphasis on whiz-bang weapons technology and the constant quest for things that make a bigger bang on the battlefield, it's easy to forget that at the dark heart of war stands an infantryman and his individual weapons. Those who understand warfare from research or from personal experience generally realize that about conflicts that have plagued mankind since the dawn of time.
Infantry weapons - often simply referred to as small arms - have fascinated soldiers and scholars for decades as they are the most personal aspects of combat. Small arms come into play when contact is close and potentially lethal. This was particularly true during the long, frustrating war in Vietnam but much of the focus in studying that conflict has been either on aerial weapons - strike aircraft or armed helicopters - or on the originally much-maligned M-16 rifle. There were huge numbers of other weapons used daily by both sides but they are often ignored and rarely seen being used in combat action.
This book solves that problem. Divided into easily digestible sections and preceded by cogent discussion of each weapon type, the authors have presented an intriguing collection of photographs that depict the primary small (and not so small) infantry arms most common on Vietnam battlefields. There are rare and stirring images here that depict what it was like to fight in the jungle-covered mountains and in the rice paddies. Viewing these images is like studying a primer about one of America's longest and deadliest wars.

Infantry weapons - often simply referred to as small arms - have fascinated soldiers and scholars for decades as they are the most personal aspects of combat. The authors have presented an intriguing collection of photographs that depict the primary small (and not so small) infantry arms most common on Vietnam battlefields.
Dale Dye is a Marine officer who rose through the ranks to retire as a Captain after 21 years of service in war and peace. He is a distinguished graduate of Missouri Military Academy who enlisted in the United States Marine Corps shortly after graduation. Sent to war in Southeast Asia, he served in Vietnam in 1965 and 1967 through 1970 surviving 31 major combat operations. Appointed a Warrant Officer in 1976, he later converted his commission and was a Captain when he deployed to Beirut, Lebanon with the Multinational Force in 1982-83. He served in a variety of assignments around the world and along the way attained a degree in English Literature from the University of Maryland. Following retirement from active duty in 1984, he spent time in Central America, reporting and training troops for guerrilla warfare in El Salvador, Honduras, and Costa Rica. Upset with Hollywood's treatment of the American military, he went to Hollywood and established Warriors Inc., the preeminent military training and advisory service to the entertainment industry. He has worked on more than 50 movies and TV shows including several Academy Award and Emmy winning productions. He is a novelist, actor, director and show business innovator, who wanders between Los Angeles and Lockhart, Texas.
The son of a US 8th Infantry Division veteran who fought in Normandy, Brittany and Germany, Tom Laemlein has always been fascinated by weaponry. However, it wasn't until his thirties that he purchased his first carbine which was the start of his collecting career. It also set him on his path with specialist titles aimed at weapon collectors and enthusiasts. His most recent successes have included the highly successful American Firepower Series.

"We have a new generation of combat veterans among us these days. Men and women who carried a new generation of weapons to war into places such as Iraq and Afghanistan, who have returned with a fresh understanding about the crucial importance of small arms in warfare. They understand...that there is no strategy or tactic that equals victory in armed conflict if it does not include that muddy, grimy, dog-tired infantryman with just his personal weapon to help him survive in a life-and-death encounter."
- American Rifleman

"It's an excellent book for anyone with an interest in the details of 20th-century infantry weapons, especially historians and collectors."
- Booksmith