A Vietnam War Novel - Part 1

I wanted to write a Vietnam War novel. I spent two years in Vietnam. Both years I served with the Vietnamese. The first year with the Civilian Irregular Defense Group (CIDG) soldiers controlled by Special Forces and the second year as a District Advisor with MACV. The soldiers during the second year were mainly Regional Forces and Popular Forces, soldiers trained and deployed to protect their hamlets, villages and the district where they lived. Although I had been in combat on numerous occasions mostly they were small unit contacts, nothing to write a book about. My memoirs were not going to hold anyone's interest for long. But, things happened during both tours that could be used in a novel. I realized that I could weave these particular incidents into an interesting story that would still convey what things were like on the Cambodian border where the enemy was afforded sanctuary and we were officially prohibited from striking back at them across the border. This was my original rationale for writing this book. A straight war novel, written about the war I served in, the Vietnam War.

CIDG, Clifford Gissell, MACV, Popular Forces, Regional Forces, Special Forces, Vietnam War

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