Bruce H. Norton Livres

Elite and highly trained, the 3d Force Recon's eight-man teams were assigned to obtain vital information about NVA operations. Alone, the men of these small teams were sent behind enemy lines, where they all knew that a single mistake could cost everyone their lives.United States Navy Hospital Corpsman Bruce Norton was the only navy corpsman to act as a Marine Force Recon Team Leader. In Force Recon Diary, 1969 Doc Norton chronicles his life, mission by mission, with the 3d Force Recon in the DMZ and the A Shau Valley. He describes the tense patrols, the supreme courage, the sacrifices—in ambushes and hot landing zones—that made this courageous company one of only two Marine units during the entire Vietnam War to receive the United States Army's Valorous Unit Citation.

In 1966, the Marine Corps introduced a bold, new concept to the battlefield. Little did the designers of that concept realize that it would change the way wars are fought, and the Corps, from that day forward. One of the most influential strategies of the Vietnam War, the Stingray Patrol comprised seven to ten marines in small teams, inserted by chopper deep in enemy territory. Surrounded on all sides by North Vietnamese Army troops and Viet Cong guerillas, these small, high-effective teams brought death and destruction to the enemy without ever going head-to-head in a gunfight with them. Like today's Special Forces, Navy SEALs, Army Rangers, and Marine Force Recon units that operate behind enemy lines using laser pointers and satellite communications, these Stingray Patrols helped target the enemy for artillery and air strikes . . . with devastating accuracy and effect. Force Recon Marine and team leader Bruce "Doc" Norton participated in many Stingray missions and, now, through interviews, eyewitness accounts, and declassified documents, he takes the reader behind enemy lines, telling the full story of Stingray's origins and operations. STINGRAY is the definitive history of these units and missions, available now for the first time in trade-paperback format.

Set against the backdrop of a war-torn jungle, the narrative captures the tension and chaos of military life as artillery shells rain down, transforming the landscape. The protagonist's unit faces the constant threat of North Vietnamese Army troops, yet their strategic prowess in locating and ambushing the enemy while remaining hidden instills confidence. The story explores themes of survival, strategy, and the psychological impact of warfare, highlighting the delicate balance between fear and tactical advantage in a hostile environment.