The true story of the U.S. Army’s 240th Assault Helicopter Company and a Green Beret Staff Sergeant’s heroic mission to rescue a Special Forces team trapped behind enemy lines during the Vietnam War, from New York Times bestselling author Eric Blehm. On May 2, 1968, a twelve-man Special Forces team covertly infiltrated a small clearing in the jungles of neutral Cambodia—where U.S. forces were … neutral Cambodia—where U.S. forces were forbidden to operate. Their objective, just miles over the Vietnam border, was to collect evidence that proved the North Vietnamese Army was using the Cambodian sanctuary as a major conduit for supplying troops and materiel to the south via the Ho Chi Minh Trail. What the team didn’t know was that they had infiltrated a section of jungle that concealed a major enemy base. Soon they found themselves surrounded by hundreds of NVA, under attack, low on ammunition, stacking the bodies of the dead as cover in a desperate attempt to survive the onslaught.
When Special Forces Staff Sergeant Roy Benavidez heard their distress call, he jumped aboard the next helicopter bound for the combat zone. What followed would become legend in the Special Operations community. Flown into the foray of battle by the 240th Assault Helicopter Company, Benavidez jumped from the hovering aircraft, ran nearly 100 yards through withering enemy fire, and–despite being immediately and severely wounded–organized an extraordinary defense and rescue of the Special Forces team.
Written with extensive access to family members, surviving members of the 240th Assault Helicopter Company, on-the-ground eye-witness accounts never before published, as well as recently discovered archival, and declassified military records, Blehm has created a riveting narrative both of Roy Benavidez’s life and career, and of the inspiring, almost unbelievable events that defined the brotherhood of the air and ground warriors in an unpopular war halfway around the world. Legend recounts the courage and commitment of those who fought in Vietnam in service of their country, and the story of one of the many unsung heroes of the war.
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Real life action and its consequences that affect the Vietnam War and our government’s relations with Cambodia. Follow the life of a real hero who makes a difference against all odds. You will never forget this book.
A remarkable story about a remarkable HERO !
This book is to close to home. I had 3 brothers in Nam all at the same time. One in the Marine Corp and 2 in the Army all in different areas during the TET offensive I can visualize everything about the fury of the fighting. They were in horrific battles all documented in the news papers. Thank God they all came home. I recommend this book for anyone interested in getting a clear picture of the Vietnam war.
The true story of a true hero in Vietnam. An amazing story!
Amazing true story. Started off a bit slow, but then I could not put it down. A true American hero.
Nice to see the good guy wins. Amazing story of heroism. Just a bit dogmatic.
A true American hero. Flawed, but faithful . A memorable story also of the bond between comrades in arms.
We have been led to believe that all the true heroes died in World War II. Not true. They are living among us today and we are blessed to have them.
I have great admiration for the author who did a masterful job of portraying these larger than life men as the real life men they were. He was able to capture all the disparate elements of that heroic battle in a clear way to show how all the parts worked together–or didn’t work. We were in the grass, behind the anthill, in the smoking helicopter and were one with the men who were fighting so desperately and so heroically.
Read his book.
As a helicopter pilot whose unit picked up the B-56 mission after this story, it was interesting to read their views. But what I missed while flying the missions was the feelings and understanding of what the Special Ops soldiers were feeling and thinking while on the ground. Two of the Greyhound pilots mentioned in the story were classmates of mine in flight school, James Fussel and William Fernan.
I was wounded flying a Med-Evac mission for the Special Operators on July 30, 1968 just outside of Dau Tieng, Republic of Vietnam. so this whole book was Deja Vu all over again as Yogi would say!
It is a great story about a super-human hero, Sgt. Benavidez who so well represented the brave men who put it all on the line to try and win a war that our government either didn’t want to win or was just too incompetent to win!
Legend by Eric Blehm is a really harrowing non-fiction book about how an incredible American Green Beret named Roy Benavidez earned his Congressional Medal of Honor in the Vietnam War I’m not really the biggest fan of either non-fiction books or war stories but this one is really really cool. The jaw dropping lengths of human endurance Benavidez put himself through and the insane bravery he displayed in his quest to save his pinned down buddies must be read to be believed. Incredibly outnumbered taking fire from every direction from over two hundred enemy soldiers his buddies thought they were done for. But that was only before Roy jumped out of his helicopter to give them a hand. A really cool uplifting story about hope, duty, human possibility and espirit de corps.
Blehm does a great job telling the story of Roy Benavidez. Documents the battle where he won the medal of honor in great detail. I appreciated getting to understand the special ops work against the ho Chi Minh trail in Cambodia. The places where lives are lost due to poor leadership decisions were the haunting parts. Highly recommended.
A true story of a real American Hero!
This is a very enlightening story about the brave men that fought for the freedom of our country. How any of these men survived the battle is only with the help of God.
Legend is a great name for this book.
Inspirational story about a hero who has had far too little attention. Could have been written in a much more entertaining fashion.
Great book
The best unknown book about a Medal of Honor winner. Held my interest throughout. Talk about “never say die”
boring
Wow, a look at Vietnam from the detail of an amazing mission.
An excellent rendition of heroism — even in the most unlikely of places. Revealing displays of bove and beyond by the helicopter guys. Ditto the Special Forces.
Great book about the unsung heroes of MACV-SOG in the Viet Man war, and one exceptional hero in particular.