Vietnam Combat

"Vietnam veteran Bartlett debuts with a cathartic account of his 1968 tour of duty...Poignant and personal, this is an intimate account of one man’s war." ~Publishers Weekly

"Readers who want to learn what it was like for a twenty-two-year-old lieutenant to lead even younger Americans in combat, in miserable conditions, in a war no one understood, and where no one wanted to be the last man to die, there is no better place to begin than Vietnam Combat." ~On Point: The Journal of Army History

“Many times, during my own Vietnam combat experiences I found myself looking up longingly at U.S. Army helicopters that seemed to blacken the sky. As a footsore Marine, I often wondered who those guys were and how they survived so many of the combat air assaults we heard about. The answers are all in Robin Bartlett’s masterful recounting of his time as a platoon leader with the vaunted 1st Air Cav during the most rugged years of the war. In his factual recounting Bartlett tells it all as he saw it from a grunt leader’s perspective. Strong stuff and full of detail and emotional insights.” ~Capt. Dale A. Dye USMC (Ret), Vietnam veteran, actor, filmmaker, and author of "Korean Odyssey"

“Robin Bartlett has written one of the most honest and searing personal memoirs of the Vietnam War yet published. He served with distinction as a 22-year-old infantry platoon leader during the brutal combat of 1968. Twice wounded and decorated for valor, he returned like many veterans feeling betrayed by US political and senior military leadership. Although dogged by PTSD, he created a successful life. ‘Welcome Home’ brave soldier." ~Gen Barry McCaffrey USA (Ret), four combat tours and three Purple Hearts

“This is an incredible book. Objective and hard hitting. Robin was in the thick of it—fighting in Vietnam as an Infantry combatant. The author put young Americans in body bags and carried them through the jungle. We were soldiers once. What were we fighting for again? We needed a book like this to help us make sense of a determined enemy in a surreal, mysterious place called Vietnam.” ~Jan Craig Scruggs, Chair, National Selective Service Appeals Board and Founder, Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, DC

“Robin Bartlett’s superb memoir gives readers an understanding of the human dimension of the Vietnam War and the profound and sometimes searing experiences of the American soldiers who fought it. Veterans, like Robin, who did their duty deserve our deepest respect and gratitude. Younger generations should read this book to gain an appreciation for the sacrifices they made and the service they rendered to our nation and one another.” ~H. R. McMaster, author of "Battlegrounds and Dereliction of Duty: Johnson, McNamara, the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and the Lies that Led to Vietnam"

“Robin Bartlett has a gift of writing. Not everyone has it. This book graphically describes his experience as an American soldier on the battlefields of Vietnam. We should all read his story. We should all heed his words and learn and share his lessons. We should never forget. We owe this to our Vietnam veterans. We should always tell them, 'Welcome home, brother.' We owe them that much and more.” ~Skip Vaughn, author of "Vietnam Revisited"

“Robin Bartlett’s book brought to life Vietnam events in vivid detail that I had forgotten. I found it hard to put down and finished reading it in two days.” ~Dan “Doc” Cleary, Medic, A 1/5 Air Cav

“Vietnam Combat gives an excellent description of the areas where we patrolled, our living conditions and combat episodes. I felt like he was telling my story! If one wishes to understand the unvarnished experiences of a combat soldier in 1968, this book is a must-read!" ~Arthur Kuhner, RTO, A 1/5 Air Cav

“The author, a former platoon leader in the 1st Cavalry Division from 1968-69, has written a first-rate memoir about preparing for and then surviving a tour of combat. Highly recommended for educators and students wanting to learn about the world of an airmobile infantryman during the height of the Vietnam War.” ~Dr. Erik B. Villard, Historian, Author of "Army Combat Operations in the Vietnam War: Staying the Course"

“Robin Bartlett’s narrative immerses you into the action and you can feel the sweat dripping down your neck, smell the stench of dirty, unwashed uniforms, and hear the crack of rifles and the staccato pop of the M-60 machine guns. His chapters are well-organized and begin with an evocative excerpt that draws you into the story. He includes excerpts from letters home and to his friends from that period that contextualize the combat stories he shares. His experiences from over fifty years ago in Vietnam are as fresh and as pertinent as if they were combat stories from today. I strongly recommend Bartlett’s book as it provides a compelling snapshot into a Platoon Leader’s experience in the 1st Cavalry Division in Vietnam during the critical period from 1968 to 1969.” ~Lt Col David Siry, Director of the Center for Oral History at the United States Military Academy, West Point

“Robin Bartlett’s poignant memoir is more than a personal journey through his Vietnam experiences. It is an informative, emotional, and visceral examination of day-to-day life for a young platoon leader in grueling circumstances.” ~Kelly E. Crager, PhD, Head, Oral History Project, Vietnam Center and Archive, Texas Tech University

"As the character of war changes from conflict to conflict, the nature of combat - the management of necessary violence and its persistent consequences - changes little from generation to generation.  Mr. Bartlett's first-hand, boots-in-the-mud account is a rare and sobering look at both the character and nature of combat.  To wit, violence inflicts many scars - many not visible - and many do not heal with the tincture of time alone.  With prior service as a 'Dog-faced Soldier' and past duty as the 1st Cavalry Division Psychiatrist serving in combat, I would submit that authentic connection makes the difference in taking care of Soldiers in the field and in the clinical setting.  From "mad minutes" to Monarch butterflies, the manner in which Mr. Bartlett shares his memories can help to connect and heal".
~Col. Dennis Sarmiento, Medical Corps, US Army War College

"Robin Bartlett exhibited courage, performed his jobs well, cared for those who served under him, and developed leadership and organizational skills." ~The VVA Veteran

"...an absolutely incredible memoir that gives readers an in-depth and pressing glimpse into the world of soldiers in Vietnam." ~ReaderViews

"Bartlett doesn’t pull any punches. He gives the good, the bad, and the ugly—often in the same chapter. He is honest about his mistakes, and speaks with candor about the situations and actions of Army leadership that he encounters." ~Military Writers Society of America