U.S. Army Long-Range Patrol Scout in Vietnam 1965-71 by Gordon Rottman and illustrated by Adam Hook is another fine book in Osprey’s “Warrior” series. As the publisher notes, the series seeks to provide insights into the daily lives of history’s fighting men and women, detailing their motivation, training, tactics, and experiences.
Long-range reconnaissance patrols, sometimes called long-range patrols (LRPs), were the eyes and ears of the U.S. command in Vietnam. These patrols would go deep into enemy territory trying to find enemy concentrations – their task was to find the enemy, not fight them.
The book examines such items as the recruitment and training of, armament used by, and techniques used in the field (such as camouflage and concealment, tracking, and observation) by the LRPs. Rottman is a former Special Forces member who served in Vietnam in 1969-70 – he brings his knowledge of LRPs to the pages of this book.
As usual with the various Osprey series, the illustrations and photographs are excellent and allow the reader to better visualize the men who served in the units. The detailed color illustrations of the equipment the men carried gives the reader a better understanding of the LRPs’ mission.
One more item of note, don’t expect a history of the LRPs in Vietnam – this is more of a technical book about the men who served in the LRPs. Rottman does mention some brief snippets of what could happen on a patrol, but nothing from specific patrols. With that said, this is an excellent tribute to the men who fought in Vietnam in the elite LRPs.
This book is another example that shows how well-trained and able to fight our men were in the Vietnam War.