From: Mike McNally
Dated: October 16, 2017
Subject: "Up Country" by Nelson DeMille
It's been some years since I read "Up Country," but I think I recall it being interesting....
Mike M.
From: Mike Jackson
Dated: October 16, 2017
Subject: "Up Country" by Nelson DeMille
Randy, you might find it interesting and a good read. I did.
MikeJ
From: Mike Jackson
Dated: October 16, 2017
Bill, I found it to be a well-done mystery novel, as is most of DeMille's work. But what hit home most for me was I had been in most of the settings in this book (except for North Vietnam). It was like reliving a lot of the places and things I had experienced almost 50 years ago.
MikeJ
"Up Country" by Nelson DeMille
October 2017
From: Randy Kafka
Dated: October 16, 2017
Subject: "Up Country" by Nelson DeMille
Funny, I have a copy on my book shelf. Should I bump it up on the priority and start to read it now?
Randy
From: Mike Jackson
Dated: October 16, 2017
Subject: "Up Country" by Nelson DeMille
Have any of you folks ever read a novel by Nelson DeMille called "Up Country"?
MikeJ
AFVN Group Conversations
From: Bill Altman
Dated: October 16, 2017
Subject: "Up Country" by Nelson DeMille
I read it but it was a long time ago and I don't remember much about it.
Bill
Home Contact AFVN Past Contacts AFVN Roster POWS: The Honored Taps: Those Departed AFVN Organization AFVN Reunions
AFVN History AFVN Photos & Stories AFVN Group Conversations Audio Archives Video Archives AFVN Guest Book
Project Jenny KLIK - 1st Inf Di v Women in Vietnam RELATED-- To AFVN To Saigon To Vietnam Further Afield Index
From: Bill Altman
Dated: October 17, 2017
Subject: "Up Country" by Nelson DeMille
Hi Mike,
Now that you mention it, I think I remember the familiar places as one the interesting things about the book " Up Country". One of the first and best novels I remember about Vietnam is the book "13th Valley" by John Del Vecchio. The author was a 101st Abn Div. trooper and the book happens in the area were I operated with my 1st ARVN Recon Company. I remember one section of the book where a small patrol is moving along in pitch black conditions and the point man feels beneath his feet to discover a well traveled trail. He senses human presence and Del Vecchio wrote "he opened his mouth and tasted the air". Been there done that with my Recon teams. That's when your adrenaline is at such a high level, your body is trying to decide whether to take the next step. Another story about that book - When I graduated from OCS, my orders sent me to the basic officer course at DINFOS, even though I had previosly attended the basic and NCO level DINFOS courses. One of our journalism instructors was LTC Spangler. He was an excellent teacher and a former AP wire reporter. He had been assigned to the 101st Abn as their PIO in Vietnam. During a class he taught on the importance of the news story lead, he related an incident from his Vietnam days with the 101st. Apparently his newspaper staff writers were routinely assigned to accompany some units in their field operations. One morning at the PIO tent, he watched a young writer enter the tent. Dirty, Sweaty, he dropped his rucksack and weapon by his small plywood desk. He didn't say anything to anyone or even acknowledge other people. LTC Spangler had already been to the division TOC that morning and knew the unit the writer accompanied had assaulted into a hot LZ and taken numerous casualties during a long firefight. As LTC Spangler watched the young man, he put a piece of paper in his typewriter, typed very briefly, then stood up and walked out of the tent, still without speaking. LTC Spangler told us, "I couldn't help but wonder what he had written, so I got up and went over to his desk, He had written only one sentence." It was "The only cover on the hill were the blades of grass." LTC Spangler concluded his story by saying "That ladies and gentlemen is a news story lead". After reading the 13th valley, I have wondered if Del Vecchio was the trooper in LTC Spangler's story.
All the best to you MIke, I hope you are doing well.
Bill
From: Ann Kelsey
Dated: October 16, 2017
Subject: "Up Country" by Nelson DeMille
Yes, I have. I have it sitting on my bookshelf.
Ann