A Tour in Chuong Thein Province
A U.S. Army Lieutenant with MACV Advisory Team 73 in the Mekong Delta, 1969-1970
John S. Raschke
McFarland, Jefferson, North Carolina, 2022, 346 pages
Book Review published on: March 3, 2023
In the conflict continuum, fighting unilaterally should be avoided at all costs. Ideally, the need to fight in the conventional sense can be avoided altogether through deterrence. Alliances and partnerships are key to dissuading adversaries from escalation. The U.S. Army’s investment in five security force assistance brigades is testament to the criticality of advisors in securing those requisite partnerships. The book A Tour in Chuong Thein Province: A U.S. Army Lieutenant with MACV Advisory Team 73 in the Mekong Delta, 1969-1970, by retired U.S. Army colonel John S. Raschke, is a memoir of the author’s introduction to combat as an advisor to the Army of the Republic of Vietnam (ARVN) from 1969 to 1970. While a reflection on a conflict that culminated over fifty years ago, the experiences, challenges, and the ambiguity he details all translate to those any modern advisor, or soldier, might also encounter.
While the U.S. military currently enjoys a healthy percentage of combat veterans in its ranks, opportunities for young soldiers to serve in truly hostile environments have diminished substantially. A Tour in Chuong Thein Province captures what it is like to face combat for the first time. Raschke isn’t shy about exposing his own faults as a young lieutenant and takes great pains to capture the lessons he learned through the tutelage of experienced noncommissioned officers’ tactically proficient peers and leaders, and the greatest teacher of all, experience. Many of those lessons learned are just as applicable today as they were during the Vietnam War.
The author details his training prior to deploying to Vietnam, which included an advisor’s course at Fort Bragg, and dedicated language training. As valuable as that training was, it is interesting to note that he cites the coaching he received in the field as being critical to truly understanding his role as an advisor. The principles he learned in theater mirror those reflected in current doctrine. It is how the author articulates the application of those principles that make A Tour in Chuong Thein Province interesting. An advisor doesn’t just show up and have credibility with a host nation force, they must demonstrate value. In Vietnam, that was usually via a radio that could call in awe-inspiring close air support, or the all the important medevac. It could be argued that our effectiveness as combat advisors in the Global War on Terrorism were heavily predicated on the value we offered the partnered force.
One of the more striking aspects of the book is the freedom of action afforded young 2nd Lt. Rashcke. He repeatedly supported ARVN combat operations alone, with nothing more than a radio to link him back to U.S. forces. That degree of independence is unthinkable in today’s risk-averse military culture. It would be worth considering the flexibility afforded Rashcke in the context of his effectiveness as an advisor. How was the author’s success enhanced by that flexibility compared to our own approach in Iraq and Afghanistan where advisor teams were crippled by risk averse policies that wouldn’t allow advisors to leave the comfort of a forward operating base in less than platoon strength?
A Tour in Chuong Thein Province is easily digestible; the material is concise and not intimidating. While the author details the violence of combat, he doesn’t sensationalize it, nor does he attempt to overemphasize his own actions as heroic in any way. In addition to capturing the moments of violence during his tour, Raschke also details many of the elements of minutia experienced by young leaders while deployed. The Army has transformed dramatically since the 1970s, but the nature of additional duties doesn’t seem to have changed.
It should be noted that A Tour in Chuong Thein Province is a memoir, and as such, it reflects the cultural norms of the period. The author makes several references to “round-eyed women” when referring to American women, which could be considered offensive by modern standards. The author is clearly not trying to be problematic, but standards have shifted dramatically, and the references are used to provide context into the perceptions of a young man serving in a hostile, foreign environment.
A Tour in Chuong Thein Province captures a young soldier’s first experience in combat. The primal nature of war has not changed in the decades since Vietnam. The work is very approachable, making it an ideal option for even the uninitiated reader to gain some insight on a fighting man’s experience at war. Modern military leaders can learn a great deal from the author’s experience. The book itself could be a valuable element in any officer development program. As the U.S. military shifts away from continuous contingency operations, this insightful primer might provide context to prompt discussion amongst the next generation of service members.
Book Review written by: Lt. Col. Jerry “JD” Diamond, U.S. Army, Retired, Fort Leavenworth, Kansas