Cammie Up!

In this Marine combat memoir, Steve Johnson recounts his service in Vietnam from April 1967 to May 1968. Only 17 when he enlisted in 1964, Johnson deployed to Vietnam with the 3rd Reconnaissance Battalion, 3rd Marine Division, and his tour included such now famous locations as Phu Bai, Khe Sanh, Nha Trang and Quang Tri, among others. With a sometimes humorous tone, Johnson describes a war of often terrified high school and college-aged youngsters faced with exotic plant and animal life, monsoon rains, harrowing reconnaissance missions and death. Details are plentiful about tactics, equipment, geography and, always, fellow Marines.

Steven A. Johnson served more than 17 years in the Marine Corps on active duty and in the reserves (including a call-up for active duty in Desert Storm). He spent 20 years with the Jamestown, New York, Police Department, and six with the Chautauqua County Sheriff’s Office. He lives in Jamestown.

Steven A. Johnson
Format: softcover (6 x 9)
Pages: 288
Bibliographic Info: 27 photos, 4 maps, appendices, glossary, notes, index
Copyright Date: 2012
pISBN: 978-0-7864-6600-9
eISBN: 978-0-7864-8839-1
Imprint: McFarland

Foreword by Ray W. Stubbe      1
Preface      3
Introduction      5

PART ONE : IN WHICH I MAKE PREPARATIONS TO SEE THE ELEPHANT
1. Transition      8
2. Reconnaissance School      15
3. California to Okinawa      24

PART TWO : IN WHICH I ENTER THE ELEPHANT’S REALM
4. In Country: Phu Bai      30
5. Learning My Trade      43
6. Khe Sanh      49
7. Patrol Preparation      56
8. Settling In and Environment      64
9. Lizards and Leeches and Bugs … Oh, My!      69

PART THREE : IN WHICH I CAN DEFINITELY SMELL THE ELEPHANT
10. Could’a Been Worse!      82
11. Sergeant of Marines      90
12. A Day in the Life      95
13. Trenches and Bunkers      98
14. Harborsites and a Little Travel      104
15. On Patrol      114
16. A Real Mess      127
17. Death and a Long Walk      138
18. Fizzies and Nha Trang      147
19. Puff and Hill 950      155

PART FOUR: IN WHICH THE ELEPHANT TAKES A SHORT VACATION
20. A New Company      164
21. Okinawa; Training      168
22. Back In Country; Quang Tri      176

PART FIVE: IN WHICH I FINALLY SEE THE ELEPHANT
23. More Patrols and Agent Orange      182
24. Ambush      190
25. China Beach and Malaria      211

PART SIX: IN WHICH I RELEASE THE ELEPHANT BACK INTO THE JUNGLE
26. Going Home      222
27. Welcome Back?      228

PART SEVEN: NO MORE ELEPHANTS
28. More Malaria      234
29. Duty Done—A New Journey      240

Appendix A: After Action Report      245
Appendix B: Myth Busters      248
Appendix C: How We Lost the War      254
Maps      259
Glossary      265
Chapter Notes      271
Index      275

• “A must read…Johnson writes about his experiences…with a clarity and intensity that makes the reader feel as though he is with Johnson throughout his tour…a terrific read”—Caltrap