A hard-hitting history of the U.S. airborne unit who made a name for
themselves in the unforgiving jungles of South Vietnam.
"It was easier killing than living." Third Battalion 506th Airborne
veteran
Drawing on interviews with veterans, many of whom have never gone on the
record before, Ian Gardner follows up his epic trilogy about the 506th
Parachute Infantry Regiment in World War II with the story of the unit's
reactivation at the height of the Vietnam War. This is the dramatic
history of a band of brothers who served together in Vietnam and who
against the odds lived up to the reputation of their World War II
forefathers.
Brigadier General Salve Matheson's idea was to create an 800-strong
battalion of airborne volunteers in the same legendary "Currahee" spirit
that had defined the volunteers of 1942. The man he chose to lead them
was John Geraci, who would mold this young brotherhood into a highly
cohesive and motivated force.
In December 1967, the battalion was sent into the Central Highlands of
Lam Dong Province. Geraci and his men began their Search and Destroy
patrols, which coincided with the North Vietnamese build-up to the Tet
Offensive and was a brutal introduction to the reality of a dirty,
bloody war. Gardner reveals how it was here that the tenacious
volunteers made their mark, just like their predecessors had done in
Normandy, and the battalion was ultimately awarded a Valorous Unit
Citation. This book shows how and why this unit was deserving of that
award, recounting their daily sanguinary struggle in the face of a
hostile environment and a determined enemy.
Through countless interviews and rare personal photographs, Sign Here
for Sacrifice shows the action, leadership, humor and bravery displayed
by these airborne warriors.
