Harold Constance

It's the second book about navy seals in Vietnam I read and while this author appears to revel in the killing less it's still a very similar story devoid of any introspection. At no point does the author considered what he was doing or the conduct of the troops. Closest he gets is to mention that soldiers in Vietnam stole from the military (of course the author did not) and that Vietnamese soldiers were cowardly and officers corrupt. Project phoenix? Total success! No idea what all the fuss was about.… (more)

Low key memoir of an Underwater Demotion Team member who goes directly to a SEAL team and a Vietnam Tour. The focus of the book is Constance's life and not always war stories although there are plenty of valuable reflections that give many tactical details not found elsewhere. Relations with CIA, Phoenix program, Special Operations around the world are linked to his family life. The sadness of Constance's life, even as he accomplished so much for the United States' Military goals, is told in an honest confessional manner. I did not know what to expect from this author but I really appreciated the hard work of honest evaluation even of his perceived failures. The author gradually becomes more critical on himself than others had been (even those involved in criminal conspiratorial acts against him). The author ends the book as chief of police for the West Los Angeles Veterans Affairs Medical Center which is one of the VA hospitals operating in Southern California.… (more)