Eric Blehm

I read this book because of a rifle training course I took, the last day of which was, in part, on a long distance range named after Adam Brown. The range is in beautiful, mile-high country just outside Lakeview, Oregon. At the end of class, the main teacher, the man whose facility it is, himself a combat wounded Vietnam Marine, handed out our completion certificates around a memorial tree with a Batman symbol on it. At the foot of the tree one finds loose rifle ammo, and we’d wondered show more why. Well, Clint Smith told us we could, if we chose, drop a round of our own at the foot of the tree, so that the soldiers who have passed away in combat might never be without ammo. And he told us about Adam Brown and the significance of Batman to his kids and about this book. I was glad to drop a round at the foot of the tree; I am myself the daughter of a Korean War combat vet. I resolved to read the book. I started it the Monday morning after class ended and just finished it today.

Adam Brown’s religious beliefs are not mine. His faith is not my faith. This book is tough to take at times with the relentless Jesus talk, and the gender essentialism and latent fear of femaleness one so often finds in such circles. One is struck by the operation of moral luck - he knew the right people to still enlist and become a SEAL despite being a convicted felon and crack addict. So many never get that chance.

Yet still, his faith clearly helped him become a better man. He seems to have been a brave, loving, mentoring man and father in addition to being a tier 1 operator. I respect that. His beliefs are not mine but he is still my brother. He laid down his life for our country. He is part of the diversity, the “out of many, one” that is America’s greatest strength.

I’m happy to have left him a rifle round. In that very small way, on a small mountainside on an Oregon rifle range, my story as an LGBT atheist American woman is mingled with his. And I like that. I will drop another next time I train at that facility. And I’ll remember what he did. If your library has this book, as mine did, give it a read. show less

I thought this book was excellent. It is the story of Roy Benavidez, a Vietnam war veteran and hero. It is both the story of his life and career and the efforts by others after the war to get him the Medal of Honor. I am not a Vietnam war expert, but this book seemed to carefully detail one small part of the war and the Special Forces role in that area. The description of what had gone on prior to the battle and the battle itself was detailed and fascinating. If may not be great action show more writing, but it was good history writing. It was also a well-written tribute to Roy and his family. Well worth reading. show less

This is not a book I would have readily picked to read, especially in an election year. That's because this book helped me question political and even philosophical assumptions of my own that I would not have otherwise questioned. I think that's a healthy exercise. What made this a four star, however, was that it brought me to that point in a positive way without spending time in precisely-worded argument. This is a biography after all and the author wisely chooses to let the Adam's life show more speak for itself. There are moments, certainly towards the end, where that breaks down, and maybe the author is sometimes a bit heavy handed. But by then the reality of this Navy SEAL's experience is already cemented. I think those moments are well deserved, even if they aren't the most well-written. They serve both as a testimony to Adam's guiding principles and as a celebration of his achievements. show less

This was an amazing story about an amazing human being. Gut wrenching and at times tear jerking. It read like an action movie. I felt like I was in Vietnam dodging bullets along with our hero, Roy Benavidez. The author did a great job of chronicling Roy's early life and in turn, later life as well. The real story, of course, was the action in Vietnam. I learned a lot about a war that I lived through, but as a teenager didn't really know about. The maps were a big help, as were the military show more terms and acronyms. I can see this as a movie directed by Clint Eastwood. This was such an exceptional account of a real American hero, I actualy felt proud to have read it. show less