1968 - Into the Abyss

The Elite Tunnel Rats

By: Riley St. James

Narrated by: Riley St. James

Length: 6 hrs and 32 mins

Publisher's summary

What if after decades there was still one more untold incredible Viet Nam war saga peppered with tightly-written notes from then young, not yet 20, and highly decorated leader of a small group of underground and Special Force combatants who searched and destroyed over 900 tunnels?

What if this saga was more compelling than typical battlefield heroics by including experiences of this same elite group of fighters, led by multiple-medal awarded Staff Sergeant Thomas Wergen, who linked up with Special Forces for covert combat missions into areas across the South Vietnamese border such as Cambodia and Laos - where according to the US power’s political spin “they weren’t”?

What if along with their bloodstained tales this saga entailed accurate and concise historic tidbits, including anecdotes of the US protests across America, during the bloodiest and heaviest fighting period in the war when America had committed over 500,000 troops - the infamous TET counteroffensive phase of 1968?

What if this saga included an award-winning foreword, which depicts a remarkable and factual historical account retrieved directly from the logs of the mighty USS Constitution? Titled warfare on a skewer, this is a short account of how Captain “Mad Jack” Percival had carried out armed aggression against Danang, Vietnam (Turon, China) in May 1845. And more ironic the fact that Captain Percival’s war party - including Marines - stormed the same shores that the initial combat-designated Marines did in 1965, ordered by then President Lyndon Johnson.

Then you would have, 1968 - Into the Abyss, a book-length war account of - Bronze Star Medal and Combat Infantryman’s Badge decorated - Army Staff Sergeant Thomas E. Wergen.

Young and well-educated, Wergen found himself leading a selected squad of soldiers who meandered, crawled, and sought after in the dank darkness where even the most courageous dared not - the dreaded and treacherous jungle tunnels built by the North Vietnamese military. Because they were deadly effective and highly revered, they would also find themselves serving on secretive special force combat missions in the enemy-peppered hostile territory across the border, where they weren’t supposed to be.

So turn the lights up bright and follow along in these dense jungle war tales - just try not to get lost, or captured - by the enemy, that is.

©2012 Riley St. James (P)2019 Riley St. James

Narration Leaves Lots to be Desired

While the story was good and content was enjoyable the narration was without a doubt the worst I have experienced. I had to fight to continue listening.

Gruelling Vietnam war told by Authur

Tunnel rats ((US) Marines dropped into Vietcong tunnels half expecting to die, half ready for anything.

I lived during Vietnam era, it is amazing and heartbreaking how hard our soldiers faught were wounded and died for nothing.

The narratoration ruins it.

I know the author means well, but a different narrator would have been better. I just couldn't get past it, reminded me of listening to a Sunday school teacher.