Eye of the Tiger

Memoir of a United States Marine, Third Force Recon Company, Vietnam

By: John Edmund Delezen

Narrated by: David Marantz

“We live together under the thick canopy, each searching for the other; the same leeches and mosquitoes that feed on our blood feed on his blood.”

John Edmund Delezen felt a kinship with the people he was instructed to kill in Vietnam; they were all at the mercy of the land. His memoir begins when he enlisted in the Marine Corps and was sent to Vietnam in March of 1967. He volunteered for the Third Force Recon Company, whose job it was to locate and infiltrate enemy lines undetected and map their locations and learn details of their status. The duty was often painful both physically and mentally. He was stricken with malaria in November of 1967, wounded by a grenade in February of 1968, and hit by a bullet later that summer. He remained in Vietnam until December, 1968.

Delezen writes of Vietnam as a man humbled by a mysterious country and horrified by acts of brutality. The land was his enemy as much as the Vietnamese soldiers. He vividly describes the three-canopy jungle with birds and monkeys overhead that could be heard but not seen, venomous snakes hiding in trees and relentless bugs that fed on men. He recalls stumbling onto a pit of rotting Vietnamese bodies left behind by American forces, and days when fierce hunger made a bag of plasma seem like an enticing meal. He writes of his fallen comrades and the images of war that still pervade his dreams.

©2015 John Edmund Delezen (P)2019 Blackstone Publishing

Listener

Great account of what long range patrols in Vietnam were like... the author goes into great detail making you feel as if you’re there with him, a good book, I liked it a lot

Great listen

It is amazing and heartbreaking what our troops had to endure in the Vietnam war. God-bless you.

Thank you for sharing

Many thanks to the author for sharing his story. Very descriptive and good explanations for terms for those of us non-military. Most definitely worth reading.

Great story, bad narration

The author does get a bit poetic but I loved his writing style. He really conveys what it’s like, you can feel the heat, hate the bugs, and fear the enemy.

The narrator reads with such monotone that I had to stop listening from time to time. This would be a good book to actually read. Narrator pretty much ruined the book.

Great book, fell a bit short at the end

I like this book Which is an amazingly detailed story about life in the jungle as a reconnaissance soldier. The end comes rather abruptly and some detail about meeting his comrades years later. I would read it again and probably will! I just wanted more.

Excellent Book!

Thank you for your service. This book goes into detail of the life and struggles of our Marines living and surviving missions into the deep jungles of Vietnam. Very detailed stories of missions and recons.

Sadly Lonely

A special place in Hell for all Political powers that
with Evil means were responsible for Vietnam
killing fields and hills.

Delezan's prose is lyrical and cathartic

A writer who can transport the reader into his mind's eye so as to allow the other to sense his innate humanity is rare. The elegance of Delezan's description of the courage, horror and ultimate senseless waste of life is sublime.

He is closer to Walt Whitman in trying to plumb the emotional reality of a costly and tragic war.

Namaste, Mr. Delezan and thank you for your sacrifice.

Outstanding all around!

Excellent book. Loved the entire story and well spoken. A must read for all Devil Dogs.

One of the better war memoirs I’ve read

This book stands out as being both well written and well researched. The author blends in local history to enrich the story of his experiences. It’s not your run of the mill war memoir that starts with boot camp, etc. Instead, the author jumps right in, and his story is intense. The author’s writing style and language create a great finished product. Lastly, the cathartic elements of his story are more unique, especially his meeting along the river bank (no spoilers). I’ve personally read many memoirs, and this one is special. Highly recommend! To all the brave warriors that have served their country, thank you!