Life and Death in the Central Highlands

An American Sergeant in the Vietnam War, 1968-1970 (North Texas Military Biography and Memoir Series)

By: James T. Gillam

Narrated by: Todd Belcher

In 1968 James T. Gillam was a poorly focused college student at Ohio University who was dismissed and then drafted into the Army. Unlike most African-Americans who entered the Army then, he became a Sergeant and an instructor at the Fort McClellan Alabama School of Infantry. In September 1968 he joined the First Battalion, 22nd Regiment of the 4th Infantry Division in Vietnam. Within a month he transformed from an uncertain sergeant-who tried to avoid combat-to an aggressive soldier, killing his first enemy and planning and executing successful ambushes in the jungle. Gillam was a regular point man and occasional tunnel rat who fought below ground, an arena that few people knew about until after the war ended. By January 1970 he had earned a Combat Infantry Badge and been promoted to Staff Sergeant.

Then Washington's politics and military strategy took his battalion to the border of Cambodia. Search-and-destroy missions became longer and deadlier. From January to May his unit hunted and killed the enemy in a series of intense firefights, some of them in close combat. In those months Gillam was shot twice and struck by shrapnel twice. He became a savage, strangling a soldier in hand-to-hand combat inside a lightless tunnel. As his mid-summer date to return home approached, Gillam became fiercely determined to come home alive. The ultimate test of that determination came during the Cambodian invasion. On his last night in Cambodia, the enemy got inside the wire of the firebase, and the killing became close range and brutal.

Gillam left the Army in June 1970, and within two weeks of his last encounter with death, he was once again a college student and destined to become a university professor. The nightmares and guilt about killing are gone, and so is the callous on his soul. Life and Death in the Central Highlands is a gripping, personal account of one soldier's war in the Vietnam War.

Number 5 in the North Texas Military Biography and Memoir Series

©2010 James T. Gillam (P)2014 Redwood Audiobooks

Critic reviews

“Jim Gillam experienced real combat in his Vietnam tour. His stunning accounts of killing and avoiding being killed ring true. Although wounded several times, Jim did not leave the field for treatment in a field hospital, so he never generated the paperwork for a Purple Heart or two or three. Although he would be appalled at the thought, his attention to duty was ‘lifer' behavior, a concern for the well-being of his squad that represents the best of NCO leadership in any army.” (Allan R. Millett, author of Semper Fidelis and coauthor of A War to Be Won)

“[Gillam] looks back on his experiences of Vietnam not solely as a participant in the war, but also with the critical eye of a trained historian. . . . [He] uses an impressive array of after action reports, duty officer logs, battlefield reports, and other primary source material, to back up and reinforce his recollections.” ( Journal of Military History review by James H. Willbanks, author of The Tet Offensive)

“Gillam, a ‘shake and bake' sergeant, presents a good account of small unit infantry action during the war. He is very good at explaining the weaponry, tactics, and living conditions in the field.” (James E. Westheider, author of The African-American Experience in Vietnam)

True Grit of Vietnam Delivered

This is one of the most compelling stories that I have ever heard, and it was so good I listened to the entire 9 hours in one sitting. Sergeant Gillam's story is a roller-coaster of training, fighting, despair, and post-trauma recovery. He is also a true scholar and in each chapter provides the historical context of battles and events before going into his personal experiences. Sergeant Gillam-now Professor GIllam-is also an excellent storyteller and describes the battles and conflicts in the most lucid and realistic ways. The narration of this book is also excellent and is never boring or tiring. This man is not only a humanitarian and hero, but an intellectual and a scholar, and his harrowing memoir is amazing to say the least.

excellent book on several fronts

great book! enjoyed the history and politics that surrounded the war. always love reading about the courage of the American military

All I can say is “WOW”!

As a Vietnam vet, I can attest to the accuracy of both the facts and feeling in this book. This vet had it all happen to him, as he fought for his life daily. The tunnel and Sapper fights initiated my own hyperventilating. And the death on the plane ramp caused this trained killer to cry like a baby. The author is my hero.

Thoroughly enjoyed it

Sgt Gillam does very well articulating his story. I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Probably the best story on Vietnam I've heard yet. The narration is alright. I just completely loved the content. I'd consider listening to it again. 5 stars.

Absorbing

Very engrossing, it's just incredible what this one soldier experienced. Very well written and fast moving. It's easy to understand the difficulty this person had returning home and trying to instantly begin a "normal" life.

Best One I ever read about the war

This book is beyond amazing. It is one of the best books I have ever read. Mr. Gillam, thank you for sharing that experience with us. This was one of those books that’s stays with you awhile after you read it. I served 16 months in Iraq. The more things change, the more they really don’t. What you guys went through…pure insanity. Once again thank you for sharing.

Astonishing

loved the story of a true man's man. His story of war leaves you stunned.

Best I've Read

This is the most honest and sincere account of what it was like to fight as a drafted soldier for the Viet Nam war. Incredibly engaging.

Very Entertaining and Informative

What made the experience of listening to Life and Death in the Central Highlands the most enjoyable?

The author is very detailed and descriptive in his story.

What did you like best about this story?

The author really takes you into the time and place.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

No. I needed to break it up.

Excellent Narrative

What did you love best about Life and Death in the Central Highlands?

The narrative, (in between the facts & figures; and pedantry), was excellent. Very vivid and "up close." The narrative is more personal than in most books about Viet Nam. He described feelings and situations so well, I thought I was there. His description of the smells was especially engrossing- (Gross?) I had heard about the rotten fish head rice sauce, now I have a better idea what it really was about.

He seems to be honest and laid it out, no matter how it came down. His problems with officers, especially. It, also, showed how hard it must be to be an officer in a war; having to make all the right decisions and not being able to. It gave a good view of the army "caste system," as he described it.

A good, well researched book, based on actual fact that seemed not to have a political agenda. It cut through an experience that is, often, seen through the lens of politics. It just told the story of what the life of a grunt was like. He was an intelligent, educated person thrown into a maelstrom that made anything, but staying alive, superfluous.

What other book might you compare Life and Death in the Central Highlands to and why?

Robert Mason's "Chickenhawk." Both seem to be honest, personal accounts of a brutal, very life changing experience.

What about Todd Belcher’s performance did you like?

It was a bit stilted and monotone. Otherwise good narration.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?

"Viet nam, Class of '69. You don't have to die to go to hell."

Any additional comments?

This book is missing the clichéd being chased by a water buffalo or being spit upon story. These two events seem to be in every first person account of Viet Nam I have read/listened to. He is a little pedantic and the statistics where not that interesting. Although, he did tie them nicely to the narrative; which made them more interesting.