Policing Saigon

By: Loren W. Christensen

Narrated by: Peter Berkrot

Policing Saigon isn't Platoon or Apocalypse Now, but the story of Loren W. Christensen's experience as a military policeman (MP) in a city of millions at a time when chaos and fear reigned.

As a 23-year-old from a small town in Washington State, the author was plunged into a chaotic city of brawling servicemen, prostitutes, racial violence, enemy rockets, riots, and death. It was a place that would give him a unique opportunity to see up close a different side of the Vietnam War and its effect on the human condition.

Nearly 80 stories collectively convey the author's experiences, and his arc - from naive to jaded, angry, confused, anxious, and bone-weary exhausted - is representative of so many GIs who served in the Vietnam War as well as those veterans of today's conflicts around the globe.

©2017 Loren W. Christensen (P)2019 Tantor

Awesome book

I Love it, it's have that feeling you was there next to him in Vietnam

Refections of days gone by

I was stationed in Viet Nam from 66/67. I was at Tan Son Khnut during my tour there. I was also a member of the 377th Air Police Squadron while there. Many of the places that were spoken about in the book I had been to (good and bad.) I also worked with the 716th Military Police there. I had to laugh about 100 P alley and some of the things that went on there. It was funny in that all the off limits places were the best places to go. I guess that when you are young, one does a multitude of interesting things in that you believe that you are invincible. It was very good reading, It really told the story of Saigon and the surrounding area from the military police view.. A lot of very good men at a very bad time! Very well done.

Raw, honest, unhinged

I was born a couple of years before the war ended. The only two veterans in my family had died shortly after but my family refused to talk much about it. "Your uncle was crazy after the war", "He was mentally ill" and "He blew his brains out" were some of the tactful and not so tactful comments I would hear the few times I asked. My knowledge of the VIetnam war came mostly from documentaries, movies and a few outstanding books. ¼ into “Policing Saigon” I realized how little I knew.

Crafted with an honest, unhinged but ultimately hopeful touch of humanity, Loren opens up with an admirably vulnerable, self -confesional account of his experiences, all the bad, the good and the horrifying.

Highly recommended for those not only interested in history, but also military personnel, martial artists and fighters looking for a reflective and inspiring read on the stark brutality of war and the warrior ethos.

The best I’ve read

This is a powerful bio that tweaks every emotion. I’d laugh one chapter and be moved to tears the next.

Good book

Entertaining and intresting book, well written. Narrator did an excellent job. intresting stories from an mp who served in Vietnam.

I’ve read better

Seems like the author is full of himself. Very dramatic about how much of a badass he is. It was a tough listen. Compared to other books where they actually experienced raw brutality, this book is mediocre.

Forget about it.

This is what I wrote after listening to about 6-chapters "Egotistical lack of awareness pervades the book I got through several chapters and decided it wasn't worth the time. Normally this subject matter would very interesting to me."

I decided to finish this audiobook because the perspective of the author is historically relevant and as an autobiographical work the voice is also relevant revealing one MPs mindset. The author let's you into his mind and even as it seems narrow self centered it also feels in some way honest. This is not to say that I believe the whole invincibility of self conveyed or the incredible details of the martial arts exploits described but I believe it as a shell the author formed to deal with life.