Marines Never Cry

Marines Never Cry is a compelling account of a youth who strives to
mature in the most challenging place possible ... the Marine Corps and
a confused, deadly war with the fears and frustration of mortal combat.
There, his ideals and core beliefs are sorely tested and found wanting at
times. Throughout the book, he has reason to cry when he loses those
closest to him, but he doesn't. Tim Hall gives us a Vietnam equivalent of
Catch 22 with his capacity to personalize not only his war, but also the
unique life and experiences that molded this young man.
- Bob Fischer, Colonel USMC (Ret),
Senior Advisor to 6th Bn., South Vietnamese Marines, Vietnam 1966-1968
Author of Guerrilla Grunt, Covan and co-author of The Miracle Workers of South Boulder Road


In Vietnam, we Marines learned quickly that war never goes well or as
planned. Tim Hall brings that "lesson learned" home to a new generation
of readers who have no idea what transpired fifty years ago, in a faraway
Southeast Asian country. Through his main character, Zeke Hammond,
an all-American kid from rural roots, Tim weaves actual tales of intrigue,
levity, and danger that most people have never experienced or even
thought of in their entire lives. He did change names to protect both the
innocent and guilty alike. In this book, Tim aptly records United States
Marines going about their daily routines of boredom and toil, of events
both good and bad and the untimely dangerous exploits of Marines, who
"never cry" until the war is over. Tim's poignant book takes place in the
mid 1960's during one of America's longest and costliest wars. Very well
done, brother Tim!
- Grady T. Birdsong, Corporal, USMC
1st Bn., 27th Marines; 2nd Bn., 9th Marines, Vietnam 1968-1969
Author of A Fortunate Passage and co-author of The Miracle Workers of South Boulder Road

Marines Never Cry paints a good picture of how things were for truck
drivers in Vietnam, particularly those who convoyed into dangerous
places like An Hoa. I know because I was a grunt in that area, specifically
Operation Allen Brook at Go Noi. You'll find my name referenced
several times in the book, Every Marine: 1968 Vietnam; A Battle for Go
Noi Island. I know first-hand what those truckers experienced when they
drove those big ass trucks-BATs, as Tim calls them-through what was
called "Indian Country" to bring us the ammo and everything else we
needed to fight the war. God bless the truckers; they're the unsung heroes
of Vietnam.
- Wesley S. Love, Sergeant, USMC
3rd Bn. 27th Marines, Vietnam, 1968

PART I-HALCYON DAYS
1 AN ODD BEGINNING
2 RIVERIA
3 SHARON
4 BABY THE RAIN MUST FALL
5 BRING IT ON!
PART II- THE MARINES
6 PARRIS ISLAND
7 SPLIBS AND CHUCKS
8 MONSTER TRUCKS
9 HOMEWARD BOUND
10 ROUGH RIDERS OF SANTO DOMINGO
11 WHAT WOULD JIM BOWIE DO?
12 SURVIVAL, ESCAPE, RESISTANCE AND EVASION
13 BE A MAN!
14 LUCKY NG
PART III-VIETNAM
15 GOOD MORNING VIETNAM
16 DAY TRIPPIN'
17 RULES OF ENGAGEMENT
18 PINK EGGS
19 SLIPPIN' AND SLIDIN'
20 SPEEDING IN A COMBAT ZONE
21 SIAM
22 COMBINED ACTION
23 NHNG GI QUI!-WTF!
24 GOODBYE LITTLE DOT
25 THOUSAND YARD SQUINT
26 BAT MEN
27 THE BOYS IN HOOCH 240
28 FOX IN A BOX
29 NIGHT MOVES
30 WHO KILLED THE ROADMASTER?
31 JELLYBEAN ROAD
32 A RUSTY SCENARIO
33 HAPPINESS IS A WARM GUN
34 MUSTANG SALLIE
35 VIETNAMESE CRY TOO
36 INDIAN COUNTRY
37 AN HOA
38 SHARP, WESTMORELAND AND HAMMOND
39 DARKNESS
40 WE GOTTA GET OUT OF THIS PLACE
41 BAD MOON RISING
PART IV-HOMECOMING
42 BACK TO THE WORLD
43 BEHIND THE GREEN DOOR
44 THE GREEN, GREEN GRASS OF HOME
45 HEY JOE
46 THE MOMENT OF TRUTH
47 THE LOBACTER TRIBE
PART V-NON SEQUITUR
48 CHERRY POINT
49 DEVIL WITH A BLUE DRESS ON
50 BLOODY RED SNEAKERS
51 JUSTICE FOR ALL
52 NAVY CROSS
53 ALMOST A LIEUTENANT
54 EOD