We Few: US Special Forces in Vietnam
By: Nick Brokhausen / Narrated By: George Spelvin
Length: 14 hrs and 7 mins
Death! Destruction! Mayhem! And a million laughs?!? …Yessss…!!!
Whoo boy! Lemme just get this outta the way. By NO means am I unaccustomed to those in perilous or traumatic situations using gallows humor to cope; humor is absolutely necessary, plus it serves as the peachiest way of bonding with others, those in the same godawful situation.
But this? We Few by Nick Brokhausen?
I canNOT believe just how very much I smiled, chuckled, chortled, outright brayed laughter. Brokhausen writes so very well, with his acerbic eye and deprecating self front and foremost.
And it begins in the beginning with Brokhausen back for his second tour of duty in Vietnam. That he’s yukking it up with a pal who’s not so bright, doesn’t escape his notice. Still, he’s happy until the guy tells him that he just volunteered the two of them for Recon—an all volunteer group known for suicidal missions and a lifespan designated not in years but in bare months. Brokhausen is irked, but as is his way, he shrugs it off with a Well, Why the Hell Not? And so the laughs begin; and so the laughs continue—as Brokhausen truly could not care less. It’s just about survival.
Almost every man in Recon Team Habu, CCN is introduced to the listener, and as each is given name and form, one sees the Recon Ribald way of life on full display. Nothing is sacred, and each man better be prepared to laugh at himself, or he’s in for a bumpy ride. Political Correctness? Hell no! That’s a late 20th century construct. And during a time of war? There’s absolutely no place for it. Rather, Brokhausen goes to great lengths to tell us just how each man got his nickname, if not readily obvious to begin with; and most nicknames reflect the utter baseness of views on class, race, geographical origins. As a 21st century listener, I kinda leaned back in my chair and took note for visceral reactions. But none were forthcoming. Nope, I found it all funnier than heck, and I roundly applauded the originality behind aspersions made against characters. Nope again: Whatever it takes for men to bond during times of war, when the hope to survive another firefight or ambush, when the hope to live another day, is paramount? All’s fair in war. And kudos to them.
So yes: Times are fraught with mayhem and bloodshed, especially considering the riskiness of Recon’s mandate, when objectives are dangerous to obtain, where it’s kinda no good getting too close to your fellow brother in arms as it’s likely he’ll be in a body bag soon. There is indeed that. But there’s also the down time, and that’s when things get reeeeeally hilarious in this book. Cuz these Recon guys are a lot of unwashed, and in-your-face dudes, and to say their bodies are just chockfull of larcenous bones? Understatement of the year!
Join Brokhausen as he tells story after story of trying to embrace his better angels, but finding himself unutterably compelled to break the law in a grand and fine fashion. I mean, understandable. After all, just what EVERY totally bored guy needs is a gazillion and six ton half-track to tool around camp in. Who caaaaares if it already belongs to an officer? That’s no problem as there’s always kidnapping, and alcohol, and a bit of threatened torture on the side (All while a tape recorder is going so that it’ll become part of the officer’s permanent record just how very quickly he saved himself and named aaaall sorts of names!).
I wasn’t sure what to make of George Spelvin’s narration at the beginning; he has such smooth tones that I thought I was in for yet aNOTHer lengthy listen of hardcore war as delivered by a guy who sounds like an anchorman (Something that happens a LOT with military history). Soon, however, I was swayed by his delivery, if not of the action, then most certainly of the dialogue of the men, the depictions of the men. He brought colorful characters to life, their frequent fisticuffs and shooting at each other for fun, their complete lack of respect for each other that masked a sincere and profound devotion to see each man made it back alive. And Spelvin’s smoothness most definitely fit the humor; yes, only such a man could make a stewardess acting “like a gut-shot Wolverine” sound soooo smoooooth, soooo normal.
This is a barely over 14 hour listen, and honestly, I could’ve used even another hour as it ends so verrrry abruptly. And I kinda don’t know what to make of the ending. Cuz, see, it’s heartbreaking and filled with death and dismemberment. After an entire book of men being slaughtered in horrible and heart pounding circumstances, I felt rather bad that I took the ending’s “minor” chaos and bloodshed so hard. But, I dunno—I s’pose the victims at the end were true believers in living lives devoted to caring for the suffering, so it seemed cruelly unjust.
And so it ends, BAM!
And heartbroken as I am? I’m looking forward to getting on to the next Brokhausen memoir, Whisper in the Tall Grass. Cuz I need to laugh again. And I dunno? Maybe I need to cry again too…
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