W.e.b. Griffin by W.E. Butterworth (1994, Hardcover)

Not a classic, but fast-paced and exciting with very factual accounts of combat, personalities and life of those times. I love any historical fiction, but especially of times I can recall. W.E.B. Griffin must have either lived through many of these sequences or did extrordinary research with a multitude of first-hand interviews.
My Dad was a Marine, and I shared some combat experiences with Marines in I Corps before, during and after the Tet Offensive. I am a retired Naval Aviator and have flown with both Marine and Navy enlisted pilots, and will vouch for the veracity of the description of their qualifications.
Griffin accurately describes the mindset of many in the Corps as it relates to their feeling regarding their parent service; perhaps unfair, but not always. It's true, in the past, the Corps received the leftovers of material and equipment; an enigma- they resented this yet were perversly proud of it. Our Air Ops Division was located on the Southwest side of the Danang Airbase, next door to the Marine H&MS 17 Squadron. H&MS17 didn't have their own bunker so we welcomed all of them into ours-they appreciated that. When they were short of pilots, I volunteered to fly as copilot on one of their night parachute flare ops; we were hit by groundfire on that mission. Their pilot was Enlisted and they appreciated our help. I'm just pointing out that there were some good relations too! They were and are fiercly proud of what they do and how they do it, and I'm proud of them!
I happened to pick up and read #5 in the Corps series and liked it so much that I started from the beginning, "Semper Fi". Perhaps the only drag is that Griffin uses continuing characters, and for the new reader must always redescribe the background in each successive book. Of course he must do this, but it does get old.
If you like old cars, hot chicks, hot combat and courage, WWII history, and the bad guys getting their come-uppence, then this is the series for you. This book will not be a chick-magnet.
Cdr. USNR-Ret.

I have most of the collection and cannot wait for the new book to come out. excellent writing. He knows what he is talking about and descibes exactly what is happening. true life history intermixed with fiction and you do not know which is which. This is the way it was.