Hell On A Hill Top

About the Book

HELL ON A HILL TOP-for four months in 1970, Hell raged on the hill tops of Ripcord, 805, 902 and 1000, all just east of the A Shau Valley.

HELL ON A HILL TOP

Instead of backing away from the fight, the North Vietnamese mortar, recoilless rifle, heavy machine gun, sapper and regular infantry attacks increased. The last offensive around Ripcord was starting to look like the last stand. Unwilling to keep American soldiers at high risk at this stage of the war; Ripcord was evacuated on 23 July. The battle went unnoticed for 30 years until Keith Nolan's book, RIPCORD, was published. As powerful and gripping as was the story of great leadership and courageous fighting by our soldiers, the magnitude of the enemy force still remained unknown. The author, the 3rd Brigade commander during the siege and evacuation, made trips to Vietnam in 2001 and 2004 and interviewed the 324B Division Commander whose first-ever division sole mission, was to destroy Firebase Ripcord. The full story is now told.

About the Author

During the Vietnam War, Major General Benjamin L. Harrison served on the CINCPAC staff, commanded an aviation battalion in Vietnam for twelve months, was on McNamara?s staff, was the Army?s Chief of Doctrine, commanded the 3rd Brigade, 101st Airborne Division during the siege and evacuation of Firebase RIPCORD in 1970 and was the 1st ARVN Division Senior Advisor during Lam Son 719. On visits to Vietnam in 2001 and 2004, he interviewed former enemy officers including the 324B Division Commander, Maj Gen Chu Phuong Doi, whose first-ever division sole mission, was to destroy Firebase RIPCORD.