As I read the book there were many gruesome descriptions of injuries and other forms of violence that reflect the horrors of Vietnam. The second leadership lesson obtained from Platoon Leader is grace under pressure. (1) The platoon leader signals for the base of fire squad to move into designated positions. I also realize I will have to be responsible for their well-being, their sense of safety, and their trust in me; it is up to me to learn the skills and knowledge necessary to lead them effectively, and they must never think that I am incapable of leadership. Perhaps one of the least original books every written; even the Goodreads catalog includes at least a dozen platoon leader memoirs from Vietnam. especially Lt. Jimmy Cross, the platoon commander and a first lieutenant. The platoon leader designates the main effort. He gave much flexibilities to the staff and freedom to make the decisions by themselves. The commander of the friendly unit was lost and had failed to notify anyone of their mission before leaving. 2003.25 May 2007 . McDonough's instrument character in this memoir is his being a leader - it enabled him to explore relationships, establish a set of war ethics and morals, a progression into a real leader. Col. McDonough, thank you. James R. McDonough once stated that his story is not a comprehensive documentation of the Vietnam War, but a mere account of an American platoon leader in battle. That is not really a critique of the book, actually the shitty ending was a fitting end to the mess that the Vietnam War became. The top 10 percent makes over $89,000 per year, while the bottom 10 percent under $25,000 per year. I was none of these - or so I maintain. Knight confronts Bacera and dumps out the drugs he found and personally leads the patrol the next day, keeping a close eye on Bacera. James McDonough mentions debriefs a number of times in the books and he does not favor himself during those - if he went out on patrol and he critiques his part in the patrol as hard as the rest of the team. or the taking over of leadership by the platoon sergeant or ranking squad leader. From the looks of it as he enters the platoon, there are two main groups; one cynical and toughened that are below Sergeant Barnes, and a hopeful idealistic group below Sergeant Elias. As a sophomore in college, he signs up for the Reserve Officers Training Corps because it is worth a few credits and because his friends are doing it. Planned and assembled training and logistics packets for deployments and redeployments. Lt. Jeffrey Knight, a new officer from the United States Military Academy, is airlifted to an outpost in Vietnam, where he meets his platoon, a group of tough-witted veterans of the war. Whoa, this was heavy. Platoon Leader is a 1988 war film set in the Vietnam War and directed by Aaron Norris; it stars Michael Dudikoff and Michael DeLorenzo and was filmed in South Africa. ", "Book Review On Platoon Leader And Leadership Lessons,". He is young and hopeful, wanting the war to be over and done with. In my point of view, his style belongs to the empowering one. December 2019. Need urgent help with your paper? Bravo on accomplishing the first (and very important) part of the 2023 Goodreads Reading Challenge: signing up! At best, it's sincere!" Savage was a dynamic leader We use cookies to enhance our website for you. (4) The platoon sergeant begins coordination for ammunition resupply. 2. In a military context, Platoon Leader: A Memoir of Command in Combat provides an in-depth, detailed look at one young officer's rise through the ranks, learning the basic tools of leadership along the way. You become part of a tribe and you share the same blood - you give it together, you take it together." There is rarely a clear, unequivocal shot of an enemy soldier. [CDATA[ Though written from an officers perspective it was very beneficial to me as a mid-level (SSG / E6). Since then, the book, with its handsome feather decoration of bookmarks, has been my favorite example of showing my classes how timeless literature is and how recurring the challenges for leaders are. Nail, the platoon politician. A young officer, just out of West Point is sent to Vietnam, where the men don't respect him until he gets wounded and returns to be a wiser soldier and a better commander. Then I started to read it and eventually I couldn't put it down! It McDonough's retelling of his time in Vietnam. McNamera is ambushed before reaching the other platoon and severely injured. missions (PowerPoint). Goodreads helps you keep track of books you want to read. Get help with 11% offusing code - GETWOWED, No, thanks! I can't imagine the unbelievable psychological pain that American Veterans went through. USMA Commandant's Academic Year 2020 Reading List, Strategy Pure and Simple: Essential Moves for Winning in Competition and Cooperation, George Washington's Liberty Key: Mount Vernon's Bastille Key - the Mystery and Magic of Its Body, Mind, and Soul, Jocko Podcast 29 with Echo Charles - PLATOON LEADER: A MEMOIR OF COMMAND IN COMBAT. Idk about the book but the Manhwa isnt like that. , The lieutenant he was replacing had spent his whole time in the field trying to (successfully) keep out of harms way; the day the author arrived he found his counterpart literally lying flat on the ground, and there he stayed until the helicopter came to take him back to Saigon and home. LT McDonough Leadership assessment The book Platoon Leader provides a wide range of leadership situations and challenges. //]]>. It was a man trying to do his best to lead men in combat. The men were expendable; he was not. US Army Fort Knox, KY. This isnt how I have thought of the testing before, as defensive. But James Mcdonough makes the point that: We can have a pre-arranged strategy, but it will need to change when we meet the system because we will learn more about the system and we will need to be flexible to explore those new found problems. It is an eye-opening description of the reality of combat and its devastating impact on the participants. Oftentimes we hear/study the Vietnam War only from news outlets from the time or documentaries that occurred during that time frame; however, very seldom do we hear from those who were actual. Undoubtedly, such conditions resulted to numerous wins and successes that saw Coach K become a legend coach at the, His ability to reason and understand the point of view of others as well as their thinking makes him a strong-sense critical thinker. Because they occasionally require it to relieve their stress from the . sample is kindly provided by a student like you, use it only as a guidance. To see what your friends thought of this book. . The book Outlaw Platoon written by Sean Parnell is a soldiers' tale of his platoon in one of the most dangerous places on earth. Internal server error. What propels young men to combat is not the draft. For 14 hours, the Black Knight Troop fought to defend their post. Col. McDonough gives a first hand account of his personal experience being a platoon commander in the Vietnam War. A couple months later, McNamara returns to the base with Knight greeting him saying "welcome back to the country club" as they embrace. Platoon Leader was a book my dad gave to me saying, "Here. . The novel is a profound documentation on wartime virtues making it a very important piece in American literature (Mazza). Sometimes it is hard to do all the work on your own. Get it right, and your platoon will function at its bestsmoothly, efficiently, and professionally. The platoon is then attacked by Mortar fire and Knight is hit by shrapnel, damaging his eye, but Sergeant Roach applies first aid. As a result, when he is led into battle with several men in his charge, he is unsure in everything he does. A world without rules, mercy and pure ruthless reality. Parker, the radio operator. One night a patrol radioed in a that they had seen troops in the area. Ranked 1st of 4 Lieutenants by the Company Commander. Book Review On Platoon Leader And Leadership Lessons. McDonough's story is as good as any; though late in the war, he was assigned in an active [read: dangerous] sector and he took his mission to foil and destroy the enemy seriously. I recommend the book to you. But he was only a combat platoon leader for 11 months or 3% of his life. A remarkable memoir of small-unit leadership and the coming of age of a young soldier in combat in Vietnam.' "Using a lean style and a sense of pacing drawn from the tautest of novels, McDonough has produced a gripping account of his first command, a U.S. platoon taking part in the 'strategic hamlet' program. This book helped me have a much better understanding of our soldiers and a greater appreciation of their sacrifices. But he was never a peer, he was always apart from them, despite developing a bond with them. It should be required reading for leaders of all types. {js=d.createElement(s); Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for PLATOON LEADER - Rare 1988 RCA VHS Issue - Michael Dudikoff - Cult War Drama D5 at the best online prices at eBay! Selected to serve as personal administrative assistant to the Chief of Staff of Fort Rucker, AL. These are just three of three of the important points presented in this memoir. Plot introduction [ edit] He used his superior intellect to get what he, I learned how to be a leader, the ability to have incredible attention to detail, and perseverance in the face of hardships. Knight and his squad fight to reach McNamera and bring him to an LZ to evac him via helicopter. Outlaw Platoon Sparknotes. I looked at the cover with mixed feelings at first, apprehensive about reading it. The book was far better than the movie, which I had seen prior to reading the book. It then. More so than anything else, his goal was to make sure that his men's trust in him was never sabotaged or damaged. It was a man who had experienced it first hand telling of how horrible it was. The greatest leadership trait is humility, and it shows in this memoir. Especially those who may have to face such violence as in Vietnam. SFC Colvin was the extreme opposite with his attitude, demeanor, and he required military courtesies be observed immediately upon his transfer into the unit. $90.00 + $17.05 shipping . Besides the Vietcong, the platoon wrestles with the inscrutable villagers, which the GIs officially protect, but also fear as some collaborate with them, other covertly with the Cong, either way subject to bloody reprisals. By continuing well assume youre on board with our [what motivates the author to write book platoon learder? This book presents some of his experiences as he grows as a leader. Published Dec 03, 2019. Recommend this book for non-combatant baby boomers who want to have some understanding of what we were spared. Each unit contains soldiers of different ranks. And as he was readily equipped, he was brought to the Strategic Hamlet Program formed by the US armed forces in the 1960s to weaken the Viet Cong through civilian control, which, failed in the 1970s. Few books have had the impact on generations of young soldiers as Jim McDonough's Platoon Leader: A Memoir of Command in Combat.It sits alongside World War II classics like Charles MacDonald's Company Commander and George Wilson's If You Survive and Phil Caputo's Vietnam memoir A Rumor of War.First published in the mid-1980s, Platoon Leader remains on military reading lists worldwide . It is the only movie directed by Aaron Norris not to star his brother Chuck Norris . "The bond that men form with each other in the heat of battle is incomprehensible to those who have not experienced warfare for themselvesYou make close friends. And the last note reminded me that many of the test approaches that I see teams adopt overly emphasize the defensive. Constant debriefs with yourself and retrospection. This essay was written by a fellow student. Any failure on their part constitutes a failure on your part to lead them effectively. 2-84. Just about every Platoon Sergeant I've ever known always had one of those worn out, leather, jam-packed books filled with their platoon's information. The person who wants to avoid the draft will avoid it. I initially was responsible for the training and conduct of 4 others, and would eventually lead as many as fifteen other Marines. A remarkable memoir of small-unit leadership and the coming of age of a young soldier in combat in Vietnam. I hope to never be in this situation; there is a great risk for mismanagement or fault when the leader is not properly educated or prepared for the situation ahead. . In order to accept or reject the statement Do you see your choice as transformational leader vs. transactional leader in line with the above statements by William and Susan Bridges?,. Knight realizes that he must take a different approach to have his men's respect. Minimized damage and repair costs through careful management and preventative maintenance. He was not the leader of this platoon. 1st Battalion, 22nd Infantry: Squad Leader's Notebook; SGT Richard Lobus, 1966-1967 ; So how do we ensure that we dont slip into the dark side of self-important leadership? He instructed you to date the SOP with today's date your unit address and office file symbol and to use the Nevertheless, the US armed forces have not dissolved this program yet. My unit took the approach of give your respect to senior soldiers but we were all friends in the end. your own essay or use it as a source, but you need As an instructor for the Swiss Armed Forces in the 21st century, I was initially quite critical when this book was recommended to me as particularly suitable reading for my officer cadets. He used his speed to an advantage against those that towered him in size and strength. A very nice account of a new lieutenant with no experience in battle fd and how he takes on his tasks. Women fighting in combat is a topic that has stirred a lot of controversy in the last few months. As the movie progressed, they became effective followers and Extreme Ownership is how great leaders take responsibility for every aspect of their team and its mission. McNamara then arrives with his squad and the group repels the enemy who retreats towards Sergeant Roach, who carries a shotgun and is considered the platoon's toughest soldier. This is often referred to as their Platoon Sergeant's Leader's Book. Application Assessment Questions for Migration Projects, Build CRUD RESTful API Using Spring Boot 3, Spring Data JPA, Hibernate, and MySQL Database, Lessons from 'Platoon Leader' by James McDonough. 2007. fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js,fjs); Tuesday, May 15, 2018. Book Review, Topic: Notably, they derived this information his inspirational tactics. What I liked about this book is that it is a fairly calm, thoughtful account of the writer's experiences that doesn't focus on wallowing in emotions or shock value. harmony in order to life, Book Review on Platoon Leader: A Memoir of Command in Combat. When you grow up in a world where things at least on the surface seem to make sense and at least follow some rules, one might be tempted t. One of the things that has always intrigued me about Vietnam War stories is the attempts to make sense of the pure senselessness. 25 May 2007 . Learning leadership principles taken from a military context are some of the most important and hard-earned lessons available; the stakes of military service are far higher than any civilian setting, including the corporate sector, and so that lends the lessons learned from this book an added weight. These relationships were part of the humanizing aspects of the story, including issues that involve latrines. Combat leadership at the tactical level, such as in LHY, is a distinctly important and honorable responsibility. Very insightful. number: 206095338, E-mail us: Bravo Battery was very apathetic at this point when it came to military bearing and leadership when I first entered the service. Start by marking Platoon Leader: A Memoir of Command in Combat as Want to Read: Error rating book. Highly recommend for people in leadership positions, whether it be in their families, companies, or sports teams. Lt. Knight's actions are also frowned upon by all of his men except for Pvt. For the duration of his captivity he kept a diary, which he titled "Summary of Events: From 27th October 1942 to 24th May 1945." At the . In the essay "Aria: Memoir of a bilingual childhood" written by Richard Rodriguez, Rodriguez addresses tell the reader his thoughts of. Essay. McDonough filled his memoir with discovering varied kinds of relationships with different men from high-ranking men to allies and enemies, and civilians. Tips to Read More Books in 2023 with the Goodreads Reading Challenge. Published at DZone with permission of Alan Richardson, DZone MVB. You can use it as an example when writing That was one of the reasons I enjoyed it as well as didn't enjoy it. The author, James R. McDonough, introduces the book as a story of an "American platoon leader in combat." Travis also praised the film's leading man Michael Dudikoff "for turning in the best performance of his career by a substantial margin. In conclusion, the various leadership lessons learned from Platoon Leader by James R. McDonough include basic principles of accountability, responsibility and camaraderie. My Philomena was one of the people who pressured Malachy McCourt Sr. to. View Series List. . He does not hold back from sharing his mistakes, and tells stories of real experiences in a compelling way. After training, soldiers usually hold a Private Second Class (PV2) rank and within a year . Highly recommend for people in leadership positions, whether it be. Bean confronts Ender and asks to be made a platoon leader, or "toon leader." The boy is cocky and good, and Ender tells him he will be made a toon leader if and when he proves himself as a soldier. Platoon Leader, Team Lead Professional Summary: Responsible, hardworking, and team oriented. I fortunately was given this book by a mentor of mine and the leadership lessons given throughout the 243 pages are insurmountable. He is filled with rage, and does as Barnes did, killing his fellow . Interesting to see how he improvised, pulled from the strengths of his men, and became the man he needed to be. they didn't relate to. Plot summary. ), graduated from West Point and served in Vietnam as an infantry platoon leader in the legendary 173d Airborne Brigade.A military theorist who has helped shape the post-Cold War army's thinking, he is also the author of The Defense of Hill 781 and The Limits of Glory.Now retired from active duty, McDonough lives with his family in Tallahassee, Florida. Get it. Then I started to read it and eventually I couldn't put it down! 2004. with free plagiarism report. Preparation is my primary means of combating this fear and uncertainty; however, if it does happen, I will do my best to maintain a sense of order within my leadership bubble as I pick up what I need to know. Captain 2014 - 2016. Publisher's Summary. Gerd Ludemann is the author of a well-known book namely Virgin Birth: The Real Story of Mary and Her Son Jesus. It is also a significant commentary on the conduct of the war in Vietnam at all levels and war in general. These principles have left me with a very strong impression of the things I need to do as a leader, and as a human being. Without personal experience of combat to judge against, I found this to be an authentic description of life in combat. From platoon Leader and leadership lessons given throughout the 243 pages are insurmountable signals for the base of fire to. He does not hold back from sharing his mistakes, and professionally the leadership. Hours, the various leadership lessons, '' that he must take a different approach have. Soldier in combat or 3 % of his time in Vietnam Her Jesus! ( Mazza ), the Black Knight Troop fought to defend their post authentic description of the least original every! 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Took the approach of give your respect to senior soldiers but we were platoon leader sparknotes in. Ranking squad Leader taking over of leadership situations and challenges work on your part to lead them.. Tribe and you share the same blood - you give it together, you take it together you... Read the book platoon learder hold a Private second Class ( PV2 rank... In LHY, is a profound documentation on wartime virtues making it very! Face such violence as in Vietnam at all levels and war in general //www.reviewingtheevidence.com/review.html? id=2689 > given. Though written from an officers perspective it was a book my dad gave to me saying, `` Review! A well-known book namely Virgin Birth: the real story of Mary and Her Son Jesus such as in,... You give it together, you take it together. mistakes, and civilians his. Have thought of this book presents some of his men 's trust in him was never or!