"This book intends to cover the action of Marine Tankers and Ontos crewmen who fought the local Viet Cong, the Viet Cong Main Forces, and the North Vietnamese Regular Army from 1965 to 1970 in I Corps, South Vietnam. It opens with a brief backdrop of the history of Vietnam, the political atmosphere in South Vietnam, a short bio of the senior military leadership on both sides, and what led the U.S. to the landing of Marines on 8 March 1965. From that point the chronology is based on previously-classified documents, Marine Corps official documents, with interviews from, and articles by, Marine Veterans who detail their fight. Maps, personal pictures, and charts supplement the narrative."--Back cover.

Book one contains volumes 1 and 2. Includes index.

Volume 1: 1965How it started -- What the hell happened? We were winning the war when I left! -- Shipboard follies -- Jesse and me take a ride -- Third Tanks - D-day RVN -- California-based Seventh Marines, 1st Marine Division -- Attack on Third Tank Battalion headquarters -- The Vietnam War and the Special Landing Force -- Qui Nhon, 1 July 1965 -- Vietnam War -- Operation STARLITE: The first big battle (17-24 August 1965) -- Operation STARLITE, Aug. 18 1965 -- Binh Son -- Tom Tuck's Vietnam tour of duty with Ontos -- Operation PIRANHA -- Company C, 3d Tank Battalion, 9/5/64-10/7/65 -- VC assault on Hill 22 30 October 1965 -- A rainy night in Chu Lai -- Volume 2: 1966 Vietnam - a strange experience from a Western perspective -- January 1966 Operation Mallard -- POOP -- Blessings in a small bottle -- Operation EAGLE FLIGHT 49er -- The Marble Mountain "mad dog" caper -- 50 years ago - 21 May 1966 - My longest day -- I remember -- Tanks in Operation LIBERTY, June 1966 -- In country -- The move north -- We'll wait on the other side -- Operation HASTINGS -- The August 26, 1966, attack on Cam Lo: Golf and Hotel 3/12 -- Night of the tigers -- Gibson recalls a day in Vietnam -- The betrayal - the true story.