MWSA Book Review

Brownwater - Getting There is Half The Fun…

Author:  Samuel C. Crawford

Publisher:  Xlibris

Reviewer: Bill McDonald – President of the MWSA

The First Book of a two Book Series on the Brown Water Navy in Nam

Author Samuel Crawford will hook you on this first installment of his two book series about a young 18 year old heading Vietnam for his tour of duty on a Navy river boat.  It is a totally different kind of war in the delta.  This novel is a totally off the wall adventure.  It is fun, entertaining and funny at times.  It doesn’t take itself too seriously and has some fun with the reader.

“Brownwater – Getting There is Half The Fun” and reading it is twice the fun!  Just a good sit back on the old sofa and read book, it is an easy read.  Even though it is a novel, it does give you some good factual information about the Navy, the delta war, the boats and the men who fought there.

There are a lot of great black and white photos from the author’s own tour of duty, along with a load of information compiled in several appendixes in the back of the book.

Second Book in Series is: Brownwater II – The Adventure Begins…

Book Synopsis

Two teenage boys are heading to Vietnam in this sometimes-humorous account of their ordeal traveling throughout South Vietnam in their challenge to locate their unit.  Charles, fresh out of boot camp and having no idea what to do or how to get around, teamed up with Petty Officer Dan who was returning for his third tour and having all the right answers and shortcuts required to survive in 1969 Vietnam.

For Vietnam veterans, this story will bring back precious memories that will make them say, "Yeah, I remember doing stuff like that. That part of the war was fun."  For those who never served in the military will find this an enjoyable eye-opener to military life from the eyes of an 18-year-old city boy from Baltimore.

Author Biography

Samuel C. Crawford served six years honorably in the United States Navy with three tours of hazardous duty in the many rivers and narrow canals of the Mekong Delta during the Vietnam War as part of the Brown Water Navy assigned to the Mobile Riverine Task Force 117.  Sam is now a Senior/Programmer Analyst working in Exton PA., and lives with his wife Pat, and their daughter Stephanie, in Middletown Delaware.  All photographs and appendixes used in this publication were taken from his personal collection during his In-Country tours of Vietnam, unless otherwise noted.