MWSA Book Review

The Twins Platoon  

Author: Christy W. Sauro Jr.
Publisher: Zenith Press

Genre: Non-fiction/ anthology / memoir

Reviewer: Bill McDonald--MWSA Founder

Author’s Obsession Becomes a Great Story

By Christy Sauro’s own accounting he has put thousands of hours into the research and writing of his book “The Twins Platoon: An Epic Story of Young Marines At War In Vietnam”. The end result is a magnificent obsession! He has captured the heart and soul of those young Marines who were known as The Twins Platoon.

On June 28, 1967 150 young men and women were sworn into the USMC in front of thousands of fans at a Minnesota Twins baseball game. The swearing in ceremony was just the beginning of many personal and sometimes heroic and even tragic stories, which the author shares with us. The reader follows the lives of some of these men as they go through basic training and eventually deployed to Vietnam. Some are killed, some physically wounded and others emotionally damaged.

The problem of readjusting back to their old lives once they left the Marines is another issue the book deals with. For some, this transition ended in suicide, divorce, drugs or booze. Yet some managed to overcome the inner demons and go on with their lives successfully.

The book is obviously well researched and presents an anthology of stories that Sauro weaves into the history of this group of Marines. It becomes evident that Marines are always Marines and that there is something special about being one. There is pride in the telling of these stories and it shows.

The subtitle says this is an “epic story”. That may be an understatement. The author will allow you to sense and feel the emotional and spiritual pain of these Marines. You will become engrossed in the book but more importantly you will become changed. For those who never served in combat it will be an eye-opener. For military veterans who have served our Country, it will bring back memories. It is well written, entertaining, educational, riveting, and an emotional story that is filled with a love of country, the Marine Corps and fellow veterans. A MUST READ! I personally recommend this book!