Dear Mom: A Sniper's Vietnam

This was a very unusual book with the letters to home.

Great read on being a marine from basic to and going to Vietnam as a sniper. Would recommend this book.

A generally good read but less Dear Mom and more about the War would have had 5 Stars. Often the letters were out of sync with the story and certainly less interesting.

The author did an outstanding job of relating the facts - and some of the details - without getting too graphic. Well done! As a former Marine scout-sniper, I can't imagine how the author could have done it any better. I highly recommend this book!

Really insightful account of a Marine’s tour of duty in Viet Nam. It is a shame what these young men were put through. I am the same age as Joseph and would possibly have been there too were it not for a college deferment. The book is well edited with minimal typos. His mother was a saint and her letters and love probably kept him from going completely nuts.

Highly recommended, one of the best of several viet nam books I’ve read. Well written and full of action and very detailed. It’s well deserving of 5 stars.

Interesting book, as written by a marine, in country during the Vietnam war. His story as he writes letters to his mother contains intimate details about his experiences and his mental state in relation to the dangers of being a marine sniper. I recommend this book..

Some of the narrative events described in Joe's book did not match the Command Chronology of the 5th Marines. However, I would say 80% of what Joe Ward describes is authentic, especially the special hunter killer team episode in Laos. While I don't recall Joe Ward specifically, at least two of my amtrac platoon members recall him from our time supporting the 5th Marine Regiment. Having been in An Hoa and up at Phu Loc 6 (i.e., Liberty Bridge), during the same period of time he describes, he was indeed a brave Marine. That said, there was no "doper den" at An Hoa where one could go get a joint and smoke it without getting busted. Joe's reference to smoking a joint with a Marine Captain at An Hoa is an example of Joe's imagination getting carried away. Dan Guenther, Captain of Marines, Vietnam 1968-1970

A few weeks ago I had to read it for an 2nd time. An absolute must-have for anybody who wants to know about the personal experiences of sniping in Vietnam. What the description does not tell - the author starts each new episode with the quotation of his (always short) letter to his family and then he explains the situation very detailed. So nearly his whole tour is covered.

Very good story and verybenjoyabke

EXCELLENT ACCOUNT.

I chose this book from recommendations I read on amazon.I enjoy reading good war stories. I found this book was riveting, and an insight into the US sniper teams in Vietnam. It is action packed and I guess so because snipers would be in constant demand, being requested to assist wherever the action was, moving between different companies, fire bases and patrols as needed. Mr Ward was badly wounded in action during a firefight on a hill and later returned to duty. He was also on a covert operation in Laos. I loved the dimensions this book describes, the initiatiative and freedom of action the snipers were given on tour was an eye opener, the bravery in stalking the enemy and ability to call in air and artillery strikes to save a desperate situation when out alone with a buddy was interesting. The interaction with the local village chief as part of a hearts and minds operation reminded me a little of the book called Once a Warrior King. This book was a friend. I'll read it again in the future.

The author was a sniper, and its kind of interesting reading about their training, and events both before and during the war.He obviously witnessed some big Vietnam war events, but unfortunately, the linking method of letters to his mother jar. It's difficult to believe that any military censor would let letters like this through, or that mothers actualy want letters like this, but who knows....Altogether, not bad, and not so good.