Reluctant Warrior, Michael C. Hodgins
Reluctant Warrior, Michael C. Hodgins
List: $25.99 | Sale: $18.20
Club: $12.99

Reluctant Warrior
A Marine's True Story of Duty and Heroism in Vietnam

Author: Michael C. Hodgins

Narrator: John McLain

Unabridged: 12 hr 42 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Publisher: Tantor Media

Published: 04/10/2018


Synopsis

By the spring of 1970, American troops were ordered to pull out of Vietnam. The Marines of 1st Reconnaissance Battalion, commanded by Lieutenant Colonel "Wild Bill" Drumright, were assigned to cover the withdrawal of 1st Marine Division. The Marines of 1st RECON Bn operated in teams of six or seven men. Heavily armed, the teams fought a multitude of bitter engagements with a numerically superior and increasingly aggressive enemy.

Michael C. Hodgins served in Company C, 1st RECON Bn (Rein), as a platoon leader. In powerful, graphic prose, he chronicles his experience as a patrol leader in myriad combat situations—from hasty ambush to emergency extraction to prisoner snatch to combined-arms ambush . . .

Reviews

Goodreads review by Samuel on April 15, 2025

Reluctant Warrior by Michael C. Hodgins is a gripping, honest memoir of his time as a Marine in Vietnam. Readers love its real dialogue, vivid leadership lessons, and authentic storytelling. It’s an engaging read that brings recon missions to life, perfect for anyone into military history or true st......more

Goodreads review by Tom G. Lapham on September 23, 2017

Descriptive and Real Hodgins story does not contain a lot of action. The few confrontations with the enemy are short and sweet. Not graphic or suspenseful, not particularly unusual or heroic. Hodgins himself rarely if ever takes part in a fire fight or ambush....so you might wonder why I read the ent......more

Goodreads review by Ronald S. Haxton on July 23, 2018

This was like old home week for me. I was a battalion surgeon with the 5th Marines. Spent time in many of the places. The author gives a very true account. I always wondered what junior officers did. The good ones spent their time setting up and coordinating supporting fire (like artillery). Very we......more

Goodreads review by Danny on March 17, 2025

More than a war story, it’s a lesson in small unit tactical leadership. It’s about relating to those in your charge at their level, standing up for and protecting them from bureaucracy which distracts from the mission, providing clear and concise intent, and verifying the mission essentials (fortifi......more

Goodreads review by Rob on August 17, 2017

Well written account of Lt. Hodgins rise from enlisted man to 1st Lieutenant in the Marine Corps during the Vietnam War. His reflection on his effort to build confident relationships with the troops under his charge is told effectively. Anyway, I think this book is informative and well put together.......more