Books About the Battle

The most comprehensive account of the Battle of Firebase Ripcord ever written, based on fifteen years of interviews with Ripcord veterans. Builds on and in places corrects earlier accounts of the campaign. Published by Casemate Publishers.

A detailed account of the Battle of Firebase Ripcord drawing on the shared memories of Association members. Historian Stephen E. Ambrose called it “the best account of a battle I’ve ever read.”

The story of the Battle of Firebase Ripcord told from both sides — by the American general who commanded there and drawing on accounts from the NVA general who fought against the 101st Airborne’s Currahee Battalion. Covers March–July 1970 on the east flank of the A Shau Valley.

Contains over 100 firsthand interviews with Ripcord veterans, preserving their personal accounts of the battle in their own words. An invaluable oral history of the men who were there.

A comprehensive account of Operation Texas Star and the battles fought by the 101st Airborne Division during the summer of 1970, including the siege of Firebase Ripcord.

A ground-level account of the Battle of Firebase Ripcord told through the eyes of the men who fought there, set against the backdrop of the A Shau Valley and the surrounding mountains.

A powerful personal account of the Battle of Firebase Ripcord told from the perspective of a combat medic. A story of faith, courage, and survival in one of the war’s most brutal engagements.

A warrior’s personal memoir spanning his military service including his experiences with the 101st Airborne Division. Fred Spaulding was a longtime member of the Ripcord Association who dedicated years to organizing reunions and finding suitable locations for the annual gathering.

While not exclusively about Ripcord, this acclaimed work covers the broader context of the war in which Firebase Ripcord existed, examining the South Vietnamese forces who fought alongside American units throughout Operation Texas Star and the broader 1970 campaign.

The account of Firebase Kate, fought just months before Ripcord, provides essential context for understanding the NVA’s strategy of besieging American firebases in 1969–1970. The tactics and determination shown at Kate were a direct prelude to what the men of the 101st faced at Ripcord.

The author’s firsthand account of his Vietnam tour with a Radio and Research Unit of the Army Security Agency. The book includes important details about personnel at Firebase Ripcord and intelligence gathered during the campaign — intelligence that was reported but ignored by General Lucas and others in the command chain. A critical addition to the historical record of what happened at Ripcord and why.

The story of Medal of Honor recipient Kenneth Kays, who served with the 101st Airborne Division during the Vietnam War. This moving biography follows Kays from his extraordinary act of valor — for which he received the nation’s highest military decoration — through his difficult return home and the long war he fought within himself after Vietnam. A deeply human portrait of heroism and its aftermath.