The Blackguards (Unabridged‪)‬

Nick O'Malley has come home from Vietnam but with more questions than answers. His unit, the 173rd Airborne, had orders to close the port of Cam Pha, which should have crippled supply lines and might have ended the war. Instead, just before Nick transferred out, the orders were cancelled. Nick later learns his entire unit was then dropped in behind enemy lines and wiped out. A mistake? Or something darker? With the help of his father and a Chicago journalist, Nick heads back in-country to try to find answers--to the fates of both his unit and the president of the United States.

The Blackguards is a story of politics and big business as Nick races to uncover the truth, facing violence and danger at every turn. The characters are tough Americans up against near-impossible odds, making The Blackguards a relevant, good-versus-evil thriller with just enough facts and reality.

Author's note: I was a sergeant in the 173rd Airborne Brigade stationed in Okinawa in 1963. We had orders from President Kennedy to close the port at Cam Pha. The Brigade, for unknown reasons, did not go, and though I survived, the entire unit was wiped out.