“Stolen Valor”
“This novel re-tells the war stories of a young Military Intelligence captain serving in Vietnam during the years 1972 to 1973 at the very end…
Peter A. Taylor
Vietnam Veteran
Author and Editor
“The Hardcharger”
Hello! I’m Peter Taylor, a retired US Army officer, an author, and Military Historian. I served three combat tours in Vietnam as a military intelligence officer initially assigned to a three-man MAC-V district team in the Mekong Delta as the Phoenix advisor. On my final tour I was with the 525 Military Intelligence Group. I was one of the last combat soldiers to leave Vietnam on March 29, 1973.
The “The Advisor” series follow Paul Tyler’s exploits in Vietnam from his initial tour in the Mekong Delta to his final assignment in the northernmost part of Vietnam at the very end of US involvement. On a chance encounter in Saigon Tyler meets a young American Red Cross ‘Donut Dollie”, Cathy Stewart. They develop a love affair that follows them through the series.
My military history works include a “Civil War History of Harrison County, West Virginia, 1861-1865” an account of ,the Civil War in a critical logistical center of the Union Army. In 2024 I was recognized by the State of West Virginia as a “History Hero” for my contributions to recording and preserving of the history of West Virginia.
“The Most Hated Man in Clarksburg” is a historical novel about the first Assistant Quartermaster General assigned to establish the Union Army’s garrison in Clarksburg, Virginia in June of 1861 at the very beginning of the Civil War. He offends the unscrupulous local elites and businessmen because he is an honest man.
I was awarded the Gold Medal at a Veterans Administration Art Festival for my short stories which were submitted to the VA’s National committee for consideration at the National level.
Blog Posts Open for Comment
What is the Tuscarora Trail?
One of my books is titled the “The Tuscarora Trail”. So what and where is the Tuscarora Trail? Unless you are an experienced backpacker or…
The Cathounds
Good Friday to all of my readers. Today I’m going to switch genre and talk about three of the books that I’ve edited for a…
SHORT!
For most soldiers, sailors and marines who were assigned to Vietnam our tour of duty was one year or 365 days. In some cases it…
The Starlight Scope
Recently I was watching a movie about some soldiers in Afghanistan and I noticed that they were wearing this device on their helmet. It was…
Merry Christmas – Christmas in Vietnam
I spent three Christmases in Vietnam. Each one of them was different but then again each of them was the same. Christmas 1969 I had…
The Telegraph in the US Civil War
Samuel F. B. Morse, the inventor of the telegraph made an interesting discovery in 1844. When he was trying to lay his first telegraph line…
The SCIF
There are special rooms in a number of buildings within the United States that are highly restricted areas. In the United States capitol building alone…
WEST POINT?
When I enlisted in the army in 1968, I had to take an extensive preinduction physical, in the words of Arlo Guthrie, in his…
My Recollections as an Intelligence Officer in Vietnam
Based upon my writings you can probably easily tell that I was a Military Intelligence officer serving in Vietnam during my three tours over there.…
“If I’ve Told You Once I’ve Told You a Thousand Times….”
The Plain of Reeds is a vast inland wetland. Most of the area we are discussing is now a part of Long An Province and Đồng Tháp…
Garrison Commander, Captain Charles Leib!
A Short Story Captain Charles Leib Captain Leib took a seat in the outer office and waited for Lieutenant Goff to summons him into the…
Veterans Day 2025
Today we celebrate Veterans Day. On the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month of 1918 the guns fell quietly silent over…
Enduring The ‘Gun’ and other medical issues in Vietnam
Most of us who were in the army in the 1960s can tell some interesting stories about medicine. I think one of the most ‘endearing’…
The Appalachian Trail
Throughout my books I often mention hiking the Appalachian Trail. Usually, its context in my books deals with how Colonel Tyler who had a trail…
Religious services in Vietnam
I grew up in a very strict Catholic tradition; baptized, confirmed, altar boy, Catholic schools, and attending catechism classes during high school. My mother even…
Saving our Vietnam War Stories
A couple of days ago I was at a book signing and one of the gentlemen that was there who was also a Vietnam veteran…
Official After Action Report – Battle of Long Khot
HEADQUARTERS US MILITARY ASSISTANCE COMMAND VIETNAM LESSONS LEARNED NO. 78 UNCLASSIFIED UNCLASSIFIED HEADQUARTERS UNITED STATES MILITARY ASSISTANCE Command, VIETNAM APO 96222 MACJ3-052 17 February 1970…
Unhorsing the “Wizard of the Saddle”
This short story is based on an actual event at the end of the US Civil War involving the notorious “Wizard of the Saddle,” General…
The Saga of Lieutenant Lancaster
Sergeant Leonard L. Lancaster sat in his tent outside Memphis, Tennessee early in the morning of April 13th, 1865. He had just finished breakfast in…
The Saga of Lieutenant Lancaster – Part Two
The Saga of Lieutenant Lancaster Part Two In our previous post we read about the terrible news that the men of the Second Wisconsin Veteran…
The Saga of Lieutenant Lancaster – Part Three
Part Three The Saga of Lieutenant Lancaster In the previous post Leonard Lancaster had been tried before a court martial and convicted of mutiny against…
The Saga of Lieutenant Lancaster – Part Four
To My Readers: This is a conclusion of a short story taken from one of my unpublished works, “The Second Wisconsin Veteran Volunteer Cavalry Regiment,…
Learning the Vietnamese Language
I grew up in Dayton, Ohio and entered the US Army in Richmond, Virginia. I spoke midwestern-American English. During my school years I learned a…
Field Rations in Vietnam
I spent twenty-seven years in the Army and one of the biggest changes that I saw was the changes in field rations. Like everyone…
The Harrowing Adventure of Captain Charles Leib
To My readers: this short story is based upon my book “The Most Hated Man in Clarksburg” I hope that you enjoy the story! By…
Meeting My ‘Muse’
As I mentioned in a previous blog I had never written a novel before. I was trained as a military historian, and my degrees are…
The Most Hated Man in Clarksburg – Tour
In conjunction with the Clarksburg History Museum, I have been asked to put together a tour of Clarksburg, West Virginia during the Civil War. The…
Love and War
It was a sad moving day for Colonel Paul Tyler, US Army retired. After the loss of his beloved wife, Katherine, to breast cancer, he…
The Mule Train, A Civil War Short Story
While this is written as a short story it is based on actual events that happened during the Civil War in western Virginia. The story…
Staying in Touch with Home in Vietnam
In my “Advisor Series” I use ‘letters’ as a ‘vehicle’ to tell my stories. In some cases, the letters are from home or from Tyler’s…
A Horse of Many Colors
In one of my early Blogs, I discussed some of the unpublished writing that I’ve done over the years. This is one of the interesting…
“Stealing My College Degree Fair and Square”
When I talk to people about my time in the military one of the things that I am very proud of is the comment that…
The Ambush at Nhon-Nhin-Three
Good morning and Happy 4th of July! Note to my readers. Sometimes a good story just doesn’t seem to fit in a novel. It either…
The Ambush at Nhon-Nhin-Three; Command Decision (Part Two)
Previously, we found Second Lieutenant, Sergeant First Class Bennett and a platoon of South Vietnamese soldiers outside the small village of Nhon-Nhin-Three preparing to ambush…
Happy 162 Birthday West Virginia
On June 20, 1863, West Virginia became the 35th state in the Union. It is a state that was born out of the Civil War.…
Sci-Fi Adventures
Readers, I’m going to switch gears this week for a change. As you know most of my book’s deal with the Vietnam War, The Advisor…
Getting around in the Plain of Reeds
As I’ve mentioned a couple of times in my writing the Plain of Reeds is one enormous swamp. And of course, we had basically two…
A Significant Passing
On Wednesday June 11th, we received the news that singer-songwriter and founding member of the ‘Beach Boys’, Brian Wilson passed away. For many of us…
The CORDS Program
In my books dealing with my time as an Advisor in Vietnam I often talk about the CORDS Program. So, what was CORDS and where…
My Favorite Weapon
A question always asked: What was your favorite weapon in Vietnam? It never fails to amaze me how many people want to know about my…
Welcome back to all my readers and especially my Brothers and Sisters,
We are a receding generation of Vietnam Veterans, as our numbers continue to diminish over time remember these few words from the Bard, William Shakespeare…
Vietnam Advisor series; ‘Exotic foods’.
Welcome Back! As advisors, we encountered changes in our diets. Initially housed at a large replacement depot in Saigon, I awaited my assignment at Camp…
The importance of a backstory; backpacking the Appalachian and other trails and other recurring themes throughout The Advisor series.
Welcome back! As I promised in last week’s blog I was going to go back and talk some more about The Advisor series. One recurring…
“The Most Hated Man in Clarksburg”; historical Civil War fiction
So how could someone be called or become the most hated man in a small town like Clarksburg Virginia? What could cause a man from…
The Katy Sterling Saga (Pete Taylor Editor/Author)
First and foremost, I am NOT a Science-fiction writer! But my longtime friend Chuck Neighbors is! I’ve known Chuck for over thirty years, and our…
The Civil War in My Hometown
My recent blogs have dealt with some Vietnam War stories from my first book in the Advisor series, “The Advisor; Kien Bing, South Vietnam 1969-1970”, …
Officer Candidate School (OCS)
On November 11th, 1968, I reported to Officer Candidate School at Fort Belvoir VA. It was perhaps one of the most exciting days, and most…
Enlisted Training
I did my basic combat training at Fort Benning, Georgia, “Home of the Infantry”. Since I was on an Officer Candidate School (OCS) track I…
March 29, 1973 – the last Combat Troops leave Vietnam
At about 11:00 am, Saigon time, on March 29, 1973, the last ‘direct combat’ troops left Vietnam ending the United States involvement in the Vietnam…
Was it Worth It? Why Was I There?
This is a question that is well over sixty years old. Was my going to Vietnam worth it and was it worth the blood and…
Author Talk
Location: Event Space Bridgeport, WV Public Library, 1200 Johnson Ave, Bridgeport, WV Monday, March 31, 2025; 5:00pm – 6:30pm Local author and veteran, Peter Taylor,…
The Plain of Reeds; life in the Mekong Delta
A number of times I’ve talked about operating in the Plain of Reeds (Đồng Tháp Mười in Vietnamese). Our entire provincial area bordered with Cambodia…
The Chiêu Hồi Program
The Chiêu Hồi (pronounced roughly as Chew Hoy) was an interesting program that I dealt with on a daily basis. In my book I talk about…
The Brown Water Navy
“Brown Water Navy” In my books I talk a lot about the relationship that we had with the US Navy River Division that we dealt…
Kien Tuong Province in the Vietnam War
I found this interesting article on-line and it is worth sharing with my readers. It is translated from Vietnamese to English and I’m certain that…
The Phụng Hoàng (Phoenix) Program
During my first assignment in Vietnam I was assigned to the Phoenix Program or Phụng Hoàng in Vietnamese. The program was very controversial especially during…
Counterparts
In my books I often describe some of the issues in dealing with our Vietnamese counterparts. As American Advisors we faced a philosophical and cultural…
Colonel David “Hack” Hackworth, 44th Special Tactical Zone Commander
Another senior officer mentioned several times in my books is Colonel David Hackworth. Colonel David ‘the Hack’ Hackworth, like John Paul Vann, was a controversial…
Mr. John Paul Vann
10 February In my books I often refer to my professional relationship with two men, John Paul Vann and Colonel David Hackworth. In this week’s…
A Romantic Interlude?
Once again, I’m discussing my first book “The Advisor, Kien Bing. South Vietnam, 1969-1970; A Novel” with emphasis on the individuals that were really a…
Where is Ap Bing???
Good morning! Readers who bought my book “The Advisor; Kien Bing, South Vietnam 1969-1970 a Novel” won’t find the locations on a map of Vietnam.…
The Civil War Draft
A presentation before the Stonewall Jackson Civil War Roundtable January 14, 2025 Unrest As the decision to draft men unfolded in 1863, people rioted. When the…
Welcome Home Vietnam Veterans
My books are dedicated to all those brave men who went to do a nearly impossible job and to the women and families that loved…
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