A founding member of the Navy SEALs recounts the formation of that elite fighting force in this honest, no-holds-barred memoir of the Vietnam War (Richard Marcinko, author of Rogue Warrior).Chief Petty Officer James Patches Watson was there at the start. As a high-performing frogman with the famed Underwater Demolition Team 21, he was chosen to become a founding member—or a plank owner —of the U.S. Navy SEALs. Through three tours in the jungle hell of Vietnam, he led the way as point man—the one in charge of navigating trip wires, booby traps and punji pits. In this vividly detailed memoir, he recounts guiding his squad of amphibious fighters on missions of rescue, reconnaissance, and demolition. Together with his brave comrades, Watson confronted a war's unique terrors head-on, unprotected . . . and unafraid.This is the story of a hero told from the heart and from the gut—an authentic tour of duty with one of the most legendary commandoes of the Vietnam War. Read more ASIN B0010XS6H0 XRay Enabled ISBN13 978-0061749582 Edition Reissue Language English File size 3.0 MB Page Flip Enabled Publisher HarperCollins e-books Word Wise Enabled Print length 363 pages Accessibility Learn more Screen Reader Supported Publication date October 13, 2009 Enhanced typesetting Enabled