Ride the Thunder

In Ride the Thunder: A Vietnam War Story of Honor and Triumph, Richard Botkin breaks new ground in telling the heroic story of a few American and Vietnamese Marines who fought brilliantly and turned the tide of the Vietnam War.

Botkin recounts the exploits of the U.S. Marines and their Vietnamese allies largely responsible for thwarting the Communist invasion of South Vietnam-known as the Easter Offensive of 1972. These are the men who "rode the thunder" and almost saved a nation. The book is brimming with new information about these old battles, including: How Colonel G.H. Turley found himself suddenly serving as chief advisor to the Third ARVN Division and how his command decisions helped defeat the Easter Offensive; how the incredible American effort to destroy the Dong Ha Bridge halted the Communist advance; how South Vietnamese Marines were winning on the battlefield and then suffered terribly after the war during the "re-education" process.

Richard Botkin A former Marine infantry officer, Richard Botkin served a combined fifteen years on active duty and in the reserves from 1980 through 1995.