A Rumor of War
Encyclopedia
A Rumor of War is a 1977 autobiography/ war memoir by Philip Caputo
about his service in the United States Marine Corps
(USMC) in the early years of American involvement in the Vietnam War
.
The book is divided into three parts. The first section, "The Splendid Little War", describes Lieutenant Philip Caputo's personal reasons for joining the USMC, the training that followed, and his eventual arrival to Vietnam
. Lt. Caputo was a member of the 9th Expeditionary Brigade of the USMC, the first American regular troops unit sent to take part in the Vietnam War. He arrived on March 8, 1965, and his early experiences reminded him of the colonial wars portrayed by Rudyard Kipling
. The 9th Expeditionary Brigade was deployed to Da Nang
, formerly Tourane, on a "merely defensive" condition, primarily to set a perimeter around an airstrip that ensured arrival and departure of military goods and personnel. The first skirmishes against the North Vietnamese Army and the Viet Cong left Lt. Caputo and his comrades with the impression that the Vietnam War was small and relatively unimportant.
In the second part of the book, "The Officers in Charge of the Dead", Lt. Caputo is reassigned from his rifle company to a desk job, documenting casualties. The position in the Joint Staff of the brigade
was a change that he condemned, because he was proud of his rifle company duties. This distance from the Main Line of Resistance
gave Lt. Caputo a different perspective of the conflict. Lt. Caputo described senior officers as being more worried about trivial matters than strategy. Movies played in the open at night, risking potentially devastating mortar
attacks. Lt. Caputo witnesses enemy corpses being treasured as hunting trophies, and shown off to generals. He also describes American corpses carrying evidence of Viet Cong torture.
In the third part, "In Death's Grey Land," Lt. Caputo is reassigned to a rifle company. He describes the North Vietnamese Army and the Viet Cong as fierce and clever warriors and having earned the grudging respect of American soldiers as such. Lt. Caputo describes his fellow Marines as having stopped wishing for epic, World War II
-style battles; they had learned to detect boobytraps, to counter-snipe, and to comb the jungle in search of the enemy bunkers and rations. Lt. Caputo took part in these operations, until troops under his command miscarried orders and shot two suspects deliberately. Lt. Caputo assumed full responsibility for the incident and faced a court-martial
. Eventually, he was relieved of his command and the charges were dropped. Lt. Caputo was reassigned to a training camp in North Carolina
and eventually received an honorable discharge from the service.
In the Epilogue, almost ten years after the end of his tour of duty, Philip Caputo returned to Vietnam as a war journalist
for a newspaper. Old memories of his war experiences and his comrades flood his mind as he witnesses the fall of Saigon to the troops of North Vietnam
. Caputo left Vietnam on April 29, 1975.
A postscript published in 1996 details some of the anxieties Caputo experienced while writing the memoir, and the difficulties he had handling his fame and notoriety after its publication.
at Camp Pendleton and Churubusco Studios, Mexico with a cast featuring Brad Davis
, Brian Dennehy
, Keith Carradine
, Michael O'Keefe
, and Christopher Mitchum
.
Philip Caputo
Philip Caputo is an American author and journalist. He is best-known for A Rumor of War, a best-selling memoir of his experiences during the Vietnam War....
about his service in the United States Marine Corps
United States Marine Corps
The United States Marine Corps is a branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for providing power projection from the sea, using the mobility of the United States Navy to deliver combined-arms task forces rapidly. It is one of seven uniformed services of the United States...
(USMC) in the early years of American involvement in the Vietnam War
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...
.
Summary
In the foreword, the author states his purpose for writing this book. As he clearly states, this is not a history book, nor is it a historical accusation. The author states that his book is a story about war, based on a personal experience.The book is divided into three parts. The first section, "The Splendid Little War", describes Lieutenant Philip Caputo's personal reasons for joining the USMC, the training that followed, and his eventual arrival to Vietnam
Vietnam
Vietnam – sometimes spelled Viet Nam , officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam – is the easternmost country on the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia. It is bordered by China to the north, Laos to the northwest, Cambodia to the southwest, and the South China Sea –...
. Lt. Caputo was a member of the 9th Expeditionary Brigade of the USMC, the first American regular troops unit sent to take part in the Vietnam War. He arrived on March 8, 1965, and his early experiences reminded him of the colonial wars portrayed by Rudyard Kipling
Rudyard Kipling
Joseph Rudyard Kipling was an English poet, short-story writer, and novelist chiefly remembered for his celebration of British imperialism, tales and poems of British soldiers in India, and his tales for children. Kipling received the 1907 Nobel Prize for Literature...
. The 9th Expeditionary Brigade was deployed to Da Nang
Da Nang
Đà Nẵng , occasionally Danang, is a major port city in the South Central Coast of Vietnam, on the coast of the South China Sea at the mouth of the Han River. It is the commercial and educational center of Central Vietnam; its well-sheltered, easily accessible port and its location on the path of...
, formerly Tourane, on a "merely defensive" condition, primarily to set a perimeter around an airstrip that ensured arrival and departure of military goods and personnel. The first skirmishes against the North Vietnamese Army and the Viet Cong left Lt. Caputo and his comrades with the impression that the Vietnam War was small and relatively unimportant.
In the second part of the book, "The Officers in Charge of the Dead", Lt. Caputo is reassigned from his rifle company to a desk job, documenting casualties. The position in the Joint Staff of the brigade
Brigade
A brigade is a major tactical military formation that is typically composed of two to five battalions, plus supporting elements depending on the era and nationality of a given army and could be perceived as an enlarged/reinforced regiment...
was a change that he condemned, because he was proud of his rifle company duties. This distance from the Main Line of Resistance
Main Line of Resistance
Main Line of Resistance, or MLR is a military term describing the most important defensive position of an army facing an opposing force over an extended front...
gave Lt. Caputo a different perspective of the conflict. Lt. Caputo described senior officers as being more worried about trivial matters than strategy. Movies played in the open at night, risking potentially devastating mortar
Mortar (weapon)
A mortar is an indirect fire weapon that fires explosive projectiles known as bombs at low velocities, short ranges, and high-arcing ballistic trajectories. It is typically muzzle-loading and has a barrel length less than 15 times its caliber....
attacks. Lt. Caputo witnesses enemy corpses being treasured as hunting trophies, and shown off to generals. He also describes American corpses carrying evidence of Viet Cong torture.
In the third part, "In Death's Grey Land," Lt. Caputo is reassigned to a rifle company. He describes the North Vietnamese Army and the Viet Cong as fierce and clever warriors and having earned the grudging respect of American soldiers as such. Lt. Caputo describes his fellow Marines as having stopped wishing for epic, World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
-style battles; they had learned to detect boobytraps, to counter-snipe, and to comb the jungle in search of the enemy bunkers and rations. Lt. Caputo took part in these operations, until troops under his command miscarried orders and shot two suspects deliberately. Lt. Caputo assumed full responsibility for the incident and faced a court-martial
Court-martial
A court-martial is a military court. A court-martial is empowered to determine the guilt of members of the armed forces subject to military law, and, if the defendant is found guilty, to decide upon punishment.Most militaries maintain a court-martial system to try cases in which a breach of...
. Eventually, he was relieved of his command and the charges were dropped. Lt. Caputo was reassigned to a training camp in North Carolina
North Carolina
North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
and eventually received an honorable discharge from the service.
In the Epilogue, almost ten years after the end of his tour of duty, Philip Caputo returned to Vietnam as a war journalist
Journalist
A journalist collects and distributes news and other information. A journalist's work is referred to as journalism.A reporter is a type of journalist who researchs, writes, and reports on information to be presented in mass media, including print media , electronic media , and digital media A...
for a newspaper. Old memories of his war experiences and his comrades flood his mind as he witnesses the fall of Saigon to the troops of North Vietnam
North Vietnam
The Democratic Republic of Vietnam , was a communist state that ruled the northern half of Vietnam from 1954 until 1976 following the Geneva Conference and laid claim to all of Vietnam from 1945 to 1954 during the First Indochina War, during which they controlled pockets of territory throughout...
. Caputo left Vietnam on April 29, 1975.
A postscript published in 1996 details some of the anxieties Caputo experienced while writing the memoir, and the difficulties he had handling his fame and notoriety after its publication.
1980 TV Miniseries
Caputo's book was filmed as A Rumor of WarA Rumor of War (miniseries)
A Rumor of War is a 1980 television miniseries, based on the 1977 autobiography by Philip Caputo about his service in the United States Marine Corps in the early years of American involvement in the Vietnam War...
at Camp Pendleton and Churubusco Studios, Mexico with a cast featuring Brad Davis
Brad Davis (actor)
Robert Creel "Brad" Davis was an American actor, known for starring in the 1978 film Midnight Express.-Early life:...
, Brian Dennehy
Brian Dennehy
Brian Mannion Dennehy is an American actor of film, stage and screen.-Early years:Dennehy was born in Bridgeport, Connecticut, the son of Hannah and Edward Dennehy, who was a wire service editor for the Associated Press; he has two brothers, Michael and Edward. Dennehy is of Irish ancestry and was...
, Keith Carradine
Keith Carradine
Keith Ian Carradine is an American actor who has had success on stage, film and television. In addition, he is a Golden Globe and Oscar winning songwriter. As a member of the Carradine family, he is part of an acting "dynasty" that began with his father, John Carradine.-Early life:Keith...
, Michael O'Keefe
Michael O'Keefe
Michael Raymond O'Keefe is an American film and television actor.- Early life :O'Keefe was born Raymond Peter O'Keefe, Jr. in Mount Vernon, New York, the oldest of seven children in a devoutly Roman Catholic Irish American family. His father was a law professor at Fordham University, as well as...
, and Christopher Mitchum
Christopher Mitchum
Christopher Mitchum , is an American actor. He was born in Los Angeles, California, the second son of film star Robert Mitchum and his wife Dorothy. He is also the younger brother of actor James Mitchum....
.
Sources
- Caputo, Philip. A Rumor of War.
- Edition translated to Spanish: Caputo, Philip. Un Rumor de Guerra. Argos-Vergara. España. 1977, 1980. ISBN 84-7017-876-8
- Edition translated to Swedish: Caputo, Philip. Ett rykte om krig. Rabén & Sjögren, 1978, ISBN 91-29-51283-2
- Edition translated to German: Caputo, Philip. Stosstrupp durch die grüne Hölle.Bastei-Lübbe Band 11 360 1989, ISBN 3-404-11360-8