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John J. Culbertson, 13 Cent Killers. The 5th Marine Snipers in Vietnam, Presidio Press, 2003, 272 p. DUNSTAN

Here's another book on the Vietnam War, read in the wake of last year. It is always with the 1st Marine Division , but especially here with snipers the 5th Marine Regiment , one of the units of the division. The author, John J. Culbertson, himself a former sniper the 5th Marines paints a portrait of the killers enough cleaner to 13 cents (the average price of a bullet during the war Vietnam).

is a primary source, and as always with this kind of evidence, there are good and bad sides. Good, what are the descriptions of the creation of a true "sniper school " in the USMC in the area of the I. Corps tactics. The integration of teams of snipers working in pairs did, indeed, not without its difficulties, the Marines not seeing very well at first the usefulness of the snipers. Now they will prove invaluable to counter ambushes, snipers eliminate the dreaded Vietcong or to protect U.S. facilities, especially at night, against the attacks of fire, another elite corps of the enemy. Culbertson's testimony provides a look "inside " on the history of these sniper in the USMC plunged into the Vietnam War.

Unfortunately, the story of Culbertson is marked by a kind of "perpetual diatribe " the average soldier during the Vietnam War: in short, American politicians, and President Johnson in the first chief, are accused of all misfortunes that can happen to soldiers on the ground, not to mention that in addition, they make money on the backs of Marines them who are killed in combat. Culbertson seems to have developed a special grudge against the company Bell Helicopter , partly owned by President Johnson (!). Other heaviness of the story: a kind of complacency creeping fills many lines: the Marines are the best snipers of Marines are the best of the best, and snipers the 5th Marines are the best the best of the best ... I caricature, but it is not very from the truth. Which is a shame, what this kind of talk takes the place of pages that could have been more devoted to weapons or tactics used by the unit.

Once one has in mind these few caveats, the book presents itself as a source, read as such. It does not replace the work of the historian, but it provides the material, in this case both on the USMC snipers on their representations of troops in Vietnam.