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U.S. Marines in Vietnam: The Defining Year, 1968. By Jack Shulimson et al. Washington: Marine Corps Historical Center, 1997. ISBN 0-16-049125-8. Maps. Photographs. Illustrations. Tables. Notes. Appendixes. Index. Pp. xi, 802. $70.00.
For some time there has been a curious gap in the Marine Corps' official history of its participation in the Vietnam War. The initial volume, covering the years 1954 to 1964, appeared as long ago as 1977. A volume covering the final years of the conflict (1973-75) has been available since 1990, and with the exception of the year 1968, the official history series has been complete since 1991, when the Marines published their history of the years 1970-- 1971. Among those who noticed and speculated on the gap, explanations ranged from the sinister to the mundane. Certainly the year 1968 proved central to the Marine experience in Vietnam-"defining" is the word Jack Shulimson and his coauthors use. Khe Sanh, flue city, the second wave of Tet, Dai Do, Quang Tri, Da Nang, the list is lengthy and more than one of the battles involve controversies. More ordinary...