Tales From the Cut

During the Vietnam war, the U.S. Army’s Corps of Engineers was tasked with removing heavy jungle cover along roadways that were being used by the Viet Cong and NVAs to attack passing convoys in South Vietnam. A unique tractor was developed to cut down and eliminate certain areas of the jungle-called the 'Rome Plow' crawler tractor-and it emerged to spawn a new movement in South Vietnam called 'Land Clearing.' Some of the gritty 'land clearers,' as they were called, all of whom experienced harsh, dangerous jungle conditions, wrote stories about their arduous and hazardous involvement in the jungle clearing process. The true stories in this book are a testament to these combat engineers who served in the treacherous task of clearing away the enemy’s jungle cover during the height of the Vietnam War. Clearly, the actions of these unsung heroes saved countless lives during the war, and this book pays homage to them all.