Army Private Joe Belardo started out as an Honest John missileman in the States but winds up as a Dusterman in Vietnam. His time as a duster antiaircraft gunner is both interesting and shocking.... his Duster unit was assigned to Marines near the DMZ and the tracked 40mm guns were used to escort convoys in this very active area. The twin forties could spew out hundreds of exploding rounds as quickly as the guns could be loaded, with devastating effect. Like some dangerous animal taken out of its natural environment and placed in one where prey hasn't got a chance, the duster turned out to be a true man-killer in the absence of enemy aircraft.
Belardo's writing might not have the polish many professional writers have, but his sincerity and his frankness over the impact of living in awful conditions, of using the guns to chew up the Viet Cong, of bringing back the dead and dying on the deck of the duster will grip the reader. And its not just his notations of the day-to day existence but of the thoughts that he puts down on paper.
Although I got this book because I was mostly interested in the duster as an antiaircraft gun and the unit which would become the 44th Air Defense Artillery I am sincerely grateful I read this. Truly an important book about men who had to do duty which guaranteed they would be ambushed, or to rescue Marines from tight spots when the action got really hot. I have met many duster-era soldiers (Colonel Tedesco being one of them) and was assigned to a National Guard unit transitioning over to Hawk. The crewmen loved the machines but with their open turrets and low ready ammo supply they were never meant to be in ground combat.
Dusterman many pictures and a few maps. If I could make any change with this book I would suggest a professional editor look it over and sharpen it up a bit in places, maybe adjust the layout. Chapters 8 and 9, both dealing with the 1968 major engagement near Camp Carroll, should be consolidated. I believe the story would be more effective.
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