Leawood veteran's experiences chronciled in Vietnam War book

Combatant Books
For Immediate Release
Local Combat Veteran’s Unit Featured in Book
The Villages, Florida. November 16, 2009
As a captain in Vietnam, Stephen Oliva of Leawood, Kansas was assigned as squadron (battalion) communications officer during vicious fighting along infamous Highway 13, fifty miles north of Saigon. Experiences of his communications platoon while fighting both NVA main force units and the monsoon are depicted by his task force commander in One Hell of a Ride: Inside an Armored Cavalry Task Force in Vietnam.
Task Force 1/4 CAV consisted of armor, armored cavalry, air cavalry, mechanized infantry, infantry, artillery, and engineers, supported by Army helicopter gunships and Air Force, Navy, and Marine fighter-bombers.
In 1969 it fought five major battles and numerous smaller ones against North Vietnamese Army regiments of the 7th Division.
The largest battle ever fought in the bloody Michelin Rubber Plantation, and battles along Highway 13, kept the enemy from repeating its intended attack on Saigon that so inflamed world opinion a year earlier during Tet ‘68.
Oliva was in the midst of action during a convoy under attack on Highway 13. He says these experiences are unforgettable and he treasures the bonds he made within his unit during those tough times. He was awarded the Army Commendation Medal and Air Medal for his dedicated, courageous performance.
The story of the task force is set against the backdrop of the Indochina Wars, 1945-1975, in the critical area north of Saigon where French forces fought two decades earlier.
The author uniquely tells the story from two points of view: that of his unit, and that of the enemy they fought. Military historian Lewis Sorley says, “This authoritative account is destined to become an instant classic.” The 560-page book with numerous photos and sketch maps is available at Amazon.com and other online bookstores.
A review copy may be requested from combatant@embarqmail.com. Contacts:
Stephen Oliva 913-685-9703 -or-
William C. Haponski
Combatant Books
8284 SE 176th Lawson Loop
The Villages, FL 32162
352-259-1045 ###