19 Miles

As American withdrawal from South Vietnam began, attention turned to the enemy's use of base areas inside nominally neutral Cambodia. In response, U.S. and South Vietnamese forces launched a series of operations between April and June 1970-an effort to disrupt supply lines, seize sanctuary areas, and locate the elusive Central Office of South Vietnam (COSVN). 19 Miles: Cambodia 1970 and Other Stories presents that campaign from the ground level. It is both a concise account of the operation and a firsthand narrative of an officer who took part in it. Set against the stated limits of the campaign and the conditions encountered in execution, the book examines the distance between what was intended and what was experienced. In Vietnam, John S. Tomko, Jr., served as an Infantry Platoon Leader from January to September 1970 with Company D 5th Battalion 12th Infantry 199th Infantry Brigade (Light) and as a Division staff officer with the 23rd Infantry Division (Americal) from September to November 1970. After twenty-nine years of service in the Active Army, the U.S. Army Reserve, and the Army National Guard, he retired as a Lieutenant Colonel. His military awards include the Combat Infantry Badge. He resides in Alexandria, Virginia.