Herman Nickerson

Leadership Lessons and Remembrances from Vietnam Herman Nickerson

Originally published in 1998. From the foreword: "In view of his unique experiences as a senior Marine commander in Vietnam and his extensive efforts to communicate his views and his combat knowledge to the troops he commanded, it was decided to republish a series of articles that Lieutenant General Herman Nickerson, Jr., wrote in 1969-1970 while he was Commanding General, III Marine Amphibious Force (III MAF), which were published in Sea Tiger, the weekly newspaper distributed throughout the III MAF area of northern South Vietnam. General Nickerson commanded the 1st Marine Division in Vietnam from 1 October 1966 to 31 May 1967 and returned to that embattled country to command the III MAF from 27 March 1969 through 9 March 1970. During this latter tour of duty, in order to make up in part for an in-person briefing and welcome he used to give incoming officers and staff noncommissioned officers of the 1st Division, he began writing a series of articles for publication in Sea Tiger. In these short pieces, he covered a wide range of topics, some related to combat service in Vietnam, but many more to the Vietnamese people and the role of Americans in their support."