The Night Fighters

In KNIVES IN THE NIGHT we meet the Marines of Combined Action Platoon Tango Niner and the Popular Forces of Bun Hou village, South Vietnam, deep in "Indian Country." The Marines and Vietnamese soon find themselves pitted against Major Nghu, a sadistic North Vietnamese Army officer dedicated to wiping out the Marines and subjugating the South Vietnamese peasants. Book 1 of The Night Fighters.

Main Force Assault follows the Marines and Popular Forces of Combined Action Platoon T-9 as they continue their mission to protect the villagers of Bun Hou from the Viet Cong, and corrupt South Vietnamese officials. Following combat in the first book in the series, Knives in the Night, CAP Tango Niner has several replacements, including a new lieutenant, who has to be taught how to be a leader.

In book 3 of The Night Fighters, the Marines of CAP Tango-9 have to clear themselves of the drug charges brought at the end of book 2. In addition to that, they still have to deal with the corrupt assistant district chief, and defend Hou Bun village from the rampaging Viet Cong who keep coming through. This is the most difficult trial the Marines and the South Vietnamese Popular Forces have had.

The Marines of Combined Action Platoon are trapped between a rock and a hard place. They need to get their Popular Forces platoon back, and they have to stop the VC who keep running supplies and troops through their area - and launch assaults on Camp Apache, the Marines' outpost. Then they need to somehow deal with the VC base to their west.

Major Nghu, the fanatic North Vietnamese officer from book 1, is back. This time, he's got many more soldiers under his command, and uses different tactics, which he believes are guaranteed to defeat the Marines and Popular Forces of Combined Action Platoon Tango Niner. He starts by violating the Christmas truce - at a time when the Marines have American women visiting for Christmas dinner!

For six months the Marines and Popular Forces of Combine Action Platoon Tango Niner had fought Viet Cong and North Vietnamese Army units. The VC and NVA almost always lost those encounters. After months of losing fighters and supply trains, and an inability, despite repeated attempts, to overrun and wipe out the CAP, the VC and NVA are leaving Hoa Bun billage alone. The CAP needs a new challenge!