One Tough Marine: The Biography of First Sergeant Donald N. Hamblen, USMC

by Donald N. Hamblen and Bruce H. Norton

Book Overview

Sgt. Donald Hamblen was seriously injured on a routine exercise in 1962. And though his leg was amputated six inches below the knee, he fought to stay in the Corps and passed every kind of endurance test. Training other Marines for service in Vietnam in the supersecret Studies and Observation Group (SOG) in 1965, he trained teams of Vietnamese for clandestine missions in both North and South Vietnam. Wounded twice, he served 30 unbroken months of...

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0345384814
• ISBN13: 9780345384812
• Release Date: October 1993
• Publisher: Ballantine Books
• Length: 337 Pages
• Weight: 1.70 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.4" x 6.7" x 9.5"

Customer Reviews

A triumph over disability

Donald Hamblen should be more well-known to fellow Marine Corps veterans. He is certainly among the toughest Marines in history, if not one of the most unique, in that he finished out a twenty year career with only one and a half legs. Surviving a situation where most military personnel would have merely accepted a medical discharge, and gone home to collect disability, Mr. Hamblen refused to quit. As a Force-Reconaissance Marine, Mr. Hamblen was tragically injured in a parachute-jump in the early 1960s. He was blown into a power-line, badly burned and electrocuted. As if that was not bad enough, he also fell a considerable height, after disentangling himself from the power-line. The end result: it was necessary to amputate half of one leg while in the hospital. This was not his first major injury. In the previous decade, Hamblen had been wounded in combat, fighting in Korea. Donald Hamblen was not about to let this disaster end his career. With a powerful will, he rehabilitated himself, and adjusted to use of a prosthetic leg. He passed all the tests necessary to qualify for combat readiness, thereby convincing the medical board to allow his continued service. Afterward, he went on to serve in Veitnam, as the only prosthetically equipped Marine.

rayjoy@ipa.net

A great book about a courageous man. I had to force myself to put the book down in order to get some sleep at night. As with all his other books Bruce did a very good job of getting the true picture of this man's life and courage. Roadrunner 6 out

Let The Truth Be known!

I was in Vietnam with Don Hamblen, from 1966 - 1967. His story, One Tougfh Marine, is totally accurate and factual. B. G. Burkett and Glenna Whitley never spoke to Hamblen when they were writing their book, and LtGen. B. Trainor was never Don Hamblen's CO. In fact, Trainor has never met Don Hamblen, ever. Pat Carothers was there, but he was considered by many of us to be a poor excuse for an officer. He wrote himself up for several personal awards (a Silver Star and a Purple Heart) and the troops despised him for being a one-way phony. When people write books they should have credibility and KNOW what they are writing about. None of these four bums could carry Don Hamblen's pack across the street. Hamblen is genuine, they are not. Burkett and Whitley have no credibility after "ghost writing" their work. Veteran's should know the truth about these four bums. In my opinion, Hamblen has more class than to lower himself to their level.

Donald Hamblen certainly appears to be the ideal Marine!

Starting out in his rural home in Maine, in the thirties, Sgt Hamblen tells his extraordinary story in a matter of fact way. I do not think Sgt. Hamben's purpose was to boast when he wrote this book, but rather to tell the truth about what the Marine Corps is all about- Honor, Courage, Commitment- just like the poster says. Sgt. Hamblen is a man that was lucky enough to fall in love with his career and he had the courage enough to fight for it when it apeared to be in danger. I think this individual would be a fine role model for any of today's youth and for the youth of many generations too come.

This is the best military Bio that I have read ever

About a very Modivated Marine who lost his leg in a parachuting accident when he hit two electrical. It would have killed any normal person but he was in such good shape that it only burned him really bad to the point that doctors had to amputate his left leg under the knee. He was determaned to return to activ duty and it took more strong will to do this than most people would do to survive.