Brown Mule 7: Another Book of the 5th Battalion, 7th Cavalry
Last year, another book was written about one of the many soldiers of the 5/7th Cav in Vietnam, Leon Toyne. Brown Mule 7 is written by Leon’s younger brother Mike, who my dad and I had the pleasure of meeting while he was working on his book.
My review on Amazon on Goodreads goes like this, “This book provides a glimpse into the day to day life of a combat wireman, Leon Toyne, in Vietnam with the 1st Air Cavalry Division. It is written by Leon’s younger brother but also draws upon the many letters he sent home from the war zone. It is 100% authentic and heartfelt, and does much to honor the sacrifices of all who served in Vietnam.” You may have a hard time find it though, because there are already many other five-star reviews on Brown Mule 7’s Amazon page.
Like my dad, Leon Toyne was with the original group of 5/7th Cav men who sailed to Vietnam on the USNS Gaffey. Knowing that of my dad and many in the battalion, much of his story familiar—yet it was from the perspective of a combat wireman responsible for keeping the lines of communication up and running in the war zone.
I recommend checking it out.
Brown Mule 7: Life of a 5th Battalion, 7th Cavalry Wireman in Vietnam 1966 – 1967