Four Ugly Ambush: the Ballad of a Green Beret

When author Linda Farell learned that her neighbor Ron Latham had been given only a few weeks to live, she asked to interview him about his service in the Vietnam War.

At first hesitant to share, Latham eventually consented to twenty-one interviews, sharing incredibly vivid, honest, and poignant memories about his time as a Green Beret. Latham died on the day their twenty-second interview was scheduled.

Farell transcribed and edited the stories, leaving the voice, sequence, and content of the stories intact, creating an important first-person account of one man’s service to his country during war in a foreign land.

Four Ugly Ambush invites readers to walk with Ron as he remembers an unpopular war, fought by soldiers who believed in their mission, but were often misunderstood and even less appreciated.

A wife, mother of five children, and grandmother of more than a dozen grandchildren, Linda Farell lives in Dallas, Texas, with her husband and two loyal dogs.

She received a BS in medical technology and an MA in medical anthropology, and she knows a good story when she hears one.

Though far from an expert on the Vietnam War or the military, Linda was compelled to write this book after listening to her neighbor’s stories. She believes that it provides a different and important perspective on the war.