November 8, 1965 · War Zone D
HILL 65
Operation Hump and the Ghosts of Vietnam
On November 8, 1965, young men of the 173rd Airborne Brigade climbed Hill 65 and stepped into history. Operation Hump — the U.S. Army's first major battle in Vietnam — would change everything. Some walked away. Many did not.
By Paul Rutowski
In Their Words
There were 49 letters to be written to the families of our deceased, numerous awards and decorations to be submitted and then process the replacements that soon descended on the battalion.
Richard "Dick" Chegar
S-1 Battalion Adjutant Officer
Paul & Avonne
About the Author
PAUL RUTOWSKI
One battle. One generation. One legacy fifty years in the making.
Among the fallen on November 8, 1965 was PFC Dennis David Rutowski. Two years later, his nephew, Paul Rutowski, was born into the long echo of that day. Decades later, the stories found him — the letters, the voices of brothers-in-arms, the memories passed across kitchen tables and through folded photographs.
Drawn from a lifetime of conversations with veterans and families, Hill 65 transforms those firsthand accounts into an unforgettable story of courage, chaos, and sacrifice. Through vivid scenes and carefully crafted interludes, the novel guides readers deep into the heart of the war.
“I've spent decades gathering these stories because they deserve to live on — not as fading memories, but as a living legacy.”
Also Coming Soon
RAWHIDE
Life and Legend of a Rogue Army Colonel
Al Conetto & Paul Rutowski
From the Preface
November 8, 1965 · War Zone D, South Vietnam
The jungle was too quiet.
No birdsong. No insect chatter. Just a thick, unnatural stillness pressing in on all sides. The kind of silence that tightened the throat and made your skin itch like you'd been seen.
They were young — barely more than boys, walking heavy under rucksacks and pretending to be men. No one dared speak above a whisper. Above them, the teakwood canopy loomed, blotting out the sky. The air felt crowded. Watched. Every man felt it in his gut: the enemy was close.
“Feels like they already got us in their sights.”