Open Wound

I never wanted to be a soldier and opposed US involvement in Vietnam, but in 1968, Uncle Sam caught me in a draft. Although I earned a medal for bravery, my memoir is not the work of a wannabe hero. Many books glorify and romanticize soldiering and combat, but mine is not among their ranks. I struggled at enduring the physical and mental hardships of the infantry. My anecdotes about the day to day grind of living outdoors in a harsh environment, often left out in books about war, are fascinating and often humorous. The dark and painful side of my journey includes my killing a teenage boy and later observing an infant die. In addition, uncivil and cruel treatment of Vietnamese civilians by some of my fellow soldiers and our company captain poses ethical dilemmas and raises disquieting questions. Overall, my stories will arouse emotion, provoke thought, and sometimes challenge presuppositions. Scattered throughout my memoir are excerpts from letters I sent home to family during my service.